Review of Afrotropical sceliotracheline parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae)

The platygastrid subfamily Sceliotrachelinae, while represented globally by numerous biologically important taxa, is generally poorly known for the Afrotropical region. It contains a number of species of economic significance, including some that attack hemipteran pests of citrus. Here we review the taxonomy of the subfamily for the region. We revise two enigmatic, endemic South African genera, Afrisolia Masner and Huggert and Sceliotrachelus Brues, providing illustrated identification keys to the species. Afrisolia anyskop van Noort & Lahey, sp. nov., Afrisolia quagga van Noort & Lahey, sp. nov. and Afrisolia robertsoni van Noort & Lahey, sp. nov. are described for this previously monotypic genus. Sceliotrachelus was previously known only from the two male type specimens of Sceliotrachelus braunsi Brues. Two new species, Sceliotrachelus midgleyi van Noort, sp. nov. and Sceliotrachelus karooensis van Noort, sp. nov., are described from the Eastern and Western Cape, respectively. The female of S. braunsi is described for the first time and additional distribution records for the species are documented. The putatively basal species, S. karooensis, exhibits less derived morphology than the highly apomorphic S. braunsi, necessitating reassessment of the limits of the genus. The exceptional morphology exhibited by species of Sceliotrachelus is hypothesized to be an adaptation to living in leaf-litter. We also revise the Old World species of Parabaeus Kieffer, describing a remarkable new species, Parabaeus nasutus van Noort, sp. nov., and provide an illustrated and updated key to the species. Fidiobia Ashmead is currently represented in Africa by seven described species to which we add Fidiobia celeritas van Noort & Lahey, sp. nov., a charismatic new species from South Africa. The distribution of the genus Isolia is expanded to include new country records for I. hispanica Buhl (Kenya) and an undescribed species from Madagascar. To facilitate the ongoing exploration and documentation of the African platygastrid fauna, an identification key to Afrotropical sceliotracheline genera and high resolution images of exemplar species for the remaining genera are provided. An overview of known species richness and biology is also included. All images presented here as well as additional images and interactive online Lucid identification keys are available on WaspWeb at http://www.waspweb.org.

DBSCAN and GIE, Two Density-Based “Grid-Free” Methods for Finding Areas of Endemism: A Case Study of Flea Beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) in the Afrotropical Region

Areas of endemism (AoEs) are a central area of research in biogeography. Different methods have been proposed for their identification in the literature. In this paper, a “grid-free” method based on the “Density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise” (DBSCAN) is here used for the first time to locate areas of endemism for species belonging to the beetle tribe Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini in the Afrotropical Region. The DBSCAN is compared with the “Geographic Interpolation of Endemism” (GIE), another “grid-free” method based on a kernel density approach. DBSCAN and GIE both return largely overlapping results, detecting the same geographical locations for the AoEs, but with different delimitations, surfaces, and number of detected sinendemisms. The consensus maps obtained by GIE are in general less clearly delimited than the maps obtained by DBSCAN, but nevertheless allow us to evaluate the core of the AoEs more precisely, representing of the percentage levels of the overlap of the centroids. DBSCAN, on the other hand, appears to be faster and more sensitive in identifying the AoEs. To facilitate implementing the delimitation of the AoEs through the procedure proposed by us, a new tool named “CLUENDA” (specifically developed is in GIS environment) is also made available.

Revision and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Genus Phonoctonus Stål, 1853 (Heteroptera, Reduviidae, Harpactorinae)

This paper presents a taxonomic revision and phylogenetic analysis of nine known species of the genus Phonoctonus Stål, 1853, distributed exclusively in the Afrotropical region. The revision and phylogenetic analysis were performed using morphological data. A full redescription for all species is provided, taxonomical problems are clarified, and diagnostic characters are presented and illustrated. Based on the analysis, thirteen species are recognised as valid: Phonoctonus bifasciatus stat. nov., P. caesar, P. elegans, P. fairmairei stat. nov., P. fasciatus, P. grandis, P. immitis stat. rev., P. luridus, P. lutescens, P. nigrofasciatus stat. rev., P. picta stat. nov., P. picturatus stat. rev., and P. principalis. New synonymies are proposed: Phonoctonus nigrofasciatus= P. fasciatus var. poultoni syn. nov., P. picturatus = P. fasciatus var. discalis syn. nov., and P. principalis = P. validus syn. nov. An identification key to separate the species, drawings of dorsal habitus, and distribution maps of all valid species are presented. Performed morphological phylogenetic analyses indicate monophyly of the genus Phonoctonus.

