Prococcobius Hayat, 2015: 107–108. Type species: Prococcobius polaszeki Hayat, 2015 by original monotypy.
Diagnosis
Head prognathous with ∩ shaped fronto-facial sulcus (ffs); toruli inserted at clypeal margin (Figure 10A, B). Body dorsoventrally flattened with gaster more than 2.5× as long as mesosoma (Figures 10A, 11B). Mesosoma with pronotum (no1) strongly enlarged, sometimes narrowly divided (Figure 10C); axilla (ax) not advanced past the transscutal suture; mesoscutellum wider than long, scutellar sensilla absent from the mesoscutellum (mss) (Figures 10D, 11C). Fore wings reduced (Figure 11D). Gastral tergites with dorsal invaginations (Figure 10C).
Comments
Prococcobius Hayat, 2015 was diagnosed based on the following suite of diagnostic characteristics: head subprognathous (Figure 10A); mandible with mandibular rods basally globular (as in Signiphoridae); mesosoma with pronotum (no1) enlarged (Figure 11E), mesoscutellum (mss) transverse, mesoscutellar scutellar sensilla absent (Figures 10D; 11C); fore wing greatly reduced and subcircular, with wing disc asetose, with trace wing venation (Figure 11D); gaster considerably larger than mesosoma (Figure 11E). Prococcobius represents an unusual group within Physcini Yasnosh 1976. Numerous species of undescribed brachypterous Coccobius superficially resemble Prococcobius (Mottern unpublished). However, in Prococcobius the presence of a strongly enlarged pronotum and internal sternal projection (Figure 11F) suggest placement outside of Coccobius. While it is possible that Prococcobius may be an extremely autapomorphic Coccobius, we have chosen to maintain it as a valid genus until sequence data can be collected and analysed.