Capitonius sp. (Braconidae, Cenocoeliinae) – an evanoid ‘mimic’

Amongst the evanoid wasps I have found quite a few of these little wasps. At first I thought that they must be evanoids because the gaster is mounted very high on the propodeum but on closer inspection they have fused costal veins and so they actually key (in Goulet & Huber, 1993) to Braconidae. Then in the key to braconid subfamilies (Acterberg, 1993) they go to an unusual little family called Cenocoeliinae. Of course, they aren’t true mimics but they have evolved a similar arrangement of gaster & propodeum to the evanoids.

• Achterberg, C. van, 1993. Illustrated key to the subfamilies of the Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea.― Zoologische Verhandelingen Leiden 283: 1-189, figs 1-66, photos 1-140, plates 1-102.
• Goulet, H. and Huber, J.T. (eds). 1993. Hymenoptera of the world: an identification guide to families. Agriculture Canada Research Branch, Monograph No. 1894E. 668 pp.