Systematics of Old World Odontacolus Kieffer s.l. (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae s.l.): parasitoids of spider eggs

Book excerpt: The wasp family Platygastridae is a large group of tiny, exclusively parasitoid wasps distributed worldwide. The genera Odontacolus and Cyphacolus, belonging to this family, are among the most distinctive wasps because of the peculiar hump-like formation on the rear part of their bodies (shape linked to the ovipositor system. Despite their intriguing body shape, the generic status of these two groups has remained unclear. We currently described a 32 new Odontacolus species, providing extensive morphological phylogenetic analysis of Odontacolus and Cyphacolus, these previously understudied genera. Previously considered to be relatively rare based on material available in collections, recent intensive collecting using Malaise and yellow-pan traps has revealed that some species of Odontacolus are moderately common, leading to the description of 32 species from across Africa, Australia and Asia.