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Top-1+1OriginalDatabase of Hymenoptera in America north of MexicoHighertaxa

Superfamily CHALCIDOIDEA
Family LEUCOSPIDIDAE

By B. D. Burks

All members of the Leucospididae are primary parasites of aculeate Hymenoptera, developing
on the fully grown larvae or pupae. The adult female drills through the cell wall of the host with
her lengthy ovipositor, and also through the cocoon inside the cell if there is one, and deposits
her egg inside. This egg is suspended by a slender stalk. When the egg hatches, the active larva
searches out its host, attaches to it, and feeds at various places on its body. Later instars are
more quiescent. Pupation occurs inside the cell of the host, and the adult uses its mandibles to
break an opening to the outside. The adults often are taken by sweeping flowers, because they
feed on pollen. They tend to resemble their hosts in body form and color.

Revision: Weld, 1922. U. S. Natl. Mus., Proc 61 (6): 1-43 (N. Amer. spp.; key to females).
— Boucek, 1959. Mus. Natl. Pragae, Acta Ent. 33: 435-444 (European spp.). — Nikolskaja,

1960. Fauna USSR, n. s., v. 7, n. 5, pp. 192-212 (Russian spp.). — Habu, 1962. Fauna
Japonica, pp. 165-177 (Japanese spp.).

Taxonomy: Mani, 1937. Indian Mus., Rec 39: 287-293 (spp. of India). — Mani, 1938. Cat.
Indian Ins. 23: 46-49, 146. —Steffan, 1948. Soc. Ent. de France, Bui. 53: 81-84. —Burks,

1961. Studia Ent. Rio de Janeiro 4: 540 (S. Amer. spp.).

Biology: Clausen, 1940 (reprint 1962). Entomophagous Ins., pp. 236-238.

Genus LEUCOSPIS Fabricius

Leucospis Fabricius, 1775. Syst. Ent, p. 361.

Type-species: Leucospis dorsigera Fabricius. Monotypic
Coelogaster Schrank, 1780. Schrift. Gesell. Naturf. Freunde Berlin 1: 303 (no species).

Type-species: Coelogaster passavianus Schrank. Included by Schrank, 1782.




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Leucaspis Burmeister, 1835. Arch. f. Naturgesch. 1 (2): 47. Emend.

Leucopsis Turton, 1802. In Linnaeus Syst. Nat. 3: 503 (error, frequently repeated;

Leucopsis Berthold, 1827, Recognized as valid in Aves).
Leucospis subg. Metallopsis Westwood, 1839. Ztschr. f. Ent. 1: 264.

Type-species: Leucospis (Metallopsis) eayennensis Westwood. Monotypic.
Exocklaenus Shipp, 1894. Ent. Monthly Mag. 30: 245.

Type-species: Leucospis anthidioides Westwood. Orig. desig.
Parexoclaenus Girault, 1915. Queensland Mus., Mem. 4: 355.

Type-species: Parexoclaenus vespoides Girault. Orig. desig.
Exoclaenoides Girault, 1915. Queensland Mus., Mem. 4: 356.

Type-species: Exoclaenoides unicinctus Girault. Orig. desig.

afflnis affinis Say. Widespread in Canada and the U. S. except for S. Fla. and the extreme
southwestern Sonoran zone. Host: Antliidium emarginatum (Say), A. maculosuw
Cress., Asluneadiella meliloti aridnia Ckll., Diantliidiuyn pudicuin consiviile (Ashm.),
Hoplitis producta (Cress.), Megachile sp., M. brevis Say, M. gentilis Cress., M. inennis
Prov., M. ntontivaga Cress., M. relativa Cress., Osniia atriventris Cress., 0. kincaidii
Ckll., 0. puniila Cress., 0. siniillinia Smith, Stelis sp., S. sexvtaculata Ashm. There is
an undescribed subspecies of affinis in the southwestern Sonoran region.

Leucospis affinis Say, 1824. In Keating, Narr. Long's 2nd Exped., App. p. 327. ♀, ♂.

Leucospis subnotata Westwood, 1834. Ent. Mag. 2: 215. ♀.

Leucospis fratenia Say, 1836. Boston Jour. Nat. Hist. 1: 269. ♀, ♂.

Leucospis basalis Westwood, 1839. Ztschr. f. Ent. 1: 264. ♂, ♀.

Leucospis Canadensis Walker, 1860. Jour. Ent. 1: 17. ♂.

Taxonomy: Burks, 1975. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Ent., Bui. 32 (4): 166.
Leucospis bicincta Viereck, 1906. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 32: 227. ♂.

Biology: Graenicher, 1906. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc, Bui. 4: 153-159. -Medler, 1958. Ent. News
69: 21-24. -Medler and Koerber, 1958. Ent. Soc. Amer., Ann. 51: 340-344. —Medler, 1958.
Canad. Ent. 90: 326-327. -Medler, 1964. Canad. Ent. 96: 920. -Johansen and Eves, 1966.
Wash. Agr. Expt. Sta., Cir. 469: 5. —Parker and Bohart, 1966. Pan-Pacific Ent. 42: 95-97.
—Medler, 1967. Ent. Soc. Amer., Ann. 60: 342. — Krombein, 1967. Trap-nesting wasps and
bees, pp. 434-436. —Medler and Lussenhop, 1968. Wis. Coll. Agr., Res. Bui. 274: 20-47.

Morphology: Snodgrass, 1910. U. S. Natl. Mus., Proc. 39: 65, figs. 35-39 (thorax). —Burks,
1938. Ent. Soc. Amer., Ann. 31: 158, fig. 5 (wing venation). —Snodgrass, 1941. Smithsn.
Misc. Collect. 99: 36-37 (male genitalia). —Bradley, 1955. Soc. Roy. d'Ent. de Belg., Mem.
27: 134, fig. 6 (wing venation).

Leucospis affinis
***authority mismatch
floridana Cresson. Cent, and S. Fla. Host: Chalicodoma (Chelostomoides) sp., C. (C.)
georgica Cress., Megachile (Sayapis) sp.
Leucospis affinis war. floridana Cresson, 1872. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 4: 33. ♀, ♂.

Taxonomy: Weld, 1922. U. S. Natl. Mus., Proc. 61 (6): 10, 26.

Biology: Krombein, 1967. Trap-nesting wasps and bees, pp. 436-437.

Leucospis birkmani Brues
Fla., Tex., Ariz.; Mexico.

Leucospis birkmaiii Brues, 1925. Psyche 32: 23. ♀.

Leucospis robertsoni Crawford
Fla., Ala.

Leucospis wbertsotii Crawford, 1909. Ent. Soc. Wash., Proc. 11: 51. ♀, ♂.

Leucospis slossonae Weld
Ga., Fla., Ala. Host: Anthidielluni sp.

Leucospis slossonae Weld, 1922. U. S. Natl. Mus., Proc. 61 (6): 11. ♀, ♂.

Leucospis texana Cresson
N. C, Ga., Tex.

Leucospis texana Cresson, 1872. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 4: 31, 191. ♂.


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