Neocardiochiles Szepligeti, 1908

Heteropteron Brullé, 1846, synonymized by Dangerfield, Austin, and Whitfield (1999) and confirmed by Mercado and Wharton (2003), Papp (2014), Dabek et al. (2020). Type species: Heteropteron macula Brullé, 1846, designated by Viereck (1914)

Heteropteron whitfieldi Mercado, 2003 to Neocardiochiles whitfieldi (Mercado, 2003); Heteropteron kidonoi Dabek & Whitfield, 2020 to Neocardiochiles kidonoi (Dabek & Whitfield, 2020); Heteropteron hasegawai Dabek & Whitfield, 2020 to Neocardiochiles hasegawai (Dabek & Whitfield, 2020). New combinations.

Type species.

Neocardiochiles fasciipennis Szépligeti, 1908.

Diagnosis.

Neocardiochiles is most similar to the genera Heteropteron and Wesmaelella and shares the following characters: eyes without setae; median areola on propodeum absent; notauli weekly impressed and posteriorly absent; scutellar sulcus without any crenula. However, members of Neocardiochiles differ from Heteropteron and Wesmaelella by possessing pectinate claws; propodeum with median longitudinal furrow (Figs 2E, 3E, 4E, 6E, 7D, 8E), posterior submarginal carinae, and carinate lateral margin (Figs 2E, 3E, 4E, 6E, 7D, 8E); hypopygium with median longitudinal fold (Figs 3D, 4D, 6E, 8D).

Description.

Body 6.5-11 mm. Head: Antenna 34-40-segmented. Face width 1.36-1.73 × longer than its height. Interantennal space with well-developed median carina. Width of anterior ocellus 0.96-1.15 × longer than POL. Eyes bulged and without interommatidial setae (Figs 2D, 3C, 4C, 6C, 7C, 8C); median width of eye about 0.90-1.32 × longer than the median width of gena in lateral view. Gena extended ventroposteriorly into sharp prominence. Clypeus 1.64-2.61 × longer than its height; clypeal tubercles absent. Mandible bidentate. Maxillary palpus six-segmented. Labial palpus four-segmented. Galea short. Glossa short. Occipital carina absent. Mesosoma: Notauli weakly impressed and absent posteriorly (Figs 2C, 3B, 4B, 6B, 7B, 8B). Scutellar sulcus weakly impressed except for Neocardiochiles alexeyi sp. nov., without crenula. Postscutellar depression absent. Pronotum entirely or mostly smooth with ventral longitudinal carina. Mesopleulon mostly smooth; posterior margin crenulate; precoxal sulcus absent (Fig. 5B). Metapleuron mostly smooth. Propodeum 0.39-0.50 × longer than its median width; mostly smooth; with median furrow; curved submarginal longitudinal carina on propodeum present posteriorly; lateral margin of propodeum carinate (Figs 2E, 3E, 4E, 6E, 7D, 8E). Legs: Basal spur on mid tibia 0.56-0.71 × longer than length of basitarsus. Hind tibia without apical cup-like projection; basal spur on hind tibia 0.48-0.62 × longer than length of basitarsus. Claws pectinate. Wings: Fore wing (RS+M)a vein present; second submarginal cell trapezoid; 1r absent; 3r absent; 3RSb evenly curved. Hind wing 2r-m absent; 2-1A absent. Metasoma: T1 1.06-2.22 × longer than its posterior width, anterior width 0.53-0.83 × longer than posterior width, entirely separated with lateral tergum by suture; Y-shaped suture present. T2 nearly rectangle, 0.30-0.49 × longer than its posterior width. Hypopygium with median fold (Figs 3D, 5D, 6E, 8D). Ovipositor sheath nearly straight to slightly downcurved, as long as hind tarsomeres 1-3 combined as long as mesosoma, evenly setose except for base.

Distribution.

Neotropical region: Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Mexico, and Suriname.

Biology.

The two species for which hosts are known attack pyralid and depressariid caterpillars on Roupala ( Proteaceae) (Dabek et al. 2020).

Diversity.

Nine species ( Szépligeti 1908; Mercado and Wharton (2003); Dabek et al. 2020; current work).