Disophrys Foerster, 1862

Stevens, Nicholas B., Austin, Andrew D. & Jennings, John T., 2010, Synopsis of Australian agathidine wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Agathidinae), Zootaxa 2480, pp. 1-26 : 15-16

Disophrys Foerster, 1862

( Figs 3 B, 4B, 7B, 10A & B)

Disophrys Foerster, 1862: 246 . Type species: Agathis caesa Klug , by ICZN designation 1989: 76; Turner, 1918b: 225 [key, description]; Parrott, 1953: 200 [catalogue]; Shenefelt, 1970b: 391 [catalogue]; Bhat & Gupta, 1977: 267 [notes, catalogue]; Nixon, 1986: 190 [key, descriptions]; Chou & Sharkey, 1989 [key, description]: 183; Sharkey, 1992: 441 [in tribe Disophrini]; Yu et al., 2005 [catalogue]; Sharkey et al., 2006: 558 [notes, phylogeny, in tribe Disophrini]; Sharkey et al., 2009: 40 [key, description].

Pseudagathis Kriechbaumer, 1894: 65. Type species: Pseudagathis calabarica Kriechbaumer, 1894 , by monotypy; Shenefelt, 1970b: 392 [synonym of Disophrys ]; Chou & Sharkey, 1989: 183 [synonym of Disophrys ].

Pseudocremnops Szépligeti, 1915: 152 . Type species: Pseudocremnops atripennis Szépligeti, 1915 , by monotypy; Shenefelt, 1970b: 423 [catalogue]; Sharkey et al., 2006: 558 [synonym of Disophrys ].

Platyagathis Turner, 1918a: 113 . Type species: Platyagathis leaena Turner, 1918 a, by monotypy; Parrott, 1953: 200; Shenefelt, 1970b: 423. syn. nov.

Diagnosis. Length: 5–12 mm; colour: commonly yellow and dark brown ( Fig. 10 A), rarely with BROW colour pattern ( Fig. 10 B); inter-antennal region with medial elevated mound that may be broadly rounded to carinate, paired carinae or protuberances may be present ( Fig. 7 B); frons with lateral carinae ( Fig. 3 B); notauli present, deeply impressed and scrobiculate ( Fig. 3 B); tarsal claws cleft but base not pectinate (e.g., Fig. 2 A); mid tibial preapical spines absent; fore tibial spur not elongate (e.g., Fig. 2 F); pair of longitudinal carinae present on ventral surface of hind trochantellus ( Fig. 2 G), although can be lacking in non-Australian members of the genus (e.g. Sharkey et al. 2009); fore wing cell 1–RS always present and sessile, distinctly quadrate, vein 2–2RS present ( Fig. 4 B); ovipositor short, length less than 0.5 metasoma length (e.g., Fig. 9 D).

Comments. Most members of this genus exhibit variation in the yellow and dark brown colour pattern associated with a putative mimicry complex. However, an interesting aspect of this genus in Australia is the presence of two species exhibiting the BROW colour pattern. One species, D. leaena (Turner) ( Fig. 10 B), represents the most southerly occurrence for Disophrys , occurring in the Southwestern region of the continent. It is nearly identical in colour and pattern to Therophilus latibalteatus ( Cameron) (e.g., Fig. 8 C), including possessing a distinct propodeal setal field. The other Disophrys species exhibiting the BROW pattern occur on the opposite side of the continent in the Torresian region.

Species richness and distribution. Disophrys is well represented in Australia with over 20 species recognised, seven of which are described. Most of the species diversity occurs in the northern parts of the continent in the Timorian, Torresian and northern Kosciuskan regions. However, one species occurs in the temperate Southwestern region (see under Generic distribution and Comments above).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Agathidinae leg characters: A, Biroia sp., fore tarsal claw cleft (arrowed), base non – pectinate; B, Braunsia sp., fore tarsal claw simple, non – cleft, basal lobe quadrate, non – pectinate; C, Cremnops sp., fore tarsal claw cleft, base pectinate (arrowed); D, Braunsia sp., mid tibial preapical spines (circled); E, Coccygidium sp., fore tibial spur long, sinuate and aristate (arrowed); F, Amputostypos sp., fore tibial spur short, non – sinuate and non – aristate (arrowed); G, Disophrys sp., posterior view of metasoma, showing paired longitudinal carinae on ventral surface of hind trochantellus (arrowed). Scale lines, A, B and C = 0.05 mm; D, E and F = 0.1 mm; G = 1 mm.

FIGURE 3. Agathidinae, dorsal mesoscutum and head: A, Therophilus sp., notauli absent; B, Disophrys sp., notauli present and scrobiculate (small arrow), lateral carinae of frons present (large arrow). Agathidinae lateral metasoma: C, Lytopylus rufipes; D, Therophilus sp. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 4. Agathidinae fore wing venation characters: A, Coccygidium sp., fore wing cell 1 – RS triangular, vein 2 – RS 2 absent; B, Disophrys sp., fore wing cell 1 – RS quadrate, vein 2 – RS 2 present; C, Baeognatha sp., fore wing cell 1 – RS absent; D, Therophilus unimaculatus, fore wing cell 1 – RS small and petiolate, vein 2 – RS 2 absent. Scale lines A, B and D = 1 mm; C = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 7. Agathidinae anterior and lateral views of elongate heads: A, Cremnops commutator Turner; B, Disophrys sp., paired carinae present on inter – antennal region. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 8. Lateral habitus of Agathidinae spp.: A, Baeognatha sp.; B, Therophilus unimaculatus, exhibiting BROW (see text) colour pattern; C, Therophilus nr latibalteatus, exhibiting BROW (see text) colour pattern; D, Therophilus sp. with dense propodeal setal field. Scale lines = 1 mm.

FIGURE 9. Lateral habitus of Agathidinae spp.: A, Biroia sp.; B, Braunsia sp., exhibiting tropical mimicry complex colour pattern; C, Cremnops sp., exhibiting tropical mimicry complex colour pattern; D, Coccygidium sp. Scale lines = 1 mm.

FIGURE 10. Lateral and dorsal habitus of Agathidinae spp.: A, Disophrys sp.; B, D. leaena (Turner), exhibiting BROW (see text) mimicry complex colour pattern; C, Euagathis sp.; D, Amputostypos sp. Scale lines = 1 mm.