Beldonea Cameron (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae, Tenthredininae) new to Thailand, and the males of B. Okutanii and B. Impunctata

Beldonea Cameron is an unusual genus of Tenthredininae, which, in part, is distinguished from other genera of the subfamily by the serrate antennae of the female (Fig. 1) and pectinate antennae of the male (Fig. 2). Lacourt (1996) proposed a new subfamily and new tribe of Tenthredininae, Beldoneinae and Beldoneini, for this genus, including only Beldonea and synonymizing Flagellaria Saini et al. Almost simultaneously, Wei (1997) proposed a new tribe, Beldoneini, including four genera, Beldonea, Flagellaria, Cromaphya Rohwer, and Oculocornia Wei. Lacourt’s (1996) synonymy of Beldonea and Flagellaria was followed by Saini et al. (2006), Saini (2007), and Taeger et al. (2010). However, Wei et al. (2006) chose to keep Flagellaria as a distinct genus. In different chapters in the same book, Flagellaria is treated as a valid genus (Wei et al. 2006) and as a synonym of Beldonea (Saini et al. 2006). Here, I follow Lacourt (1996), Saini et al. (2006), Saini (2007), and Taeger et al. (2010), although Wei (1997) makes some good justification for keeping Flagellaria valid, e.g., the 10-segmented, serrate antenna (Figs 1, 2), absence of antennal organs, round metepimeral appendage, and impunctate mesopleuron. The genus and species, Beldonea impunctata (Wei), are recorded from Thailand for the first time. The presence of the genus in Thailand is not surprising since it has been recorded from Malaysia (Malay Peninsula), China (Hainan and Yunnan), and northeastern India (as Flagellaria, Wei 1997). Five species of Beldonea are listed by Taeger et JHR 25: 15–18 (2012)