Pseudisobrachium Kieffer

Waichert, C. & Azevedo, C. O., 2004, Fourteen new species of Pseudisobrachium (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) from Atlantic rain forest of Espírito Santo, Brazil., Zootaxa 661, pp. 1-22 : 2

Pseudisobrachium Kieffer , 1904, is one of the most poorly studied bethylid genera in the Neotropical region. There is no revision available for its South American species although it is one of the most abundant genera in field collections and museums. Gordh & Moczar (1990) listed 90 Neotropical species of Pseudisobrachium . From this amount only 15 are known from Brazil from the states of Amazonas, Pará, Mato Grosso, São Paulo and Santa Catarina.

The biology and host relationships of Pseudisobrachium are little known. The females are often found in ant nests, so it is suggested that they are parasitoids of ants (Evans, 1961, 1964) or myrmecophylous beetles (Finammore & Gauld, 1995).

The material studied was collected by sweeping vegetation, along a trail through primary Atlantic rain forest in Estação Biológica de Santa Lúcia (municipality of Santa Teresa) and along a trail in secondary Atlantic rain forest in Reserva Biológica de Duas Bocas (municipality of Cariacica), both in EspÌrito Santo. The material is deposited in the Entomological Collection of Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (UFES).