Lophocheilus anilitatus? (specimen #041)
Workbook
Collected in Malaise trap (GMP66365) during the week 19th-26th Sept. 2026 (specimen ID #041)
THYNNINAE: Thynnini: Lophocheilus
Having worked through the various options, I am confident that this is Lophocheilus. The genus is known from our local region, and meets the diagnostic criteria described by Brown (2025).
In fact, it looks a good match for Lophocheilus anilitatus, based on the Lophocheilus species key in Brown 2025 (pp. 764-5).
However, I note colour differences in Given’s description of Thynnoides wilsoni (which Brown 2025 synonymised with Lophocheilus anilitatus), and Given’s sketch of the hypopygium (Fig. C, 16) is more sharply angled. The holotype of Thynoides wilsoni (Given 1958) is in ANIC, so I will be able to check this on our next visit.
The following is my justification for excluding other options among the Thynnidae and Tiphiidae.
Thynninae: Thynnini
Family THYNNIDAE, based on:
3 submarginal cells & frons produced above antennal sockets (so not Tiphiidae: Tiphiinae)
Subfamily THYNNINAE, based on:
frons produced above antennal sockets (so NOT Anthoboscinae)
forewing with distinct 1r vein (so NOT Myzininae)
forewing with 2m-cu meeting SCIII (so NOT Diamminae)
THYNNINI, based on:
forewing with distinct 1r vein (so NOT Iswaroidini)
clypeus with distinct, sagittal carina (so NOT Agriomyini)
clypeal carina not obviously branched (unlike MOST Rhagigasterini)
hypopygium with short, weakly upturned apical spine (so NOT Rhagigasterini)
epipygium strongly rounded (unlike MOST Tachynomyini)
posterior surface of head rounded (unlike MOST Tachynomyini)
As the features listed above do not proclude Tachynomyini, I checked genus-level details for the four genera known to occur in south-eastern Australia: Ariphron; Phymatothynnus; Tachynomia; Wrangathynnus.
posterior surface of head rounded (so NOT Tachynomia)
metasoma not subpetiolate (so NOT Ariphron)
antennal prominence NOT ‘above level of clypeus’ (assuming that means not extending beyond clypeus when in lateral view) (so NOT Ariphron)
hypopygium NOT as in Phymatothynnus (see Brown 2025 Figs. 307d-g, p. 447)
hypopygium NOT as in the single, known species of Wrangathynnus (see Brown 2025 Fig. 322e, p. 480)
There are seven genera of Thynnini known to occur in our region (far south of NSW and/or eastern Victoria): Catocheilus; Elidothynnus; Guerinius; Keteiothynnus; Levothynnus; Lophocheilus; Thynnoides.
I can exclude six of these, based on:
antennal prominence NOT bulbous above each antennal insertion (so NOT Catocheilus - cf Brown 2025 Fig. 424c, p. 670)
antennal prominence NOT narrowly V-shaped (so NOT Elidothynnus)
metasoma NOT conical, NOT widest at T1-2 (so NOT Guerinius)
S6 WITHOUT posterolateral spines (so NOT Keteiothynnus)
epipygium WITHOUT subapical plate (so NOT Guerinius, Keteiothynnus)
clypeus WITH sagittal carina (so NOT Levothynnus, Thynnoides)
S1 weakly raised anteromedially, but WITHOUT posteriorly raised sagittal carina (so NOT Thynnoides)
A further five genera of Thynnini are known to occur in south-eastern Australia more broadly: Leptothynnus; Lestricothynnus; Macrothynnus; Thynnus; Zaspilothynnus.
I can exclude each of these, based on:
clypeus WITH sagittal carina (so NOT Leptothynnus)
hypopygium NOT as in Lestricothynnus (see Brown 2025, Figs. 442f & 443d pp 709-10)
body length 14mm (so NOT Macrothynnus, which ranges 22-35mm)
metasoma black (so NOT Macrothynnus, Zaspilothynnus)
head & body black, without extensive yellow/orange markings (so NOT Thynnus, Zaspilothynnus)
antennal prominence NOT triangular (so NOT Thynnus)
epipygium WITHOUT subapical plate (so NOT Leptothynnus, Thynnus, Zaspilothynnus)
References
Brown, G. 2025. Revision of the Australian Thynnidae and Tiphiidae (Hymenoptera). Zootaxa 5681 (1): 001-862 https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5681.1.1
Given, B.B. 1958. Notes on Australian Thynninae. III. The genus Thynnoides. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 83, 327–336
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