Taxonomy of Hockeria Walker (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) from Neotropical region

Abstract

Hockeria Walker (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) is a worldwide genus with 98 described species. There is no world revision for Hockeria species and evidence indicates it as a polyphyletic group. Here it is presented a taxonomic revision of Hockeria from the Neotropical region based on a morphological approach. Ten species are treated, four new species – H. sp1, H. sp2, H. sp3 e H. sp4 – and six previously described – H. bicolor (Halstead), H. burdicki Halstead, H. burksi Halstead, H. eriensis (Wallace), H. rubra (Ashmead) and H. tenuicornis (Girault). It is provided descriptions and/or diagnosis, illustrations and an identification key for studied species. The geographical distribution of neotropical Hockeria is presented in a map. Two groups of species are proposed for New World Hockeria and they are based on divergent morphological features, host ranges and pattern of geographical distribution. Aspects of geographical distribution, functional morphology and biology are discussed for species of American Hockeria.