Lubomír Masner

Maamingidae, a new family of proctotrupoid wasp (Insecta : Hymenoptera) from New Zealand

The new family Maamingidae is proposed for Maaminga, gen. nov., comprising two species, M. rangi, sp. nov. and M. marrisi, sp. nov., from New Zealand. The delicate and slender M. rangi, sp. nov. is common in forest, particularly kauri forests of the northern part of the North Island. The more robust and stocky M. marrisi, sp. nov., which is polymorphic for wing size (brachyterous and fully winged), appears to be associated with coastal scrub and forest, particularly on offshore islands, but is also found in alpine snow tussock. Maamingidae is nominally placed within the Proctotrupoidea, and is probably related to the Diapriidae and Monomachidae. However, its relationships are unclear, at least in part due to the lack of phylogenetic resolution among the proctotrupoid families and other Proctotrupomorpha sensu Rasnitsyn. The relationships of Maamingidae are briefly discussed in the light of current morphological and molecular phylogenetic hypotheses.

Redescription of Archaeoscelio Brues and Description of Three New Genera of Scelionidae (Hymenoptera): A Challenge to the Definition of the Family

Abstract Four genera—Archaeoscelio Brues; Cobaloscelio Johnson and Masner, new genus; Plaumannion Masner and Johnson, new genus; and Huddlestonium Polaszek and Johnson, new genus—lack laterotergites and laterosternites in the metasoma, one of the synapomorphies of the superfamily Platygastroidea. The Baltic amber species Archaeoscelio rugosus Brues and Archaeoscelio filicornis Brues are diagnosed and figured, and two species from Baltic amber are described in Cobaloscelio—C. cuspidatus Johnson and Masner, new species and C. speculifer Johnson and Masner, new species. Plaumannion fritzi Masner and Johnson, new species Brazil and Plaumannion yepezi García, new species Venezuela are described. Huddlestonium exu Polaszek and Johnson, new species is described from São Tomé and the Ivory Coast. The wing venation of Scelionidae is reinterpreted, and the marginal vein of Scelionidae and Chalcidoidea is considered to be a convergent feature.

Revision of World Species of the Genus Nixonia Masner (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea, Scelionidae)

Abstract The world fauna of the genus Nixonia is revised. The genus is described, its relationships with other scelionids are discussed, and a key to world species is presented. Nixonia pretiosa Masner (Namibia) and N. atra Masner (Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Zimbabwe) are redescribed, and 12 new species are described: N. bini, new species (Somalia), N. corrugata, new species (South Africa), N. elongata, new species (South Africa), N. flavocincta, new species (Namibia), N. gigas, new species (South Africa), N. krombeini, new species (India, Laos, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam), N. lamorali, new species (South Africa), N. pecki, new species (Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe), N. priesneri, new species (Egypt), N. sicaria, new species (Namibia), N. stygica, new species (South Africa), and N. watshami, new species (Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe). The only host record for the genus is for N. watshami, which been reared from the eggs of Acanthoplus discoidalis (Walker) (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae, Hetrodinae) in Botswana and Namibia. The phylogenetic relationships among the species are discussed.

Revision of the Paridris nephtaspecies group (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea, Platygastridae)

Abstract The Paridris nephta group is revised (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae). Fifteen species are described, 14 of which are new: Paridris atroxTalamas, sp. n.(Yunnan Province, China), Paridris bununTalamas, sp. n.(Taiwan), Paridris ferusTalamas, sp. n.(Thailand), Paridris kagemonoTalamas, sp. n.(Japan), Paridris minatorTalamas, sp. n.(Laos, Thailand), Paridris mystaxTalamas, sp. n.(Laos, Thailand), Paridris nephta(Kozlov) (Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Far Eastern Russia), Paridris nilakaTalamas, sp. n.(Thailand), Paridris reptilisTalamas, sp. n.(Taiwan), Paridris rugulosusTalamas, sp. n.(Laos, Vietnam), Paridris solarisTalamas, sp. n.(Laos, Thailand, Vietnam), Paridris teresTalamas, sp. n.(Vietnam), Paridris toketokiTalamas, sp. n.(Taiwan), Paridris verrucosusTalamas, sp. n.(Guangdong Province, China), Paridris yakTalamas, sp. n.(Thailand).

