Revision of the Nearctic species of the genus Pholetesor Mason (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) Whitfield, James B. Zootaxa 2006 2006-03-10 1144 1 1 94 4GLG9 [320,499,444,470] Insecta Braconidae Pholetesor Animalia Hymenoptera 75 76 Arthropoda species circumscriptus  These species are grouped together based on their common possession of the following features (most of which are shared by the  ornigis­group): 1) metanotum broadly retracted from scutellum, exposing portions of mesothoracic postphragma; sublateral setiferous lobes often not reaching scutellum; 2) areola and transverse carinae of propodeum absent, replaced by two series of ridges diverging obliquely from nucha; 3) metasomal tergite I much longer than broad, narrowing posteriorly, polished and sculptureless or very weakly sculptured posteriorly; 4) tergite II subtriangular, unsculptured, shorter than III down midline; 5) tergum III unsculptured, not rounded posterolaterally; 6) tergum IV unmodified, anteriorly overlapped by III and similar to succeeding terga; 7) sternites 3–6 of female anteromedially split or notched; 8) hypopygium evenly sclerotized to medial fold, not produced at tip; 9) ovipositor sheaths arising at or above midheight of valvifers; 10) volsellae of male genitalia each with 2 setae along medioventral edge (in Palearctic males from bisexual populations of  P. circumscriptus—no males are known of either species in North America); 11) gonobase (basal ring of male genitalia approximately as long as broad, not transverse (see also comment under 10); 12) final instar larva with 6–7 pairs of labial setae; 13) final instar larva with 3 setae on each maxilla; 14) cocoon smooth, slender, capsule­ like, often banded by a region of thinner silk layer in middle, suspended within the mine of the host by a thread from each end; 15) hosts are various blotchmining genera of Gracillariidae, Tischeriidaeand Elachistidae. The smooth anterior metasomal tergites in the adults and 3 maxillary setae in the final instar larvae are the distinctive features of this group, separating it from the closely related  ornigis­group. The two groups together comprise an almost certainly monophyletic lineage within  Pholetesor,and may eventually reach generic status.