REMARKS ON SC ELIO TRA CHEL US BRUES AND 
ALLIED GENERA 
( HYMENOPTERA, PLATYGASTERIDAE) * 
By Lubomi'r Masner 
Department of Insect Pathology, Institute of Entomology 
Czechoslovak Academy of Science, Prague 
In 1908 Brues (in Wytsman, Genera Insectorum) described a 
peculiar new genus Sceliotrachelus Brues from South Africa. At the 
same time he erected the new subfamily Sceliotrachelinae to comprise 
the single genus Sceliotrachelus Brues. Having some doubts on the 
phylogenetic relationships of this curious genus (and subfamily as 
well) Brues decided to place it in Scelionidae between the subfamilies 
Telenominae and Baeinae. He says: “The species upon which this 
genus is based is without doubt one of the most remarkable insects 
which I have ever seen. For some time I was undecided to what 
family it could be referred, but after much thought, I believe that 
it shows the greatest affinity to certain Telenominae or Teleasinae, 
although the relationship is by no means close. The large pronotum 
and the small mesoscutum are unique in this and related families, but 
the form and insertion of the antennae, and the configuration of the 
abdomen undoubtedly denote relationship to either the Ceraphronidae, 
Scelionidae or Platygasteridae”. Brues established his new subfamily 
first of all on the large pronotum and on the morphology of the 
wings. Kieffer (1926) did not recognize the subfamily Sceliotrache- 
linae and included Sceliotrachelus Brues among the Platygasterinae 
(tribe Platygasterini) . Contrary to Brues (1908) he emphasized 
that the shape of the scutellum in Sceliotrachelus Brues exhibits a 
close relationship with Chalcididae (!) rather than with families 
mentioned by Brues. So far as known to the author there is no study 
referring to this problem except for the two mentioned above. 
The description (and the figure as well) does not give a clear idea 
of the relationships of the genus. We have had the opportunity of 
examining the male paratype of Sceliotrachelus braunsi Brues. Un- 
fortunately, we cannot agree with either Brues or Kieffer regarding 
the position of this genus. After examining the paratype we have no 
doubt that Sceliotrachelus Brues belongs to the family Platygasteridae. 
There is no evidence of relationship either with the Scelionidae or 
even the Ceraphronidae. Kieffer’s (1926) conjecture on the rela- 
*Manuscript received by the editor September 8, 1963. 
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