EUDEROMPHALINI

HANSSON, C. & LASALLE, J., 2003, Revision of the Neotropical species of the tribe Euderomphalini (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), Journal of Natural History 37 (6), pp. 697-778 : 699-701

Tribe EUDEROMPHALINI

Included genus groups: Euderomphale , Aleuroctonus and Entedononecremnus groups.

Diagnosis

Small parasitoids, generally less than 1.5 mm in length (some species of Entedononecremnus and Itahipeus up to 1.7 or 1.9 mm). Pronotum reduced, vertically aligned and not visible in dorsal view, and strongly narrowed or membranous medially. Scutellum overhanging dorsellum; median area of dorsellum not visible in dorsal view (visible in a few species). Notauli absent. Antennal club long, generally longer than the funicle, and usually with a long terminal spine. Clypeus generally delimited dorsally by a complete, distinct and smoothly curved sulcus, although this reduced or modified in some groups. Spiracular sulcus absent.

Monophyly

LaSalle and Schauff (1994) listed seven apomorphies for the tribe Euderomphalini : (1) pronotum reduced, vertically aligned and not visible in dorsal view, and strongly narrowed or membranous medially; (2) scutellum overhanging dorsellum; median area of dorsellum not visible in dorsal view; (3) male scape with a ventral groove present in apical half, but without an easily visible ridge or sensory pores; (4) clypeus delimited dorsally by a complete, distinct and smoothly curved sulcus; (5) antenna reduced, with two or one funicular segments; funicle short, generally shorter than pedicel; club long, generally longer than the funicle, and with a long terminal spine; (6) axilla, when indicated, generally placed entirely anterior to scuto-scutellar sulcus; (7) hosts are whiteflies.

The addition of five new genera, and several new species, has improved our knowledge of the variation of character states in this group. The reduced pronotum is present in all genera of the tribe, and this remains a valid apomorphy for this tribe. Scutellum overhanging dorsellum is still valid for most genera, although this character state is reversed in Itahipeus (but in this genus the dorsellum is enlarged and dorsally expanded, and covers a part of posterior scutellum), in Sifraneurus , and in five (out of six) species of Cabeza . The sensory pores or sensory ridge in ventral groove of male scape are difficult to see without proper investigation (preferrably using SEM), but in a paper treating this group (Zolnerowich and Rose, 1996) there is a picture showing distinct pores in this groove. Also, the fact that males are unknown for many species (e.g. in four out of the five new genera) makes us cautious to use this apomorphy. The clypeus is delimited in most genera, but is undelimited in Monterrondo and Xenopomphale , and is indistinctly delimited in some other species. But we still regard this as an apomorphy for the tribe, the absence of a clypeal sulcus is here regarded as a reversal. The antennal character state (No. 5 above) actually consists of three states: number of funicular segments, length of funicle and length of club. The only useful character state (and here regarded as an apomorphy) is the long club, which is at least as long as the funicle. The other two character states either vary too much (number of funicular segments—one, two or three), or does not hold true (the short funicle) with the addition of the new taxa. The advanced axilla is present in two out of three genus groups (in nine out of 13 genera) and is hence a doubtful apomorphy for the entire tribe. The hosts are poorly known for the species of this tribe. There are no host records for any of the new genera, and this information is also missing for many of the new species in already described genera. However, the host records we have are all from whiteflies ( Hemiptera : Aleyrodidae ) and we continue to regard the targeting of this host group as an apomorphy.

The monophyly of the tribe Euderomphalini is further supported by molecular data (Gauthier et al., 2000). Results of this study also suggest a sister-group relationship between Euderomphalini and the rest of the Entedoninae.

For additional help in separating the Euderomphalini from the rest of the Entedoninae following characters might offer some help. Frontal suture: Euderomphalines either lack this suture (figures 11, 29), have an incomplete suture (figures 23, 26), or a complete and straight suture situated close to anterior ocellus (figure 17), while most other entedonines have a complete ± V-shaped suture situated away from anterior ocellus. Spiracular sulcus (situated on propodeum, just laterad to the spiracle opening): most euderomphalines lack spiracular sulci (present in Aleuroctonus ), while remaining entedonines have them. Scutellum with more than one pair of setae: several euderomphalines have more than one pair of scutellar setae, while the majority of other entedonines have a single pair. Submarginal vein with one, three or more setae on dorsal surface: the majority of entedonines have two setae on submarginal vein, while many euderomphalines have fewer, or more, than this.

Key to New World genera of Euderomphalini 1 Vertexal suture present, running between anterior and posterior ocelli (figures 13, 18)

....................... 2 – Vertexal suture absent................. 5

2(1) Axillae fused to mesoscutum (figure 21)... Neopomphale LaSalle and Schauff

– Axillae delimited from mesoscutum by a suture (figures 13, 24, 31) or a groove (figure 5).................... 3

3(2) Scutellum with two pair of setae, one pair in anterior part and one pair at hind margin of scutellum (figure 14)........ Euderomphale Girault

– Scutellum with one pair of setae, situated ± medially........ 4

4(3) Head transverse, 0.5–0.6× as high as wide (figures 81, 83–86); axillae delimited from mesoscutum by a fine suture (figure 2)....... Cabeza gen. n.

– Head less transverse, 0.8× as high as wide (figure 87); axillae delimited from mesoscutum by a groove (figure 5)....... Xenopomphale gen. n.

5(1) Sides of meso- and metathorax smooth and shiny, pleurites completely fused except for posterior margin of prepectus which is indicated by a sulcus, all other sulci are absent................ Monterrondo gen. n.

– Sides of meso- and metathorax at least partly reticulate or sculptured, pleurites delimited by sulci.................. 6

6(5) Eyes bare (figure 29); frontal suture absent........... 7

– Eyes distinctly hairy (figures 23, 26); frontal suture present medially.... 9

7(6) First gastral tergite without a basal carina; postmarginal vein absent (figure 10).................... Sifraneurus gen. n.

– First gastral tergite with a basal carina (figures 132–135); postmarginal vein present and 0.2–1.0× as long as stigmal vein............ 8

8(7) Prepectus triangular (figure 30); dorsellum not visible. Entedononecremnus Girault

– Prepectus rectangular (figure 109); dorsellum extending upwards to cover part of posterior scutellum (figure 110).......... Itahipeus gen. n.

9(6) Anterior part of gaster pale (figure 104, 105); anterior margin of fore wing without incision between costal cell and marginal vein (figure 6)....................... Aleuroctonus LaSalle and Schauff

– Entire gaster dark; anterior margin of fore wing with an incision between costal cell and marginal vein (figure 7)..... Dasyomphale LaSalle and Schauff