(Figures 14–25)

Type species, and only known species

Trigonophatnus albobalteatus Cameron, 1907.

Material examined

Holotype female. “[Indonesia, New Guinea], Merauke, Nieuw Guinea Expeditie 1904 / 5”, “ Trigonophatnus albobalteatus Cam., Type, New Guinea”(RMNH).

Additional material. One female USNM ENT 00680122, Papua New Guinea, Madang Province, Wanang, 145 ◦ 10.910 ′ E, 5 ◦ 13.853 ′ S, 28 April 2007, 100 m, reared from caterpillar collected off Fijian longan, Pometia pinnata (Sapindaceae) [see below] (USNM), (GenBank accession JF415905); one male, Papua New Guinea, Central Province, 20 km SE Port Moresby, 26 January 1985, J. W. Ismay (BMNH).

Diagnosis

Vein 1r-m of hind wing vertical (Figure 25); veins SR and 2-M of hind wing sclerotized basally (Figure 14); mediobasal area of second metasomal tergite large and strongly developed (Figure 20); second metasomal suture deep and wide medially (Figure 20); fourth and fifth tergites with sharp lateral margin (Figure 24); tarsal claws without lobe (Figure 22).

Description

Head. Face with moderately dense puncturation, without obvious transverse sculpture, slightly protruding. Segments of maxillary palp slightly swollen (females) or slender, not swollen (male). Occipital carina complete dorsally, but absent ventrally and not curved towards hypostomal carina.

Mesosoma. More or less smooth and shiny. Notauli deep and crenulated anteriorly. Precoxal sulcus weak. Median area of metanotum without longitudinal carina except at extreme anterior. Propodeum with V-shaped carinae medioanteriorly.

Forewing. Venation without conspicuous thickenings and wing membrane entirely evenly setose. Second submarginal cell moderately long, vein 3-SR nearly 2 × length of vein r-m. Vein m-cu more or less straight and making an abrupt angle with vein 2-CU1. Vein cu-a slightly postfurcal and curved.

Hind wing. Junction of veins 1- SC + R and SC + R 1 (i.e. where vein 2- SC + R would be) strongly expanded. Vein r-m almost perpendicular, weakly curved. Apex of basal cell with a glabrous patch (Figure 25). Vein m-cu indicated by a small stub opposite vein r-m. Vein SR1 tubular for about basal half, weakly curved basally, and continuing to wing apex without strongly diverging from wing margin.

Legs. Claws without protruding lobes, rounded basally (Figure 22). Apex of hind tibia with a comb of setae but these rather distinct and not strongly modified. Hind tibial spurs weakly curved and setose along their whole length ventrally (Figure 15).

Metasoma. Tergite 1 rather elongate, weakly narrowed subbasally. Dorsal carinae strong and uniting to form strong mediolongitudinal carina shortly before middle of tergite (Figure 20). Dorsope deep. Tergite 2 with very large mediobasal triangular area produced to form strong complete mediolongitudinal carina; otherwise with strong longitudinal striation. Tergite 3 largely smooth. Hypopygium moderately strongly convex.

Notes

The original description by Cameron is generally accurate, and the above is provided because various additional character sets have come to light since Cameron’s day, that may be useful for interpreting relationships.

Trigonophatnus can be recognized from all other genera of Rogadinae by the highly swollen junction of hind wing veins 2- SC + R and SC + R 1. A near perpendicular hind wing vein 1r-m is also found in Rectivena van Achterberg, Korupia van Achterberg and some Triraphis Ruthe, but these have the claws with a large pointed or square basal lobe and have a mediolongitudinal carina on the anterior part of the propodeum.

The voucher specimen USNM ENT 680122 was cited as “ Rogadinae ” in Hrcek et al. (2011) and its Genbank number is JF415905.

Biology

The remnants (GenBank JF271385) of the larval host (Figure 30) of one reared wasp (USNM ENT 00680122) were identified by DNA as the butterfly Hypochrysops chrysargyrus Grose-Smith and Kirby (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). We have not successfully reared this species to adults, but Sam Legi has collected adults at Wanang, five of which we have obtained DNA barcode sequences for (GenbBank accessions HQ570661, HQ570792, HQ570801, HQ570818, HQ570845). Hypochrysops chrysargyrus is a distinctive species in a speciose genus, placed by Sands (1986, p. 30) by itself in its own species group. The species was considered to be endemic to the main island of New Guinea (Sands 1986; Parsons 1998, p. 349), but has recently been recorded from the Torres Straits Islands, within Australian territorial boundaries (Braby 2010, p. 14). Parsons (1998, p. 349) recorded the host as Pommetia pinnata J.R. Forster & J.G. Forster (Sapindaceae), which is the same host as that of JF271385.