The systematics of the Australasian Eunotinae (Hymenoptera: pteromalidae)

Abstract

A systematic revision of the tribe Moranilini (Pteromalidae: Eunotinae) is presented. The tribe has an Australasian, particularly Australian, distribution and its members are mostly parasitoids and egg predators of coccoids (Hemiptera). Thirteen genera are recognised: Amoturella Girault, Aphobetus Howard, Australeunotus Girault, Australurios Girault, Eunotomyiia Girault, Globonila Boucek, Hirtonila Boucek, Ismaya Boucek, Kneva Boucek, Moranila Cameron, Ophelosia Riley, Tomicobiella Girault and Tomicobomorpha Boucek. Modronila Boucek, Pidinka Boueek and Strionila Boueek are regarded as junior synonyms of Aphobetu.s Howard. Sixty-four species are described; 33 species are new and 31 are redescriptions of (mainly) Girault species. The following new species are described: Amoturella brindabellensis; Aphobetus cultratus, A. ermli, A. garretti, A. paucisetosus, A. reticulatus, A. singeri, A. vandiemenensis; Eunotomyiia }amesii; Ismaya naumanni; Moranila aotearoae, kl. basalis, M. bicolor, M. gullanae, M. longisetosa, M. maculata, M. punctata, M. striata, M. strigaster; Ophelosia australis, 0. biaki, 0. brevisetosa, 0. charlesii, 0. josephinae, 0. mcglashani, 0. missimi, 0. odiosa, 0. rieki, 0. stenopteryx, 0. tasmaniensis; Tomicobiella arsenei, T. giraulti and T. philiporum. The following species are redescribed: Amoturella saintpierrei Girault; Aphobetus cyanea (Boucek), A. goldsmithii (Girault), A. lecanii (Girault), A. maskelli Howard, A. moundi (Boucek), A. nana (Boueek), A. silv(filia (Girault): Australeunotus raskini Girault; Australurios longispina Girault; Eunotomyiia corvus Girault; Globonila parva Boucek; Hirtonila di.spar Boucek; lsmaya brevis Boueek; Kneva plana Boueek; Moranila baeusomorpha (Girault), M. brunneventris (Girault), M. californica (Howard), M. comperei Ashmead, M. pini Girault, M. viridivertex Girault; Ophelosia bifasciata Girault, 0. cra11'fordi Riley, 0. hypatia Girault, 0. indica Farooqi, 0. keatsi Girault, 0. leai Dodd, 0. saintpierrei Girault; Tomicobiella subcyanea Girault, Tomicobomorpha stellata Girault and Tomicobomorpha subplana Boucek. Eleven synonymies are made at the species level, as follows (senior synonym first): Moranila baeusomorpha (Girault) = Moranila australica (Girault); Moranila comperei (Ashmead) = Tomocera saissetiae Girault, T. transversifasciata Girault and I io (Girault); Ophelosia bifasciata Girault = 0. viridinotata Girault and 0. aligherini (Girault); 0. crawfordi Riley = 0. sulcata Girault; 0. hypatia Girault = 0. lucretti Girault; 0. keatsi Girault = 0. horatii Girault; 0. leai Dodd = 0. aligherini Girault; 0. saintpierrei Girault = 0. pinguis Girault. The problematic status of the monotypic genus Australurios Girault is discussed. Lectotypes are designated for the following species: Aphobetus maskelli, Australurios longispina, Tomocera transversifasciata, T. pini, Moranila viridivertex, Ophelosia sulcata, 0. lucretii and 0. leai. Keys to the genera of Moranilini and species of all polytypic genera are presented. Distribution maps are provided for all species. A phylogenetic analysis was carried out to assist in making decisions regarding the monophyly of genera. The programme PAUP, version 3.1.L, was used. Four taxa from the subfamily Eunotinae were used as outgroups; three species from the Eunotini and one from the Tomocerodini. The Eunotini is considered to he the basal tribe in the subfamily. A Permutation Tail Probability (PTP) test indicated that the data set had significant cladistic strncture. The validity of various monophyletic groupings, both those produced by the analysis and those previously existing, were assessed using Topology-dependant PTP (TPTP) tests. The results of the T-PTP tests supported making four generic synonymies, three of which were made (above) and one rejected due to inadequacies of the data set. The study reduced the number of monotypic genera in the tribe from 12 to five by addition of species and by generic synonymy. Evidence from host relationships, biogeographic events and the phylogeny suggests that the Moranilini originated in Australia and that a minimum of five dispersal events to New Zealand occurred. A vicariance argument to account for the biogeography of the tribe would require some moraniline lineages to have been in existence for a minimum of around 80 million years. This is considered unlikely. It is not known whether the tribe Moranilini occurs in South America. Confirmation of the presence of endemic moranilines in South America would suggest a minimum age for the tribe of around 55 million years. The biological control of three species of Pseudococcus (P. longispinus, P. calceolariae and P. affinis) which are pests in New Zealand is discussed. Two of these species, and possibly the third, are of Australian origin. Using host relationship and distribution data, it is concluded that all known natural enemies of the pest species within the Moranilini are already present and well established in New Zealand. Further research on the Australian monmilines whose host relationships are not known is recommended, especially the genus Ophelosia and the species Ophelosia leai. A catalogue of the Moranilini, a character list, the data matrix and the consensus tree from the analysis, a host/parasitoid list and distribution maps for each species are included as Appendices.