Phaenospila van Achterberg & Yao 2022, gen. nov.
Creators: name: Yao, Junli
name: Achterberg, Cornelis Van
name: Sharkey, Michael J.
name: Chapman, Eric G.
name: Fang, Shuqian
name: Aizezi, Ayizuohere
name: Li, Jimin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Braconidae
Phaenospila

description: Phaenospila van Achterberg & Yao, gen. nov.
(Figs 2–4)
Type species: Phaenospila signator Yao, sp. nov. Gender: feminine.
Etymology. From a combination of two generic names (Phaenocarpa and Cratospila) because it belongs to the Phaenocarpa group of genera and shares with Cratospila the very elongate antennomeres (AS). However, in the latter genus the first flagellomere is longest instead of the second.
Diagnosis. Antenna with white band, AS 4 strongly elongate and 1.8–2.7 × as long as AS 3; clypeus semicircular and ventrally obtuse; precoxal sulcus complete and crenulate; postpectal carina present ventrally and more or less lamelliform; vein r issued distinctly behind middle of pterostigma; marginal cell of fore wing reaching apex of wing (rarely remaining removed from apex) and vein 1-R1 1.4–1.9 × as long as pterostigma (Fig. 2B, 3B, 4F); veins 1-M and m-cu of fore wing subparallel (Fig. 2B, 3B, 4F); vein 1-SR+M of fore wing evenly curved basally; vein 1r-m of hind wing gradually merging into vein 1-M; vein m-cu of hind wing far antefurcal and unsclerotised basally; vein M+CU of hind wing 0.7–1.0 × as long as vein 1-M; setose part of 0.4–0.5 × as long as fore wing and 1.1–1.6 × as long as hind tibia, ovipositor sheath setae long and moderately dense (Figs 2I, 3I, 4H).
Distribution. Oriental (Thailand).
Biology. Unknown.
Notes. The genus Phaenospila van Achterberg & Yao, gen. nov. runs in the key to the genera and subgenera of the Alysiini by Zhu et al. (2017) to Alysiasta. However, the new genus can be separated from Alysiasta Wharton as follows:
1 Postpectal carina present ventrally, lamelliform (Figs 2C, 3C); vein m-cu of hind wing largely unsclerotised (Figs 2B, 3B, 4F); vein 1-R1 1.5–1.6 x as long as pterostigma (Figs 2B, 3B, 4F); antenna with white band (Figs 2A, 3A, 4A); fourth antennomeres very elongate, 1.8–2.7 x longer than third segment (Figs 2F, 3D, 4E); wing membrane subhyaline; metanotum not or slightly protruding dorsally (Figs 2F, 3G, 4E); veins 1-M and m-cu of fore wing subparallel (Figs 2B, 3B, 4F); biology unknown; Old World.......................................................... Phaenospila van Achterberg & Yao, gen. nov.
- Postpectal carina absent ventrally; vein m-cu of hind wing distinctly sclerotised basally (Fig. 20 Wharton 1980; Fig. 1C Dix 2010); vein 1-R1 1.1–1.2 x as long as pterostigma (Figs 19, 25 Wharton 1980; Fig. 1B Dix 2010); antenna without white band; fourth antennomeres less elongate, 1.3–2.0 x longer than third segment (Figs 5, 6 Wharton 1980); wing membrane darkened; metanotum more or less acutely protruding dorsally; veins 1-M and m-cu of fore wing strongly covering posteriorly (Figs 19, 25 Wharton 1980; Fig. 1B Dix 2010); parasitoids of Sarcophagidae; New World, East Palaearctic?.. Alysiasta Wharton, 1980
Notes (by CvA). The genus Alysiasta Wharton, 1980 (as treated in this paper has a New World distribution, with the possibly exception of the East Palaearctic species A. udaegae Belokobylskij, 1998. This species may belong to Alysiasta despite a fore wing marginal cell that is longer than normal for Alysiasta, but vein 1-R1 of the fore wing is 1.1 times longer than the pterostigma (which is similar to New World Alysiasta). The oblique vein m-cu of fore wing and the far antefurcal vein m-cu of hind wing allow for retaining this species in Alysiasta, but the partly pale antenna and subhyaline wing membrane indicate that it might not belong to this genus. Fischer (2006) included the Oriental Phaenocarpa abbreviata Bhat, 1979 and P. sikkimensis Bhat, 1979 in Alysiasta but the first species belongs to a yet undescribed genus and the second to Idiasta Foerster, 1863 (comb. nov.) because of the comparatively long hind wing vein M+CU. Alysiasta triangulum Fischer, 2006 belongs to a newly described genus Anamalysia van Achterberg, 2022. Two Afrotropical species are included by Fischer (2006): A. multicrenis Fischer, 2006 has a long vein 1r-m and strongly widened marginal cell of fore wing indicating that it does not belong in Alysiasta. Most likely is an aberrant species of Heratemis Walker, 1860 (comb. nov.). The second species, A. levigata Fischer, 2006 is insufficiently described to place the species in a genus, but the illustrated fore wing (e.g. marginal cell reaching tip of wing and vein m-cu angled with vein 2-CU1) indicates that it does not belong to Alysiasta. The description does not indicate why it should be included in Alysiasta and the description does not supply arguments against inclusion in Idiasta Foerster, 1863, therefore, it is treated provisionally as belonging to Idiasta.
Key to species of the genus Phaenospila van Achterberg & Yao, gen. nov.
1. Only anterior quarter of propodeum with medio-longitudinal carina and slightly wrinkled laterally, remainder of propodeum reticulate (Fig. 2H); notauli present on anterior 1/3, sparsely crenulate (Fig. 2E); midpit round and small; face with almost complete strong and smooth medio-longitudinal carina, with slight rugae ventrally (Fig. 2C); vein m-cu slightly antefurcal; Thailand .............................................. Phaenospila brevicarinata van Achterberg & Yao, sp. nov.
- At least anterior half of propodeum with medio-longitudinal carina and smooth laterally, propodeum with clear areolae, one pentagon-shaped areola or several longitudinal areolae posteriorly (Fig. 3H, 4G); notauli present on anterior 0.6–0.7 and crenulate (Figs 3E, 4C); midpit elliptical and larger, 2.0 × longer than wide; face with less strong Y-shaped carinae dorsally, with strong bell-shaped rugae ventrally (Figs 3C, 4B); vein m-cu interstitial to slightly postfurcal; Thailand .............. 2
2. Only anterior half of propodeum with medio-longitudinal carina, posterior half of propodeum with a pentagon-shaped areola medially and rectangle areolae laterally, otherwise smooth (Fig. 3H); scutellar sulcus smooth, except one strong mediolongitudinal carina; Thailand ................................. Phaenospila areolator Yao & van Achterberg, sp. nov.
- Propodeum with complete medio-longitudinal carina, posterior half of propodeum with several longitudinal areolae and with dense irregular rugae laterally (Fig. 4G); scutellar sulcus with one strong medio-longitudinal carinae and 2–4 weak carinae laterally (but one specimen [H20038] with one medio-longitudinal carina,); Thailand .... Phaenospila signator Yao, sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Yao, Junli, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Sharkey, Michael J., Chapman, Eric G., Fang, Shuqian, Aizezi, Ayizuohere & Li, Jimin, 2022, Phaenospila gen. nov. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Alysiinae) and three new species from Thailand, pp. 468-484 in Zootaxa 5195 (5) on pages 469-471, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5195.5.5, http://zenodo.org/record/7223783