Euplectrus Westwood

Hansson, Christer, Smith, M. Alex, Janzen, Daniel H. & Hallwachs, Winnie, 2015, Integrative taxonomy of New World Euplectrus Westwood (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae), with focus on 55 new species from Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, northwestern Costa Rica, ZooKeys 485, pp. 1-236 : 7-16

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Eulophidae

Euplectrus Westwood

Euplectrus Westwood, 1832. Type species Euplectrus maculiventris Westwood, 1832, by monotypy.

Diplectron Dahlbom, 1857. Type species Pteromalus bicolor Swederus, 1795, by subsequent designation. Synonymized by Dalla Torre 1898.

Heteroscapus Brèthes, 1918. Type species Heteroscapus ronnai Brèthes, 1918, by monotypy. Synonymized by De Santis 1980b.

Pachyscapha Howard, 1897. Type species Pachyscapha insularis Howard, 1897, by monotypy. Synonymized by Ferrière 1941.

Rekabia Cameron, 1904. Type species Rekabia testaceipes Cameron, 1904, by monotypy. Synonymized by Kerrich 1974.

Diagnosis.

Hind tibial spurs elongate and strong (Figs 3, 424, 425), longest spur usually at least half as long as length of hind tarsus; scutellum without lateral grooves or lines of foveae (e.g. Figs 117, 120); propodeum anteromedially with a raised “cup” - triangular to semicircular, and with a complete median carina behind cup (e.g. Figs 733-738).

Description.

Antenna in both sexes with six flagellomeres, including a 2-segmented clava (e.g. Figs 58, 59, 63); male scape usually wider than female scape and with sensory pores that are usually confined to ventral margin, but occasionally scattered over the inner or outer lateral surface; in the latter case the scape is ± strongly swollen (e.g. Figs 59, 726). Mandibles and palpi usually white, occasionally dark brown. Head dark and shiny, lower face usually ± pale, pale area reaching from eye to eye (e.g. Figs 139, 140), to confined to a pale spot below toruli (e.g. Figs 37, 38); in some species the lower face is completely dark (e.g. Figs 54, 55). Lower frons smooth, upper frons with very weak reticulation (e.g. Figs 47, 50); 1-4 rows of setae close to eyes. Occipital margin rounded (e.g. Fig. 48) to carinate (e.g. Fig. 51).

Mesoscutum with raised and distinct reticulation (e.g. Figs 49, 52); midlobe with a complete median carina and with three pairs of setae, two pairs close to notauli and one pair medially; each sidelobe with three strong setae close to posterior margin and with 5-18 scattered setae in front of strong setae; notauli distinct throughout. Scutellum 0.8 –1.1× as long as wide, usually convex but occasionally almost flat, with two pairs of setae close to lateral margins (e.g. Figs 49, 52). Scutoscutellar suture wide (e.g. Figs 49, 52). Axillae with very weak reticulation (e.g. Figs 49, 52). Dorsellum 0.2 × as long (medially) as wide, and 0.3 × as long as length of median propodeum, ± flat, smooth and shiny, with (e.g. Figs 733-738) or without (e.g. Figs 741, 743) a groove or foveae along anterior margin, posterior margin with two oblong-rounded indentations laterally and medially with 2-4 (usually two) spines. Propodeum anteromedially with a triangular to semicircular cup that continues backwards as a narrow median carina (e.g. Figs 733-738) that splits into two carinae just before posterior margin of propodeum, carinae reach down to supracoxal flanges; propodeal callus with 5-15 setae. Hind tibial spurs long and strong, longest spur usually at least half as long as length of hind tarsus (Figs 3, 424, 425). Wings transparent, veins yellowish-white to yellowish-brown and setae dark brown to black; submarginal vein usually with five setae, occasionally four or six; speculum present and usually closed, very occasionally open below and towards base of wing; costal cell with 1-2 rows of setae on ventral surface, and fore margin with 0-8 setae close to marginal vein; with 13-36 admarginal setae, in 1-3 rows.

Petiole black with strong sculpture, 0.5 –1.5× as long as wide, frequently longer in male. Female gaster ± ovate to rounded (e.g. Figs 56, 62), male gaster rounded ± triangular (e.g. Figs 125, 193). However, it should be noted that the shape and length of the gaster are affected by how the specimen has been killed and subsequently dried.

Hosts and biology.

Species develop as gregarious ectoparasitoids on caterpillars of several Lepidoptera families: " Arctiidae " (unconfirmed, and now a subfamily - Arctiinae - in Erebidae ), Erebidae , Euteliidae , Geometridae , Lasiocampidae (one record), Noctuidae , Nolidae , Notodontidae , Sphingidae , Tortricidae (one doubtful record) - all treated in this paper. See also chapter on “Biology” above.

Distribution.

Cosmopolitan ( Noyes 2014).

Key to females.

Key to males.