Celso O. Azevedo

• Doctor of Science
• Professor (Full) at Federal University of Espírito Santo

Flat wasps of the genera Sclerodermus and Cephalonomia (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) are ectoparasitoids of larvae from various insect orders. They are important biological control agents against stored-product insect pests and xylophagous insects. In humans, these genera encompass species that are responsible for the emergence of sting lesions worldwi...

As vespas parasitoides são o objeto de estudo do Núcleo de Excelência Sistemática de Bethylidae e fazem parte de uma das frentes de divulgação do Laboratório de Popularização da Ciência na UFES. Desta integração, nasceu a mostra artística “ExpoVespa: Harmonia do caos: entre o real e o fantástico mundo das vespas parasitoides." A exposição apresenta...

The Neotropical region is known for its high species diversity. Dissomphalus Ashmead exemplifies this phenomenon, being the most speciose genus within Bethylidae, with 34 species-groups and 287 species. Among these groups, punctatus is one of the smallest, comprising only seven species. The objective of this contribution is to conduct a taxonomic s...

The bethylid genus Solepyris Azevedo (Scleroderminae) is studied and revised. Five species are recognized, including three previously described ones: †S. electromexicanus Brazidec and Perrichot, S. montuosus Azevedo, and S. unicus Azevedo. Additionally, two new species are described and illustrated: S. maleku sp. nov. from Costa Rica and S. pataxo...

The fl at wasp genus Megaprosternum (Scleroderminae) is studied and revised. Fifteen species are recognized, including fi ve previously described ones: M. cleonarovorum, M. longiceps, M. neolongiceps, M. norfolcensis, and M. pentagonal. Additionally, 10 new species are described and illustrated: M. aka sp. nov. and M. bayaka sp. nov. (both from the...

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian mega...

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian mega...

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian mega...

We describe and illustrate Goniozus apoderophagus Gupta & Azevedo n. sp. (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae), an ectoparasitoid of Apoderus tranquebaricus Fabricius (Coleoptera, Attelabidae) associated with leaf rolls of Grewia abutilifolia Vent. ex Juss. from Karnataka, India. The new species is compared with all the possible closely allied species from the...

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classification. In this context, the B Brazilian meg...

Despite significant advances in alpha level taxonomy in the past few decades, the higher-level phylogeny of flat wasps (Hyme-noptera, Bethylidae) remains poorly explored. Herein we provide the first phylogenomic assessment of the family based on data from ultraconserved elements for 96 species in 61 genera of the family, with material from 29 count...

The reduced temporal validity of species lists made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent the up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. The Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB), made publ...

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: se ng the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The main goal of this paper is to revise the Dissomphalus genus within the Afrotropical region. Specimens were collected across seventeen countries: Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. A tot...

DNA sequences have proved valuable for associating males and females of the same dimorphic species in Hymenoptera. These molecular associations, however, depend on the used DNA sequences and the analysis methods. In the present study, we evaluated the molecular associations on 23 species of Dissomphalus (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) using the three mos...

The epyrine genus Gracilepyris (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) is reviewed. A new species, Gracilepyris malakeae Meidani & Khayrandish sp. nov. from Iran is described and illustrated. In order to clarify the taxonomic status of G. rufipes (Say, 1824), we herein redescribed, illustrated, and a neotype is designated. We also described the male of G. rufipe...

Rhabdepyris pallidipennis Kieffer, 1906 (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) is revised. In this study the species is reexamined , and its morphological and distributional patterns are discussed based on the original description. We propose to downgrade Trichotepyris syn. nov. to a junior subjective synonym of Rysepyris Kieffer, 1906, resulting in the new com...

Este relato de experiência apresenta o desenvolvimento e os resultados de uma atividade de extensão a partir de uma exposição itinerante de Biologia, cujo objetivo é discutir o potencial dela para a motivação dos estudantes da educação básica. A Mostra de Biologia é um projeto de popularização da ciência permanente no Espírito Santo, que, desde 201...

Prosierola is characterized by having a pair of conspicuous anteromedial metapostnotal foveae on the metapectal-propodeal disc. Little is known about this genus because it is rarely sampled in collections. Therefore, the main goal of this contribution is to expand the knowledge of intraspecific morphological variations and geographical distribution...

