Cheloninae

Chelonus sp., from here.

Belongs within: Ichneumonoidea.

The Cheloninae are a cosmopolitan group of braconid wasps endoparasitic on larval Lepidoptera, characterised by the modification of the metasomal tergites into a rigid carapace (Achterberg 1993). The sutures remain visible in the genera Phanerotoma and Phanerotomella but are completely effaced in Ascogaster and Chelonus (Naumann 1991).

Characters (from Achterberg 1993): Hypoclypeal depression absent; postpectal carina complete in front of middle coxae ventrally; first metasomal tergite inserted close to hind coxae, distinctly below dorsal level of propodeum; first and second tergites immovably joined; metasoma forming a rigid carapace.

<==Cheloninae A93
    |--Ascogaster N91
    |--Phanerotomella N91
    |--Megascogaster N91
    |--Phanerotoma [Phanerotomini] A93
    |    |--P. coccinellae Girault 1924 G24
    |    `--P. rufescens A93
    `--Chelonus A93
         |--C. annulipes A71
         |--C. basalis MS01
         |--C. carbonator MS01
         |--C. erythrogaster Lucas 1849 E12
         |--C. inanitus MS01
         |--C. oculator A93
         |--C. rostratus A93
         |--C. rubripes Lucas 1849 E12
         `--C. sulcatus [=Alysia (Chelonus) sulcatus] G20

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[A93] Achterberg, C. van. 1993. Illustrated key to the subfamilies of the Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea). Zoologische Verhandelingen 283: 1–189.

[A71] Askew, R. R. 1971. Parasitic Insects. Heinemann Educational Books: London.

[E12] Evenhuis, N. L. 2012. Publication and dating of the Exploration Scientifique de l'Algérie: Histoire Naturelle des Animaux Articulés (1846–1849) by Pierre Hippolyte Lucas. Zootaxa 3448: 1–61.

[G24] Girault, A. A. 1924. Homo perniciosus and new Hymenoptera. Privately published (reprinted 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: 178–181).

[G20] Goldfuss, G. A. 1820. Handbuch der Naturgeschichte vol. 3. Handbuch der Zoologie pt 1. Johann Leonhard Schrag: Nürnberg.

[MS01] Mocsáry, A., & V. Szépligeti. 1901. Hymenopterák [Hymenopteren]. In: Horváth, G. (ed.) Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazása [Dritte Asiatische Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] vol. 2. Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazásának Állattani Eredményei [Zoologische Ergebnisse der Dritten Asiatischen Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy], pp. 121–169. Victor Hornyánszky: Budapest, and Karl W. Hierseman: Leipzig.

[N91] Naumann, I. D. 1991. Hymenoptera (wasps, bees, ants, sawflies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 916–1000. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

Last updated: 6 March 2021.