A review of the genus Scrobipalpa Janse, 1951 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) in the Afrotropical region

The genus Scrobipalpa in the Afrotropical region is revised. Thirty-six species are recognized as valid, 20 of which are described as new: S. ochroxantha sp. nov. (South Africa), S. wieseri sp. nov. (Namibia, South Africa), S. turiensis sp. nov. (Kenya), S. wolframi sp. nov. (Namibia), S. natalensis sp. nov. (South Africa), S. varivansoni sp. nov. (South Africa), S. typica sp. nov. (South Africa), S. staudei sp. nov. (South Africa), S. afromontana sp. nov. (Kenya), S. erexita sp. nov. (South Africa), S. admirabilis sp. nov. (Namibia), S. griseata sp. nov. (South Africa), S. nigristriana sp. nov. (Kenya), S. munita sp. nov. (Malawi), S. ochracea sp. nov. (South Africa), S. asantesana sp. nov. (South Africa), S. selectoides sp. nov. (Namibia, RSA), S. etoshensis sp. nov. (Namibia), S. ethiopica sp. nov. (Ethiopia), and S. agassizi sp. nov. (Kenya). Six new synonyms are established: Phthorimaea blapsigona Meyrick, 1916 and Scrobipalpa asiri Povolný, 1980 syn. nov. of Scrobipalpa concreta (Meyrick, 1914); Scrobipalpa xylochroa Janse, 1963 and S. obsoletella hospes Povolný, 1964 syn. nov. of S. obsoletella (Fischer von Röslerstamm, 1841); S. vicaria (Meyrick, 1921) syn. nov. of S. geomicta (Meyrick, 1918); and Gelechia chersophila Meyrick, 1918 syn. nov. of S. portosanctana (Stainton, 1859). The following new combinations for five species previously placed in Scrobipalpa are proposed: Ephysteris cretigena (Meyrick, 1914) comb. nov., Microlechia colasta (Meyrick, 1921) comb. nov., Schizovalva costimacula (Janse, 1951) comb. nov., Gelechia trychnophylla (Janse, 1960) comb. nov. and Trychnopalpa phalacrodes (Meyrick, 1913) comb. nov. Two species, Phthorimaea pendens Meyrick, 1918 comb. rev. and Homaloxestis ocyphanes Meyrick, 1937 comb. rev., are excluded from Scrobipalpa but no current genus is available. The male genitalia of Scrobipalpa nomias (Meyrick, 1921) are described for the first time. All species are diagnosed, some of them are redescribed based on additional material. Identification keys and photographs of adults and genitalia are provided. New or additional host plants are recorded for Scrobipalpa incola (Meyrick, 1912), S. concreta, S. portosanctana, and S. ergasima (Meyrick, 1916). Scrobipalpa incola is recorded for the first time from Namibia, Tanzania, and Kenya; S. concreta is new for Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, Benin and Mauritius; S. subroseata for Tanzania and Kenya; S. aptatella (Walker, 1864) and S. biljurshi Povolný, 1980 for Ethiopia; S. obsoletella and S. traganella (Chrétien, 1915) for Namibia; S. geomicta for India and Ethiopia; and S. ergasima for Benin, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Yemen.

New troglobitic species of Niambia from Botswana and Namibia (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea)

Three new species in the genus Niambia are described from southern African caves: N. botswanaensissp. nov. from Diviner’s Cave (Botswana), N. ghaubensissp. nov. from Ghaub Cave and N. namibiaensissp. nov. from Märchen Cave (Namibia). All these species show troglomorphic traits such as absence of body pigmentation and eyes. These are the first troglobitic species recorded in the genus. Most of the other species of Niambia are epigean and occur in semi-arid environments in the Afrotropical Region.

A worldwide catalog of the Vermileonidae (Diptera: Brachycera)

The genera and species of worldwide wormlions (Diptera: Rhagionidae) are listed, with annotated references to nomenclature, synonymies and generic combinations, type localities, primary type depositories, distribution, and citations for the most recent revisions. The most diverse genera of the family are Vermileo Macquart, Vermipardus Stuckenberg and Lampromyia Macquart, with 13 described species each. The bulk of Vermileonidae diversity, with nearly half of the valid species, remains in the Afrotropical region.