Revision of the Malagasy genus Trichoteleia Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea, Platygastridae)

Abstract The species of the genus Trichoteleia Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) are revised: 42 species are recognized, of which two were previously named and are redescribed: Trichoteleia afo Talamas, sp. n., Trichoteleia albidipes Kieffer, Trichoteleia bicolor Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia bidentata Talamas sp. n.; Trichoteleia carinata Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia cincta Talamas & Masner, sp. n.; Trichoteleia delilah Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia eburata Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia echinata Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia fisheri Talamas & Masner, sp. n.; Trichoteleia funesta Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia halterata Talamas & Masner, sp. n.; Trichoteleia hemlyae Talamas & Masner, sp. n.; Trichoteleia irwini Talamas & Masner, sp. n.; Trichoteleia janus Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia jiro Talamas, sp. n.; T. ketrona Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia levii Talamas & Johnson, sp. n.; Trichoteleia longiventris Talamas & Masner, sp. n.; Trichoteleia minima Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia nify Talamas & Masner, sp. n.; Trichoteleia oculea Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia orona Talamas & Masner, sp. n.; Trichoteleia parvipennis Talamas & Masner, sp. n.; Trichoteleia pauliani (Risbec); Trichoteleia picturata Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia prima Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia prolixa Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia quazii Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia ravaka Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia rugifrons Talamas & Masner, sp. n.; Trichoteleia solocis Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia sphaerica Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia subtilis Talamas & Masner, sp. n.; Trichoteleia tahotra Talamas & Masner, sp. n.; Trichoteleia takariva Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia tezitra Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia tigris Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia tonsa Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia warreni Talamas & Masner, sp. n.; Trichoteleia xantrox Talamas, sp. n.; Trichoteleia zuparkoi Talamas & Masner, sp. n. A neotype is designated for Trichoteleia albidipes and a lectotype is designated for Trichoteleia pauliani.

The Cretaceous Scelionid Genus Proteroscelio Brues (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea)

Abstract The genus Proteroscelio Brues is redescribed and P. gravatus, n. sp., is described from Lebanese amber (Aptian age, 112–122 mya). The relationships between Proteroscelio and other scelionids is discussed. The described species of fossil platygastroids are tabulated. The taxa represented by the unavailable names “Eopteromalites fushunensis” Hong, “Leptogasterites brunneus” Hong, “L. furvus” Hong, and “Sinilongicapito guchengziensis” Hong, recently described from Fushun, Liaoning, China (50 mya), should all be classified as scelionids. The replacement name Sinoprotelenomus Zhang n. name is proposed for Protelenomus Zhang, 1989 (preoccupied by Protelenomus Kieffer, 1906).

Review of Genera of the Tribe Sparasionini (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea, Scelionidae), and Description of Two New Genera from the New World

Abstract Five genera in the tribe Sparasionini are described and keyed. Electroteleia Brues (Baltic amber), Sceliomorpha Ashmead (Neotropics) and Sparasion Latreille (Nearctic, Palearctic, Oriental, and Afrotropical regions) are redescribed. Listron Musetti and Johnson, new genus is described from Chile with two species, L. politum Musetti and Johnson, new species (type species of the genus), and L. bilaminatum Masner, new species. Mexon Masner and Johnson, new genus, is described from Mexico, with two new species, M. adelphos Masner and Johnson, new species (type species of the genus), and M. consors Masner and Johnson, new species. The synonymy of Aliofreniger Szabó with Sceliomorpha and of Prosparasion Kieffer with Sparasion are confirmed. Transfer of the type species of Prosparasion, P. coeruleum Kieffer, 1913 into the genus Sparasion makes it a secondary junior homonym of Sparasion coeruleus Kieffer, 1905. The replacement name Sparasion lividus Johnson, Masner, and Musetti is proposed for the junior name to resolve this homonymy. The gender of the name Sparasion is discussed, and we propose that it should be treated as a masculine noun. The authorship of the family-group name Sparasionini is credited to Dahlbom (1858).

The Genus Thoron Haliday (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), Egg-Parasitoids of Waterscorpions (Hemiptera: Nepidae), with Key to World Species

Abstract The world fauna of the genus Thoron is revised. The genus is described and Neothoron Masner is treated as a junior synonym (new synonymy). Relationships with Elgonia Risbec and other Scelionidae are discussed and a key to world species is presented. Six new species are described: T. dayi, new species (Indonesia), T. dux, new species (Bolivia, Venezuela), T. garciai, new species (Venezuela, Bolivia), T. rex, new species (Bolivia), Thoron rivalis, new species (Brazil, Panama), and T. spinifer, new species (Ecuador). Thoron metallicus Haliday (Holarctic), T. longicornis Masner and Huggert (USA), and T. lautus (Masner), new combination (Ecuador, Bolivia) are redescribed; the female of T. lautus and the male of T. longicornis are described and keyed for the first time. Thoron gibbus Ruthe is treated as a junior synonym of T. metallicus (new synonymy). Species of Thoron are only known to parasitize the eggs of Nepidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) with rearings from Nepa Linnaeus and association with Curicta Stål; apparently the genus Ranatra Fabricius is not a host.

