Genus : Closterocerus Westwood, 1833

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Identification


Diagnosis

Fore wing with a single row of setae departing from stigmal vein, and quite often with transverse dark stripes.
Submarginal vein (SMV) with 2 setae dorsally. Postmarginal vein (PMV) present and at most as long as stigmal vein (STV).
Antennal scape and flagellum generally slightly flattened. Flagellum with usually 2 (sometimes 3) funicular segments and club 3-segmented (club 2-segmented if funicle has 3 segments). Male scape with sensory area on scape restricted to a small area on apical part of scape (difficult to recognize on normal microscope).
Head with fronto-facial suture distinctly separated from anterior ocellus and V- or Y-shaped.
Pronotum most of the time without a distinct transverse carina, although it is present in C. trifasciatus Westwood. The condition of the notauli in Closterocerus can be difficult to interpret: although generally incomplete, they may appear complete, or rarely curving to axillae. Mesoscutum and scutellum usually strongly sculptured and without longitudinal grooves; scutellum with a single pair of setae. Propodeum smooth, shiny and without median carina and plica.
Petiole not distinct.
Coloration mainly dark-blue metallic.

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Superfamily : Chalcidoidea
Family : Eulophidae
Subfamily : Entedoninae
Tribe : Entedonini

Classification

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Overview

Closterocerus contains over 100 species, and is cosmopolitan in distribution (Noyes, 2002; 2003). Species are endoparasitoids of a wide range of hosts, but these include quite a few species which are parasitoids of leafmining Lepidoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera.
Gumovsky (2001) synonymised Neochrysocharis, Asecodes, Hispinocharis Boucek and Mangocharis Boucek with Closterocerus. Further study will be required to gain a complete understanding of relationships in these groups; until that time, we are considering Neochrysocharis, Asecodes and Closterocerus as separate genera.

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Identification

Closterocerus is included in recent generic keys to eulophids for Australasia (Boucek, 1988) and North America (Schauff et al, 1997), and it is included in a web-based key to all Eulophidae genera which attack leafmining Agromyzidae (Reina & La Salle, 2003). Hansson (1994a) provided a key to North American species.

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