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Abstract
The braconid genus Syngaster Brullé is revised and nine species are recognized, six of which are new: S. lepidus Brullé, S. quadricolor (Cameron), S. variegatus (Szépligeti), S. crypticus sp. nov., S. hirtus sp. nov., S. neoguineensis sp. nov., S. polychromus sp. nov., S. stevensi sp. nov., and S. tricolor sp. nov. Host data are only available for S. lepidus which is a parasitoid of cerambycid larvae, notably Phoracantha spp. associated with temperate, subtropical and Mediterranean eucalypt forests in eastern and southern Australia. Other than S. lepidus, S. polychromus is the only other species known from Australia (south‐east Queensland), the remaining seven species all being restricted to mainland New Guinea. Preliminary phylogenetic analysis indicates the genus comprises two species groups with S. lepidus and S. quadricolor forming a polytomy with these. The two Australian species (S. lepidus and S. polychromus) are not monophyletic, nor are the two species that lack an occipital carina (S. tricolor and S. cryptus).
Present address: M. Iqbal, Department of Environment & Heritage, Canberra, Australia
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Acknowledgements
We wish to thank the curators of the various collections listed above for the loan of specimens; Nick Stevens and Joanne Kent for technical assistance; John Jennings for commenting on a draft of the manuscript; the Centre for Electron Microscopy and Micro Analysis, The University of Adelaide for allowing us to use their facilities; CABI Publishing for allowing us to reproduce Figures and ; and the Australian Biological Resources Study and Australian Research Council for providing funding for this study.
Notes
Present address: M. Iqbal, Department of Environment & Heritage, Canberra, Australia