Review of Centroptella Braasch & Soldán 1980 (Ephemeroptera, Baetidae)

The Eastern Hemisphere genus Centroptella Braasch & Soldán 1980 (s. l.) is divided into three subgenera, the subgenus Centroptella s. str., the subgenus Crassolus Salles et al. 2016 and the subgenus Chopralla Waltz & McCafferty 1987. Among them, Centroptella s. str. and Crassolus are more closely related one to another than to Chopralla, that in the hierarchical nomenclature can be expressed as the following: Centroptella/g1 {Chopralla + Centroptella/g2 {Crassolus + Centroptella/g3}}. The subgenus Centroptella s. str. is distributed in the Oriental Region and Australia; it includes the following species: Centroptella (s. str.) longisetosa Braasch & Soldán 1980 with a new subspecies C. longisetosa cinerea subsp. n. (described here from southern India based on larvae, subimagines, imagines of both sexes and eggs associated by rearing); C. (s. str.) femorata sp. n. (described here from Lombok Island based on larva, subimago and male imago associated by rearing); C. (s. str.) soldani Müller-Liebenau 1983 (known from Sri Lanka and redescribed here based on larvae, female subimagines and eggs associated by rearing); C. (s. str.) ornatipes sp. n. (described here from southern India based on larvae, subimagines, imagines of both sexes and eggs associated by rearing); C. (s. str.) breviseta sp. n. (described here from New Guinea based on larvae, subimagines, female imagines and eggs associated by rearing); C. (s. str.) illiesi (Lugo-Ortiz & McCafferty 1998) (known from Australia and redescribed here based on non-reared larvae, subimagines and imagines); C. (s. str.) fustipalpus (Lugo-Ortiz & McCafferty 1998) (known from Australia as larvae only); C. (s. str.) quadrata Shi & Tong 2019 (known from China as larvae only); C. (s. str.) sp. cf. quadrata (reported here from Borneo based on male and female larvae ready to molt to subimago); C. (s. str.) ovata Shi & Tong 2019 (known from China as larvae only); and C. (s. str.?) papilionodes Marle et al. 2016 (known from Borneo as larvae only). The subgenus Crassolus is distributed in the Afrotropical Region, Oriental Region and southern Palaearctic Region; it includes the following species: Centroptella (Crassolus) inzingae (Crass 1947) (known from South Africa as larvae and imagines); C. (Crassolus) saxophila (Agnew 1961) (known from South Africa and redescribed here based on larvae, subimagines, imagines of both sexes and eggs associated by rearing); C. (Crassolus) ludmilae sp. n. (described here from Tanzania based on larvae, subimagines, imagines of both sexes and eggs associated by rearing), C. (Crassolus) ingridae Kluge et al. 2020 (known from Indochina and here redescribed based on larvae, subimagines, imagines of both sexes and eggs associated by rearing), C. (Crassolus) pontica (Sroka et al. 2019) (known from Turkey as larvae only); C. (Crassolus?) bifida (Shi & Tong 2019) (known from China as larvae only); C. (Crassolus?) sp. «Nepal» (reported here from Nepal based on larva. The subgenus Chopralla is distributed in the Oriental Region; it includes the following species: Centroptella (Chopralla) ceylonensis Müller-Liebenau 1983 (= C. similis Müller-Liebenau 1983 syn. n.) (known from southern India and Sri Lanka and redescribed here based on larvae, subimagines, imagines of both sexes and eggs associated by rearing); C. (Chopralla) ghatensis sp. n. (described here from southern India based on larvae, subimagines, imagines of both sexes and eggs associated by rearing); C. (Chopralla) rufostriata sp. n. (described here from Lombok Island based on larvae, subimagines, imagines of both sexes and eggs associated by rearing); C. (Chopralla) papuanica sp. n. (described here from New Guinea based on larvae, subimagines, female imagines and eggs associated by rearing); C. (Chopralla) pusilla Müller-Liebenau 1984 (known from Borneo and redescribed here based on male larvae ready to molt to subimago); C. (Chopralla) kangi sp. n. (described here from Borneo based on male and female larvae ready to molt to subimago); C. (Chopralla) colorata Soldán et al. 1987 [= C. fusina (Tong & Dudgeon 2003) syn. n.] (known from Vietnam and China as larvae and imagines associated by rearing); and C. (Chopralla) bintang Marle et al. 2016 (known from Borneo as larvae only).

First record of the genus Gnathochorisis Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Orthocentrinae) from the Afrotropical region, with descriptions of two new species from Kenya

The genus Gnathochorisis Förster, 1869 is recorded from the Afrotropical region for the first time: G. malavensis sp. n. and G. ventralis sp. n. are described from Kenya. A key to the Afrotropical species of the genus is provided.