THE HYMENOPTEROUS PARASITOIDS OF EUCALYPT LONGICORN BEETLES, PHORACANTHA SPP (COLEOPTERA, CERAMBYCIDAE) IN AUSTRALIA

The systematics of the hymenopterous parasitoids associated with Phora cantha spp. in Australia are reviewed. An illustrated key to species i s presented to facilitate their identification as part of ongoing atte mpts for the biological control of P. semipunctata (Fabricius), an exo tic pest on eucalypt trees. Information on the taxonomy, distribution and biology of 18 species of primary and hyperparasitoids associated w ith Phoracantha spp. are presented. A new braconid genus, Jarra, is de scribed to accommodate three new species, J. phoracantha, J. maculipen nis and J. bicolor, and Doryctes diadoxi Nixon (Doryctinae), the latte r associated with a buprestid host. Two other new species, Heterospilu s nukunu (Doryctinae) and Callibracon moorei (Braconinae) are also des cribed; Iphiaulax morleyi Froggatt is synonymized with Atanycolus fome ntosus Szepligeti and I. rubriceps Froggatt is synonymized with Syngas ter lepidus Brulle; lectotypes are designated for I. morleyi, I. rubri ceps and I. phoracanthae Froggatt; and Ipobracon flaviceps flaviceps ( Cameron) and L flaviceps mackayensis Turner are transferred to Callibr acon. The encyrtid genus Aventianella is recorded from Australia for t he first time and the egg parasitoid of P. semipunctata, A. longoi Sis caro described from Italy, is postulated to be endemic to Australia.