Lytopylus Foerster, 1862

Silva, Antonielson B., Shimbori, Eduardo M. & Fernandes, Daniell R. R., 2025, Three new species of Lytopylus Foerster, 1862 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Agathidinae) from Brazil, Zootaxa 5594 (1), pp. 167-176 : 168-169

Lytopylus Foerster, 1862

Lytopylus Foerster, 1862: 279 .

Type species: Lytopylus azygos Viereck, 1905 by monotypy, first included species.

Agathellina Enderlein, 1920: 211 . Type species: Agathellina columbiana Enderlein, 1920 .

Ditropia Enderlein, 1920: 210 . Type species: Ditropia strigata Enderlein, 1920 .

Austroearinus Sharkey, 2006: 45 . Type species: Bassus rufofemoratus Muesebeck, 1927 .

Diagnosis. Lytopylus can be distinguished from all other agathidines with the following combination of characters: tarsal claws simple with a basal lobe; mesoscutum unsculptured and notauli absent; fore wing vein (RS+M)a not complete; vein CUb of hind wing weak or absent and never tubular; hind coxal cavities open.

Biology. Koinobiont endoparasitoids of Lepidoptera larvae.

Species diversity. Including three species described here, there are now 44 described species of Lytopylus .

Distribution. New World, from northeastern USA south to Argentina, primarily Neotropical. Lytopylus unicolor : (Neotropical, Nearctic, Oriental, Afrotropical and Australian), including Argentina, USA, India, Australia, Bermuda, New Zealand, and South Africa (Odebiyi & Ottman, 1977).

Key to Brazilian species of Lytopylus Foerster, 1862

1. Flagellum black with apical flagellomeres pale yellow ( Figure 1A ); anterior transverse carina of propodeum absent ( Figure 1D )............................................... Lytopylus melanoflavus Silva, Shimbori & Fernandes sp. nov.

- Flagellum entirely black ( Figure 2A , 3A ); anterior transverse carina of propodeum present ( Figure 2E , 3H ).............. 2

2 (1). Mesosoma with dark brown or black markings: ventrally at propleuron and mesopleuron, two longitudinal stripes at mesonotum, and most of metanotum.................................................... Lytopylus strigata ( Enderlein 1920)

- Mesosoma entirely or nearly entirely yellow................................................................ 3

3 (2). Median tergites entirely yellow; hind tibia pale basally, black apically ( Figure 2A, 2F )..................................................................................... Lytopylus minimus Silva, Shimbori & Fernandes sp. nov.

- Median tergites mostly black (base of the second tergite onwards black); hind tibia black basally and distally ( Figure 3A, 3G ).......................................................... Lytopylus tigrinus Silva, Shimbori & Fernandes sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 1A‒I. Lytopylus melanoflavus Silva, Shimbori & Fernandes sp. nov., holotype female. A—Lateral habitus. B— Head and mesosoma, lateral. C—Head, front view. D—Propodeum, dorsal view. E—Head and mesoscutum, dorsal view. F— Propodeum and metasoma, dorsal view. G—Fore wings. H—Fore wing detail showing the second submarginal cell. I—Hind wing

FIGURE 2A‒H. Lytopylus minimus Silva, Shimbori & Fernandes sp. nov., holotype female.A—Lateral habitus. B—Head, front view. C—Head and mesoscutum, dorsal view. D—Head and mesosoma, lateral. E—Propodeum, dorsal view. F—Propodeum and metasoma, dorsal view. G—Fore wings. H—Hind wing.

FIGURE 3A‒H. Lytopylus tigrinus Silva, Shimbori & Fernandes sp. nov., holotype female.A—Lateral habitus. B—Head, front view. C—Head and mesoscutum, dorsal view. D—Head and mesosoma, lateral. E—Fore wings. F—Hind wing. G—Propodeum and metasoma, dorsal view. H—Propodeum, dorsal view.