Selitrichodes Girault, 1913

Fisher, Nicole, Moore, Aubrey, Brown, Bradley, Purcell, Matthew, Taylor, Gary S. & Salle, John La, 2014, Two new species of Selitrichodes (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Tetrastichinae) inducing galls on Casuarina (Casuarinaceae), Zootaxa 3790 (4), pp. 534-542 : 536-537

Selitrichodes Girault

Selitrichodes Girault, 1913 [145]: 104–105. Type species: Selitrichodes fasciativentris Girault , original designation.

Zagrammosomoides Girault, 1913 [146]: 177. Type species Zagrammosomoides fasciatus Girault , original designation, Synonymy by Kim et al., 2008: 8.

Epomphaloides Girault, 1913 [156]: 49–50. Type species Epomphaloides flavus Girault , original designation. Synonymy by Kim et al., 2008: 8.

Remarks. Selitrichodes was treated by Kim et al. (2008), who removed it from synonymy under Aprostocetus Westwood , provided a generic diagnosis, recognized 12 valid species, and pointed out that this genus would probably contain many more species. Although exact biology and host plants are unknown for most species, most of them appear to be associated with galls in some manner. Two species have been subsequently described in this genus: S. globulus La Salle & Gates as an invasive gall inducer on Eucalyptus globulus in California ( La Salle et al. 2009), and S. neseri as a parasitoid of the invasive gall inducer Leptocybe invasa ( Kelly et al. 2012) .

A key to Australian Tetrastichinae genera was provided by Bouček (1988), but did not recognise Selitrichodes as distinct from Aprostocetus . A key to North American Tetrastichinae genera was provided by La Salle (1994), and keys to all North American Eulophidae genera were supplied by Schauff et al. (1997). In these keys Selitrichodes would key to Baryscapus or Aprostocetus , but can be distinguished by the diagnostic characters given in Kim et al. (2008), which are repeated below.

Diagnosis. SMV usually with 2 or 1 (more rarely 3) dorsal setae. PMV developed, although shorter than stigmal vein. Propodeum without a raised lobe of callus which partially overhangs outer rim of spiracle. Cercal setae short and subequal in length. Mesosternum anterior to trochantinal lobe convex and without a precoxal suture. Malar sulcus generally curved, and gena may be somewhat swollen. Most species are non-metallic, ranging from black or brown to yellow. The two species described in this paper can have slight metallic tinges. All funicular segments subquadrate or slightly transverse (except S. utilis described in this paper with elongate funicular segments). Males with 3 funicular segments, as opposed to 4 segments as is typical in Tetrastichinae .

The two newly described species that form galls on Causarina are clearly related and can be distinguished from other species of Selitrichodes based on their distinctive colour markings: mesosoma and head generally black, but with bright yellow face, at least fore and middle coxae bright yellow. The following key will distinguish females of the two Selitrichodes species known to induce galls on Causarina (males are unknown for S. utilis ).