Ophioninae

Ophioninae
Ophion luteus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Ichneumonidae
Subfamily: Ophioninae
Tribes

Ophionini
Enicospilini
Thyreodonini

Ophioninae is a cosmopolitan subfamily of Ichneumonidae, comprising 33 genera and exhibiting high diversity in tropical regions.[1][2] They are primarily koinobiont endoparasitoids of larval Lepidoptera, although at least one species parasitizes Scarabaeidae (Coleoptera).[3] Pupae of Ophioninae are ovoid and feature a distinct central pale band, which is a characteristic trait of this subfamily. These insects are typically large, slender, and orange, with compressed and curved abdomens.[4] They possess prominent ocelli and are primarily active during the night, often being attracted to light sources.[1]

Genera

Rousse et al. classified 13 of the genera of Ophioninae between 3 tribes, with the remaining genera unplaced to a tribe. The possibility of erecting a fourth tribe for the derived genera Hellwigia and Skiapus was also presented tentatively.[1]

  • Dicamptus Szépligeti, 1905
  • Enicospilus Stephens, 1835
  • Hellwigiella Szépligeti, 1905
  • Laticoleus Townes, 1973

Tribe Ophionini

  • Alophophion Cushman, 1947
  • Afrophion Gauld, 1979
  • Ophion Fabricius, 1798 - paraphyletic
  • Rhopalophion Seyrig, 1935
  • Sclerophion Gauld, 1979
  • Xylophion Gauld, 1979

Tribe Thyreodonini

  • Dictyonotus Kriechbaumer, 1894
  • Rhynchophion Enderlein, 1912
  • Thyreodon Brullé, 1846
  • Agathophiona Westwood, 1882
  • Barytatocephalus Schulz, 1895
  • Eremotylus Förster, 1869
  • Euryophion Cameron, 1906
  • Heinrichiella Hedwig, 1949 [5]
  • Hellwigia Gravenhorst, 1823
  • Janzophion Gauld, 1985
  • Lepiscelus Townes, 1971
  • Leptophion Cameron, 1901
  • Nyxia Johansson, 2021 [2]
  • Ophiogastrella Brues, 1912
  • Orientospilus Morley, 1912
  • Pamophion Gauld, 1977
  • Prethophion Townes, 1971
  • Riekophion Gauld, 1977
  • Sicophion Gauld, 1979
  • Simophion Cushman, 1947
  • Skiapus Morley, 1917
  • Stauropoctonus Brauns, 1889
  • Trophophion Cushman, 1947

References

  1. 1 2 3 Rousse, Pascal; Quicke, Donald L.J.; Matthee, Conrad A.; Lefeuvre, Pierre; van Noort, Simon (2016). "A molecular and morphological reassessment of the phylogeny of the subfamily Ophioninae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 178 (1): 128–148. doi:10.1111/zoj.12405.
  2. 1 2 Niklas, Johansson (2021). "Contribution to the subfamily Ophioninae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) of Southern Europe with the description of one new genus and 15 new species". Zootaxa. 5023 (3): 301–334. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5023.3.1.
  3. ↑ van Noort, Simon. "Ophioninae". WaspWeb: Hymenoptera of the World. Iziko Museums of South Africa. Retrieved 2026-04-17.
  4. ↑ Gauld, Ian D.; Wahl, David B. "Subfamily Ophioninae". The American Entomological Institute. Retrieved 2026-04-17.
  5. ↑ Shaw, Mark R.; Voogd, Jeroen (2019-04-30). "Notes on the biology, morphology and generic placement of "Hellwigia" obscura Gravenhorst (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae, Ophioninae)". Journal of Hymenoptera Research. 69: 39–53. doi:10.3897/jhr.69.33662. ISSN 1314-2607.