Lyciscidae

Lyciscidae
Thaumasura sp.
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Superfamily:	Chalcidoidea
Family:	Lyciscidae Bouček, 1958
Subfamilies
Lyciscinae Solenurinae

Lyciscidae is a family of chalcid wasps.^[1] The genera comprising this family were previously placed in the Cleonyminae subfamily of a paraphyletic Pteromalidae.^[2]

Description and biology

Many species have metallic green, blue and bronze colours, and stout hind legs and fore legs. The females of most species have a tapered abdomen and a long ovipositor suited to accessing hosts concealed in wood; they are often encountered on trunks or branches of trees. Many are parasitoids of wood-boring beetles of the families Buprestidae (jewel beetles), Cerambycidae (longhorn beetles), and Curculionidae (weevils). However, some Agamerion species are parasitoids of cockroach egg masses, Epistenia species parasitize twig-nesting aculate wasps and bees, and Marxiana grandiosa is a hyperparasite of braconid wasps (which are, in turn, parasitoids of wood-boring beetles).^[3]

Subfamilies and genera^[1]

Lyciscinae

• Agamerion
• Amazonisca
• Chadwickia
• Epistenia
• Eupelmophotismus
• Hadroepistenia
• Hedqvistia
• Lycisca
• Marxiana
• Mesamotura
• Neboissia
• Neoepistenia
• Nepistenia
• Paralycisca
• Parepistenia
• Proglochin
• Proshizonotus
• Protoepistenia
• Riekisura
• Romanisca
• Scaphepistenia
• Shedoepistenia
• Striatacanthus
• Thaumasura
• Urolycisca
• Westwoodiana

Solenurinae

• Grooca
• Solenura

Gallery

• 
  Agamerion sp., Australia.
• 
  Epistenia coeruleata, USA.
• 
  Eupelmophotismus sp., Australia.
• 
  Thaumasura sp., Australia.
• 
  Solenura ania, China.

References

1. Burks, Roger A.; Mitroiu, Mircea-Dan; Fusu, Lucian; et al. (20 December 2022). "From hell's heart I stab at thee! A determined approach towards a monophyletic Pteromalidae and reclassification of Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera)" (PDF). Journal of Hymenoptera Research. 94: 13–88. doi:10.3897/JHR.94.94263. ISSN 1070-9428. Wikidata Q115923766.
2. Noyes, J. S. (March 2019). "Universal Chalcidoidea Database". The Natural History Museum. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
3. Gibson, Gary A. P. (June 30, 2003). Phylogenetics and classification of Cleonyminae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae). Memoirs on Entomology, International. Vol. 16. Associated Publishers.