Ooderidae new status

Ooderini Bouček, 1958. Type genus: Oodera Westwood, 1874.

Diagnosis.

Antenna with 11 flagellomeres, including 3 clavomeres. Eyes ventrally divergent. Clypeus with transverse subapical groove. Labrum exposed, sclerotized. Mandibles with 2 or 3 weakly separated teeth or essentially truncate. Pronotum elongate, with lateral surfaces divergent such that the pronotum islaterally expanded (Fig. 44). Notauli complete, linear except for a short distance anteriorly, and almost meeting posteriorly, forming a distinctive 4-pronged pattern with the also sublinear part of the transscutal articulation that occurs along the anterior edge of the axilla (although this is often broken by a transverse fracture across the sulci) (Fig. 44). Mesoscutellum without a frenum but with an expanded posterior rim of the mesoscutellum that can resemble a frenum; without a distinct axillular sulcus but with some longitudinal sculpture in the axillular area. Mesopleural area without an expanded acropleuron; mesepimeron not extending over anterior margin of metapleuron. All legs with 5 tarsomeres; profemur expanded and with multiple rows of ventral spine-like structures (described in detail by Gibson 2003) (Fig. 45); protibial spur stout and curved; basitarsal comb longitudinal; metafemur not expanded and lacking ventral teeth. Metasoma with syntergum, therefore without epipygium.

Discussion.

Oodera Westwood, the only genus in Ooderidae, is highly distinctive and does not resemble any other Chalcidoidea, especially in mesosomal features. The expanded profemur of Oodera can be compared with that of some Heydeniidae, which is also expanded but lacks the additional rows of spine-like structures of Oodera, instead having broad ventral crest-like projections. Additionally, the laterally expanded pronotum also occurs in some Heydeniidae, which can have a somewhat comparable pattern of sulci on the mesoscutal dorsum, even though they are often less distinct in Heydeniidae . Otherwise, Pelecinellinae ( Pelecinellidae) have parascrobal crests as in Oodera, although the two groups are differ in many other features.