Neapterolelapinae Rasplus, Burks & Mitroiu, new subfamily incertae sedis new placement, 2005

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

Neapterolelapinae Rasplus, Burks & Mitroiu, new subfamily incertae sedis new placement

Type genus.

Neapterolelaps Girault, 1913.

Diagnosis.

Antenna with 11 flagellomeres, with 3 clavomeres (Fig. 77 ). Eyes ventrally divergent. Clypeus with a transverse subapical groove. Labrum exposed, sclerotized, subtriangular with setae. Mandibles with 2 or 3 narrow 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 (Fig. 78 ). Pronotum without a smooth median longitudinal line or carina. Mesoscutellum without frenum, at least sometimes with a small axillula indicated by an axillular sulcus or carina. 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 without ventral teeth or expansion. Metasoma with syntergum, therefore without epipygium; cercal brush present.

Discussion.

Neapterolelaps and Pseudoceraphron Dodd form the sister group of Lyciscidae in next-generation molecular data, although they were previously classified in Diparinae ( Bouček 1988; Desjardins 2007; Desjardins et al. 2007). While Desjardins (2004) mentioned the name Neapterolelapini in his doctoral dissertation, it was not mentioned in the two resulting publications. Additionally, it was mentioned by Heraty et al. (2013), although it was not diagnosed in that publication and therefore was not described there. Janšta (2014) also mentioned Neapterolelapini in a doctoral dissertation, but did not diagnose it. None of these previous usages satisfy article 13.1.1 of the ICZN Code, and therefore Neapterolelapinae is described as new here and it is removed from Diparidae to be treated as incertae sedis in Chalcidoidea . Nosodipara Bouček is also placed here based on morphology.

Given the characters described here, confusion with Lyciscidae is most likely, which differ in having a longitudinal median pronotal carina. However, a lack of metallic coloration on the mesosoma (but sometimes not of the head) of females makes Neapterolelapinae much more likely to be confused with Diparidae , which contains numerous species that resemble this group. Diparidae differ in having a conspicuous frenum in most species, although this may be indistinct or absent in highly derived brachypterous species. These must be distinguished using features of the head, such as the hidden labrum, convex clypeal margin, absence of clypeal subapical groove (excepted in Dipara ) and striation of metacoxa of Diparidae versus the exposed labrum, concave clypeal margin, presence of clypeal subapical groove and absence of striation on metacoxa in Neapterolelapinae .

The placement of Neapterolelapinae does not conflict with the findings of Desjardins et al. (2007), who also placed Neapterolelaps as the sister group of what is now Lyciscidae in molecular analyses. This placement was discussed as "difficulty in uniting" [ Diparinae ] by Desjardins (2007).

Figures

Figures 73 - 78. 73, 74 Callimomoides sp. (Louriciinae, incertae sedis) 73 mesosoma dorsal view 74 extremity of metasoma, elongated syntergum 75, 76 Micradelus acutus Graham (Micradelinae, incertae sedis) 75 head frontal view 76 head posterior view 77 Neapterolaelaps sp. (Neapterolelapsinae, incertae sedis): antenna 78 Pseudoceraphron albifrons (Boucek) (Neapterolelapsinae, incertae sedis): head posterior view.