J. HYM. RES. Vol. 15(2), 2006, pp. 317-347 The Species of Sternanlopius Fischer (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Opiinae) and the Braconid Sternaulus Robert A. Wharton Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA email:
[email protected] Abstract. — The opiine braconid genus Sternaulopius Fischer is recognized as valid, redefined, and one new species, Sternaulopius duplicatus, from Madagascar, is described. The type species, Sternaulopius bisternaulicus Fischer, is fully redescribed, with new host and distribution records. The only other previously included species, Sternaulopius beieri Fischer, is placed as a junior subjective synonym of Opius bajulus Haliday, new synonym. Opius bajulus is also redescribed and the genus group name Biophthora Foerster is resurrected for this species. Opius rossicus Szepligeti, is transferred to the genus Biophthora (new combination) and Opius castaneus Granger, type species of Frekius Fischer, is transferred to Utetes Foerster (new combination). Thus, Frekius is a junior subjective synonym of Utetes, new synonym, but is retained as a valid subgenus. Biophthora and Sternaulopius are compared to Xynobius Foerster (where Opius bajulus has frequently been placed), and Xynobius is redefined and treated as a subgenus of Eurytenes Foerster. Stigmatopoea Fischer is also recognized as a valid subgenus of Eurytenes. Characters used to define these genus-group taxa are discussed in detail, with emphasis on venation, placement of metasomal spiracles, and sculptural details of the body. Use of the term sternaulus for a longitudinal groove on the ventral mesopleuron in Ichneumonoidea is reviewed, and it is shown that the sternaulus in cryptine and mesochorine Ichneumonidae is not homologous to the precoxal sulcus in Braconidae based on dissections of associated thoracic musculature. A true sternaulus, defined internally as the ridge supporting the origin of the mesopleural-basalare muscle, is rarely present in Braconidae. The genus Sternaulopius Fischer, 1965 Opiinae is still unsettled. Wharton (1988) was described to accomodate a single observed that, except for the double ster-species from the Democratic Republic of naulus, the two described species more the Congo. Subsequently, Fischer (1968) closely resembled other species within described a second species from Germany. Opius Wesmael s. /. than they did each No additional species have been described, other. On this relatively limited evidence, and only five specimens have been re-Wharton (1988) transferred both species to corded (Fischer 1965, 1972, Quicke et al. Opius, thus treating Sternaulopius as a syn-1997). The two species that have been onym of Opius while at the same time included in Sternaulopius (Figs 1-20) have noting that Opius s. I. was not demonstra-two distinct grooves (sternauli) on each bly monophyletic. Quicke et al. (1997) side of the mesopleuron but in nearly all recognized six genera that were formerly other braconid wasps only a single groove treated by Fischer (1972, 1977, 1987) as is present, or the groove is completely lost subgenera of Opius, and reported that the (exceptions include Trigastrotheca laikipien-venom apparatus of a specimen of Sternau-sis Quicke and some species of Pambolus lopius beieri Fischer resembled that of some, Haliday). These two species of Sternnulo-but not all of the species that they included pius are thus distinctive, though their in one of these genera, Xynobius Foerster. placement in the classification of the Nothing else has been published on Ster-
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