Male terminalia of Ceraphronoidea: morphological diversity in an otherwise monotonous taxon

The skeletomuscular system of male terminalia in Evaniomorpha (Hymenoptera) is described and the functional morphology of male genitalia is discussed. Confocal laser scanning microscopy is the primary method used for illustrating anatomical phenotypes, and a domain-specific anatomy ontology is employed to more explicitly describe anatomical structures. A comprehensive data set of ceraphronoid male genitalia is analyzed, yielding the first phylogeny of the superfamily. One hundred and one taxa, including three outgroups, are scored for 48 characters. Ceraphronoidea are recovered as sister to the remaining Evaniomorpha in the implied weighting analyses. Numerous character states suggest that Ceraphronoidea is a relatively basal apocritan lineage. Ceraphronoidea, Ceraphronidae, and Megaspilinae are each retrieved as monophyletic in all analyses. Megaspilidae is not recovered as monophyletic. Lagynodinae is monophyletic in the implied weighting analyses with strong support and is a polytomy in the equal weighting analysis. Lagynodinae shares numerous plesiomorphies with both Megaspilinae and Ceraphronidae. Relationships among genera are weakly corroborated. Masner is sister of Ceraphronidae. Trassedia is nested within Ceraphronidae based on the present analysis. Because of this and numerous features shared between it and Ceraphron we transfer Trassedia from Megaspilidae to Ceraphronidae. Dendrocerus forms a single monophyletic clade, with modest support, together with some Conostigmus species. This result challenges the utility of such traditional diagnostic characters as ocellar arrangement and shape of the male flagellomeres. Aphanogmus is monophyletic in the implied weighting, but remains a polytomy with Ceraphron in the equal weighting analysis. Gnathoceraphron is always nested within a well-supported Aphanogmus clade. Cyoceraphron and Elysoceraphron are nested within Ceraphron and Aphanogmus, respectively. The male genitalia prove to be a substantial source of phylogenetically relevant information. Our results indicate that a reclassification of Ceraphronoidea both at the family and generic level is necessary but that more data are required.

Systematics of the parasitic wasp genus Oxyscelio Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae s.l.), Part I: Indo-Malayan and Palearctic fauna

Abstract The Indo-Malayan and Palearctic species of Oxyscelio (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae s.l.) are revised. A total of 90 species are recognized as valid, 19 of which are redescribed - Oxyscelio acutiventris (Kieffer), Oxyscelio brevinervis (Kieffer), Oxyscelio carinatus (Kieffer), Oxyscelio ceylonensis (Dodd), Oxyscelio consobrinus (Kieffer), Oxyscelio crassicornis (Kieffer), Oxyscelio cupularis (Kieffer), Oxyscelio dorsalis (Kieffer), Oxyscelio excavatus (Kieffer), Oxyscelio flavipennis (Kieffer), Oxyscelio florus Kononova, Oxyscelio foveatus Kieffer, Oxyscelio kiefferi Dodd, Oxyscelio magnus (Kieffer), Oxyscelio marginalis (Kieffer), Oxyscelio naraws Kozlov & Lê, Oxyscelio perpensus Kononova, Oxyscelio rugosus (Kieffer) and Oxyscelio spinosiceps (Kieffer), and 71 which are described as new - Oxyscelio aclavae Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio amrichae Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio anguli Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio angustifrons Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio angustinubbin Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio arcus Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio arvi Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio asperi Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio aureamediocritas Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio bipunctuum Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio brevidentis Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio caesitas Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio capilli Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio capitis Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio cavinetrion Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio chimaerae Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio codae Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio convergens Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio cordis Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio crateris Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio crebritas Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio crustum Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio cuculli Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio cyrtomesos Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio dasymesos Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio dasynoton Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio dermatoglyphes Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio doumao Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio fistulae Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio flabellae Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio flaviventris Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio fodiens Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio fossarum Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio fossularum Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio genae Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio granorum Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio granuli Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio greenacus Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio halmaherae Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio intermedietas Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio jaune Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio jugi Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio kramatos Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio labis Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio lacunae Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio latinubbin Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio latitudinis Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio limae Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio longiventris Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio mesiodentis Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio mollitia Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio nasolabii Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio nodorum Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio noduli Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio nubbin Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio obsidiani Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio ogive Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio operimenti Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio peludo Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio planocarinae Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio praecipitis Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio reflectens Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio regionis Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio sinuum Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio spinae Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio striarum Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio tecti Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio unguis Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio vadorum Burks, sp. n., Oxyscelio vittae Burks, sp. n. and Oxyscelio zeuctomesos. Neotypes are designated for nine species, including the type species O. foveatus Kieffer, Oxyscelio brevinervis (Kieffer), Oxyscelio bifurcatus (Kieffer), Oxyscelio frontalis (Kieffer), Oxyscelio crassicornis (Kieffer), Oxyscelio cupularis (Kieffer), Oxyscelio foveatus Kieffer, Oxyscelio kiefferi Dodd, Oxyscelio magnus (Kieffer) and Oxyscelio marginalis (Kieffer). Oxyscelio bifurcatus (Kieffer) syn. n. and Oxyscelio frontalis (Kieffer) syn. n. are synonymized under Oxyscelio consobrinus (Kieffer). The fauna is divided into 13 species groups, with six species unplaced to a group. A phylogenetic analysis employing 73 morphological characters did not find most of these groups to be monophyletic, but they are retained to aid in specimen identification. Potential biogeographical patterns are discussed, including regional variation in surface sculpture and a morphological link between Sri Lankan and Australian species.