Stephanidae Leach

Hong, Chun-dan, van Achterberg, Cornelis & Xu, Zai-fu, 2011, A revision of the Chinese Stephanidae (Hymenoptera, Stephanoidea), ZooKeys 110, pp. 1-108 : 4

Family Stephanidae Leach 1815

Stephanida Leach 1815: 142.

Stephanidae : Haliday 1839.

Diagnosis.

Body slender and richly sculptured; head with five "coronal teeth" around front ocellus; somewhat subspherical; flagellum with 23-40 flagellomeres; clypeus small and protruding; labrum strongly protruding; frons and temple often with ivory streaks in some genera; pronotum modified; posterior pronotum partly covering mesoscutum anteriorly; hind leg highly modified, hind coxa often transversely costate or striate; basal half of hind tibia more or less compressed; inner side of hind tibia usually with a submedial impression; hind femur more or less swollen and dentate, usually with 2 or 3 large teeth and several small ones ventrally; first metasomal tergite more or less elongate and cylindrical; females possessing a triangular or reversed U/V-shaped pygidial impression; ovipositor sheath very long and often with ivory or whitish subapical band in some genera ( van Achterberg 2002; Aguiar 2006).

Distribution.

Cosmopolitan, but mainly restricted to tropical and subtropical areas ( van Achterberg 2002).

Notes.

The name is derived from the Greek word “Stephanos”, meaning “corona” or “crown”, in reference to the five corona-like tubercles around the anterior ocellus.

Before this study, 345 extant species in 13 genera in the family Stephanidae were known worldwide ( van Achterberg and Yang 2004; van Achterberg and Quicke 2006; Aguiar 2004, 2006; Aguiar and Jennings 2005, 2010; Aguiar et al. 2010; Hong et al. 2010; Hong and Xu 2011), of which 20 species in 5 genera were known from China ( Aguiar 2004; van Achterberg and Yang 2004; Hong et al. 2010; Hong and Xu 2011). In this paper, 6 new species are described and 9 species synonymized; altogether 21 species of Stephanidae are reported from 12 provinces or regions in China. A key to genera of Stephanidae from China and adjacent regions is as follows:

Key to genera of Stephanidae possibly occurring in China and adjacent regions

(modified after van Achterberg 2002)