Litus, Haliday, 1833

Huber, John T., Read, Jennifer D. & Triapitsyn, Serguei V., 2021, Illustrated key to the genera and catalogue of Mymaridae (Hymenoptera) in the Afrotropical region, Zootaxa 5036 (1), pp. 1-166 : 32

LITUS Haliday, 1833

( Figs 163–169 )

Litus Haliday 1833a: 269 ; 1833b: 345. Type species: Litus cynipseus Haliday, 1833 , by monotypy. See Huber et al. (2020) for generic synonyms and their type species. Two names inadvertently missed are:

Neolitiscus Ghesquière, 1946: 367 . Nomen nudum . Unnecessary new name.

Lithisca Ogloblin, 1955a: 498. Lapsus . Unnecessary new name.

Diagnosis. Ocelli forming an obtuse triangle with the lateral ocellus at posterolateral angle of vertex; head posteriorly without evident sulci, the occiput separated from gena/postgena by slight change in sculpture lateral to dorsal margin of foramen; mandibles crossing when closed, with 2 subequal teeth ( Fig. 163 ); female antenna with funicle 6-segmented ( Fig. 164 ); mesophragma projecting into gaster; propodeum posteriorly with a short but wide ring-like nucha (neck) separated from rest of propodeum by a distinct narrowing; petiole (not visible unless metasoma detached) short and narrow; metasoma smooth, laterally compressed, cynipoid-like, with gt 1 the largest tergum ( Fig. 167a ).

Discussion. Litus belongs to the Alaptus group of genera. In the Afrotropical region the Alaptus group also includes Alaptus , Callodicopus , Dicopomorpha and Dicopus . The short, narrow petiole is similar to that of species in the Camptoptera group of genera, but it is completely hidden by gt 1, which encircles dorsally and laterally the thickened, ring-like nucha at the apex of the propodeum.

Afrotropical hosts. Unknown.

Important reference. Heqvist (1960).

Figures

FIGURES 163–165. Litus sp. 163, head, anterior; 164, antenna; 165, wings. Scale bars: 163 = 50 μm; 164 = 100 μm; 165 = 200 μm.

FIGURES 166, 167. Litus sp. 166, mesosoma + anterior half of metasoma, dorsal; 167a, metasoma, dorsal; 167b, genitalia seen through gaster. Scale bars = 50 μm.

FIGURES 168, 169. Litus sp. 168, head + mesosoma, lateral; 169, metasoma, lateral. Scale bars = 100 μm.