Erythmelus, Enock, 1909

Huber, John T., Read, Jennifer D. & Triapitsyn, Serguei V., 2024, Illustrated key to the genera and catalogue of Mymaridae (Hymenoptera) in the Neotropical region, Zootaxa 5557 (1), pp. 1-263 : 65

ERYTHMELUS Enock, 1909

( Figs 130–135 )

Erythmelus Enock, 1909: 454 . Type species: Erythmelus goochi Enock, 1909 , by monotypy.

Eurythmelus Ogloblin, 1934: 243 (lapsus). See Huber et al. (2020) for generic synonyms and their type species.

Diagnosis. Head in lateral view with gena short ( Fig. 135 ), almost absent, so head often appearing thin; face with toruli distinctly triangular ( Fig. 130a ); mandibles in both sexes reduced to small stubs, without teeth ( Fig. 130a ) and maxillae lengthened ( Fig. 130b ), presumably replacing the mandibles in function; antenna with 6 funicle segments ( Fig. 131 ), rarely only 5; metanotum with dorsellum triangular ( Fig. 133 ) and slightly overhanging propodeum ( Fig. 135 ); propodeum medially with longitudinal sulcus ( Fig. 133 ); gaster in lateral view with hypopygium long, extending posteriorly at least to apex of gaster ( Fig. 135 ).

Remarks. Erythmelus belongs to the Anaphes group of genera, a rather poorly defined group ( Lin et al. 2007) of two genera. The propodeum has a median sulcus in both genera. Other features, e.g., the greatly reduced mandibles, suggest perhaps a closer relationship to some taxa in the Anagrus group of genera.

Neotropical hosts. Hemiptera : Miridae , Tingidae .

Important references. Triapitsyn et al. (2007), Triapitsyn (2008), Guzmán-Larralde et al. (2015).

Figures

FIGURE 135. Erythmelus, entire body, antenna and legs, lateral.

FIGURES 130–132. Erythmelus. 130a, head, anterior; 130b, head, posterior; 131, antenna; 132, wings.

FIGURES 133, 134. Erythmelus. 133, mesosoma, dorsal; 134a, metasoma, dorsal; 134b, metasoma, ventral.