Homolobus


Homolobus is a genus of insects belonging to the family Braconidae.

Description and identification

Homolobus are moderate to large braconids with a body length ranging from 4.4 to 14.6 mm. They have long tibial spurs like the Macrocentrinae but differ in having an occipital carina and shorter, nearly square submarginal cell. The ovipositor is usually very short and hardly extending beyond the apex of the gaster except in species like Homolobus armatus, wherein the ovipositor is 0.77 times the length of the forewing. Many species are testaceous and have large ocelli.
They are separated from the allied Exasticolus in having vein a straight rather than curved.

Distribution

The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution.

Behavior

Homolobus are endoparasitoids of caterpillars, particularly of the families Noctuidae and Geometridae.

Taxonomy and phylogeny

Homolobus is classified within the tribe Homolobini along with Exasticolus. The tribe Homolobini is sister to Westwoodiellini, containing only Westwoodiella. The two tribes Homolobini and Westwoodiellini comprise the subfamily Homolobinae.

Species

There are roughly 55 species of Homolobus divided into 5 subgenera:Homolobus pallidus Homolobus sungkangensis Chou & Hsu, 1995

Subgenus ''Homolobus (Apatia)'' Enderlein, 1918

Homolobus australiensis Homolobus albipalpis Homolobus alternipes van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus arabicus Ghramh, 2012Homolobus elagabalus Homolobus huddlestoni van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus indicus Ahmad & Shuja-Uddin, 2001Homolobus lacteiceps van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus madeirensis van Achterberg & Aguiar, 2009Homolobus maculatus van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus ophioninus Homolobus palidistigmus Homolobus priapus Homolobus pulchricornis Homolobus rufithorax Homolobus truncatoides van Achterberg, 1979

Subgenus ''Homolobus (Chartolobus)'' van Achterberg, 1979

Homolobus infumator Homolobus nigritarsis van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus stevestroudi Sharkey, 2009Homolobus undulatus van Achterberg, 1979

Subgenus ''Homolobus (Homolobus)'' Förster, 1862

Homolobus cingulatus Homolobus discolor Homolobus dauricus Shestakov, 1940Homolobus ethiopicus van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus inopinus van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus luteifasciatus Mateo, 1982Homolobus rufiventralis Mateo, 1982Homolobus rugosus van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus simplex Homolobus sinensis Chen,1991

Subgenus ''Homolobus (Oulophus)'' van Achterberg, 1979

Homolobus acares van Achterberg, 1979>Homolobus annulatus van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus antefurcalis van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus armatus van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus bicolor van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus bohemani Homolobus carbonator Homolobus crenulatus van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus flagitator Homolobus fuscinervis van Achterberg & Shaw, 2009 Homolobus hirashimai Maeto, 1982Homolobus intermedius van Achterberg, 1992Homolobus macropterus van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus mesoxiphius van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus nepalensis van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus nipponensis van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus obscurus van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus occidentalis van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus rectinervis van Achterberg, 1979

Subgenus ''Homolobus (Phylacter)'' Reinhard, 1863

Homolobus annulicornis Homolobus bifurcatus van Achterberg, 1979Homolobus kahonoi van Achterberg, 1992Homolobus meridionalis van Achterberg, 1979

Subgenus ''[incertae sedis]''