A SYNOPSIS OF THE CHRYSIDID GENERA OF NEOTROPICAL AMERICA ( CHRYSIDOIDEA , HYMENOPTERA ) * BY

The chrysidid fauna of Central and South America, including Mexico, differs considerably from that of North America. There are only a few species whose range extends into both regions. The genera Cleptes, Mesitiopterus, Microsega, Muesebeckidium, Pseudolopyga, Minymischa, Xerochrum, Microchridium, Hedychreides, Chrysura, and Chrysurissa are not reported from South or Central America. A number of genera are not found north of Costa Rica, including Duckeia, Nesogyne and Gaullea. Trichrysis and Neochrysis have undergone extensive species radiation in the neotropics. The few species in these two genera occurring in North America are their northernmost representatives. The faunas of Baja California, north central and northwestern Mexico seem to be essentially temperate in origin. The genera Parnopes, Spintharosoma and Ceratochrysis belong to this temperate fauna and are considered in this survey because they are found in Mexico. Several of the genera found only in the southwestern United States may be present in Baja California, Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico, so specimens from this region should probably be run through the key to the North American genera (Bohart and Kimsey, 1980). The chrysidid fauna of the Caribbean islands, excluding Trinidad and Tobago, appears to be primarily temperate in origin, with only one endemic genus, Nesogyne. The principal work on neotropical Chrysididae has been done by Juan Brthes, August Brull, Robert du Buysson, Peter Cameron, Alphonse Ducke, Felix Gu6rin-M6neville, Karl Krombein, Alexandro Mocshry and Maximilien Spinola. Lesser work has been done by R. Benoist, H. Bischoff, R. M. Bohart, E. T. Cresson, A. da Costa Lima, Andrea Dahlbom, Vicente Perez-D’Angello, Johann Fabricius, Claude Joseph (H. Janvier), L. S. Kimsey, Walter Linsenmaier and Flaminio Ruiz.


Psyche
[Vol. 87  The two largest chrysidid genera in the neotropics are Trichrysis and Neochrysis, whose dominance roughly corresponds to Ceratochrysis and Chrysis in the nearctic fauna.Detailed examination of Trichrysis in both hemispheres has revealed four distinct groups.Old World Trichrysis can be divided into two subgenera, based on whether the discoidal cell is complete (Trichrysis s.s.) or incomplete (Chrysidea).The New World Trichrysis can also be divided into two groups based on the same characteristic.However, New World Trichrysis are different from the Old World forms since they have a distinct and almost articulated telomere on the male genital capsule (fig.24).This discrete telomere has not been found in Old World Trichrysis (fig.22).
We therefore propose the establishment of two new subgenera in the genus Trichrysis.An asterisk after a species name indicates that we have not seen the type.

Trichrysis (Chrysidea) Bischoff
Subgenerotype: Chrysis pumila Klug Discussion: Chrysidea is also an eastern hemisphere group which lacks a telomere and has the forewing discoidal cell incomplete, since at least the anterior vein of the discoidal cell is lacking or faintly indicated.

Neochrysis Linsenmaier
Neochrysis is the largest genus in the neotropics.This genus was divided into four subgenera by Bohart (1966).We have further elaborated the characteristics of each subgenus and separated the neotropical species accordingly.The list of species under each subgenus may not be complete.Each list is based on species where we have seen the type or seen reliably determined material (type not seen indicated by an asterisk).Neochrysis Linsenmaier, 1959.Generotype by original designa- tion, Chrysis punctatissima Spinola, 1840 (nee Villers, 1789) Chry- sis carina Brull, 1846.
T-Ill pit row obsolescent, pits, when discernible, no larger than other punctures (fig.11); 4 distal teeth on T-III; frons without a cross carina or rarely a few traces of it, no strong carina leading back from brow to partly enclose midocellus; pronotum without a complete lateral carina; propodeum without a strong median projection just behind metanotum.
T-Ill pit row or groove well developed; 2-6 distal teeth on T-IH; frons sometimes with a cross carina but always with a carina leading back from brow to partly enclose midocellus; pronotum with a sharp and practically complete lateral carina or flange (fig.4); propodeum without a projection behind metanotum (fig.4).
Discussion: This genus is distinguished by F-I as long or longer than F-II in both sexes; tongue short, less than half as long as flagellum from basal fold to apex; mesopleuron with shallow transverse groove or no groove; propodeal teeth tapering and apically pointed (fig.14); (fig.7) leg joints, and apical rim of T-Ill often white or hyaline; paramere digitate and or lobate (fig.19); cuspis broadly rounded, and digitus equal to or shorter than cuspis and apically rounded (fig.19).
Examination of the type species of Spintharosoma Zimmermann, Chrysis chrysonota Dahlbom, from the Ethiopian Region reveals that the American species previously placed in this genus are not congeneric.In S. chrysonota the tongue is long, the propodeal teeth clublike (fig.15), paramere simple and rounded and cuspis slender and tapering (fig.21), the male F-I is less than one third as long as F-II, and the mesopleuron divided into two parts by a deep transverse groove.American species also differ from Spintharina (generotype Chrysis vagans Radovskowsky).Spintharina has two large teeth on the mesopleuron, lobate propodeal teeth (fig.16), and male genitalia with simple unlobate paramere and long slender digitus and cuspis (fig.20).

