Ormyridae, Forster, 1856

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

Ormyridae

Ormyridae Foerster, 1856. Type genus: Ormyrus Westwood, 1832.

Diagnosis.

Antenna with 12 flagellomeres, including a small 4th clavomere. Eyes not ventrally divergent. Clypeus bilobed, without transverse subapical groove. Labrum hidden behind clypeus, flexible, subrectangular with marginal setae in a row. Mandibles with 2 or 3 teeth. Subforaminal bridge with postgenal lobe separating the secondary posterior tentorial pit from the hypostoma and restricting it to the vicinity of the occipital foramen; postgenal bridge present or separated (and therefore lower tentorial bridge reaching or not reaching hypostoma); postgenal lamina usually absent; hypostomal carina usually (but not always) convergent; occipital carina present (Fig. 121 ). Axilla advanced (Fig. 123 ). Mesoscutellum with frenum indicated at least laterally, without axillular sulcus. Mesopleural area without an expanded acropleuron; mesepimeron extending over anterior margin of metapleuron (Fig. 122 ). All legs with 5 tarsomeres; protibial spur stout and curved; basitarsal comb longitudinal. Fore wing stigmal vein not at a right angle with anterior fore wing margin. Metasoma with syntergum and therefore without an epipygium, convex or (more frequently) strongly sclerotized and carapace-like (Fig. 124 ).

Discussion.

Asparagobius Mayr has been consistently recovered as the sister group of Ormyrus Westwood / Ormyrulus Bouček with strong support in next-generation molecular analysis (Cruaud et al., submitted). In analysis of morphological characters (van Noort et al., in prep.), we acknowledged the close relationship between Asparagobius new placement and Ormyridae . We also propose the inclusion of Hemadas Crawford new placement (previously classified in Ormocerinae ) in the newly defined Ormyridae .

Ormyridae are most frequently confused with Torymidae because both groups tend to have an arched body and enlarged metacoxa, although torymids have a separate epipygium and usually a long and exserted ovipositor in females whereas that of ormyrids is short. Males of the two groups are usually distinguished using habitus features of genera, and in practice can be easily recognized once the habitus of the two families is learned. Pteromalidae have an axillular sulcus in almost all species, but not in some fig associates that are otherwise highly divergent morphologically and not similar to Ormyridae . Epichrysomallidae have distinctly different fore wing venation from Ormyridae , with a longer stigmal vein that is at approximately a right angle with the anterior fore wing margin, and have a shorter marginal and postmarginal vein. Melanosomellidae lack an occipital carina, and otherwise nearly all species differ in having non-metallic coloration versus the usually metallic Ormyridae (except Hemadas ).

Figures

Figures 121 - 124. 121, 122 Ormyrus sp. (Ormyridae) 121 head dorsal view 122 mesosoma lateral view 123 Hemadas nubilipennis (Ashmead) (Ormyridae): mesosoma dorsal view 124 Asparagobius sp. (Ormyridae): metasoma lateral view.