Epichrysomallinae

Meselatus sp., from Biodiversity Institute of Ontario.

Belongs within: Chalcidoidea.

The Epichrysomallinae is a Palaeotropical group of wasps that oviposit into figs, with the larvae feeding on ovary tissues within the fig and transforming them into a gall (Bouček 1988).

Characters (from Bouček 1988): Body non-metallic. frequently yellowish, reddish or brown to blackish; usually without dense and deep sculpture (except for Asycobia), without regular dense pilosity but generally with only spaced paired setae on head and thorax, very rarely with some more hairs in deeper parts and on sides. Occiput primarily with occipital carina but in several genera this is obliterated or absent. C1ypeus delimited at least on sides, often also supraclypeal area well defined; lower clypeal margin produced, usually bilobed. Antennae mostly near to centre of face, usually close together. Antennae rarely 13-segmented, often reduced in number of segments when first flagellar segment, reduced to anellus, fuses with the second, or the second is reduced in size and then fuses with the next segment. In extreme case (males of Camarothorax) the whole flagellum is reduced to 2 or 3 segments (and wings also reduced). Antennal formula often different in the two sexes, half-fused segments in one antenna commonly occur. Thorax in lateral view often convex, sometimes elongate, especially in males of some species. Pronotal collar almost never defined. Scutum with notauli primarily complete but in some species not so. Scutellum without frenal groove, without distinct axillar grooves, convex, with admarginal groove along apex. Propodeum fairly large, usually without median carina and without plicae but sometimes with coarser sculpture medially, widening along anterior margin and in sulcus behind spiracle. Metapleuron broad, tapering to base of hindwing. Mesepimeron separated by irregular groove; mesopleuron with sculptured femoral depression. Prepectus large, triangular. Legs of medium length; apex of fore and hind tibiae oblique at spurs, hence these moved slighty away from apex; two hind spurs; hind basitarsus at least as long as following two segments combined, in some species fourth segment fused with the fifth, hence tarsi 4-segmented. Hind coxa attached very high. Wing pilosity more or less reduced; postmarginal vem almost always shorter than the stigmal, sometimes quite rudimentary; stigmal vein fairly long, arising at very nearly a right angle, often curved; not distinctly knobbed. Gaster high, often compressed from side to side, hind margins of basal 2 or 3 tergites usually excised as an adaptation to help coiling in (and out) of the relatively long ovipositor. However, sheaths not distinctly exserted. Hypopygium large, ending usually in posterior third of gaster. Petiole in some males conspicuous, rarely also in females. Cerci usually slightly elongate, placed inside of epipygium, this as one sclerite (fused tergites 7 and 8).

<==Epichrysomallinae B88
    |  i. s.: Asycobia Bouček 1988 B88
    |           `--*A. punctulata Bouček 1988 B88
    |         Odontofroggatia Ishii 1934 B88
    |           |--*O. gajimaru B88
    |           |--O. corneri Wiebes 1980 B88
    |           |--O. galili Wiebes 1980 B88
    |           `--O. ishii Wiebes 1980 B88
    |--Neosycophila Grandi 1923 MH11, B88
    |    `--*N. omeomorpha B88
    |--Acophila Ishii 1934 MH11, B88
    |    `--*A. mikii B88
    `--+--+--Eufroggattisca Ghesquière 1946 MH11, B88 (see below for synonymy)
       |  |    `--*E. polita (Ashmead 1904) [=*Froggattia polita, *Eufroggattia polita, *Eufroggattiana polita] B88
       |  `--+--Epichrysomalla Girault 1915 MH11, B88
       |     |    `--*E. atricorpus Girault 1915 B88
       |     `--Camarothorax Mayr 1906 MH11, B88 (see below for synonymy)
       |          |--*C. obscurus B88
       |          `--C. bimasculinus [=*Sycobiomorpha bimasculina; incl. *Pilkhanivora trimorpha] B88
       `--+--Sycophilomorpha MH11
          `--+--Sycobia MH11
             `--+--Herodotia Girault 1931 MH11, B88
                |    |--*H. procopii Girault 1931 B88
                |    |--‘Eufroggattia’ okinawensis Ishii 1934 B88
                |    `--H. subatriventris (Girault 1923) [=Meselatus subatriventris] B88
                `--+--Sycotetra MH11
                   `--+--Lachalsea MH11
                      `--Meselatus Girault 1922 MH11, B88 (see below for synonymy)
                           |--*M. ficus Girault 1922 B88
                           |--M. fasciatipennis Girault 1929 B88
                           `--M. leai (Dodd 1924) (see below for synonymy) B88

Camarothorax Mayr 1906 MH11, B88 [incl. Pilkhanivora Farooqi & Ramdas Menon 1973 B88, Sycobiomorpha Joseph 1961 B88]

Eufroggattisca Ghesquière 1946 MH11, B88 [=Eufroggattia Ashmead 1904 non Goding 1903 B88, Eufroggattiana Gahan in Gahan & Ferrière 1947 B88, Froggattia Ashmead 1904 non Horvarth 1902 B88]

Meselatus Girault 1922 MH11, B88 [incl. Austroperilampus Dodd 1924 B88, Pembertonia Gahan in Gahan & Ferriére 1947 B88]

Meselatus leai (Dodd 1924) [=*Austroperilampus leai; incl. *Pembertonia ficicola Gahan in Gahan & Ferriére 1947] B88

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B88] Bouček, Z. 1988. Australasian Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera): A biosystematic revision of genera of fourteen families, with a reclassification of species. CAB International: Wallingford (UK).

[MH11] Munro, J. B., J. M. Heraty, R. A. Burks, D. Hawks, J. Mottern, A. Cruaud, J.-Y. Rasplus & P. Jansta. 2011. A molecular phylogeny of the Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera). PLoS One 6 (11): e27023.