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Photographs induded in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6- x 9- black and white photographie prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contad UMI directly ta order. ProQuest Information and Leaming 300 North Z8eb Raad. Ann Arbor. MI 48106-1346 USA 800-521-0600 • • 1 Niteobrachis elegans sp. nov., 9, lateral view. • • SYSTEMATICS OF Nn-EOBRACHIS, A NEW GENUS IN THE TRIBE BRACHI8TINI (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE: HELCONINAE) ANTONIO M. ARANGUREN A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements • for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Natural Resource Sciences Macdonald Campus of McGill University Ste. Anne de Bellevue, July, 1999 • © Antonio M. Aranguren, 1999 Nationalltbrary Bibliothèque nationale I~I ofC8nada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie SeNÏC8S services bibliographiques 395 w-'ingtan S1nIet 395. rue Welington oaawa ON K1A 0N4 oaawa ON K1 A 0N4 C8nada Canada The author bas granted a non­ L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence alloWÏDg the exclusive permettant à la National Library ofCanada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distnbute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies oftbis thesis in microfonn, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sm papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership ofthe L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts trom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. 0-612-64500-2 Canadl • Thedarkest days as a graduate student were lit by my belief in God, the support of my mother Carmen, my brother Luis and my friends Janet Forrester, Sharlene Sing, Stuart Brown, Duyen Gauthier, Miriam Barrios, Pilar Schneider and Nina Zitani. These people believed in me and assured me that the iII-intentioned are already locked in a dark hell of their own fabrication. Therefore, 1dedicate this dissertation to my supporters and detractors as a testimony ta the triumph of love and scholarship over malfeasance. • • ABSTRACT Niteobrachis, a new genus in the tribe Brachistini (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Helconinae), is described. The genus is endemic to the New World and contains 24 species, ail of which are newly described: amazonicus, attonitus, candeo, carmenae, clarus, delicatus, elegans, fulgeo, gracilis, gustus, ictus, insignis (type species), luceo, lucidus, luisi, lumen, luminosus, luna, mica, nitidus, serenus, splendidus, subtilis and venustus. Keys to the species of Niteobrachis and to the genera of Brachistini are given. Niteobrachis is diagnosed by a cambination of characters in the metasoma, including the absence of striations and/or sculpturing on the second and third median tergites with a glossylsmooth appearance; a shallow suture between the second and third median tergites; presence of a crease that separates the second median tergite from the second laterotergite; absence of a crease that separates the third median tergite fram the third laterotergite; fused second and third 1aterotergites; the lateral • longitudinal carinae of the tirst median tergite reaching the articulation between the tirst and second median tergites; and the tirst three median tergites covering most of the remainder of the metasoma. The monophyly of Niteobrachis is supported by two synapomorphies: a minute median longitudinal carina of the propodeum, and the lateral longitudinal carinae of the tirst median tergite reaching the articulation between the tirst and second median tergites. Recognition of this genus resulted from a phylogenetic analysis of six tribes of Helconinae, including most genera of Brachistini based on a data matrix of 49 characters and 18 terminal taxa. The phylogenetic affinities of the genus are examined, a sister group relationship with Foersteria Szépligeti is hypothesized, and the problematic placement of the subgenera of Eubazus Nees is considered. • RÉSUMÉ SYSTÉMATIQUE DU NOUVEAU GENRE NITEOBRACHIS DE LA TRIBU BRACHISTINI (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE: HELCONINAE) Niteobrachis, un nouveau genre de la tribu Brachistini est décrit. Le genre est endémique aux Amériques et constitué de vingt quatre espèces, toutes, nouvellement décrites: amazonicus, attonitus, candeo, carmenae, clarus, delicatus, e/egans, fu/geo, gracilis, gustus, ictus, insignis (espèce type), Iucea, lucidus, luis;' lumen, luminosus, luna, mico, nitidus, serenus, splendidus, subtifis and venustus. Les clefs d'identification des espèces du genre Niteobrachis et d'autres genres parmi les Brachistini est présentée. Le genre Niteobrachis se distingue par une combinaison de caractéristiques du métasoma incluant l'absence de strie et/ou d'ornementation de la cuticule sur le deuxième et le troisième tergites médians et un aspect lisse et brillant; une suture peu profonde • entre le deuxième et le troisième tergites médians; la présence d'un plis qui sépare le deuxième tergite médian du deuxième tergite latéral; l'absence d'un plis qui sépare le troisième tergite médian du troisième tergite latéral; les deuxième et troisième tergites latéraux fusionnés; la carène latérale longitudinale du premier tergite médian; et les premiers trois tergites médians couvrant la majeure partie du metasoma. L'origine monophylétique du genre Niteobrachis est supportée par deux synapomorphies: une minuscule carène longitudinale située au milieu du propodeum et une carène latérale longitudinale du premier tergite médian qui s' étend la articulation qui sépare le premier y la deuxième tergita médian. Ce genre a pu être reconnu suite à une analyse phylogénique de six tribus d'Helconinae, incluant la plupart des genres de Brachistini. Cette analyse a été réalisée à partir d'une base de données comprenant 49 caractères et 18 taxons finaux. Les affinités phylogéniques à • ii ('intérieur du genre ont été examinées. Le placement des sous-genres de • Eubazus Nees est évoqué. • • iii • SUGGESTED SHORT TITLE Systematics of Niteobrachis, new genus. • •• iv • ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 1 wish to express my profound gratitude to the Fundaciôn Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho, a Venezuelan govemmental program, and the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérior et de la Science du Québec, which supported my studies in Canada. 1am extremely grateful ta Dr. David J. Lewis, my supervisor and Chairman, for granting me the opportunity to obtain my degree through the Department of Natural Resource Sciences. Dr. Manfred E. Rau was very kind to give me encouragement and advice as to continue with my dissertation and made valuable comments to improve il. 1would Iike to acknowledge Dr. C. van Achterberg for generously suggesting which outgroup would be useful for the phylogenetic analysis and for making valuable comments on my preliminary results. Dr. Victor H. Reynoso introduced me ta the computer programs MACCLADE and PAUP, spent time discussing my approach to the cladistic analysis and made suggestions to improve il. Equally, Alain Roy introduced me • to the programs CLADOS and HENNIG86. To them 1am very grateful. It is very important to me to acknowledge the prompt and wise support, understanding and experience of the professors who took charge of the unwanted situation in which 1 was targeted by an insecure and rootless instructor. Dr. Martha Crago, Associate vice-president of the Graduate Faculty and Research; Dr. Rodger Titman, member of the committee on Graduate Studies, Department of Natural Resource Sciences; Dr. David J. Lewis, Chairman, Department of Natural Resource Sciences, and Dr. Estelle Hopmeyer, Ombudsperson, School of Social Work. Without their advice 1would not have been able to complete this degree. Appreciation is extended to the following curators and professors who generously loaned material for this study: M. Smethurst, American Museum of • v Natural History, New York, New York; D. Wahl, American Entomological Institute, Gainesville, Florida; D. Ubick, california Academy of Sciences, San • Francisco; M.J. Sharkey and J.T. Huber, Canadian National Collection, Ottawa; J.K. Lièbherr, Cornell University Insect collections, Ithaca, New York; C.B. de Femândez, Fundaci6n Miguel Lillo, Tucuman, Argentina; J. Papp, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest;