Podagrion

Ovipositing Podagrion, photographed by Nicky Bay.

Belongs within: Toryminae.

Podagrion is a cosmopolitan genus of wasp parasitising mantid oothecae, with each larva consuming one host egg during development (Bouček 1988).

Characters (from Bouček 1988): First flagellar segment transverse, anelliform; only one (median) carina between hind coxae; hind coxa and femur relatively very long, hind femur toothed on ventral edge; apex of hind tibia beyond tarsal insertion forming a produced spine that is less than twice as long as the tibia is broad, only one distinct spur; ovipositor always much longer than gaster.

<==Podagrion Spinola 1811 (see below for synonymy) B88
    |--*P. splendens B88
    |--P. abbreviatum Cockerell 1930 B88
    |--P. batesi Girault 1915 B88
    |--P. beneficium Girault 1915 B88
    |--P. flabellatum Girault 1929 B88
    |--P. holbeini Girault 1923 B88
    |--P. hyalinum (Girault 1913) [=Podagrionella hyalina] B88
    |--P. julia (Girault 1927) [=Podagrionella julia] B88
    |--P. koebelei Crawford 1912 [incl. P. dolichurum Cockerell 1930, P. grotii Girault 1915] B88
    |--P. magniclavum (Girault 1913) [=*Pachytomoidella magniclavus] B88
    |--P. mantidiphagum Girault 1917 GM79
    |--P. metatarsum Girault 1929 B88
    |--P. nigriclava Dodd 1917 B88
    |--P. obscurum (Westwood 1847) [=Palmon obscurus] B88
    |--P. olenus (Walker 1839) [=Palmon olenus] B88
    |--P. pavo Girault 1915 B88
    |--P. pax Girault 1915 B88
    |--P. risbeci (Cockerell 1930) [=Pachytomus risbeci] B88
    |--P. virescens Strand 1911 B88
    |--P. washingtoni Girault 1915 B88
    `--P. worcesteri Girault 1913 [=*Propodagrion worcesteri] B88

Podagrion Spinola 1811 [=Podagrium Schulz 1906; incl. Bactyrischion Costa 1857, Blephonira Holmgren 1868, Cleptimorpha Walker 1872, Cyanostola Saussure 1890, Notopodion Dahlbom 1857, Notopodium Schulz 1906, Pachytomoidella Girault 1913, Pachytomus Westwood 1847, Palmon Dalman 1825, Priomerus Walker 1833, Propodagrion Girault 1915] 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).

[GM79] Gordh, G., A. S. Menke, E. C. Dahms & J. C. Hall. 1979. The privately printed papers of A. A. Girault. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 28: 1-400.