Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Includes Polysphinctini sensu Townes and Townes 1960, much of Ephialtinae of Townes (see
(1))
Numbers
~124 spp. in 25 genera north of Mexico;
(2)(3) 60 genera worldwide.
(4) By far the largest tribe of the subfamily.
Alophosternum genus-group
1. Alophosternum: 1 sp.
Ephialtes genus-group
2. Acropimpla: 2 spp.
3. Anastelgis: 1 sp.
4. Calliephialtes: 4 spp.
5. Dolichomitus: 19 spp.
6. Endromopoda: 4 spp.
7. Ephialtes: 4 spp.
8. Exeristes: 1 sp.
9. Liotryphon: 10 spp.
10. Scambus: 22 sp.
11. Townesia: 1 sp.
Polysphincta genus-group
Polysphincta subgroup
12. Acrodactyla Haliday, 1839 (3 spp.)
13. Acrotaphus Townes, 1960 (3 spp.)
14. Eruga Townes, 1960 (3 spp.)
15. Oxyrrhexis Förster, 1868 (1 sp.)
16. Polysphincta Gravenhorst, 1829 (5 spp.)
17. Sinarachna Townes, 1960 (1 sp.)
18. Zatypota Förster, 1868 (14 spp.)
Piogaster subgroup
19. Piogaster Perkins, 1958 (1 sp.)
Schizopyga subgroup
20. Schizopyga Gravenhorst, 1829 (2 spp.)
21. Zabrachypus Cushman, 1920 (1 sp.)
Tromatobia genus-group
22. Clistopyga: 10 spp.
23. Iseropus: 3 spp.
24. Tromatobia: 5 spp.
25. Zaglyptus: 3 spp.
Identification
Wing venation (Dolichomitus irritator)
Food
Larvae are external parasitoids of larvae, prepupae, and pupae of a number of holometabolous insect orders. Some genera (
Clistopyga,
Tromatobia, and
Zaglyptus) parasitize adult spiders.
(5)Life Cycle
Idiobiont ectoparasitoids. Females of this tribe usually paralyze or kill the host before laying their eggs on it.
Internet References
Fitton, M.G., M.R. Shaw and I.D. Gauld. 1988 Pimpline Ichneumon-flies. Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae (Pimplinae). Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects 7(i).