A new Afrotropical genus (Ifrika gen. n.) and three new species (Ifrika mnyama sp. n., Ifrika nyigu sp. n. and Ifrika wadudu sp. n.) are described and illustrated. A fourth species, Ifrika pauculihirta comb. n., is transferred from Dissomphalus. The males of this genus are easily recognised among the other genera of Pristocerinae by having the foll...

The epyrine genus Laelius Ashmead, consists of a total of 63 valid species recorded from all zoogeographic regions. Two of them, namely L. firmipennis (Cameron) and L. glossinae (Turner & Waterston), have been recorded from the Afrotropical region. In the present study, we revise all species of Laelius from the Afrotropical region by newly collecte...

The Gondwanan genus Chilepyris Evans, 1964 (Scleroderminae) is studied and revised. A new species from Oceanian region (New Caledonia) is described and illustrated, Chilepyris kanak sp. nov., and compared with the other two species of this genus, C. herbsti Evans, 1964 from Chile and C. platythelys Sorg & Walker, 1989 from New Zealand, based on an...

Nothepyris Evans, 1973 is revised. Six species are recognised, two being previously described species, Nothepyris brasiliensis Evans, 1973 and Nothepyris pretiosus Colombo & Azevedo, 2019, and four species described and illustrated as new, Nothepyris beedrill sp. nov., Nothepyris combee sp. nov., Nothepyris durant sp. nov. and Nothepyris vespiquen...

The genus Trissepyris Kieffer, 1905 (Chrysidoidea, Bethylidae) is revised. A new species from Afrotropical region (Ivory Coast) is described and illustrated: T. akan n. sp. It is differentiated from the only other species of this genus, T. ruficeps Kieffer, 1905, by having the mandible with five apical teeth, the dorsal pronotal area with small pun...

The flat wasps Bethylidae are the largest family of Chrysidoidea. Because of their undeniable ecological contribution, these insects are also important due to their potential use as biological controllers of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera that act as agricultural pests. This is the first study focused on the diversity of Bethylidae in Uruguay and the a...

The mesopleuron of Bethylidae has morphostructural characters that remain poorly understood, explored, and defined. The wide range of variability of this sclerite has generated confusion both in taxonomic and cladistic studies. Aiming to solve this issue, we describe the general mesopleural anatomy of Bethylidae. Our goal is to propose primary homo...

Species of four chrysidoid families, Bethylidae, Dryinidae, Embolemidae, and Sclerogibbidae that occurred in Iran are reviewed. A total of 54 species within 27 genera from Iran are listed. The family Bethylidae with 34 species belonging to 16 genera was the largest group followed by Dryinidae with 17 species belonging to eight genera. The known Bet...

Disepyris Kieffer, a small genus of Bethylidae (Hymenoptera), is recorded for the first time from Iran, represented by D. niveus Lim & Azevedo. Members of this genus can be easily recognized by the protarsi of females with delicate long spines and forewing with short 2r-rs&Rs vein. The diagnostic characters of species are briefly presented accordin...

We provide a Neotropical synopsis of the genus Sclerodermus Latreille. The genus is recognized by having the antenna with 11 flagellomeres, the head globoid or nearly so, the eyes present and flat, and the clypeal median lobe strongly angled and deeply separated from the lateral lobes. The strong polymorphism of having wings is an intra-and interge...

The Afrotropical pristocerine genus Pristonesia is revised. Seven species are recognized, one previously described species, P. nyamuragira (Benoit), and six species are described and illustrated as new: P. oracil sp. nov., P. parcetil sp. nov., P. querfil sp. nov., P. sicril sp. nov., P. tainatril sp. nov., and P. uvenil sp. nov. A key to the Afrot...

Here we describe the flat wasp genus Glutodon gen. nov., and its single species G. mikeaensis sp. nov. from Madagascar. The males of this genus are easily recognized among the other genera of Pristocerinae by having the metasoma with a conical flap expansion on the sternum VIII and the hypopygium with the anterolateral apodeme very thick along its...

