Leptofoenus is a genus of wasp in the family Pelecinellidae found in South America, Central America, and southern North America.[1][2] The genus contains five living species and one extinct species known from early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola.[1] With body sizes ranging from 11–27 millimetres (0.43–1.06 in) Leptofoenus species are larger than nearly all other species in Chalcidoidea.[1] The genus bears a notable resemblance to the wasp families Pelecinidae, Gasteruptiidae, and Stephanidae.[1]
| Leptofoenus | |
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| Leptofoenus rufus (female) | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Pelecinellidae |
| Genus: | Leptofoenus Smith, 1862 |
| Species | |
Species edit
All six known species are restricted to the western Hemisphere, most being found in South America and only one reaching North America.
- Leptofoenus howardi (Ashmead) Paraguay, Brazil, Surinam
- Leptofoenus peleciniformis Smith Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Costa Rica
- †Leptofoenus pittfieldae Engel Dominican Republic (Early Miocene)
- Leptofoenus rufus LaSalle & Stage Mexico, southwestern USA
- Leptofoenus stephanoides (Roman) Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, French Guiana, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, southern Mexico
- Leptofoenus westwoodi (Ashmead) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Guyana, Trinidad, Panama
References edit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leptofoenus.
Wikispecies has information related to Leptofoenus.
- ^ a b c d Engel, M.S. (2005). "The first fossil leptofoenine wasp (Hymenoptera, Pteromalidae): A new species of Leptofoenus in Miocene amber from the Dominican Republic". ZooKeys (13): 57–66. doi:10.3897/zookeys.13.159. hdl:1808/5595.
- ^ Iturralde-Vinent, M.A.; MacPhee, R.D.E. (1996). "Age and Paleogeographical Origin of Dominican Amber". Science. 273 (5283): 1850–1852. Bibcode:1996Sci...273.1850I. doi:10.1126/science.273.5283.1850. S2CID 129754021.