Smicromorpha Girault, 1913

Narendran, T. C. & van Achterberg, Cornelis, 2016, Revision of the family Chalcididae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) from Vietnam, with the description of 13 new species, ZooKeys 576, pp. 1-202 : 127-129

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Chalcididae

Smicromorpha Girault, 1913 Figs 185-188

Smicromorpha Girault, 1913b: 89. Type species: Smicromorpha doddi Girault, by original designation and monotypy.

Smicromorphella Girault, 1930: 2. Type species: Smicromorphella minera Girault, by monotypy (synonymised with Smicromorpha Girault by Naumann 1986).

Diagnosis.

Unique among the Chalcididae because of shortened antennal flagellum (usually much shorter than length of eye) with less than 11 distinguishable segments (Figs 185, 188) and usually tail-like metasoma attached at upper margin of propodeum (Fig. 185).

Description.

Integument of body predominantly translucent, yellow to orange in colour, occasionally with brown or black markings, non-metallic. Eyes moderate sized to very large, inner margins entire; occipital carina absent; occipital suture dorsally distinct; antennal scrobe deep, margins usually carinate; toruli slightly above or slightly below level of ventral margin of eye, never near anterior tentorial pits; anterior margin of clypeus very weakly emarginated, not produced; mandibles asymmetrical; antenna relatively short, 9 segmented; scape 3.6-4.8 × as long as wide; pedicel swollen; flagellum fusiform or filiform; clava unsegmented. Pronotum without transverse carina; mesoscutum with notauli distinct, percurrent; scutellum with axilla differentiated; frenum not differentiated; prepectus minute, scale-like; mesopleuron with deep ventral depression; dorsellum absent; propodeum rugose-punctate, without carinae or plicae; petiolar foramen situated anteriorly, separated from metanotum by very narrow rim. Hind coxa subequal in length to hind femur; hind femur greatly enlarged, with a comb of teeth on outer ventral margin, without an inner tooth; hind tibia ventro-apically produced into a spine with a small spur near apex of spine, without additional external carinae; tarsi 5 segmented. Wings densely pilose, sparse on basal part; SMV very long (longer than twice or more length of MV) parallel to costal margin; MV shorter than or as long as STV. Metasoma elongate, in ♀ T1 and S1 fused to form a petiole; segments 2-4 depressed, subcylindrical; segments 5-8 laterally compressed; anterior segment of petiole with strong dorsal condyle providing articulation with propodeum; posterior segment of petiole defined antero-laterally and antero-ventrally by transverse lamina, posteriorly slightly overlapping T2 and S2. In ♂ T6-T8 elongate, differentiated into an anterior part concealed by preceding tergite and an exposed posterior setose part; T8 undivided.

Host.

Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius) ( Hymenoptera : Formicidae ).

Distribution.

Australia, Vietnam, New Guinea, Africa ( Narendran 1979, 1989; Naumann 1986; Bouček 1988b and Darling 2009).