We apply integrative taxonomy to solve a historical taxonomic impasse in a flat wasp group (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae). The phylogeny of Epyrinae is inferred with parsimony analyses under equal and implied weights, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference using the nuclear markers 18S and 28S, the mitochondrial genes 16S, cytochrome oxidase subunit...

Alongatepyris is a South American genus, known only from two species: A. platunissimus and A. ingens. It is a Scleroderminae genus by having the body extremely flattened and the forewing with the first cubital cell very reduced. The first extinct sclerodermine from Dominican amber and first extinct species of Alongatepyris, †A. pedrocai Colombo & A...

Here we describe the flat wasp genus Makeraia gen. nov., and its three species M. migueli sp. nov., M. clariceae sp. nov. and M. lacinia sp. nov. from Madagascar. The males of this genus are easily recognized among the other genera of Pristocerinae by having the antennae very long, about as long as the whole body, a condition unique in Bethylidae....

The mesopleuron of Bethylidae has many structures that are used in taxonomic and phylogenetic studies. The lack of understanding of these structures has generated independent terminologies and a series of confusing terms, hampering effective scientific communication. A morphological study and literature review were made in order to solve these prob...

The subfamily Epyrinae is the most common in the bethylid fossil record. Its geological history ranges from the Eocene to the Pleistocene, and it is the only subfamily that has no records in the Cretaceous. Here we revise, diagnose and illustrate known epyrine fossil wasps. A new genus is proposed, †Gloxinius Colombo & Azevedo gen. nov., to contain...

The main synapomorphy for Aculeata is the sting apparatus, which allows the female to envenom potential prey or hosts. The sting is the modified ovipositor which is not used for laying eggs anymore. Here, we explore the morphology of the sting apparatus within the families of Chrysidoidea. 27 skeletal structures were recognized, including three (dp...

Foenobethylus Kieffer 1913 is a rare and small genus of Pristocerinae in the flat wasp family Bethylidae, with 10 described species worldwide, all of which are known only from males. In this study, we describe a new species, F. syndesis Chen & Azevedo, sp. nov., based on a couple in copulation and one additional male from China. An updated key to s...

The fauna of Epyrinae from Papua New Guinea is revised by using molecular, the Cytochrome C Oxidase Subunit I (COI) mitochondrial gene and morphological data. This study is based on the observation of 115 specimens of Epyrinae from Mount Wilhelm and Wanang Conservation Area. Twenty-one species of Chlorepyris, six species of Epyris and nine species...

The first comprehensive phylogenetic study of Scleroderminae with all 30 valid genera is presented. It is based on 138 morphological characters. Phylogenetic analyses support the monophyly of the subfamily Scleroderminae. All genus-level clades are monophy-letic, except Cephalonomia. The extensive homoplasy across the topology is regarded as eviden...

Citation: Monjardim M, Azevedo CO, Fagundes V (2020) DNA barcoding and hypopygium shape support delimitation of sympatric Dissomphalus species (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) from the Atlantic rainforest. ZooKeys 959: Abstract Dissomphalus is a cosmopolitan genus of Bethylidae and has 269 Neotropical species divided into 32 species-groups, mostly defined...

The flat wasps, Bethylidae, are cosmopolitan and one of the most diverse families of Chrysidoidea. Bethylidae have 2,920 described extant species and almost 90 fossil species. The oldest geological record of the family is the Lower Cretaceous, from Lebanese and Spanish ambers and Transbaikalian rock fossils. Here we describe and illustrate one new...

Since the original description of Incertosulcus Móczár, 1970 no species have been added to the genus, because of its unclarified taxonomic diagnostic characters. Herein we provide an emended diagnosis for this genus, describe and illustrate five new species, Incertosulcus pinotage sp. nov., I. pinotnoir sp. nov., I sauvignonblanc sp. nov., I. semil...

Bethylinae are a morphologically well-defined subfamily of Bethylidae, with remarkable characters, such as strongly convex clypeal carina and bifid and angled tarsal claws. However, there is no consensus about the phylogenetic relationships among the genera within the family, regarding mainly Eupsenella and Lytopsenella . To resolve this problem, a...

