Spathius
Large genus with many described species (mostly from the Old World) [1].
The synonyms currently recognized are:
Stenophasmus Smith, 1859 (synonymized by Szépligeti in 1904)
Euspathius Foerster, 1962 (Emendation of Spathius)
Pseudospathius Sépligeti, 1902 (synonymized by Belokobylskij in 1992)
Rhacospathius Cameron, 1905 (synonymized by Wilkinson in 1931)
References
- , “Taxapad 2012, Ichneumonoidea 2011. Database on flash-drive.”. www.taxapad.com, Ottawa, Canada., 2012.
Parasitoid of a wide range of wood-boring beetles (Anobiidae, Anthribidae, Bostrichidae, Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Cleridae, Curculionidae, Eucnemidae, Lyctidae, Ptinidae, Scolytidae), wasps (Xiphydriidae, Cynipidae) and lepidoptera (Crambidae, Lymantriidae, Sesiidae, Tineidae, Tortricidae) larval instars [1].
References
- , “Taxapad 2012, Ichneumonoidea 2011. Database on flash-drive.”. www.taxapad.com, Ottawa, Canada., 2012.
Head subcubical, slightly or distinctly transverse; ocellar triangle equilateral or with base larger than its side; frons more or less flat; eyes usually glabrous; occipital carina developed, fused or not fused with hypostomal carina; postgenal bridge narrow; palpi formula 6-4; scape short and wide, without apical lobe; first flagellar segment almost straight or weakly curved, usually not shorter than second segment; neck of promesosoma short; anterior surface of mesonotum subvertical, distinctly raised above pronotum, rarely gently rounded; notauli usually deep, wide and complete, but sometimes shallow and almost absent posteriorly; sternaulus deep, long, straight or curved; prepectal carina distinct; propodeum usually with marginated areas, with or without small lateral tubercles; propodeal bridge absent; fore tibia with slender thick spines arranged in narrow band or (rarely) in single row; hind coxa with distinct basoventral corner and tooth, but sometimes (in several groups) without corner and tooth; hind tibia dorsally without spines; hind basitarsus 0.6-0.7 times as long as segments 2-5 combined; fore wing marginal cell not shortened; 1m-cu usually postfurcal or interstitial; 2RS and r-m present, rarely 2RS absent; 3CU arising from anterior 1/3-1/5 of distal margin of first subdiscal cell, sometimes interstitial; first subdiscal cell closed apically; hind wing cu-a present; subbasal cell small or very small; m-cu present; basal cell widened distally; RS arising from R; marginal cell without r; first metasomal tergite narrow, with small dorsope or without it, petiolate; acrosternite 0.6-0.8 times as long as tergite; second suture present or indistinct; second and third tergites without furrows or defined areas; ovipositor of different length [1].
Small to medium size, 3.0-6.0 mm; head cubical; occipital carina not quite meeting hypostomal carina; first flagellomere longer than second; oral opening oval, diameter slightly greater than malar space; mesoscutum gradually sloping to pronotum, not sharply declivous; metasoma petiolate, first tergum often parallel-sided and suddenly widened at apex, basal sternal plate of first tergum nearly as long as tergum; fore tibia with scattered row of 15-20 stout spines along anterior edge; hind coxa sharply angled at base with broad tubercle; fore wing vein r-m present, vein m-cu meeting vein 2M beyond vein 2RS, first subdiscal cell closed at apex, vein 2CU nearly on same line as vein 1CU; hind wing vein M+CU slightly greater than 0.5 length of vein 1M ([2] based on Neotropical species).
Some species are apterous (like S. lubomiri Austin & Jennings, 2009) or lack the vein 2RS of fore wing (see some Vietnamese species in [3]).
References
- , “Systematics, distribution and diversity of the Australasian doryctine wasps (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Doryctinae).”, Records of the South Australian Museum Monograph Series, vol. 8, pp. 1-150, 2004.
- , The Doryctinae of Costa Rica (excluding the genus Heterospilus), vol. 70, 1 vol. Gainsville, Fl.: American Entomological Institute, 2002, p. 319.
- , “Vietnamese species of the genus Spathius Nees (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae) with reduced first radiomedial vein of the forewing”, American Museum Novitates, vol. 3721, pp. 1-26, 2011.
Superficially similar to Notiospathius but could be distinguished by the petiolate metasoma, fore wing vein m-cu apical to vein 2RS and closed subdiscal cell (open in Notiospathius). Moreover the vein 3CU of fore wing is not interstitial with 1CU.
Afrotropical, Australasian, Nearctic, Neotropical, Palaearctic, Oceanic, Oriental.