Xanthoteras Ashemad, 1897

Xanthoteras Ashemad, 1897 , re-established genus

Beutenmueller (1911) originally described Dryophanta clavula . Subsequently, Kinsey (1930: 215) reassigned this taxon as a variety of Cynips (Antron) teres (Weld) .However, due to the preoccupation of the name clavula , he proposed the replacement name Cynips teres var. clavuloides . Later, Burks (1979) recognized this species within Xanthoteras Ashmead, 1897 , a placement later formalized by Dailey and Menke (1980), who transferred it to Xanthoteras and designated a lectotype. Finally, Melika and Abrahamson (2002) transferred this species to Atrusca .

Based on a critical re-examination of the diagnostic character states, we re-establish the genus Xanthoteras gen. rev. and transfer back the species X. clavuloides ( Kinsey, 1930) , comb. rev. while recognizing that the limits of this genus are still uncertain and require revision. Recent phylogenetic studies have shown that the genus Atrusca and X. clavuloides comb. rev. are closely related along with Cynips (= Besbicus ), Philonix and some Sphaeroteras ( Nicholls et al. 2017, Melika et al. 2021a, 2021b, Nieves-Aldrey et al. 2021, Cuesta-Porta et al. 2023). However, the morphology of X. clavuloides comb. rev. does not align with Atrusca given the presence of the malar sulcus. Preliminary molecular analyses (James Nicholls, unpublished data) suggest that X. clavuloides comb. rev. forms a distinct lineage independent from Atrusca and Sphaeroteras . Thus, a detailed revision of all species from Spheroteras and Xanthoteras is necessary to establish the true limits of the two genera.