Revision Of Taiwanese And Ryukyuan Species Of Eleganesia Alencar & Azevedo, 2018 (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae)

The pristocerine genus Eleganesia Alencar & Azevedo et al., 2018 consists of a total of 20 valid extant species recorded from the Oriental and Palaearctic regions and one fossil species. Four of them, namely E. chitouensis, E. liukueiensis, E. meifuiae, and E. takasago, have been recorded from Taiwan, and three species, namely E. daikoku, E. elegans, and E. otohime, from the Ryukyus of Japan. In the present study, the species-level classification of Taiwanese and Ryukyuan species of Eleganesia is revised using newly collected specimens, by a combination of examining the external and male genital morphologies and molecular phylogenetic analyses. In conclusion, seven species are recognized from Taiwan and the Ryukyus. A Ryukyuan morphospecies that is previously considered as a geographic race of E. elegans is confirmed to be an independent species, and is described as E. kijimuna sp. nov.. Additionally, a new species, E. paiwan sp. nov. is described from Taiwan. On the other hand, E. daikoku is synonymized under E. chitouensis by external and male genital morphology. Furthermore, the conspecific combination of the male and female was newly confirmed for E. takasago by our field observation (a copulating male and female pair was collected) and molecular phylogenetic analyses. (c) 2021 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.