Agathidinae is a subfamily of braconid parasitoid wasps. Some species have been used in biological control programs.[1]

Description

Agathidines are among the larger braconids, and diurnal members of this subfamily are often brightly patterned. They belong to the noncyclostome group.[citation needed] Several genera, such as Agathis and Cremnops, and Disophrys, are characterized by elongate genae.[2]

Distribution

They are found worldwide, but are more diverse in the tropics.[1]

Biology

All Agathidinae are koinobiont endoparasitoids of caterpillars. Most attack concealed caterpillars, such as those that use silk to tie leaves together. Most are solitary, laying only one egg in each host caterpillar. Some species are nocturnal, with pale coloration and large ocelli.[3]

Taxonomy and phylogeny

The first attempt at a tribal arrangement for Agathidinae consisted of 2 tribes, Agathidini and Microdini. Sharkey revised the tribes in 1992 and considered 5 tribes, adding Cremnoptini, Disophrini, and Earini. The Microdini, then treated as Eumicrodini, was synonymized under Agathidini by Simbolotti and van Achterberg in 1999 to render 4 tribes. Phylogenetic analysis by Sharkey and Chapman in 2017 revealed that 4 tribes were insufficient and instead divided the subfamily into 7 tribes. They further found that the genera Asperagathis, Bassus, and Zosteragathis were not monophyletic. One problematic species, the Nearctic Bassus annulipes, was found to represent a complex of species. Further, Bassus annulipes was rendered under the tribe Lytopylini while the Old World species fell under Agathidini.[4]

Genera

The 63 genera placed here include:[3][4]

Tribe Agathidini Haliday, 1833

Tribe Agathirsini Sharkey, 2017

Tribe Cremnoptini Sharkey, 1992

Tribe Disophrini Sharkey, 1992

Tribe Earinini Sharkey, 1992

Tribe Lytopylini Sharkey, 2017

Tribe Mesocoelini Achterberg, 1990

Gallery

  • Agathidini - Alabagrus texanus
    Agathidini - Alabagrus texanus
  • Agathirsini - Agathirsia sp.
    Agathirsini - Agathirsia sp.
  • Cremnoptini - Megalagathis sp.
    Cremnoptini - Megalagathis sp.
  • Disophrini - Coccygidium sp.
    Disophrini - Coccygidium sp.
  • Earini - Earinus elator
    Earini - Earinus elator
  • Lytopylini - Lytopylus sp.
    Lytopylini - Lytopylus sp.
  • Mesocoelini - Therophilus sp.
    Mesocoelini - Therophilus sp.

References

  1. ^ a b Sharkey, Michael J. (1997). "Agathidinae". In Wharton, Robert A.; Marsh, Paul M.; Sharkey, Michael J. (eds.). Manual of the New World Genera of the Family Braconidae (Hymenoptera) (PDF). Washington DC: The International Society of Hymenopterists. p. 69.
  2. ^ Sharkey, Michael J.; Laurenne, Nina M.; Sharanowski, Barbara; Quicke, Donald L. J.; Murray, Debra (2006). "Revision of the Agathidinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) with comparisons of static and dynamic alignments". Cladistics. 22 (6): 546–567. doi:10.1111/j.1096-0031.2006.00121.x. PMID 34892897.
  3. ^ a b Sharkey, Michael (2006). "Two new genera of Agathidinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) with a key to the genera of the New World" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1185: 37–51. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1185.1.3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  4. ^ a b c Sharkey, Michael J.; Chapman, Eric G. (2017). "Phylogeny of the Agathidinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) with a Revised Tribal Classification and the Description of a New Genus". Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 119 (sp1): 823–842. doi:10.4289/0013-8797.119.SpecialIssue.823.
  5. ^ Sharkey, Michael J.; Baker, Austin; Manjunath, Ramya; Hebert, Paul D.N. (2022). "Description of Chilearinus Sharkey gen. nov. and status of Nearctic Earinus Wesmael, 1837 (Braconidae, Agathidinae) with the description of new species". ZooKeys (1099): 57–86. Bibcode:2022ZooK.1099...57S. doi:10.3897/zookeys.1099.81473. PMID 36761440.

External links