Systematics and distribution of world hyptiogastrine wasps (Hymenoptera : Gasteruptiidae)

Abstract

This study examines the phylogeny, taxonomy, distribution and biology of the gasteruptiid subfamily Hyptiogastrinae and, at the same time, presents an overview of the family. Following a cladistic analysis of 35 discrete morphological characters, two monophyletic genera are recognised, Hyptiogaster Kieffer and Pseudofoenus s. l. Kieffer. As a consequence, the genera Aulacofoenus Kieffer, Crassifoenus Crosskey, and Eufoenus Szépligeti are synonymised with Pseudofoenus. A total of 88 species are recognised for the subfamily, 10 species of Hyptiogaster, which are restricted to mainland Australia, and 78 species of Pseudofoenus, 40 of which are described as new. Pseudofoenus has a restricted Gondwanan distribution and is found in Australia including Tasmania (65 spp.), New Guinea and New Britain (5 spp.), the south-west Pacific (New Caledonia, New Hebrides and Fiji – 2 spp.), New Zealand (4 spp.) and South America (2 spp.). No new species have been recorded from either New Zealand or South America. For Pseudofoenus, information on the distribution of each species, their biology (if known) and an identification key are presented.

Following a taxonomic revision, the following new species are described: P. baileyi, sp. nov., P. baitetaensis, sp. nov., P. beverlyae, sp. nov., P. caperatus, sp. nov., P. cardaleae, sp. nov., P. carrabinensis, sp. nov., P. claireae, sp. nov., P. collessi, sp. nov., P. coorowensis, sp. nov., P. crosskeyi, sp. nov., P. douglasorum, sp. nov., P. eliseae, sp. nov., P. ericae, sp. nov., P. eustonensis, sp. nov., P. feckneri, sp. nov., P. gressitti, sp. nov., P. gullanae, sp. nov., P. hackeri, sp. nov., P. imbricatus, sp. nov., P. iqbali, sp. nov., P. kadowi, sp. nov., P. karimuiensis, sp. nov., P. kelleri, sp. nov., P. leinsterensis, sp. nov., P. macdonaldi, sp. nov., P. malkini, sp. nov., P. marshalli, sp. nov., P. masneri, sp. nov., P. mitchellae, sp. nov., P. morganensis, sp. nov., P. nalbarraensis, sp. nov., P. pumilis, sp. nov., P. schmidti, sp. nov., P. stevensi, sp. nov., P. tasmaniensis, sp. nov., P. taylori, sp. nov., P. umboiensis, sp. nov., P. walkeri, sp. nov. and P. zborowskii, sp. nov. The synonymy of Aulacofoenus, Crassifoenus and Eufoenus with Pseudofoenus result in the following new combinations: from Aulacofoenus: P. bungeyi (Jennings & Austin), comb. nov., P. deletangi (Schletterer), comb. nov., P. fallax (Schletterer), comb. nov., P. fletcheri (Jennings & Austin), comb. nov., P. goonooensis (Jennings & Austin), comb. nov., P. infumatus (Schletterer), comb. nov., P. kurmondi (Jennings & Austin), comb. nov., P. loxleyi (Jennings & Austin), comb. nov., P. marionae (Jennings & Austin), comb. nov., P. perenjorii (Jennings & Austin), comb. nov., P. swani (Jennings & Austin), comb. nov., P. thoracicus (Guérin Menéville), comb. nov., P. whiani (Jennings & Austin), comb. nov. and P. wubinensis (Jennings & Austin), comb. nov.; from Crassifoenus: P. houstoni (Jennings & Austin), comb. nov., P. grossitarsis (Kieffer), comb. nov and P. macronyx (Schletterer), comb. nov.; and from Eufoenus: P. antennalis (Schletterer), comb. nov., P. australis (Westwood), comb. nov., P. crassitarsis (Kieffer), comb. nov., P. darwini (Westwood), comb. nov., P. extraneus (Turner), comb. nov., P. ferrugineus (Crosskey), comb. nov., P. floricolus (Turner), comb. nov., P. inaequalis (Turner), comb. nov., P. melanopleurus (Crosskey), comb. nov., P. minimus (Turner), comb. nov., P. nitidiusculus (Turner), comb. nov., P. patellatus (Westwood), comb. nov., P. pilosus (Kieffer), comb. nov., P. reticulatus (Crosskey), comb. nov., P. rieki (Crosskey), comb. nov., P. ritae (Cheesman), comb. nov. and P. spinitarsis (Westwood), comb. nov. Pseudofoenus microcephalus (Crosskey), comb. nov. is transferred from Hyptiogaster and Eufoenus flavinervis (Kieffer) remains incertae sedis.