The genus Acephalonomia Strejček, 1990 is revalidated and its single species, Acephalonomia cisidophaga Strejček, 1990, from Czech Republic and Slovakia is restituted in the original combination. The revalidation is based on distinct characters: antennae with eight fl agellomeres and prestigmal abscissa of R1 vein dilated. The intraspecifi c polymo...

An updated checklist of the Arabian species of Bethylidae is provided here. The list includes 29 identified valid species in 25 genera and five subfamilies: Bethylinae (2 genera, 0 species), Epyrinae (5 genera, 8 species), Mesitiinae (7 genera, 13 species), Pristocerinae (5 genus, 1 species) and Scleroderminae (6 genera, 7 species). Distributions,...

The world fauna of the flat wasps (Bethylidae) is represented by about 3,000 valid species. The skeletal morphology of bethylids is still not adequately understood and the terminology is generally not standardized between its internal taxa and with other Hymenoptera families. The same scenario exists in most of the families in this order. To addres...

The flat wasps Bethylidae are a cosmopolitan family of aculeate ectoparasitoid of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera larvae. There are only 73 fossil species so far. Here, we provide a synopsis of the fossil pristocerine, which are those with strongly sexual dimorphism. Comments for all earlier described species are given. Two new genera and two species fr...

We provide a synopsis of the genus Discleroderma, which is known only from females. The genus is easily recognized by having tubercles on metasomal tergites III-V. In this synopsis we recognized D. gundari Terayama, D. indiensis Lanes & Azevedo, D. tuberculatum Magretti, and D. yemenensis Lanes & Azevedo as valid species. Additionally we discovered...

The world species of Apenesia are revised. Twenty-seven previously described species of Pristocerinae are addressed to Apenesia: A. amoena Evans, A. bicolor Vargas & Terayama, A. chontalica Westwood, A. conradti Kieffer, A. delicata Evans, A. dominica Evans, A. flavipes Cameron, A. formosa Vargas & Terayama, A. laevigata (Evans), A. levis Kieffer,...

Literature about Mesitiinae Kieffer, 1914 has not been treated extensively from a taxonomic viewpoint in comparison with other subfamilies in Bethylidae Latreille, 1802. Our research on species of Metrionotus Móczár, 1970, Clytrovorus Nagy, 1972 and Sulcomesitius Móczár, 1970 revealed a new hypopygium shape pattern, namely a ‘star-shaped’ hypopygiu...

A synopsis of the fossil flat wasps sclerodermine is provided. Four new species and one new genus from Baltic amber are described and illustrated, Archaeonoxus Colombo and Azevedo gen. nov., Archaeonoxus scintillatus Colombo and Azevedo sp. nov., Allobethylus bei Colombo and Azevedo sp. nov., Glenosema electrum Colombo and Azevedo sp. nov., and Not...

The male of the rare South African bethylid species, Tuberepyris codex Azevedo & Mugrabi, is discovered, described and illustrated. The conspecific gender association is established based on the high level of morphological congruence between the newly collected male and the known female specimen, facilitated by the unusually low level of sexual dim...

The Afrotropical species of Glenosema are reviewed. Seventeen species are recognized, four previously described species, G. niloticum (Kieffer), G. durum Barbosa, Kawada & Azevedo, G. denteatum Lanes & Azevedo and G. elevatum Lanes & Azevedo, and thirteen species described and illustrated as new: G. qaqambile sp. nov., G. deki sp. nov., G. bazileyo...

The flat wasp family Bethylidae Haliday lacks global scale literature on their alpha taxonomy. The only world revision for the family was by Kieffer in 1914 and is fully out of date and somewhat useless; the only catalog for the family was made by Gordh & Móczár in 1990 and does not include hundreds of changes made since then; and the most recent w...

The main goal of this paper is to study the Dissomphalus material deposited at the Coleção Zoológica do Maranhão (Maranhão, Brazil). The material was collected in six parks: Parque Nacional Chapada das Mesas, Parque Estadual do Mirador and Reserva Ecológica do Inhamum in the state of Maranhão; Parque Nacional Serra das Confusões and Parque Nacional...

The flat wasp Apenesia Westwood is one of the largest genera in Pristocerinae with 190 species worldwide. The lack of a single diagnostic morphological character has resulted in many distinct ground plans within Apenesia. Some authors have suggested Apenesia as polyphyletic. Here we aimed to investigate and delimit the genus based on morphological...

