Pelecinellidae new status

Pelecinellinae Ashmead, 1895. Type genus: Pelecinella Westwood, 1868.

Leptofoeninae Handlirsch, 1925. Type genus: Leptofoenus Smith, 1862.

Diagnosis.

Antenna with 11 flagellomeres. Clypeus without transverse subapical groove. Mandibles with 3 teeth or with a broad apical truncation. Subforaminal bridge with postgenal bridge. Mesopleural area without an expanded acropleuron; mesepimeron extending over anterior margin of metapleuron. All legs with 5 tarsomeres; protibial spur stout and curved; basitarsal comb longitudinal. Petiole elongate with a row of lateral setae (Fig. 46).

Discussion.

Leptofoeninae is here recognized as a junior synonym of Pelecinellidae, since Pelecinellinae (Ashmead 1895) was described earlier than Leptofoeninae (Handlirsch 1925) and because the situation does not qualify for preserving prevailing usage. Pelecinellidae are similar to other large-bodied chalcidoid parasitoids of wood-boring beetles, although they differ radically from all Chalcidoidea morphologically. Nefoeninae new placement is included here as a subfamily distinct from Pelecinellinae, on the strength of sharing the elongate petiole with lateral setae (Fig. 46) although it lacks the parascrobal crests present in Pelecinellinae (Fig. 47). An elongate petiole with lateral setae is unusual but not unique in Chalcidoidea, being present also in Polstonia Heydon ( Pteromalidae: Miscogastrinae: Sphegigastrini), some Spalangia Latreille ( Spalangiidae: Spalangiinae), and in some Orasema Cameron ( Eucharitidae: Oraseminae) each of these differing greatly from Pelecinellidae in many other features. However, the form of the petiole in Nefoeninae (Fig. 48) is somewhat similar to that of Pelecinellinae, and the two groups share several other features, including elongation of the pronotum and certain other areas of the mesothoracic dorsum. While Ooderidae also have parascrobal crests, the pattern of sulci present on the mesothoracic dorsum in Ooderidae is unmistakable.