Diparinae Thomson, 1876

Desjardins, Christopher A., 2007, Phylogenetics and classification of the world genera of Diparinae (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), Zootaxa 1647 (1), pp. 1-88 : 28

Diparinae Thomson

Diagnosis: Diparinae can be diagnosed by a combination of two features: presence of a cercal brush ( Figs. 13 , 17 , 34 , 35 , 41 ) and absence of a smooth, convex dorsellum ( Figs. 10 , 19 , 29 , 38 , 48, 50, 51, 52 ). Additionally, the vast majority of diparines have a GT1 expanded to cover at least 1/2 the metasoma ( Figs. 12 , 34 ) and transverse striations on the posterior margin of the metacoxa ( Figs. 21 , 28 , 32 , 54 ). Females are often apterous or brachypterous.

Taxonomic history: Thomson (1876, 1878) first described the group as “subtribus Diparides ” within Pteromalidae . Ashmead (1904) treated Diparinae as a subfamily of Pteromalidae and Lelapinae as a subfamily of Miscogasteridae based on the median clypeal tooth found in Lelaps . Peck (1951) proposed the tribe Diparini and placed it within Sphegigasterinae. Bouček (1954) synonymized the two subfamilies of Ashmead, without referencing Peck. Delucchi (1962) kept Bouček ’s subfamily status, but returned Diparini to tribal status and created a new tribe, Lelapini . He separated these tribes based on differences of the clypeus, pronotum, antennae, and bristles, although he did not qualify these differences. Hedqvist (1969) retained the two as separate tribes without referencing Delucchi’s identical tribal classification (as noted in Heydon and Bouček (1992)). Hedqvist included Lelaps Walker and the Hawaiian genera ( Calolelaps Timberlake , Mesolelaps Ashmead , Neolelaps Ashmead , and Stictolelaps Timberlake ) in Lelapini , while he placed the remaining genera in Diparini . Heydon and Bouček (1992) also noted that it appeared that Hedqvist had replaced the clypeal tooth character of Ashmead with brachyptery versus macroptery, as Hedqvist considered Spalangiolaelaps Girault (which has wingless females and a median clypeal tooth) to be part of Diparini . Hedqvist (1971) added a third tribe, Netomocerini, which contained only the genus Netomocera Bouček. Although he defined the tribe, none of the characters he listed were unique to Netomocera within Diparinae . Yoshimoto (1977) followed the classification of Hedqvist (1969, 1971), apparently also unaware of Delucchi’s (1962) proposal. Bouček (1988) proposed that the three tribes were unnecessary, and Lelapini and Netomocerini should be synonymized within Diparini . He erected a second tribe, Lieparini , for the aberrant genus Liepara Bouček. Heydon and Bouček (1992) followed Bouček’s (1988) tribal classification based on the presence of intermediates between the three tribes Diparini , Lelapini , and Netomocerini.

Discussion: The monophyly of Diparinae excluding Lieparini has been previously discussed in the Monophyly of Diparinae section. Based on these results the tribe Lieparini is removed from Diparinae and becomes unplaced within the Pteromalidae .

Biology: Although the first diparine was described over two hundred years ago, virtually nothing has been known about their biology. The first host was reported by Bouček (1988), in which an undescribed Indian species of Parurios was reared from a curculionid ( Coleoptera ) feeding on the roots of Cyperus . Since most female diparines are collected in forest leaf litter, and the only published host record is a curculionid, it has often been extrapolated that the entire subfamily parasitizes soil-inhabiting Coleoptera (e.g., Bouček 1988). In accordance with this hypothesis, Texas A&M entomologists reared Lelaps sp. from boll weevil relatives in southern Mexico (J. Woolley pers. comm.). Weevil parasitism certainly does not apply to all diparines, however, as an undescribed species of the African Myrmicolelaps was reared from mantid egg cases (Prinsloo pers. comm.), and an additional undescribed species was reared from a tsetse fly puparium ( Glossinidae : Glossina ). These data suggest that “typical” diparines may primarily parasitize beetles (and more specifically weevils), as has been suggested in the literature for some time. However, some morphologically bizarre diparines also possess deviant biologies, and parasitism of beetles certainly does not extend throughout the subfamily.

Figures

FIGURES 11–16. Conophorisca grisselli: 11, mesosoma (lateral view); 12, metasoma (lateral view); 13, cercus. Lelaps sp. A: 14, antenna; 15, clava; 16, clypeus, mct = median clypeal tooth.

FIGURES 17–22. Lelaps sp. A: 17, cercus. Lelaps sp. B: 18, head (dorsal view); 19, mesosoma (dorsal view); 20, mesosoma (lateral view); 21, metacoxa. Moranila sp.: 22, mesosoma (dorsal view).

FIGURES 29–34. Myrmicolelaps aurantius: 29, scutum + scutellum (dorsal view); 30, scutellum (dorso-lateral view), teg = tegula, aws = axillary wing sclerite; 31, propodeal foramen + metasternum (posterior view); 32, metaleg; 33, metatibial spur; 34, metasoma (lateral view).

FIGURES 35–40. Myrmicolelaps aurantius: 35, cercus. Neapterolelaps sp.: 36, head (frontal view); 37, mesosoma (lateral view); 38, mesosoma (dorso-posterior view); 39, metacoxa (lateral view); 40, metatibial spur.

FIGURES 41–46. Neapterolelaps sp.: 41, cercus. Pseudoceraphron burwelli: 42, antenna; 43, clava; 44, head (frontal view); 45, clypeus; 46, mesosoma including coxae (lateral view), inv = longitudinal invagination.

FIGURES 5–10. Conophorisca grisselli: 5, antenna; 6, clava; 7, head (frontal view); 8, head (ventro-latero-frontal view); 9, mesosoma (dorso-lateral view); 10, mesosoma - pronotum (dorso-lateral view).

FIGURES 47–52. Pseudoceraphron burwelli: 47, mesosoma excluding coxae (lateral view); 48, mesosoma (dorsal view); 49, propodeum + metasternum (posterior view). Neapterolelaps viridescens: 50, mesosoma (dorso-lateral view). Neapterolelaps mitteri: 51, mesosoma (dorso-lateral view). Pondia sp.: 52, scrobe.

FIGURES 23–28. Moranila sp.: 23, metacoxa (lateral view); 24, cercus. Myrmicolelaps aurantius: 25, antenna; 26, anellus; 27, head (frontal view); 28, mesosoma (lateral view).

FIGURES 53–58. Pondia sp.: 53, mesosoma (dorsal view). Pyramidophoriella sp.: 54, mesosoma (lateral view); 55, mesosoma (dorso-lateral view). Cerodipara sabensis: 56, head (frontal view); 57, head (latero-frontal view); 58, mesosoma (dorsal view).