Family HALICTOPHAGIDAE
Compiler and date details
T.R. New, Department of Zoology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
Introduction
Halictophagidae are distinguished by males having 3-segmented tarsi and antennae with six or seven segments; however, males of one unusual Australian form, the single species of Blattodeaphaginae (a parasite of cockroaches), are unknown.
Females are distinguishable by the combination of brood canal opening ventrally and the head being at least half as long as the cephalothorax.
The family is divided into five subfamilies, Blattodeaphaginae, Dipterophaginae, Tridactylophaginae, Coriophaginae and Halictophaginae, represented by 6 genera. In the endemic Dipterophaginae which are parasites of fruitflies, males have 6-segmented antennae with only the third segment flabellate. Males of the other three subfamilies all have 7-segmented antennae. In Tridactylophaginae, which attack Tridactylidae (Orthoptera), only segment three is flabellate. More segments are flabellate in the other two subfamilies—Coriophaginae in which the head capsule is well developed and mandibles are sclerotised and Halictophaginae, which have the head capsule simplified and mandibles not sclerotised. Coriophaginae are parasites of Pentatomidae and Halictophaginae attack Auchenorrhyncha. Halictophagus is probably the most diverse genus of Strepsiptera in Australia (Kathirithamby 1992).
General References
Kathirithamby, J. 1992. Description and biological notes of Halictophagidae (Strepsiptera) from Australia, with a checklist of the world genera and species. Invertebrate Taxonomy 6: 159-196
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-Feb-2010 | (import) |