The Sierola (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) of Australia
Abstract
Sierola Cameron, 1881 is a highly diverse genus of aculeate ectoparasitoid wasps found across the Indo-Pacific region. Species are found on almost all Pacific high islands and mainland Asia. A few species have been described from Australia, but the genus has never been comprehensively treated there. Here, the Australian Sierola is reviewed for the first time, focusing on taxa that lack a high, sharp, clypeal carina. One hundred sixty-nine species from all regions are described as new, and S. vibrissata Ward, 2013 is recorded from Australia for the first time. As a result, there are now 177 species of Sierola recorded from Australia. This remains a first step on fully analyzing the genus, and at least as many or more species remain undescribed.
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