Lyciscidae new status, 1997

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

Lyciscidae new status

Lyciscini Bouček, 1958. Type genus: Lycisca Spinola, 1840.

Diagnosis.

Antenna with 8 or 7 flagellomeres, including usually a single clavomere but sometimes with 2 or (in males) 3 clavomeres. Eyes ventrally divergent (Fig. 28 ). Clypeus with or without transverse subapical groove. Labrum exposed or hidden behind clypeus, sclerotized and with a row of submarginal setae extending anteriorly (Fig. 28 ). Mandibles with 2 or 3 teeth, sometimes with a truncation in place of the dorsal teeth. Subforaminal bridge with elongate lower tentorial bridge and secondary tentorial pits that extend to the convergent hypostomal carina, with or without a postgenal groove and postgenal lamina, or ( Solenurinae ) with a postgenal bridge that externally separates the lower tentorial bridge from the convergent hypostomal carina. Pronotum with a smooth median longitudinal line or carina (Fig. 29 ). Notauli complete. Mesoscutellum usually without a frenum (Fig. 30 ) or ( Solenurinae ) with a frenum indicated by lateral frenal arms (Fig. 32 ); without or (rarely) with axillular sulcus. Mesopleural area without an expanded acropleuron; mesepimeron not extending over anterior margin of metapleuron. All legs with 5 tarsomeres; protibial spur stout and curved; basitarsal comb longitudinal; metafemur with or without ventral teeth or expansion, with apical spurs arising from a truncate metatibial apex when the metafemur has ventral teeth. Metasoma with syntergum, therefore without epipygium, although a complex set of carinae sometimes present on syntergum.

Discussion.

The family Lyciscidae was potentially a major part of what Bouček (1988) had in mind when describing his concept of Cleonyminae as a monophyletic lineage, being "certainly one of the oldest in Pteromalidae , as seems to be supported by their association with wood-boring beetles." However, Lyciscidae itself appears to be relatively young and separate from Cleonymidae and all other members of the former sense of Cleonyminae , based upon next-generation molecular data (Cruaud et al., submitted).

Lyciscidae are relatively generalized and are therefore easily confused with many other large-bodied Chalcidoidea . While the longitudinal median smooth strip or carina of the pronotum is distinctive, it can be difficult to assess in some taxa depending on the position of the head. However, Neapterolelapinae differ from Lyciscidae chiefly in the lack of this feature. Many Eupelmidae are similar to Lyciscidae but females and some males have an expanded, convex and pad-like acropleuron that covers most or all of the mesopleural area. In all Chalcedectidae the metafemur has ventral teeth, a feature also present in some Lyciscidae , but in Lyciscidae the metatibia is truncate where the metatibial spurs insert, whereas in Chalcedectidae the spurs are either absent or placed on a ventroapical projection.

Lyciscidae differ from many other large-bodied Chalcidoidea in lacking a frenum. In Cleonymidae the notauli are incomplete. Pelecinellidae differ in having an elongate petiole with long setae perpendicular to its longitudinal axis. Macromesidae do not have ventrally divergent eyes, and often instead have ventrally convergent eyes. Eunotidae have a much shorter pronotum without a distinctive anterior neck.

For Solenurinae , identification can be more difficult due to the presence of a frenal arm, which is shared with a greater number of other chalcidoids. While Solenura Westwood itself is a highly distinctive genus with an elongate gaster, Grooca Sureshan & Narendran has a shorter gaster similar to that of many other Chalcidoidea . Confusion is most likely with other groups that have ventrally divergent eyes, such as Coelocybidae which differ in having strong setae on or nearly adjacent to the frenal groove. Herbertiidae and Micradelinae have a different antenna with 10 or 11 flagellomeres. Ditropinotellinae differ in having a distinctive T-shaped and elongate syntergum that resembles an elongate epipygium. Moranilidae may appear similar to Lyciscidae when comparing the lists of features, but in practice are easily distinguished. Some Moranilidae do not have ventrally divergent eyes ( Asaphesinae ), while others have a much smaller body with a different antennal flagellum that is strongly clavate and or with transverse funiculars.

Figures

Figures 25 - 30. 25 - 27 Idioporus affinis LaSalle & Polaszek (Idioporidae) 25 antenna 26 mesosoma lateral 27 protibial spur and basitarsal comb. 28 Lycisca nebulipennis Strand (Lyciscidae) head frontal view 29 Lycisca ignicaudata Westwood (Lyciscidae): pronotum and mesonotum dorsal view 30 Agamerion cleptideum (Westwood) (Lyciscidae): mesosoma lateral view.

Figures 31 - 36. 31, 32 Solenura sp. (Lyscicidae, Solenurinae) 31 antenna 32 mesosoma lateral 33 Macromesus sp. (Macromesidae): head frontal view 34 Macromesus amphiretus Walker (Macromesidae), propodeum 35, 36 Trichilogaster acaciaelongifoliae (Froggatt) (Melanosomellidae) 35 head frontal 36 mesosoma lateral view.