Bethylus Latreille, 1802
Bethylus Latreille, 1802: 315 . Type species: Omalus fuscicornis Jurine, 1807 .
Anoxus Thomson, 1862: 452 . Type species: Anoxus boops Thomson, 1862 . Synonymy by Polaszek & Krombein 1994.
Anoxys Dalla Torre, 1898. Unjustified emendation to Anoxus by Dalla Torre (1898, 5: 550)
Perisemus Förster, 1856: 95-96 . Type species: Bethylus triareolatus Förster, 1856 . Synonymy by Kieffer 1905 (in Kieffer & Marshall 1904 –1906).
Episemus Thompson, 1862: 452 . Type species: Epysemus variabilis Thompson, 1862 [1861]. Synonymy by Richards 1939.
Digoniozus Kieffer, 1905 . Type species: Perisemus oregonensis Ashmead, 1893 . Synonymy by Evans 1962.
Diagnosis. Clypeus short, usually not strongly angulated medially; antenna with 10 flagellomeres; notauli absent; parapsidal signum usually present; lateral marginal carina of metapectal-propodeal disc present; metapostnotal median carina and metapostnotal lateral carina absent; prestigma of forewing absent; Rs+M 2 v usually short as stub; second radial 1 cell of forewing (2R1 2 c) open apically; posterior margin of hypopygium bilobate; paramere of male genitalia distinctly divided into two parts, ventral and dorsal arms.
Biology. Most of the host records known of Bethylus species are lepidopterous larvae, e.g., Agonoxenidae, Tortricidae, Zygaenidae, Cosmopterigidae, Coleophoridae, and Gelechiidae (Evans 1964; Richards 1939). Richards (1939) reported that Bethylus amoenus Fouts, 1928 attacks the larvae of both Lepidoptera and Coleoptera .
Distribution. Palaearctic, Nearctic and Oriental Regions.
Key to the Chinese Bethylus species
1. Median clypeal lobe with apex rounded................................................................... 2
- Median clypeal lobe with apex truncate................................................................... 7
2. Frontal angle of ocellar triangle obtuse (Fig. 3b)............................................ B. gansensis sp. nov.
- Frontal angle of ocellar triangle acute (Fig. 1b)............................................................. 3
3. LH at least 1.24 × width; POL at least 3.80 × DAO.......................................................... 4
- LH less than 1.20 × width; POL less than 3.20 × DAO....................................................... 5
4. Eye distinctly protuberant (Fig. 1b); median clypeal lobe long; median clypeal carina rounded in lateral view (Fig. 1e)........................................................................................ B. convexus sp. nov.
- Eye not distinctly protuberant (Fig. 10b); median clypeal lobe short; median clypeal carina almost arched in right angle in lateral view (Fig. 10e)................................................... B. sinensis Xu, He & Terayama, 2002
5. Distance of posterior ocellus to vertex crest more than 2.80 × DAO; median clypeal lobe slightly protuberant (Fig. 4b)................................................................................... B. glabricarinatus sp. nov.
- Distance of posterior ocellus to vertex crest less than 1.50 × DAO; median clypeal lobe distinctly protuberant (Fig. 6b).... 6
6. Head thickened in lateral view (Fig. 2e); median clypeal carina distinctly protuberant in lateral view (Fig. 2e)............................................................................................ B. crassicapitis sp. nov.
- Head not thickened in lateral view (Fig. 6e); median clypeal carina incurved in lateral view (Fig. 6e)... B. incurvus sp. nov.
7. DPV more than 2.40 × DAO....................................................... B. quadraticapitis sp. nov.
- DPV less than 1.50 × DAO............................................................................. 8
8. Apex of cuspis narrow (Fig. 5k)....................................................... B. hunanensis sp. nov.
- Apex of cuspis rounded (Fig. 8k)........................................................................ 9
9. Median depression of hypopygium broad (Fig. 8i); apical margin of cuspis strongly echinate.......... B. prolatus sp. nov.
- Median depression of hypopygium narrow and deep (Fig. 7h); apical margin of cuspis not echinate (Fig. 7j)................................................................................................. B. ningxicus sp. nov.