Notes on the Brazilian Brachycyrtus Kriechbaumer species ( Hymenoptera , Ichneumonidae Brachycyrtinae )

Brachycyrtus Kriechbaumer is the single genus of Brachycyrtinae Ichneumonidae subfamily, distributed through the tropics, but a few species can be found in the Neartic and Paleartic regions (Gauld and Ward, 2000). As far as is known, brachycyrtines are idiobionts ectoparasitoids of cocooned pupae and prepupae of Chrysopidae (Neuroptera), but biological information is very scarce. Previously this group was known to belong to the Labeninae subfamily, but it was removed and elevated to sub-familial rank by Wahl (1993). Porter (1998) elevated Pedunculus Townes, 1969 to subfamily rank but later Gauld and Ward (2000) placed this genus with Adelphion and Monganella in the Pedunculinae subfamily and Brachycyrtus in Brachycyrtinae. Only four among fifteen described species were recorded from Brazil: B. muesebecki (Walkley, 1956), B. cosmetus (Walkley, 1956), B. veriatrix Gauld and Ward, 2000 and B. walkleyae Gauld and Ward, 2000 (Walkley, 1956; Gauld and Ward, 2000; Yu et al., 2005). Studying the material deposited in the DCBU collection of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Federal University of São Carlos, SP, Brazil from different localities, we have registered several new occurrence of species in Brazilian fauna of Ichneumonidae (Onody and Penteado-Dias, 2005; Loffredo and Penteado-Dias, 2008). To Brachycyrtus genus, seven species were found, being four, new records. Distribution information in different ecosystems and morphological notes are presented.

Brachycyrtus Kriechbaumer is the single genus of Brachycyrtinae Ichneumonidae subfamily, distributed through the tropics, but a few species can be found in the Neartic and Paleartic regions (Gauld and Ward, 2000).As far as is known, brachycyrtines are idiobionts ectoparasitoids of cocooned pupae and prepupae of Chrysopidae (Neuroptera), but biological information is very scarce.
Previously this group was known to belong to the Labeninae subfamily, but it was removed and elevated to sub-familial rank by Wahl (1993).Porter (1998) elevated Pedunculus Townes, 1969 to subfamily rank but later Gauld and Ward (2000) placed this genus with Adelphion and Monganella in the Pedunculinae subfamily and Brachycyrtus in Brachycyrtinae.
Studying the material deposited in the DCBU collection of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Federal University of São Carlos, SP, Brazil from different localities, we have registered several new occurrence of species in Brazilian fauna of Ichneumonidae (Onody and Penteado-Dias, 2005;Loffredo and Penteado-Dias, 2008).To Brachycyrtus genus, seven species were found, being four, new records.Distribution information in different ecosystems and morphological notes are presented.

Brachycyrtus cosmetus (Walkley 1956)
Brachycyrtus cosmetus is a widely distributed species and, in Brazil, it was only known from the northern region.We have collected this species in many different ecosystems: caatinga, cerrado, wetlands of the pantanal and organic and conventional agricultural areas.
Variation: The Brazilian specimens presented an extensive range of colour variation, especially of the mesopleuron and legs.

Brachycyrtus pretiosus Cushman 1936
Brachycyrtus pretiosus was registered from the south of the United States to the north of Argentina.In Brazil, this species was collected in organic and conventional agricultural areas in the Southeast region. Material

Brachycyrtus veriatrix Gauld 2000
The occurrence of Brachycyrtus veriatrix in Brazil was recorded only for the northern region.In this study it was collected in regions including organic and conventional agricultural areas, wetlands of the pantanal and cerrado.

Brachycyrtus walkleyae Gauld and Ward 2000
This species was recorded only for the Northeast region of Brazil, in this study this species has been collected also in other areas of the Southeast and Northern regions. Material

Brachycyrtus xorix Gauld and Ward 2000
This species was only known to occur in Costa Rica and Panamá.In Brazil one specimen was collected in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Brachycyrtus zani Gauld and Ward 2000
Brachycyrtus zani was known occurring in Costa Rica, Peru and Trinidad.Only one specimen was collected in the Southeast of Brazil.
Variation: The Brazilian specimen presented mesopleura without a black mark near the lower corner and metasoma with tergites II-III black, but posteriorly white and tergites II-VII with a straight division between the black and pallid areas.