Taxonomic information on the Australian Stephanidae is very scarce, consisting of isolated species descriptions by a few early authors.^2,3,5,7,9,14 There are no published keys for the identification of these species, and even the genera cannot be easily recognized using the available literature. The Indo-Australian Parastephanellus, redefined in this work, for example, was never clearly separated from the Neotropical Hemistephanus, redefined by Aguiar¹, a problem which still leads authors into misidentifying these taxa.

Biological information for native Australian stephanids is practically nonexistent, except for a note on ovipositional behavior⁸ and a host record⁶, both reported for unidentified species. Nonetheless, significant literature has been generated on an introduced species, the North American S. cinctipes, imported to Tasmania to help control Sirex noctilio (Siricidae), a pest of pine plantations.^{10, 11, 12}

The objective of this study is to revise the Australian Stephanidae, providing keys, illustrations, descriptions and distribution maps for all valid genera and species, and to generate information to help further understand the genus Parastephanellus, a problem taxon in the phylogenetic study of the family (in preparation).

MATERIAL & METHODS

All Australian museums and all major collections in the world were asked for specimens. A total of 340 specimens were examined, including all types, except Stephanus damellicus Westwood (not found). Species were interpreted mainly from females.