Family SCLEROGIBBIDAE
Compiler and date details
6 July 2012 - Danielle N. Stringer, John T. Jennings & Andrew D. Austin, Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide SA 5005
Introduction
This small, very rarely collected family is known from a single genus, Sclerogibba, and only two species in Australia. Females are apterous (wingless) while males are fully winged. They vary in length from 2–6 mm, and can be recognised by the antennae inserted just below a protruding shelf on the face; the antennae 20+ segmented; the head triangular in lateral view, and the fore femur greatly swollen. In addition, females have an hourglass-shaped mesosoma, while the fore wing of males lacks a pterostigma and distal venation, and the hind wing has no closed cells but a large basal lobe. Sclerogibbids are solitary or gregarious ectoparasitoids of Embioptera (webspinners). The larvae stay attached to the metasomal intersegmental membranes of nymphal webspinners and then pupate in the silk tunnels of their host. So far, the biology of the Australian species has not been documented.
General References
Gauld, I.D. & Hanson, P.E. 1995. The chrysidoid families. pp. 464–503 in Hanson, P. & Gauld, I. (eds). The Hymenoptera of Costa Rica. Oxford : Oxford University Press xx 893 pp.
Olmi, M. 2003-2004. A revision of the world Sclerogibbidae (Hymenoptera Chrysidoidea). Frustula Entomologica 26-27: 46-193
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07-Aug-2012 | 25-Jul-2012 | MODIFIED | ||
| 12-Feb-2010 | (import) |