Elasmus Westwood, 1833

Kallyadan, Sreejina Sreedharan & M., Nasser, 2024, Making shelter for enemies: parasitoid-induced shelter-building behaviour in Paraponyx stagnalis, Journal of Natural History 58 (21 - 24), pp. 658-673 : 663

Genus Elasmus Westwood

( Eulophidae : Elasminae )

Species within this genus exhibit a dual role as hyperparasitoids targeting Apanteles genus species (refer to Graham 1976, 1995) and ectoparasitoids specialising in larvae of the wasp genus Polistes ( Hymenoptera , Vespidae ), as well as various lepidopteran families, including Coleophoridae , Tortricidae , Gracillariidae , Cosmopterigidae , and Gelechiidae ( Yefremova and Strakhova 2010) . Identifying characteristics of the genus include the female’s antenna with two anelli, a three-segmented flagellum, and a three-segmented clava, while the male possesses a trifurcate four-segmented flagellum and a two-segmented clava. The mesoscutum is densely covered with hairs, and the scutellum features two pairs of long setae. Notable wing characteristics include an elongated marginal vein, a short post marginal vein, and a slightly reduced stigma vein. The hind coxa is smooth, subdiscoidal (plate-like), and significantly enlarged, while the hind tibia exhibits short setae forming a continuous diamond shape. Colourations commonly involve yellow, black, and brown hues, often adorned with distinctive spots ( Kim et al. 2016).