Baeognatha Kokujev 1903

Baeognatha Kokujev, 1903, stat. rev.

(Figs 4 C, 6A, 8A)

Baeognatha Kokujev, 1903: 243; Type species: Baeognatha turanica Kokujev, 1903, by monotypy; Shenefelt, 1970b: 367 [catalogue]; Bhat & Gupta, 1977: 86 [key, descriptions]; Nixon, 1986: 229 [key, descriptions]; Sharkey, 1992: 441 [in tribe Microdini]; Yu et al., 2005 [catalogue]; Sharkey et al., 2009: 47 [as synonym of Therophilus].

Camptothlipsis Enderlein, 1920: 166; Type species: Camptothlipsis costalis Enderlein, 1920, by original designation; Shenefelt, 1970b: 378 [catalogue]; Bhat & Gupta, 1977: 78 [key, descriptions]; Tobias, 1976: 214 [synonym of Baeognatha Kokujev, 1903]; Nixon, 1986: 229 [synonym of Baeognatha]; Simbolotti & Achterberg, 1992: 6 [synonym of Bassus]; Sharkey et al. 2006: 556 [synonym of Bassus]; Sharkey et al., 2009 [reinstated]. syn. nov.

Diagnosis. Length: 3–5 mm; colour: commonly mostly yellow with variable black or dark brown markings (Figs 8 A); lateral carinae on frons always absent; notauli present and distinctly scrobiculate (e.g., Fig. 3 B); claws non–cleft with rounded basal lobes present (e.g., Fig. 2 C); mid tibial preapical spines always present (e.g., Fig. 2 D); fore wing cell 1-RS absent in Australian species (Fig. 4 C), however, does vary from absent to small cell present in type species (Simbolotti and Achterberg 1992); ovipositor length greater than 0.5 metasoma length (e.g., Fig. 8 B).

Comments. Historically, species characterised by the absence of fore wing cell 1–RS were classified as either Camptothlipsis or Baeognatha. Camptothlipsis was treated as a synonym of Baeognatha (e.g., Tobias (1976) and Nixon (1986)) prior to Camptothlipsis being synonymised with Bassus by Simbolotti and Achterberg (1992). In Sharkey et al. (2006), two undescribed species (treated as Bassus), characterised by the absence of fore wing cell 1–RS and granulate sculpturing on T1, were resolved as sister taxa to one another. This result prompted Sharkey et al. (2009) to reinstate the concept of Camptothlipsis as defined by Bhat and Gupta (1977) who used scupturing of the propodeum and anterior metasomal tergites (viz. granulate versus non–granulate, usually striate) to differentiate Camptothlipsis from Baeognatha. In addition, Sharkey et al. (2009) synonymised Baeognatha with Therophilus. However, examination of Australian material, suggests that the granulate sculpturing patterns of the propodeum and anterior metasomal tergites are not reliable generic level characters because they also occur in a number of Therophilus species. Therefore, Baeognatha as interpreted by Nixon (1986), is reinstated.

Species richness and distribution. No Australian species of Baeognatha have been described. The genus represents a relatively small component of the Australian fauna, comprising approximately six species that occur in the Timorian and Torresian regions of the continent.