''Zelostemma'' is a genus of

parasitoid wasp Parasitoid wasps are a large group of hymenopteran Superfamily (zoology), superfamilies, with all but the wood wasps (Orussoidea) being in the wasp-waisted Apocrita. As parasitoids, they lay their eggs on or in the bodies of other arthropods, ...

s belonging to the family

Platygastridae The hymenopteran family Platygastridae (sometimes incorrectly spelled Platygasteridae) is a moderate-sized group (about 2000 described species) of exclusively parasitoid wasps, mostly very small (1–2 mm), black, and shining, with genicul ...

. The genus was described by in 1989, and is endemic to New Zealand.

Taxonomy

''Zelostemma'' was first described by Czech entomologist Lubomír Masner and Swedish entomologist Lars Huggert in 1989, with the prefix ''Zelo-'' referring to the genus' origin of

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. The genus was originally a

monotypic genus In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...

, with the sole member being ''Zelostemma oleariae'', originally described as ''Eurytoma oleariae'' by William Miles Maskell in 1888 (later known as ''Metaclisis oleariae''). Peter Neerup Buhl identified a new species in 2008, '' Z. chionochloae'', two new species in 2011 with '' Z. altipetiolata'', and '' Z. dromedarium'', followed by the addition of 30 new species in 2017.

Distribution

The genus is endemic to New Zealand.

Species

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q18100230 Taxa described in 1989 Platygastridae Endemic insects of New Zealand Hymenoptera of New Zealand