Revision of Anisepyris Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae), with description of 135 new species

Abstract

The identity of many species of Anisepyris Kieffer is currently unknown, mostly because the available taxonomic data are not sufficiently accurate to allow for precise identifications. To solve this problem, all 121 described species were investigated, including the analyses of 115 holotypes and 26 allotypes. Almost all Neotropical species of Epyrinae and many from the Nearctic were also examined in order to recognize possible species of Anisepyris misclassified in other genera. The ten species-groups included in Anisepyris are redefined. And the female genital structures of the genus are investigated for the first time. Based on this, we recognize 119 previously described species as belonging to Anisepyris, one species is transferred to Laelius Ashmead, L. foveaticeps (Rosmann & Azevedo) comb. nov., one is transferred to Chlorepyris Kieffer, C. nigerrimus (Evans) comb. nov., and 135 new species are described to science, so that the genus is now contains 254 species. They are recorded from 31 countries of the New World. Lectotypes are designated for A. aurichalceus (Westwood) and A. planiceps (Fabricius). The previously identified species-groups are re-organized into six, and seven additional species-groups are proposed are new. Identification keys for Anisepyris species-groups and species are provided.

Phylogeny of Anisepyris Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae: E pyrinae), with investigation of diagnostic features

“…The terms applied to the structures follow Kawada et al (2015), Barbosa and Azevedo (2018), Lanes et al (2020), and Barbosa et al (2021). Those related to the integument follow Harris (1979).…”

“…A total of 120 characters (Supplementary file 1) were extracted and analyzed from Barbosa and Azevedo (2018). This work compiled all the characteristics described by Evans (1965Evans ( , 1966 and some features introduced by Barbosa and Azevedo (2018).…”

“…All figures were edited in GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) v.2.10.18. The phylogenetic characters were extracted from Barbosa and Azevedo (2018). Readers are referred to this publication for character illustrations.…”

“…These characters concerned: metallic body reflection, eye pilosity, number of mandibular teeth, shape of first antennal flagellomere, presence of antennal foramen carina, and presences vs. absences of dorsal pronotal area carinae, of mesopleural foveae, and of a mesotibial spine. However, Barbosa and Azevedo (2018) revealed that these characters as insuf-ficient for accurate identifications of the Anisepyris species-groups.…”

“…Therefore, the "species-group" concept, even if it is not a formalized taxonomic category by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), is a useful tool to for the recognition and comparison of species for alpha-taxonomic stud-ies. Evans (1965Evans ( , 1966 defined 10 species-groups for Anisepyris, later refined by Barbosa and Azevedo (2018).…”