OOCTONUS Haliday, 1833

(Figs 715–749)

Ooctonus Haliday, 1833a: 268, 1833b: 343 . Type species: Ooctonus insignis Haliday, 1833, by subsequent designation by Westwood, 1839: 78.

Sphecomicrus Walker, 1846: 18, and Errata and Addenda: 50. Type species: Ooctonus insignis Haliday, 1833, by subsequent designation by Peck, 1951: 410.

Diagnosis. Body length 690–1845 μm. Funicle 8-segmented; tarsi 5-segmented; face without subantennal sulci (Figs 716, 730); pronotum entire, not divided by median longitudinal sulcus (Figs 723, 739); fore wing with hypochaeta next to proximal macrochaeta (Fig. 722); propodeum with diamond-like pattern of carinae, the incomplete median carina, costulae and plicae defining a central pentagonal areole and, sublaterally, several (usually 4) submedian areoles (Figs 723, 736, 740); petiole distinctly longer than wide (Figs 726, 727, 741, 742, 744); gt 1 in lateral view usually as long as remaining terga together (Fig. 744).

Discussion. Ooctonus is traditionally placed near the Gonatocerus group of genera but superficially resembles several genera in the Polynema group except for the obvious difference in number of antennal (in females) and tarsal segments. The position of the hypochaeta, close to the proximal macrochaeta is more similar to the latter group than to members of the Gonatocerus group.

Nearctic hosts. Hemiptera: Cercopidae .

Important reference. Huber (2012).