Stenodontus Berthoumieu, 1897
Stenodontus is a moderate-sized genus present in thoughout the Holarctic region and as far as northern South America in the Neotropics. In North America, there is only a single described species but there are at least three that are undescribed.
Stenodontus is similar to Heterischnus in that both have a unidentate, sickle-shaped mandible but Stenodontus have narrow gastrocoeli and thyridia and the scutellum is flatter (at least in Nearctic species) than in Heterischnus. There are also major color differences between all species of the two genera.
There is an ongoing effort to revise the Nearctic Stenodontus, however, there are uncertainties regarding the limits of two species. Also, Stenodontus CA1 is only known from a damaged male specimen collected in the southern Sierra Nevadas. Additional specimens would be of great assistance to the project. The southern Sierras in general are poorly collected for Ichneumonidae. If you live in the region, feel free to contact me for details about helping collect via Malaise trap collecting.
Biology
None of the North American species have been reared but the Palearctic species have been reared from Tortricidae, Crambidae, and Erebidae.
Diagnosis
- unidentate, sickle-shaped mandible
- scutellum weakly convex and not significantly raised above postscutellum
- gastrocoeli and thyridia small
- female metasomal apex oxypygous