Neoheterospilus
A small genus with more than 10 species described. Several others are waiting description. It contains 2 subgenera : Neoheterospilus and Harpoheterospilus.
Parasitoids of Scolitidae.
Vertex smooth, sometimes with short rugae along occipital carina. Prescutellar depression usually smooth and usually with single median carina. Mesoscutum almost entirely smooth, at least partly glabrous. Second radial abscissa usually shorter than first abscissa. Second abscissa of costal vein of hind wing present or absent. Hind coxa with basoventral tooth. Hind coxa and femur smooth. Second metasomal tergite with basal semicircular area delineated by deep furrow, but sometimes this area indistinctly separated; with apical lenticular area delineated anteriorly by deep furrow. Second suture distinct and crenulate. Second-fourth or second-fifth tergites with separated laterotergites. Ovipositor short, ovipositor sheath 0.75-1.0 times as long as mesosoma, 0.35-0.5 times as long fore wing (Belokobylskij, 2006).
Small size, 2.5-3.0 mm; ovipositor curved up and modified apically with valves expanded and sickle-shaped and sheaths expanded; fore wing vein 2RS absent, vein r slightly longer than vein 3RSa, first subdiscal cell open at apex and bottom, vein 2-1A absent; hind wing vein SC+R absent, hind wing of mal with stigma (Marsh et al., 2013).
This genus differ from all other heterospiline braconidae by the unusual curved up and apically modified ovipositor and in the frequent presence of a basal area on the second metasomal tergite, which is usually defined by deep semi-circular furrow (Belokobylskij, 2006; Marsh et al., 2013).
It is distinguished to the subgenus N. (Harpoheterospilus) by its the apical area of the second tergite clearly delineated by furrow, the second suture of metasoma deep and rather crenulate, the vertex and mesoscutum smooth (rarely mesoscutum finelly coriaceous), and the mesoscutum at least partly glabrous (Belokobylskij, 2006)
Afrotropical, Australasian, Nearctic, Neotropical, Palaearctic, Oceanic, Oriental.
Only two species are recorded in the Neotropical region.