A REVISION OF COSMIOCRYPTUS IN THE COASTAL 
DESERT OF PERU AND NORTH CHILE 
(HYMENOPTERA: ICHNEUMONIDAE) 
By Charles C. Porter 1 
Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University 
Bronx, NY 10458 
Introduction 
Taxonomy and Relationships 
Cosmiocryptus, as here defined, ranges from Ecuador to Peru, 
Bolivia, Brasil, Argentina, and the Neantarctic regions of Chile. 
Like its close relative Trachsphyrus, this genus prefers Andean (up 
to at least 4000 m), semiarid, and temperate habitats, but also has a 
few specialized representatives in tropical South America below the 
equator and outside the Amazon Basin. 
Cosmiocryptus includes at least 50 described species (Porter 1967) 
plus as many as 100 still undescribed representatives. My concept of 
Cosmiocryptus (NEW STATUS) includes most of the species 
placed by Townes (1969: 179-81) under Chromocryptus, with the 
exception of Chromocryptus itself (which I recognize as a separate 
genus restricted to species intimately related to Phygadeuon Plano- 
sae Fitch). It should be noted that Townes (1969: 181) tentatively 
synonymizes Cosmiocryptus with Trachysphyrus. However, Cos- 
miocryptus does not fit in Trachysphyrus, as defined either by 
Townes or by me, since its type species has the axillus vein “parallel 
to the anal margin of the hind wing” (Townes 1969: 159) and so will 
run in Townes key (1969: 159-65) to Chromocryptus. 
Cosmiocryptus is a heterogeneous assemblage of perhaps diverse 
affinities. Some of its species superficially resemble Holarctic 
members of the related genera Itamoplex and Caenocryptus. Others 
may be close to the large but as yet little studied temperate Austral- 
ian and Tasmanian “trachysphyroid” fauna. It is thus not possible 
'Research Associate, Florida State Collection of Arthropods, Florida Department of 
Agriculture and Consumer Services, P.O. Box 1269, Gainesville, FL 32602 
Manuscript received by the editor May 10, 1985. 
