Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Family Sclerogibbidae

unknown hymenoptera - Sclerogibba talpiformis Sclerogibba talpiformis? Female? - Sclerogibba - female Sclerodermus? Sclerogibbidae from Arizona - Sclerogibba - female Sclerogibbidae from Arizona - Sclerogibba - female Sclerogibbidae from Arizona - Sclerogibba - female Hymenoptera - Probethylus callani Some sort of ant?
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps)
Superfamily Chrysidoidea (Cuckoo Wasps & allies)
Family Sclerogibbidae
Explanation of Names
Sclerogibbidae Ashmead 1902
Numbers
5 spp. in 2 genera in our area(1), 20 spp. in 3 genera total(2) • our fauna:
Probethylus callani Richards 1939: AZ, CA, TX
P. schwarzi Ashmead 1902: AZ, CA, OK, TX
Sclerogibba africana (Kieffer 1904): TX
S. talpiformis Benoit 1950: FL, TX
S. vagabunda (Bridwell 1919): CA
Identification
Female wingless and ant-like, male winged(1)
Key to Females
1a. Mid tibia with 1 spur; hypostomal bridge with anterior flat surface about as long as first antennomere................. 2 (Probethylus)
1b. Mid tibia with 2 spurs; hypostomal bridge with anterior flat surface at least twice as long as first antennomere..... 3 (Sclerogibba)

2a. Hypostomal bridge with anterior flat surface no more than 80% length of first antennomere; color of dorsum testaceous-ferruginous to brown ... P. callani
2b. Hypostomal bridge with anterior flat surface at least 85% length of first antennomere; dorsum
    testaceous-ferruginous with brown at most in spots on segments 1 and 3......................................................... P. schwarzi

3a. Propodeum with at most a slight median impression .................................................................................... S. vagabunda (in part)
3b. Propodeum with distinct median longitudinal furrow ..................................................................................... 4

4a. Pronotum with distinct median longitudinal furrow ....................................................................................... S. talpiformis (in part)
4b. Pronotum with at most a slight median impression ....................................................................................... 5

5a. Notauli entirely absent.............................................................................................................................. S. vagabunda (in part)
5b. Notauli present or reduced to pits .............................................................................................................. 6

6a. Notauli complete ..................................................................................................................................... S. talpiformisa (in part)
6b. Notauli incomplete ................................................................................................................................... S. africana
Key to Males
1a. Pterostigma absent; RS+M sessile on Rs ..................................................................................................... 2 (Probethylus)
1b. Pterostigma present; vein RS+M petiolate on Rs .......................................................................................... 3 (Sclerogibba)

2a. Notauli complete or at least reaching half length of scutum............................................................................ P. callani
2b. Notauli not reaching half length of scutum................................................................................................... P. schwarzi

3a. Forewing with enclosed discoidal cells ......................................................................................................... S. africana
3b. Forewing lacking discoidal cells .................................................................................................................. 4

4a. Forewing with very small marginal cell (2R1) ............................................................................................... S. vagabunda
4b. Forewing with large marginal cell (2R1) ...................................................................................................... S.talpiformis
Range
In our area, southern (FL · TX‒OK · AZ‒CA)(1)
Habitat
Larvae are attached externally to nymphal webspinners and develop within the host galleries(1)
Food
hosts: webspinners (Embiidina)
Works Cited
1.A revision of the world Sclerogibbidae (Hymenoptera Chrysidoidea)
Olmi, M. 2005. Frustula Entomologica, N.S., 26-27 (39-40), 46-193.
2.Order Hymenoptera. In: Zhang Z-Q (ed) Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classif. and survey of taxonomic richness
Aguiar AP, Deans AR, Engel MS, Forshage M, Huber JT, Jennings JT, Johnson NF, Lelej AS, Longino JT, Lohrmann V, Mikó I, Ohl M. 2013. Zootaxa 3703: 51–62.