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) commits its 196 nation parties to conserve biological diversity, use its components sustainably, and share fairly and equitably the benefits from the utilization of genetic resources. The last of these objectives was further codified in the Convention's Nagoya Protocol (NP), which came into effect in 201...

Holepyris semiruber Kieffer is redescribed and illustrated based on freshly collected specimens. Holepyris semiruber var. striatipleura Kieffer is considered a colour variant of this species and therefore a junior synonym of H. semiruber syn. nov. This species is transferred to Disepyris, D. semiruber (Kieffer) comb. nov., based on the possession o...

The main goal of this paper is to update the taxonomic information of the pairs of Pristocera Klug collected in Madagascar by A. Seyrig. Within this material twelve species are recognized, ten are new to science, all based on pairs collected in copulation, which are described and illustrated: P. melmani sp. nov., P. alexi sp. nov., P. martyi sp. no...

The identity of many species of Anisepyris Kieffer is currently unknown, mostly because the available taxonomic data are not sufficiently accurate to allow for precise identifications. To solve this problem, all 121 described species were investigated, including the analyses of 115 holotypes and 26 allotypes. Almost all Neotropical species of Epyri...

The species richness of the flat wasp fauna from Cousine Island, Seychelles, is reported for the first time. Three species are represented on this island in the Seychelles archipelago. The male of the previously described Seychelles species, Goniozus kiefferi Gordh is redescribed and its genitalia described and illustrated for the first time; the O...

The male of the endangered ant Dinoponera lucida Emery is described, providing morphometric measurements, high-resolution images, and a distribution map of the species. This ant inhabits the Brazilian Atlantic forest, an ecosystem strongly impacted by fragmentation. The males show clear morphological differences from the known males of other specie...

Sixty-four species of Dissomphalus from Panama are recognized, 31 are described and illustrated as new to science: D. abarus sp. nov., D. afestus sp. nov., D. arbeius sp. nov., D. ardonius sp. nov., D. areius sp. nov., D. aretisus sp. nov., D. arteobius sp. nov., D. arteus sp. nov., D. asfartus sp. nov., D. asitius sp. nov., D. azagus sp. nov., D....

Genitalia are rich source of characters in insect taxonomy. Usually, they are examined after dissection and cleaning with potassium hydroxide (KOH), procedure that may damage both genital morphological structures and intracellular molecular contents. Enzymatic procedure with Proteinase K has been used to clean muscle off the genitalia while extract...

Megaprosternum Azevedo (Bethylidae: Scleroderminae) is newly recorded from the Oriental region, and M. cleonarovorum Gupta & Azevedo sp. nov. is described and illustrated from Southern India as a gregarious larval ectoparasitoid of Cleonaria bicolor Thomson (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) on the host plant Ixora coccinea L. (Rubiacae). This is the first...

It is difficult to make reliable sex associations in several species of Hymenoptera due to sexual dimorphism. Only a few species of the flat wasp genus Dissomphalus Ashmead, 1893 have had their sexes associated, since females are rarely collected and differ morphologically from their conspecific males. Collecting couples during their phoretic copul...

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009;...

This plot is not part of the published stance but derives from it. The plot shows the number of authors by geographic region (courtesy of Dr. Diego Astua).

We report the rediscovery of the holotype of Pristocera masii Soika, 1933 (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae: Pristocerinae), originally described from a single male from Venice, Italy. The holotype was considered lost but during a scientifi c visit at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale “Giacomo Doria” in Genova, Italy we were able to fi nd the holotype. He...

Forty-two species of Dissomphalus Ashmead, 1893 are reviewed, 21 of them are described and illustrated: Dissomphalus botocudus sp. nov., D. fredi sp. nov., D. tupinikim sp. nov., D. guarani sp. nov., D. congo sp. nov., D. rosangelae sp. nov., D. w-aedeagus sp. nov., D. amana sp. nov., D. potyra sp. nov., D. pyata sp. nov., D. clovisi sp. nov., D. k...

