Synopsis of the parasitoid wasp genus Choeras Mason (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae) from Australasia, with the description of two new species

The Microgastrinae are a highly diverse, cosmopolitan subfamily of Braconidae that parasitise Lepidoptera. In this study, we provide a synopsis of Choeras for Australasia; the seven described species are diagnosed on the basis of their holotypes and newly collected material, and two new species are described, Choeras koalascatocola sp. nov. and Choeras morialta sp. nov. A key to species is provided along with information on their distribution and biology; one of the new species, C. koalascatocola sp. nov., was reared from an unknown species of Lepidoptera feeding on koala scats. The substantial morphological variation among Choeras species for a number of key characters is discussed and supports the possibility that the genus is polyphyletic.