Zele Curtis, 1832

Fang, Yu, van Achterberg, Cornelis, Tang, Pu & Chen, Xue-xin, 2025, Revision of genus Zele Curtis (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Euphorinae) from China, with description of nineteen new species, ZooKeys 1248, pp. 125-208 : 125-208

Zele Curtis, 1832

Zele Curtis, 1832: 415. Type species (by original designation): Zele testaceator Curtis, 1832 (= Zele albiditarsus Curtis, 1832; van Achterberg, 1979: 359). Type locality: U. K. • ♀; England, Coomb Wood; 25 Jul.; (Melbourne Museum, Carlton).

Diagnosis.

Antescutal depression of pronotum absent; first tergite almost always not or only slightly narrowed behind spiracles and spiracle situated submedially or behind middle of tergite; first metasomal tergite petiolate or very elongate and dorsal carinae absent; The genus can be recognised from other genera of Euphorinae by the presence of the vein r-m of the fore wing, the second submarginal cell of fore wing rhomboid or quadrate; an apically widened marginal cell of the hind wing (but sometimes only slightly so), and largely setose fourth and fifth metasomal tergites (but specimens stored for long time in alcohol may have lost their setae).

Distribution.

Widespread, but absent in the Afrotropical and Australian regions.

Biology.

Koinobiont endoparasitoids of larvae of Lepidoptera species belonging to the families Arctiidae , Gelechiidae , Geometridae , Hepialidae , Lasiocampidae , Limacodiadae, Lymantriidae , Noctuidae , Pyralidae , and Saturniidae .