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Neochrysocharis Kurdjumov, 1912 comparative info return to: prev home
Mandibular formula 3:3. Clypeus not set off by sutures. Transverse frontal groove v-shaped; scrobal grooves very close together throughout their length, reaching transverse groove separately; interscrobal ridge always meeting transverse groove in females. Flagellar formula always 3,2,3 in females, rarely 3,4,1 in males; anelli often very small and difficult to see; heads of peg sensilla of flagellum rounded, symmetrical. Mesoscutal midlobe with 2 pairs of setae; transepimeral sulcus almost always weakly curved or straight, arching dorsad; rarely strongly curved, arching posteriad. Forewing variable in shape; postmarginal vein almost always equal or shorter than stigmal vein, rarely up to 1.6x stigmal vein length [in N. chlorogaster (Erdös) only], usually 0.6-0.7x; no setal tracks radiating from stigma; radial cell always setose. Propodeum smooth, without median carina; callus almost always with 2 setae, rarely 3. Petiole much broader than long and rarely sculptured. Compare with: Closterocerus, Asecodes, Chrysocharis, Achrysocharoides, Omphale, Chrysonotomyia.

1a-b: Neochrysocharis face (left), and female antenna (right)

2a-b: Neochrysocharis mesopleuron (left, TPS=transepimeral sulcus), and Chrysocharis flagellomere with symmetrical peg sensilla [sa] as found in Neochrysocharis (right)

Biology: Host range very broad, if reliable: primary parasitoids of Cecidomyiidae and leaf-mining Diptera and Lepidoptera, secondary parasitoids of Ichneumonoidea, also reported from Chrysomelidae, Diprionidae, and Tenthredinidae.

Comments: Controversial in placement, these species are superficially similar to Closterocerus or Chrysonotomyia, but appear to be more closely related to Chrysocharis. May require slide-mounting to recognize using generic characters, but with experience, many species can be recognized without slide-mounting, using specific or species-group characters. This genus was synonymized under Closterocerus by Gumovksy (2001), but Burks et al. (2011) removed it from synonymy because molecular data indicated that it and Asecodes are more closely related to Pediobius.

Comparative information:

Closterocerus: Heads of flagellar peg sensilla always L-shaped, asymmetrical; sensory pores of scape in a cluster near apex of scape in males. Mesoscutal midlobe sometimes with 1 pair of setae; transepimeral sulcus almost always strongly curved, arching posteriad. Forewing almost always with 1 faint setal track extending from stigma (curving antero-apically from uncus), rarely no setal tracks present; radial cell bare in most species; forewing sometimes with concentric transverse fuscate bands. Often requires slide-mounting to distinguish, using flagellar peg sensilla. Forms close to C. trifasciatus Westwood are dorsoventrally flattened, usually metallic purple, and usually with transverse bands crossing the forewing, and are easily distinguished. Some other forms have 1 pair of mesoscutal setae, although this character should be carefully assessed if mesoscutal setae may have been broken off. Only the flagellar peg sensilla character is 100% reliable, all other characters having some degree of overlap. The transepimeral sulcus especially is an overstressed character, and frequently misleading to beginners.

Asecodes: All postanellar flagellomeres longer than broad, with at most a vaguely formed club. Forewing in some species with 2-3 rows of setae radiating from stigmal vein, and some with a bare radial cell. Peg sensilla of flagellum L-shaped.

Chrysocharis: Interscrobal ridge not meeting transverse groove in females. Flagellar formula 3,3,2 or 3,4,1, very rarely with 3 claval segments (in C. chlorus Graham and C. imbrasus (Walker)); apical anellus enlarged in females (and some males), up to 0.33x basal funicular segment length. Postmarginal vein almost always more than 1.5x stigmal vein length, rarely as little as 1x stigmal vein length. Scrobal grooves not extending below toruli. Propodeum smooth, with an anterior pit, or with longitudinal median wrinkle that sometimes forms a complete median carina, sometimes with cup-shaped structure at anterior end of median carina; callus with 2 to many setae. Petiole variable, often much longer than broad. Usually easily distinguishable using flagellar formula, except for C. chlorus and C. imbrasus, separable from Neochrysocharis using the interscrobal ridge and the long (1.5x stigmal vein length) postmarginal vein. Many small-bodied species of Chrysocharis strongly resemble Neochrysocharis except for the antenna and face, and facial collapse in these species makes identification very difficult. In these cases, whether or not the scrobal grooves extend below the toruli becomes a surpisingly useful character.

Achrysocharoides: Eyes very strongly setose. Transverse frontal groove always straight, not v-shaped. Toruli often very broadly separated. Flagellar formula usually 3,3,2, sometimes 3,4,1 in males. Mesoscutum and especially scutellum often with distinct groups of pits or longitudinal foveae. Confusable mainly in forms lacking scutellar pits, whenever the flagellar formula is in doubt, but usually easily distinguished.

Omphale: Clypeus usually set off by distinct sutures (dorsal suture rarely missing), often different color from frons, usually transverse ridge also present separating lower face from center of face; mouth opening usually relatively wide. Mandibles exodont in a few species. Flagellum usually with 4 funicular segments and 1 claval segment, rarely with 2 or 3 claval segments; heads of flagellar peg sensilla always slanting, asymmetrical, L-shaped or spear-shaped; flagellar setae long, often arranged in whorls in males. Petiolar foramen often large, rendering propodeum strongly emarginate posteriorly. Male genitalia usually with enlarged volsellar setae (volsellar setae always present, but very small in some species currently assigned here--this is not a universal character). Easily distinguished when clypeus distinctly outlined by sutures or when club is not 3-segmented, but may require slide-mounting if identification is in doubt. Often without metallic luster, while Neochrysocharis are nearly always metallic green to blue. Smaller Neochrysocharis may have the dark brown color typical of dwarf forms of normally metallic wasps.

Chrysonotomyia: Clypeus set off by distinct sutures. Transverse frontal groove straight, not v-shaped. Mesoscutal midlobe with 1 pair of setae (the posterior pair). 2 setal tracks radiating from stigma. Peg sensilla of flagellum L-shaped. Once a senior synonym of Neochrysocharis, but in current interpretation resembling it only in flagellar formula and general body form.

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References

Burks, R.A., Heraty, J.M., Gebiola, M. & Hansson, C. 2011. Combined molecular and morphological phylogeny of Eulophidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea), with focus on the subfamily Entedoninae. Cladistics 27: 581-605.

Gumovsky, A.V. 2001. The status of some genera allied to Chrysonotomyia and Closterocerus (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae, Entedoninae), with description of a new species from Dominican Amber. Phegea 29(4): 125-141.

Hansson, C. 1990. A taxonomic study on the Palearctic species of Chrysonotomyia Ashmead and Neochrysocharis Kurdjumov (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Entomologica Scandinavica. 21: 29-52.

Hansson, C. 1994. Re-evaluation of the genus Closterocerus Westwood (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), with a revision of the Nearctic species. Entomologica Scandinavica. 25: 1-25.

Hansson, C. 1995. Revision of the Nearctic species of Neochrysocharis Kurdjumov (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Entomologica Scandinavica. 26(1): 27-46.

Hansson, C. 1996. Taxonomic revision of the Nearctic species of Omphale Haliday (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Entomologica Scandinavica supplement 49.

Hansson, C. 1997. Survey of Chrysocharis Förster and Neochrysocharis Kurdjumov (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) from Mexico, including eight new species. Miscellania Zoologica (Barcelona). 20(1): 81-95.

Image credits: 1a-b: Hansson (1995). 2a: Hansson (1990). 2b: Hansson (1996).