All the members of Eucharitidae are parasitoid of ants. Argentina has 14 genera and 41 species, but little is known about their biology. Herein are provided new data for host associations (host ant and/or host plant) ofGalearia latreillei,Kapalaspp.,Latina rugosa,Orasema aenea, andOrasemasp. A revision of the most relevant biological aspects ofDicoelothorax platycerus,Latina rugosa,Neolirata alta,N. daguerrei,Lophyrocera variabilis,Orasema argentina,O. salebrosa,O. simplex,O. susanae,O. worcesteri, andO. xanthopusis included. New records ofK. sulcifacies,Lo. plagiata, andOb. semifumipennisin Argentina are presented.Galearia proseniis synonymized withG. latreillei.
Planidia are free-living, mobile first-instar larvae that are notable in their ability to transition across different larval stages of their host, and for completing their development on the host prepupa as ectoparasitoids, effectively acting as larvalpupal external koinobionts. Chalcidoid taxa with a planidium form a monophyletic group, the planidial larva clade (PLC). We conducted a phylogenomic study of the PLC using anchored hybrid enrichment data. Phylogenetic analyses support the backbone relationship of PLC as: (Eutrichosomatinae, ((Philomidinae, Chrysolampinae), (Perilampinae, Eucharitidae))). Although excluded from the main analyses, the genus Jambiya, based on only 11 loci recovered, was placed as the sister of Chrysolampinae + Philomidinae or Perilampinae + Eucharitidae. Our results demonstrate that Perilampidae (Philomidinae, Chrysolampinae and Perilampinae) are paraphyletic. Divergence dating based on four node calibrations based on fossils suggests that the PLC arose approximately 111 Ma and the evolution of ant parasitism at least 64 Ma. Host associations, direct versus indirect hyperparasitism, ability to attack a host within a cocoon, soft versus hard planidial forms and mobility of the planidium were explored using a likelihood-based ancestral state reconstruction method. A revised higherlevel classification of the PLC is proposed, with Eutrichosomatinae elevated to Eutrichosomatidae (stat. rev.), Chrysolampinae and Philomidinae placed in Chrysolampidae (stat. rev.), Perilampidae (stat. rev.) restricted to what was referred to as Perilampinae, and Eucharitidae maintained with four subfamilies, with Akapalinae (unknown biology) as sister group to the core Eucharitidae, all of which are ant parasitoids. Jambiya is treated as an incertae sedis taxon within the planidial clade.
Neolirata new genus (Eucharitidae: Eucharitini) is recognized based on males and females, with new descriptions of eggs, planidia and pupae. Redescriptions are provided for N. alta (Walker) and N. daguerrei (Gemignani) (comb. nov. trans-ferred from Lirata) and a new description of N. furcula sp. nov. is presented. Females of N. alta deposit their eggs on the underside of leaves of Pseudabutilon virgatum (Cav.) Fryxell (Malvaceae) and N. daguerrei on the underside of Urvillea chacoensis Hunz (Sapindaceae). A key to species is included.
Descriptions of the adults, eggs and planidia of a new species of Lophyrocera (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae) from north-western Argentina (Tucumán) are provided. Females deposit their eggs into the fruits of the shrub Vassobia breviflora (Sendth) (Solanaceae). The host of L. variabilis is an unidentified species of Camponotus Mayr (Formicidae: Formicinae).
Descriptions of the adults of the two species of Dicoelothorax Ashmead, Dicoelothorax parviceps and Dicoelothorax platycerus, and the eggs, planidia and pupae of Dicoelothorax platycerus Ashmead are provided. Females of Dicoelothorax platycerus deposit their eggs on the underside of leaves of Pseudabutilon virgatum (Cav.) Fryxell (Malvaceae). The host of Dicoelothorax platycerus is Ectatomma brunneum Smith (Formicidae: Ectatomminae).
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