Ceidae new status, 1969

Burks, Roger, Mitroiu, Mircea-Dan, Fusu, Lucian, Heraty, John M., Jansta, Petr, Heydon, Steve, Papilloud, Natalie Dale-Skey, Peters, Ralph S., Tselikh, Ekaterina V., Woolley, James B., van Noort, Simon, Baur, Hannes, Cruaud, Astrid, Darling, Christopher, Haas, Michael, Hanson, Paul, Krogmann, Lars & Rasplus, Jean-Yves, 2022, From hell's heart I stab at thee! A determined approach towards a monophyletic Pteromalidae and reclassification of Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 94, pp. 13-88 : 13

Ceidae new status

Ceini Bouček, 1961. Type genus: Cea Walker, 1837. Treated as Ceinae by Peck, Bouček and Hoffer (1964).

Diagnosis.

Antenna with 12 flagellomeres, including a small 4th clavomere. Eyes not ventrally divergent. Clypeus with transverse subapical groove. Labrum subrectangular and exposed, with marginal setae in a row (Fig. 4 ). Mandibles with 2 teeth (Fig. 4 ). Subforaminal bridge with postgena separated by lower tentorial bridge except for a small postgenal bridge dorsal to the hypostoma. Mesoscutellum with frenum indicated at least laterally, and with axillular sulcus. Mesopleural area without an expanded acropleuron. Propodeum with small and circular spiracle separated by more than its own length from the anterior propodeal margin (Fig. 5 ). All legs with 5 tarsomeres; protibial spur stout and curved; basitarsal comb longitudinal. Metasoma with syntergum, therefore without epipygium.

Discussion.

Ceidae differs from most other Chalcidoidea in having the propodeal spiracle separated from the anterior propodeal margin by more than its own length. Exceptions to this statement occur in numerous species across many families, including some Pteromalidae . Pteromalidae differ in having more than 2 mandibular teeth except in some fig associates which differ from Ceidae in many other ways. Pteromalidae also lack a transverse subapical clypeal groove, and have a hidden labrum with an elongate median lobe, instead of a subrectangular and exposed labrum. While the subforaminal bridge in Pteromalidae and Ceidae is different, the difference is so slight in many Pteromalidae (such as Colotrechninae and Miscogastrinae ) that it should not be relied upon too heavily. Hetreulophidae and the single genus of Macromesidae also have propodeal spiracle separated far from the anterior propodeal margin. Hetreulophidae differ in having distinctly fewer antennal flagellomeres (9), with a single anellus and united clava, and by having 3 mandibular teeth. Macromesidae differ in having only 4 mesotarsomeres in females, at most 11 antennal flagellomeres, and 3 mandibular teeth.

Figures

Figures 1 - 6. 1 - 3 Boucekius sp. (Boucekiidae) 1 metascutellum, axillula and propodeum 2 hind femur 3 epipygium (epg) and metasomal terga VIII (Mt 8) 4, 5 Spalangiopelta sp. (Ceidae) 4 clypeus, labrum and mandible 5 metascutellum, axillula and propodeum, arrow shows the propodeal spiracle far separated from the anterior propodeal margin 6 Muesebeckisia mandibularis Hedqvist (Cerocephalidae): head and antenna in lateral view, arrow indicating intertorular prominence.