Lymaenon, Walker, 1846

Huber, John T., Read, Jennifer D. & Triapitsyn, Serguei V., 2021, Illustrated key to the genera and catalogue of Mymaridae (Hymenoptera) in the Afrotropical region, Zootaxa 5036 (1), pp. 1-166 : 32-33

LYMAENON Walker, 1846

( Figs 170–174 )

Lymaenon Walker, 1846: 49 . Type species: Lymaenon acuminatus Walker, 1846 , by subsequent designation by Gahan & Fagan, 1923: 82. See Huber et al. (2020) for generic synonyms and their type species.

Diagnosis. Lymaenon is distinguished from other members in Gonatocerini by the following combination: ocellar triangle with 3 or, rarely, 4 setae between lateral ocelli ( Fig. 170 ); pronotal lobes separated by a usually membranous gap ( Fig. 172 ); mesothoracic spiracle much larger than propodeal spiracle; dorsellum strap-like, with anterior and posterior margins parallel ( Fig. 172 ); propodeum with parallel or slightly converging submedian lines ( Fig. 172 ), often with spicules between them; stigmal vein with apex truncate ( Fig. 171 ).

Discussion. Lymaenon belongs to the Gonatocerus group of genera, treated formally as Gonatocerini by Huber (2015). In the Afrotropical region the Gonatocerus group also includes Cosmocomopsis , Gonatocerus , Heptagonatocerus , Octomicromeris , Tanyxiphium and Zeyanus . Lymaenon is the most commonly collected genus of the group, with a greater diversity of species than any other region except Australia. A few species have the female antenna with funicle 7-segmented. Lymaenon is superficially most similar to Gonatocerus but the strap-like dorsellum immediately distinguishes it. Cosmocomopsis has an almost parallel-sided dorsellum but its long petiole distinguishes it.

Afrotropical hosts. Unknown.

Important references. Debauche (1949), Huber (2015).

Figures

FIGURES 170–172. Lymaenon sp. 170a, head, anterior; 170b, head, posterior; 171, wings; 172, mesosoma, dorsal. Scale bars: 170 = 100 μm; 171, 172 = 200 μm.

FIGURES 173, 174. Lymaenon sp. 173, antenna; 174a, body minus head, dorsal; 174b, genitalia seen through body. Scale bars: 173 = 200 μm; 174 = 500 μm.