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Paracrias Ashmead, 1904 comparative info return to: prev home
Mandibular formula 2:2. Vertex carinate or abruptly margined behind ocellar triangle, lateral ocelli touching or nearly touching vertex; scrobal grooves present as distinct sulci and nearly always uniting (one clear exception is Paracrias sulcifer Hansson) before reaching the transverse groove. Antenna with 5 postanellar flagellomeres, with at least 2 as funicular segments and at least 1 as a claval segment. Pronotal collar rounded anteriorly, not carinate; mesoscutal midlobe with 2 pairs of setae; scutellum without longitudinal groove; scutellar-axillar border without dorsal pit; epicnemial carina absent; metapleuron with strong, sharply pointed protuberance that is anteriorly carinate, the carina running diagonally antero-ventrad to the anterior metapleural border. Marginal vein much longer than the very short stigmal and postmarginal veins; postmarginal vein extremely short or absent, generally shorter than stigmal vein. Propodeum in most species with broad, smooth, raised median strip flanked by sunken channels contrasting in sculpture; plicae present near spiracles, formed by ledges, not carinae; nucha long and conspicuous and/or posterior half of propodeum rugulose, this area bordered anterior by a distinct cross-carina in many species and sharply contrasting the smooth anterior half. Petiole simple anteriorly, without dorsal flange, though sometimes with a ventral projection. Gt1 covering 0.5x or more of gaster. Some species with greatly enlarged metatibial spur. Compare with: Horismenus, Edovum, Pediobius, Entedon.

1a-b: Paracrias face (left), and mesosomal pleuron (right)

2a-c: Paracrias propodea: P. arizonensis (Ashmead) (left), P. anthonomi Woolley & Schauff (center), and P. strii Schauff (right)

Biology: Some species are larval parasitoids of weevils.

Comments: Especially common in tropical America. Similar to some other large-bodied Entedoninae, such as Pediobius and the Horismenus group, but may constitute part a group distinct from both.

Comparative information:

Horismenus: Scutellar-axllar groove with large dorsal pit. Scutellum in most species with longitudinal groove, extending at least half scutellar length; posterior edge of prepectus partially overlapped by narrow, extension of mesepisternum that is set off by a dorsal sulcus throughout its length (sometimes overlapping prepectus in Paracrias, but the extension in those cases does not have a dorsal sulcus). Pronotal collar carinate.

Edovum: Scutellar-axllar groove with large dorsal pit. Scutellum with longitudinal groove, extending no more than half scutellar length; posterior edge of prepectus partially overlapped by narrow extension of mesepisternum; epicnemial carina present, extending from posterior edge of mesepisternal extension; posterior edge of prepectus partially overlapped by narrow, extension of mesepisternum that is set off by a dorsal sulcus throughout its length (sometimes overlapping prepectus in Paracrias, but the extension in those cases does not have a dorsal sulcus). Pronotal collar carinate.

Pediobius: Propodeum with 1 median carina splitting posteriorly or with 2 submedian carinae diverging posteriorly, but sometimes with strip-like anterior extension (which becomes diverging carinae posteriorly). Petiole with dorsal flange embracing propodeal nucha. Pronotal collar carinate. Lateral ocelli in most species separated from vertex carina by half their own length or more (some very rare exceptions exist). Scrobal grooves not uniting, reaching transverse frontal groove separately.

Entedon: Propodeum with single narrow median carina placed in a more or less distinct recessed channel; plicae absent; channel between median panels and supracoxal flange crossed by distinct costulae.

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References

Gumovsky, A.V. 2001. Review of the genus Paracrias (Hymenoptera, Eulopidae, Entedoninae). Vestnik zoologii. 35(5): 9-26.

Hansson, C. 2002. Eulophidae of Costa Rica (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea), 1. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 67.

Schauff, M.E. 1985. The new world genus Paracrias Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 87: 98-109.

Woolley, J.B. & M.E. Schauff. 1987.  A new species of Paracrias (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) parasitic on Anthonomus-spp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 89(4):770-775.

Image credits: 1a, 2b: Woolley & Schauff (1987). 1b, 2a, 2c: Schauff (1985).