Casinaria

Description of the genus Casinaria HOLMGREN, 1859

Body length 5-12 mm, body moderately stout to very slender. Margins of eyes strongly indented opposite antennal toruli. Face narrower than frons. Malar spaces short, distinctly shorter than mandibular width. Temples moderately to very short and flat, head 2-2.5x wider than long. Prepectal carina narrow or ± lamelliform elevated behind fore coxae, rarely present on transversal parts. Postpectal carinae complete. Mesopleural suture or at least its median 0.3 impressed as a sharp groove. Propodeum moderately to very long, its apex between basal 0.3 and apex of hind coxae, usually with ± strong median longitudinal trough, usually not or only basally carinated, but sometimes with complete carination. Areolets present, usually stalked, outer angles of dicoidal cells usually acute, but sometimes rectangular. Nervelli of hind wings usually not or indistinctly intercepted. Basal part of 1 st metasomal segment cylindric or weakly depressed; this section long, the suture separating its sternite from tergite at or slightly above the midheight. Ovipositor sheaths short, rarely extending shortly the metasomal apex. Apex of male clasper rounded or somewhat elongate, without a subapical dorsal notch. No distinct sexual dimorphism in structure and coloration (sexes are sometimes difficult to identify unequivocally without preparation of genitalia).

Hosts: Usually Lepidoptera of the families Noctuidae, Geometridae, and rarely Arctiidae, Nymphalidae, Elachistidae, Psychidae, Lasiocampidae, and Erebidae.