Leiophron Nees

Rousse, Pascal & Braet, Yves, 2012, Braconid wasps (Hymenoptera) of Reunion. 1. Euphorinae (including Meteorini): key to species and description of six new species, Zootaxa 3449, pp. 26-46 : 34

Genus Leiophron Nees

Antenna with 12–18 flagellomeres, apical flagellomere without spine. Maxillary and labial palpi with, respectively, 5 and 2–3 segments. Occipital carina usually widely interrupted dorsally, ventrally joining hypostomal carina. Frons, vertex and temple smooth. Subocular sulcus present. Mesonotum usually smooth, notaulus absent. Postpectal carina distinct. Propodeum without postero-median depression. Forewing venation greatly reduced: Rs ending far before wing apex, Rs+M present but sometimes absent, 2/M present, M+Cu largely spectral, 1/M usually thickened, 2/Cu sometimes spectral, 3/Cu absent. Forewing with 2R1small, 1M+1R1 much more setose and often darker than R. Hind wing with Cu&cu-a absent. Tarsal claws simple. Metasomal tergite I nearly parallel sided or slightly widened apically, with ventral margins varying from distinctly separated to touching for a variable distance or totally fused. Laterope and dorsope absent, spiracles in front of middle. Tergites II and III without lateral fold, second metasomal suture absent. Hypopygium small and setose. Ovipositor hardly visible, usually shorter than 0.25x tergite I. Ovipositor slender and decurved.

Leiophron are parasites of immature Miridae and Lygaeidae (Hemiptera) . This is a worldwide genus of about 70 species. The phylogeny of this genus is still debated (see for example Simbolotti et al. 2002). Chen & van Achterberg (1997) proposed to rank Euphoriella and Euphoriana as subgenera of Leiophron . According to the petiole form and the presence of a tubular (though mostly unpigmented) 3/Rs on forewing, the two hitherto described species belong to Leiophron sensu stricto.