LITUS Haliday, 1833

(Figs 519–544)

Litus Haliday, 1833a: 269, 1833b: 345 . Type species: Litus cynipseus Haliday, 1833, by monotypy.

Neolitus Ogloblin, 1935a: 60 . Type species: Neolitus argentinus Ogloblin, 1935, by original designation. Synonymy by Triapitsyn & Berezovskiy, 2004a: 3.

Diagnosis. Body length 265–645 μm. Funicle 6-segmented (Figs 519, 524); mandibles crossing when closed, with 2 subequal teeth (Fig. 534); vertex with lateral ocellus at posterolateral angle, forming an obtuse ocellar triangle (Figs 523, 532); head posteriorly without evident sulci but occiput separated from gena/postgena by slight change in sculpture lateral to dorsal margin of foramen (Figs 521, 530); mesophragma projecting into gaster (Fig. 535 [gaster broken off]); propodeum posteriorly with a short but wide ring-like nucha (neck) separated from rest of propodeum by a distinct narrowing (Fig. 535); petiole apparently narrow (Fig. 541); metasoma smooth, laterally compressed, with gt 1 cynipid-like, much the largest tergum (Figs 528, 540–542).

Discussion. Litus apparently belongs to the Alaptus group of genera together with Alaptus, Callodicopus, Dicopomorpha and Dicopus but is also similar in petiole structure to the Camptoptera group of genera. It is perhaps most similar to Callodicopus in having a compressed gaster, higher than wide, but differs in the back of the head not having any distinct sulci, funicle 6-segmented, and gt 1 the largest tergum.

Nearctic hosts. Unknown. An extralimital host is for the type species, reared from Ocypus olens (Müller) ( Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), which also occurs as an accidental introduction in California.

Important reference. Triapitsyn & Berezovskiy (2004a).