Revision of the Genus Pseudognaptodon Fischer (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Gnamptodontinae)

J. HYM. RES. Vol. 13(1), 2004, pp. 149-205 Revision of the Genus Pseudognaptodon Fischer (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Gnamptodontinae) Daryl J. Williams Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Northern Forestry Centre, 5320-1 22 nd street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6H 3S7; email: [email protected] Abstract. — The New World genus Pseudognaptodon has three previously described species, P. curticauda Fischer, P. tninutus Ashmead, and P. omissus Fischer. Pseudognaptodon attenuatus, P.brevis, P. conjunctns, P. carinatus, P. gibsoni, P. gouleti, P. hemicolor, P labrus, P. langori, P. minimus, P. nitidas, P. ocellatus, P. shaivi, P. striatus, P. whartoni, P. luhitfieldi, and P. xanthus, are described here as new. A key is given to the species of Pseudognaptodon. Problems in the phylogenetic relationship between Gnamptodon and Pseudognaptodon are discussed. Fischer (1965) described the genus Pseu-dognaptodon (Braconidae: Gnamptodonti-nae) and included two new species, P. om-issus and P. curticauda, each of which was described from only two specimens from the Nearctic. He subsequently (Fischer 1967) included P. minutus Ashmead, based on the study of 13 specimens. These three species are very similar to species of Gnamptodon, but differ by the absence of the forewing r-m vein. Fischer (1977) treat-ed both Gnamptodon (as Gnaptodon) and Pseudognaptodon as genera of the Opiinae. They were subsequently transferred to the new subfamily Gnaptodontinae by van Achterberg (1983). Wharton (1997), and Whitfield and Wagner (1991), have pub-lished taxonomic works and keys to the gnamptodotine genera, including Pseudog-naptodon, but no further species-level work has been done on the genus since the orig-inal descriptions from limited material. Since that time more material has accu-mulated through biodiversity studies in Central America (S.R. Shaw, R. Wharton, pers. comm.) and studies of the parasit-oids of Nearctic leaf-mining Lepidoptera (Whitfield and Wagner 1991), representing new species and a much wider range of morphological variation than previously documented. The purpose of this study is to describe these species and discuss char-acters that may be useful in phylogenetic analysis. The species of Pseudognaptodon are here divided into two species groups, the cur-ticauda-group and the omissus-group, which are united by wing venation but otherwise no more similar to one another than either is to Gnamptodon (Williams, unpublished data). A conservative ap-proach is taken in light of the uncertainty of phylogenetic relationships within the Gnamptodontinae, so no new genus-group names are proposed here. METHODS Terms follow Wharton et al (1997), with some details clarified as follows: The basal raised area is the anterior portion of the second metasomal tergite (T2), which is separated from the posterior portion by a groove (the defining synapomorphy of the Gnamptodontinae) (Figs. 22, 32, 42). This portion is higher posteriorly than anteri-orly in lateral view, and higher than the posterior portion of the tergite, even in species where the groove is somewhat ef-faced. The anterolateral grooves of the third metasomal tergite (T3) are those on