The Wharton Lab

Denticeria Gauld, 1984: 225-226, 234-235. Type species: Denticera cardaleae Gauld, 1984

Denticeria is known only from a single female specimen of the type species, Denticera cardaleae, described from the Northern Territory of Australia by Gauld (1984). The Holotype is in the Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra.

Denticeria and Megaceria were placed in Euryproctini by Gauld (1984) on the basis of the absence of a glymma and the relatively long first flagellomere lacking tyloids. Gauld (1984) clearly differentiated these two from other Australian Ctenopelmatinae, but did not differentiate them from other, non-Australian Euryproctini. The distinctive distal broadening of the first subdiscal cell of the fore wing and the exceptionally short first abscissa of CU1 in the hind wing (as in Fig. 1) characterize these two genera relative to other euryproctine genera as treated in the key by Townes (1970). Denticeria has a shorter, broader T1 than does Megaceria, and the laterotergites are not separated by a crease on T3 in Megaceria.

Clypeus transverse, coarsely punctate; ventral margin blunt, slightly concave in frontal view; clypeus in profile protruding. Inner eye margins almost parallel. Malar space distinct, 0.8 times basal width of mandible. Mandible broad, parallel-sided; dorsal tooth shorter than ventral tooth. Maxillary palp shorter than height of head. Hypostomal carina meeting occipital carina near base of mandible; occipital carina complete. Epicnemial carina present, dorsal end not reaching anterior margin of mesopleuron. Notaulus indistinct. Propodeum with longitudinal carinae indistinct, posterior transverse carina present. Posterior hind tibial spur long, slender, about twice length of anterior spur and 0.3 times length of hind basitarsis; tarsal claws not pectinate. Fore wing areolet present, unusually large; stigma with Rs+2r arising near basal 0.3; first subdiscal cell strongly broadening distally, with the two abscissae that form the distal border essentially vertical. Hind wing with first abscissa of CU1 exceptionally short, much shorter than 1cu-a. T1 broadening apically, length less than twice width at apex; straight in profile; carinae apparently lacking; glymma absent; spiracle situated slightly anterior to midpoint. S1 not extending to level of spiracle. Laterotergite of T3 separated from median tergite by a distinct crease.

The above description is only slightly modified from Gauld (1984) as I have not seen representatives of this genus.

This page was assembled by Bob Wharton as part of a larger collaborative effort on the genera of Ctenopelmatinae. Page last updated April, 2015.

This work would not have been possible without the groundwork provided by Ian Gauld’s study of the Australian and Costa Rican faunas, and we are particularly grateful for his assistance in many aspects of this study. We thank David Wahl of the American Entomological Institute, Andy Bennett of the Canadian National Collection, and Gavin Broad of The Natural History Museum, London, for extended loans of various ctenopelmatines. We also thank David Wahl for useful feedback throughout our study. Matt Yoder provided considerable assistance with databasing issues, and our use of PURLs (http://purl.oclc.org) in this regard follows the example of their use in publications by Norm Johnson. Heather Cummins, Mika Cameron, Kira Zhaurova, and Caitlin Nessner graciously assisted with imaging, formatting, and literature retrieval. This study was supported by the National Science Foundation’s PEET program under Grant No. DEB 0328922 and associated REU supplement nos DEB 0723663 and 0923134.

This material is based upon work at Texas A&M University supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number DEB 0328922 with REU supplements DEB 0723663 and 0923134. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.