New species of Australian arid zone chelonine wasps from the genera Phanerotoma and Ascogaster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) informed by the ‘Bush Blitz’ surveys of national reserves

Abstract

Here we focus on the poorly studied braconid wasp subfamily Cheloninae for the arid zone of the Australian continent, using material, in part, resulting from comprehensive surveys of three arid zone reserves. The Bush Blitz programme is a multi-institutional project with the aim of documenting the diversity of the flora and fauna in Australia’s National Reserve System, with describing new species being a key focus of the programme. In total, 11 species from the genera Ascogaster and Phanerotoma are treated, with species’ delimitation based on both molecular and morphological data. Two species are redescribed (Phanerotoma behriae Zettel, 1988a and P. decticauda Zettel, 1988a) and nine species are described as new (Ascogaster brevivena sp. nov., A. ferruginegaster sp. nov., A. prolixogaster sp. nov., A. rubriscapa sp. nov., Phanerotoma bonbonensis sp. nov., P. bushblitz sp. nov., P. lutea sp. nov., P. nigriscapulata sp. nov. and P. witchelinaensis sp. nov.). Keys to the arid zone species of these two genera are provided, along with a species richness estimation of Australian chelonine wasps.

Keywords:

• Ascogaster
• Bon Bon Station
• Bush Blitz
• Hiltaba Station
• Phanerotoma
• Witchelina Station

Acknowledgements

This research was possible through the supported of the Bush Blitz programme, the three surveys being organised by Bush Blitz (Australian Biological Resources Study – ABRS) and the South Australian Museum. We are grateful for the financial support received from the ABRS (grants TTC210-10 and ATC212-13 to RNK) and an Adelaide PhD Scholarship International to RNK. We would like to thank Andy Young, Federica Colombo, Sarah Mantel/ and Gary Taylor for specimen collecting during the surveys. Additional specimens were collected under permit A25866-3 issued by the Government of South Australia, with field work being supported by a Lirabenda Endowment grant. This project would not have been realised without the help received from Lars Krieger and Brittany Hyder for imaging the specimens. We are indebted to Ms Susan Wright (QM), Ms Nicole Fisher and Dr John La Salle (ANIC), Dr Gavin Broad (BNHM), Dr Jenö Papp and Mr Gellért Puskás (UNHM), Mr Brian Hanich and Dr Terry Houston (WAM), Dr David Britton (AMS), Dr Peter Hudson (SAM), Mr Simon Hinkley and Dr Peter Lillywhite (MV), Dr Graham Brown and Dr Gavin Dally (MAGNT), Dr Nihara Gunawardene (Barrow Island), Dr Richard Glatz (Kangaroo Island), and Dr Bob Kula (NMNH) for the loan of material and the hospitality RNK received during visits to their collections.