Abstract
The ichneumonid subfamily Ophioninae is characterized and a key is presented to the twelve genera that occur in Central and South America. The known distribution and host ranges of the various taxa are briefly outlined.
Six of the genera, Alophophion, Agathophiona, Sicophion, Janzophion, Ophiogastrella and Prethophion are endemic to the Neotropical region. Alophophion is a species-rich genus whose component taxa are restricted to the cooler southern part of South America. The single species of Agathophiona occurs in Mexico. Sicophion and Janzophion contain few species and these occur at moderately high altitudes. The range of Sicophion extends from Bolivia to Costa Rica, whilst Janzophion is only known to occur in Central America. Prethophion is a monobasic genus that occurs in lower montane forests from Bolivia to Costa Rica. Ophiogastrella comprises a few species that are restricted to tropical America; some of these occur in seasonally dry habitats. Nothing is known of the biology of any of the endemic Neotropical genera except Alophophion, one species of which is known to parasitize noctuid larvae. Thyreodon and Rhynchophion are endemic to the New World, but are represented in North America as well as the neotropics. The former is a species-rich genus; most Thyreodon species parasitize sphingid larvae. Rhynchophion contains a very few species of unknown biology. Two cosmopolitan genera, Ophion and Enicospilus, occur in the Neotropical region. The former is most species-rich in cooler areas. Species are known to parasitize noctuid larvae. Enicospilus is an extremely species-rich genus that is represented in tropical America by at least 150 species. It is most diverse in lower montane tropical forests, where species are known to parasitize a variety of lepidopterous hosts, including the larvae of Saturniidae, Noctuidae, Arctiidae, Lymantriidae and Lasiocampidae. The remaining two ophionine genera represented in the Neotropical region are Stauropoctonus and Eremotylus. The former is represented by a few species in tropical forests. Other species of this genus occur in similar habitats in Asia and Madagascar. Eremotylus is a moderately large genus that is best represented in drier parts of the world. Five species occur in Latin America, one in the far south, and the remainder in northern Mexico. A new combination, Alophophion larseni (Enderlein), is proposed.
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