Three new species of Pararhabdepyris are described and illustrated: P. arabo sp. nov. (United Arabian Emirates and Yemen), P. wafrika sp. nov. (Central African Republic), P. ngangu sp. nov. (Central African Republic). The genus is recorded for the first time from the Saharo-Arabian region. A key for all species of the genus is presented.

A new genus and species of bethylid wasps is described and figured from a female preserved in Early Cretaceous (Barremian) amber from Lebanon. Holopsenella primotica, new genus and species, is distinguished from other bethylids and segregated into a new subfamily, Holopsenellinae, along with Cretabythus sibiricus Evans in Late Cretaceous (Santonian...

Afrobethylus Ramos & Azevedo, gen. nov. (type species Afrobethylus zulu Ramos & Azevedo, sp. nov.) with six new spe-cies, Afrobethylus antankarana Ramos & Azevedo, sp. nov. (Madagascar), A. antemoro Ramos & Azevedo, sp. nov. (Madagascar), A. bapedi Ramos & Azevedo, sp. nov. (South Africa), A. swazi Ramos & Azevedo, sp. nov. (South Africa), A. vezo...

A new genus, Calobrachium Gobbi & Azevedo, gen. nov. (type species Calobrachium salum Gobbi & Azevedo, sp. nov.) with seven new species, C. luangum sp. nov., C. miticum sp. nov., C. pongum sp. nov., C. salum sp. nov., C. thanum sp. nov., C. trilinum sp. nov., C. vancum sp. nov. are described and figured. New combination is proposed for C. lepidum (...

Mesitiinae include 218 species classified in 21 genera. Hitherto all species are confined to Old World (Afrotropical, Oriental and Palaearctic Regions). However most of their species are reported from Mediterranean areas, and few species are recorded from Northern areas of Palaearctic Asia. While visiting Queensland Museum Daniele Mugrabi sort part...

Two new junior synonyms, Pseudomesitius Duchaussoy, 1916 syn. nov. and Triglenus Marshall, 1905 syn. nov., for the genus Bradepyris Kieffer, 1905 are proposed and a new diagnosis for the genus is given. Two new species (based on males) from the Saharo-Arabian region are here described: Bradepyris jordanicus, sp. nov. and B. baleariensis, sp. nov. A...

Two new junior synonyms, Pseudomesitius Duchaussoy, 1916 syn. nov. and Triglenus Marshall, 1905 syn. nov., for the genus Bradepyris Kieffer, 1905 are proposed and a new diagnosis for the genus is given. Two new species (based on males) from the Saharo-Arabian region are here described: Bradepyris jordanicus, sp. nov. and B. baleariensis, sp. nov. A...

Some authors in the past based their conclusions about the limits of the metapostnotum of Chrysidoidea based on the position of the mesophragmo-metaphragmal muscle, rather than aspects of the skeleton and musculature associated with the metapectal-propodeal complex. The latter character system suggests another interpretation of the metapostnotum de...

The first checklist of genera of Hymenoptera from Espírito Santo state, Brazil is presented. A total of 973 genera of Hymenoptera is listed, of which 555 (57%) are recorded for the first time from this state. Ichneumonoidea and Chalcidoidea are the two superfamilies with the most genera, 241 and 203 respectively. Braconidae, with 141 genera, are th...

The eucoiline genus Steleucoela Kieffer is redescribed and illustrated, as well as the two species S. brasiliensis Diaz and S. piriformis Kieffer. Updated distribution data are provided, and include the new country records from Colombia and Costa Rica for S. piriformis. DNA sequence data are here combined with a morphological phylogenetic matrix to...

A new stalk-eyed wasp Axima nordestina sp. n. is described from the Northeastern Brazilian savannah. Axima nordestina is the fourth species of stalk-eyed wasps (A. noyesi species group) and the second one known from Brazil. The head morphology of A. nordestina appears less derived than in the other known species. An updated key of the A. noyesi spe...

Bethylidae are cosmopolitan wasps, with about 100 valid genera and about 2,600 valid species around the world. This study aimed to determine the genera of Bethylidae occurring in Central African Republic. The specimens were collected at three sites using three collecting methods. A total of 1,924 specimens were obtained and 18 genera recorded: Apen...