Glyptapanteles niveus, Fagan-Jeffries, Bird & Austin, 2022

Fagan-Jeffries, Erinn P., McCLELLAND, Alana R., Bird, Andrew J., Giannotta, Madalene M., Bradford, Tessa M. & Austin, Andrew D., 2022, Systematic revision of the parasitoid wasp genus Glyptapanteles Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae) for Australia results in a ten-fold increase in species, European Journal of Taxonomy 792 (1), pp. 1-116 : 18

Glyptapanteles niveus species group

The G. niveus species group can be separated from the other described Glyptapanteles from Australia by having the gena without a pale spot, T1 and T2 dark, propodeum coarsely rugose and the anteromesoscutum with very sparse deep punctures, always with some smooth areas larger than the diameter of punctures, face strongly punctured and T1 not wedge-shaped. All the described species also have a vividly white fore coxa, mid coxa, hind trochanter and anterior metasomal sternites. The species group currently contains three described species: G. bradfordae Fagan-Jeffries, Bird & Austin sp. nov., G. cooperi Fagan-Jeffries, Bird & Austin sp. nov. and G. niveus Fagan-Jeffries, Bird & Austin sp. nov. All three species also have larger eyes (and consequently, smaller malar spaces) than most other species of Glyptapanteles from Australia. This species group is currently only known from eastern QLD, from Kuranda (northern QLD) and from near Brisbane (southern QLD) ( Fig. 4F ).

Figures

Fig. 4. Distribution of species groups of Glyptapanteles Ashmead, 1904 in Australia. A. G. albigena species group. B. G. arcanus species group. C. G. austini species group. D. G. eburneus species group. E. G. mouldsi species group. F. G. niveus species group. G. Unplaced species of Glyptapanteles in Australia.