Systematics and host relationships of Australasian Diolcogaster (Hymenoptera : Braconidae : Microgastrinae)

Abstract

The braconid wasp genus Diolcogaster Ashmead is revised for the Australasian region, and is recorded from New Zealand and New Caledonia for the first time. A key to species is presented, the relationships within the Microgastrinae and among species-groups of the genus, the size of the world fauna, the biology and host relationships, and the distribution of Australasian species are discussed. The connexus-group sensu Nixon is expanded and redefined to include two monotypic, non-Australasian groups (D. ippis Nixon and D. reales Nixon), while the spretus-group sensu Nixon is expanded to include the monotypic group for D. coenonymphae (Watanabe) from Japan. Twenty-six species are recognised from Australasia:D. adiastola, sp. nov., D. alkingara, sp. nov., D. ashmeadi, sp. nov., D. dichromus, sp. nov., D. eclectes (Nixon), D. euterpus (Nixon), D. hadrommatus, sp. nov., D. harrisi, sp. nov., D. iqbali, sp. nov., D. lucindae, sp. nov., D. masoni, sp. nov., D. merata, sp. nov., D. muzaffari, sp. nov., D. naumanni, sp. nov., D. newguineaensis, sp. nov., D. nixoni, sp. nov., D. notopecktos, sp. nov., D. perniciosus(Wilkinson), D. rixosus (Wilkinson), D. robertsi, sp. nov., D. sons (Wilkinson), D. tearae (Wilkinson), D. tropicalus, sp. nov., D. vulpinus (Wilkinson), D. walkerae, sp. nov. and D. yousufi, sp. nov.