Litus, Haliday, 1833

Huber, John T., Read, Jennifer D. & Triapitsyn, Serguei V., 2020, Illustrated key to genera and catalogue of Mymaridae (Hymenoptera) in America north of Mexico, Zootaxa 4773 (3), pp. 1-411 : 207

LITUS Haliday, 1833

( Figs 519–544 )

Litus Haliday, 1833a: 269, 1833b: 345 . Type species: Litus cynipseus Haliday, 1833 , by monotypy.

Neolitus Ogloblin, 1935a: 60 . Type species: Neolitus argentinus Ogloblin, 1935 , by original designation. Synonymy by Triapitsyn & Berezovskiy, 2004a: 3.

Diagnosis. Body length 265–645 μm. Funicle 6-segmented ( Figs 519 , 524 ); mandibles crossing when closed, with 2 subequal teeth ( Fig. 534 ); vertex with lateral ocellus at posterolateral angle, forming an obtuse ocellar triangle ( Figs 523 , 532 ); head posteriorly without evident sulci but occiput separated from gena/postgena by slight change in sculpture lateral to dorsal margin of foramen ( Figs 521 , 530 ); mesophragma projecting into gaster ( Fig. 535 [gaster broken off]); propodeum posteriorly with a short but wide ring-like nucha (neck) separated from rest of propodeum by a distinct narrowing ( Fig. 535 ); petiole apparently narrow ( Fig. 541 ); metasoma smooth, laterally compressed, with gt 1 cynipid-like, much the largest tergum ( Figs 528 , 540–542 ).

Discussion. Litus apparently belongs to the Alaptus group of genera together with Alaptus , Callodicopus , Dicopomorpha and Dicopus but is also similar in petiole structure to the Camptoptera group of genera. It is perhaps most similar to Callodicopus in having a compressed gaster, higher than wide, but differs in the back of the head not having any distinct sulci, funicle 6-segmented, and gt 1 the largest tergum.

Nearctic hosts. Unknown. An extralimital host is for the type species, reared from Ocypus olens (Müller) ( Coleoptera : Staphylinidae ), which also occurs as an accidental introduction in California.

Important reference. Triapitsyn & Berezovskiy (2004a).

Figures

FIGURE 519. Litus cynipseus Haliday, habitus. Canada, Ontario, 7 km SE Westport, 134 m, 44°37.727'N 76°21.545'W, 1– 31.viii.2005, S. Peck, maple sugar bush. Scale bar=500 μm.

FIGURES 520–524. Litus sp. probably cynipseus Haliday. 520, head, anterior; 521, head, posterior; 522a, head, lateral; 522b, head, lateral (internal) showing ocular apodeme; 523, head, dorsal; 524, antenna. Scale bars=50 μm.

FIGURES 525, 526. Litus sp. probably cynipseus Haliday. 525, mesosoma–anterior half of metasoma, dorsal; 526, wings. Scale bars: 525=100 μm; 526=200 μm.

FIGURE 527. Litus sp. probably cynipseus Haliday, metasoma. 527a, dorsal; 527b, ovipositor seen through gaster. Scale bars=100 μm.

FIGURE 528. Litus sp. probably cynipseus Haliday, metasoma. 528a, lateral; 528b, lateral showing genitalia. Scale bars=100 μm.

FIGURES 529–534. Litus sp. probably cynipseus Haliday, head. 529, anterior; 530, posterior; 531, lateral; 532, dorsal; 533, ventral; 534, mouthparts. Scale bars=50 μm.

FIGURES 535–539. Litus sp. probably cynipseus Haliday. 535, mesosoma, dorsal, showing mesophragma; 536, mesosoma + anterior part of metasoma, lateral; 537, mesosoma + most of metasoma, ventral; 538, mesosoma, anterior; 539, scutellum–propodeum. Scale bars=50 μm.

FIGURES 540–544. Litus sp. probably cynipseus Haliday, metasoma. 540, dorsal; 541, lateral; 542, ventral; 543, apex of gaster, dorsal; 544, apex of gaster, lateral. Scale bars: 540–542, 543=50 μm; 544=20 μm.