Otitesellini new status

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

Otitesellini new status

Otitesellini Joseph, 1964. Type genus: Otitesella Westwood, 1883.

Sycoryctini Wiebes, 1966 new synonymy. Type genus: Sycoryctes Mayr, 1885.

Sycoecini Hill, 1967 new synonymy. Type genus: Sycoecus Waterston, 1914.

Diagnosis.

Antenna with 10 flagellomeres ( Diaziella Grandi, Marginalia Priyadarsanan, Robertsia Bouček, Seres in part, Sycoecus ), 11 flagellomeres ( Apocrypta Coquerel, Arachonia Joseph, Seres in part, Otitesella , Walkerella Dalla Torre) or 12 flagellomeres (other genera). Notauli mostly complete (Fig. 103 ) (absent in Seres ). Propodeal spiracle usually separated from the anterior propodeal margin by about their own length, or more (except Marginalia , some Walkerella and Robertsia ) (Fig. 104 ). Males usually apterous (except in most members of previous Sycoecinae , some Watshamiella Wiebes, and Sycoryctes Mayr).

Discussion.

This tribe of Pteromalinae contains the previously recognized subfamilies Otitesellinae , Sycoecinae new syn. and Sycoryctinae new syn., all fig associates occurringin the Old World (about 30 genera). It does not contain all the fig associates in Pteromalidae , since Sycophaginae is a separate subfamily of fig associates, Podivna Bouček is classified in Colotrechninae , and some New World genera ( Critogaster Mayr, Aepocerus Mayr, Heterandrium Mayr, and similar genera) belong to another group of Pteromalinae . Otitesellini possess an amazing morphological disparity. Some genera that enter the fig through the ostiole have a flattened head and smooth cuticle, as well as adaptations to crawl through the bracts filling the fig aperture (mandible lengthened and covered with multiple small teeth, spurs on fore- and hind legs, enlarged protibial spur etc.) (Fig. 105 ). Some others oviposit within flowers from the outside once the fig is enlarged and therefore have elongated valves, or with last two tergites lengthened. Most males are greatly transformed, often apterous and sometimes with enlarged mandibles and scapes that are used for fighting for females (Fig. 106 ). Other genera that we place in Otitesellini based on molecules and/or morphology are listed in Appendix 1.

Figures

Figures 103 - 108. 103 Apocrypta caudata (Girault) (Pteromalidae, Otitesellini): mesosoma dorsal view 104 Philotrypesis caricae L. (Otitesellini): propodeum 105 Seres wardi van Noort (Otitesellini): fore tibia 106 Grandiana sp. (Otitesellini): male dorsal view 107 Pseudidarnes minerva Girault (Pteromalidae, Sycophaginae): metasoma dorsal view 108 Sycophaga sp. (Pteromalidae, Sycophaginae): male lateral view.