PLATYSTETHYNIUM ( PLATYPATASSON Ogloblin, 1946), stat. rev.

(Figs 800 –811)

Platystethynium Ogloblin, 1946: 290 . Type species: Platystethynium onomarchicidum Ogloblin, 1946, by original designation. Platypatasson Ogloblin, 1946: 293 . Type species: Platypatasson fransseni Ogloblin, 1946, by original designation. Synonymy

by Donev & Huber, 2002: 118.

Diagnosis. Body length 435–655 μm. Head in lateral view longer than high (Figs 800–803), with face strongly projecting anteriorly and mouthparts in almost same plane as toruli (Fig. 804); vertex with conspicuous, long setae next to eye (Figs 802–804); funicle segments shorter than wide (Fig. 805); clava 2-segmented (Fig. 805); fore wing narrow and parallel-sided (Fig. 806); frenum longitudinally divided medially (Fig. 807).

Discussion. Cleruchus and Platystethynium (Platypatasson) belong to the Cleruchus group of genera, which consists of species with dorsoventrally flattened bodies, claval segments quadrate or shorter than wide and head in lateral view bluntly triangular, with face strongly projecting anteriorly so toruli well anterior to the mouthparts. This group could be treated as a subgroup within a larger Anagrus group of genera depending on which features are used to define the Anagrus group. Donev & Huber (2002) treated Platypatasson as a synonym of Platystethynium rather than of Cleruchus as proposed by Schauff (1984). The frenum is entire in Cleruchus but longitudinally divided in both the former genera. Similarities in head structure, as well as their hosts ( Orthoptera), also suggest a closer relationship of Platypatasson to Platystethynium and perhaps Anagrus, Omyomymar, Schizophragma and Stethynium than to Cleruchus, which are parasitoids of Coleoptera . Here we give Platypatasson subgeneric status as Platystethynium (Platypatasson), stat. rev., because the of their different number of claval segments, just as was done for A. ( Anaphes) and Anaphes (Patasson) . Only the subgenus Platypatasson occurs in the Nearctic.

Nearctic hosts. Unknown. Extralimital hosts are Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae (Ogloblin 1946) .

Important reference. Ogloblin (1959b).