Gaullea Buysson
The genus Gaullea is an obscure and poorly known genus.Gaullea was originally described from a single female, collected in Chaco, Santiago del Estero, Argentina.We have seen an additional 2 females and 3 males from Santiago del Estero, Argentina, plus the type.This genus is characterized by the very short RS stub, lack of a discoidal cell in the forewing and denticulate rim of T-Ill (figs.6, 10).Linsenmaier (1959) placed Gaullea near Euchroeus.However, after close examination of the wing venation we have placed Gaullea near Argochrysis, because a crease in the wing indicates that the marginal cell would be closed if the RS stub were extended.The closed marginal cell is characteristic of Chrysis and its relatives.The expanded and bladelike metanotum and denticulate rim of T-Ill suggests that Gaullea is closely related to Argochrysis.The male genitalia of Gaullea is similar to that of Chrysis, with a simple though somewhat apically lobate paramere, broad foliaceous digitus and slender setose cuspis (fig.23).

Psyche
[Vol. 87  Pseudospinoliamhost not recorded in neotropics; Chile; species.ArgochrysismSphecidae: Ammophila (not recorded in neotropics); Mexico: Chihuahua and Baja California.species.Key to the Genera of Neotropical Chrysididae For brevity in the key the following abbreviations have been used: T for tergum, S for sternum and RS for radial sector.
1. Abdominal venter convex 2 Abdominal venter flat to concave 7 2. T-I-II together dorsally subequal to or shorter than length of T-Ill-IV (fig.3); pronotum with submedial transverse groove (fig.3); upper frons with groove descending from midocellus (Cleptinae) Cleptidea Mocshry T-I-II together dorsally much longer than length ofT-Ill-IV (figs  7. RS stub sclerotized for less than half marginal cell length (if vein is extended by its traces and wing crease to wing margin); outer veins of discoidal cell faint or barely indicated (fig.6); tarsal claws various 8 RS stub sclerotized for more than half marginal cell length (if vein is extended by its traces and wing crease to wing margin); outer veins of discoidal cell usually sclerotized (figs.4, 5, 7); claws simple 14 8.Last visible tergum spiculate along apical margin; claws simple 9 Last visible tergum not spiculate along apical margin; claws dentate (Elampinae) 10 9. Tongue exserted and reaching near base of abdomen, last visible tergum subapically depressed on either side of midline; females with three normally visible terga, males with four (Parnopinae) Parnopes Latreille Tongue short, not exserted; last visible tergum not subapically depressed; both sexes with three normally visible terga (Chrysidinae) Gaullea Buysson 10.Hindtarsal claw long and slender, with a medial, nearly perpendicular tooth; frons with close punctation along inner eye margins (punctures less than one puncture diameter apart; scutellum not anteriorly carinate Hedychridium Abeille de Perrin Hindtarsal claw without a single, medial, nearly perpendicular tooth; other characteristics various 11 11.Medial vein essentially straight or weakly curved; hindtibia and usually midtibia with a definite pit on inner surface toward apex; female S-Ill usually with a nodular apicomedial projection Hedychrum Latreille Medial vein strongly arched; hindtibia and midtibia without a pit on inner surface; female S-Ill without an apicomedial projec- 12. Medial cell with numerous dark microsetae; last tergum with punctate medially unnotched apical margin; face hollowed and crossridged; hindtarsal claws usually with two to five subsidiary teeth (rarely only one subsidiary) Holopyga Dahlbom Medial cell essentially asetose; last tergum apicomedially im- punctate and usually notched or compressed and snoutlike (figs.8, 9); face hollowed without crossridging; hindtarsal claws various 13 13.T-Ill apicomedially notched (fig.9), emarginate or simple not compressed and snoutlike; metanotum rounded, not conical or produced and bladelike; scutum impunctate or with punctures clustered along or between notauli, except chilensis (Mocsiry) Omalus Panzer T-Ill apicomedially compressed and snoutlike (fig.8); metano- tum conical or produced and bladelike; scutum densely punctate Elampus Spinola 14. Radial sector ending before wing margin so that marginal cell is broadly open (fig.4) 15 Radial sector and its faintly sclerotized remnant narrowly closing marginal cell or almost so (figs. 7, 17,18)   19 15.T-Ill apical margin smooth, slightly prolonged medially, especi- ally in male, anterolateral angles of T-I not unusually sharp Pseudospinolia Linsenmaier T-Ill ending in four to six teeth; anterolateral angles of T-I unusually sharp 16 16.Propodeum with strong median projection just behind metano- tum (fig.5) Neochrysis (Exochrysis) Bohart Propodeum without strong median projection just behind metanotum 17 17.Pronotum with sharp and practically complete lateral carina or flange (fig.4) T-Ill pit row or groove well developed (as in fig. 12) Neochrysis (Ipsiura) Linsenmaier Pronotum without a sharp or practically complete lateral carina or flange; T-Ill pit row various 18 18.T-Ill pit row obsolescent, pits, when discernible, no larger than other punctures (fig.11); frons without cross carina, rarely with traces remaining and no carinae extending back toward ocelli Neochrysis s.s.Linsenmaier T-Ill pit row well developed and forming a strong groove, at least some pits larger than punctures (fig.12); frons usually with cross carina and carinae extending back toward ocelli Neochrysis (Pleurochrysis) Bohart T-III ending in four or six teeth or angles Chrysis Linnaeus. 22. Tibiae with pale basal markings and T-III rim whitish; or meta- notum conically produced (fig.7) Argochrysis Kimsey and Bohart Tibiae without pale markings and T-III rim not whitish; metano- tum not produced