REVISION OF THE NEW WORLD CHRYSOLAMPINAE (HYMENOPTERA: CHALCIDOIDEA)

Abstract
The taxonomy and biology of New World species of Chrysolampinae are reviewed with diagnoses given for the subfamily, genera, and species. A key to the species of Chrysolampus and a summary of geographic distribution and information on host and floral associations are presented. Three new species are described from North America (Chrysolampus improcerus, C. luridus and C. elegans); Chrysolampus lycti Crawford is transferred to Perilampus and synonymized with the European species P. micans Dalman. The genus Chrysomalla is recorded in the New World for the first time based on the new species Chrysomalla hesperis. An explanation of the historical biogeography of the genera is proposed that is consistent with Late Cretaceous and Tertiary geological, botanical, and climatic information. It is suggested that the extant species are descendents of elements of a widely distributed arid biota.