Histeromerus Wesmael, 1838

Belokobylskij, Sergey A., Loni, Augusto, Lucchi, Andrea & Bernardo, Umberto, 2013, First records of the genera Histeromerus Wesmael (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Histeromerinae) and Ecclitura Kokujev (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Euphorinae) in Italy, ZooKeys 310, pp. 29-40 : 30-31

Genus Histeromerus Wesmael, 1838

Type species.

Histeromerus mystacinus Wesmael, 1838

Comments.

Histeromerus Wesmael is a type genus of the monotypic subfamily Histeromerinae . The systematic position of this peculiar genus changed many times during its study. For a long time Histeromerus was considered as a member of subfamily Doryctinae and included in the tribe Doryctini or Histeromerini ( Shenefelt and Marsh 1976, Yu et al. 2012), but other authors treated it inside the subfamily Braconinae ( Achterberg 1976, Quicke 1987) or as a member of the separated subfamily Histeromerinae ( Achterberg 1984, Quicke and Achterberg 1990, Belokobylskij 1998). According to the more recent molecular phylogenetic study on the cyclostome subfamilies ( Zaldivar et al. 2006, Sharanowski et al. 2011), this genus was put inside subfamily Rhyssalinae . On the other side, numerous apomorphic characters of this taxon (prepectal carina and metapleural flange absent, fore and middle tibiae with clusters of spines, hind basitarsus about twice longer than remainder of hind tarsus, first metasomal tergite without sublateral grooves, dorsope absent, ovipositor compressed and without apical notch or teeth, etc.) did not show a close relation of Histeromerus with any rhyssaline taxa so seems better to keep this genus in the separate subfamily Histeromerinae until receiving of additional and more robust information about its taxonomic position.

Hitherto, four species of Histeromerus are known. Type species Histeromerus mystacinus was recorded only in the Western Palaearctic (including Iran). Histeromerus canadensis Ashmead, 1891, mainly known from U.S.A. and Canada, was also found in the Netherlands. Histeromerus orientalis Chou & Chou, 1991 was described from Taiwan and later was additionally recorded in Japan (Ogasawara Islands). Finally a fourth species, Histeromerus clavatus Austin & Wharton, 1992, was described from Australia (Queensland) ( Yu et al. 2012).

Histeromerus mystacinus Wesmael is widely distributed in several European countries and also in Caucasus and Central Asia (North Iran). On the other hand, this species practically resulted unknown for the south part of Europe (Mediterranean coast). First discovery of Histeromerus mystacinus in Italy is very interesting, because expands the geographical distribution of this taxon in dry territories. Members of Histeromerus are gregarious ectoparasitoids of concealed living beetles’ larvae from subfamilies Anobiidae , Buprestidae , Cerambycidae , Cisidae , Elateridae , Lucanidae , Lyctidae , and Ptinidae ( Yu et al. 2012).