Abstract
The nearctic species of the microgastrine braconid wasp genus Pholetesor are revised for the first time, based on examination of museum specimens and on the results of a broad rearing survey of leafmining moths (the recorded hosts), especially in the western U. S. Twenty one valid species are recognized, two of which (P. viminetorum (Wesmael) and P. circumscriptus (Nees) were previously recorded only from the Palearctic Region, and eleven of which are described as new: P. caloptiliae n. sp., P. chiricahuensis n. sp., P. dixianus n. sp., P. longicoxis n. sp., P. masoni n. sp., P. pinifoliellae n. sp., P. powelli n. sp., P. rhygoplitoides n. sp., P. thuiellae n. sp., P. variabilis n. sp., and P. zelleriae n. sp. Teremys Mason is tentatively placed in synonymy with Pholetesor, thus transferring T. masneri Mason (and the neotropical T. hanniae Valerio and Whitfield) into Pholetesor. Pholetesor is divided into eight species groups, some of which appear to be restricted to the Nearctic Region. All species of the genus are found to attack leafmining or needlemining lepidopteran larvae except P. powelli, which attacks concealed lepidopteran leaf skeletonizers.
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