Aphanogmus fumipennis Thomson, 1858

Salden, Tobias & Peters, Ralph S., 2023, Afrotropical Ceraphronoidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera) put back on the map with the description of 88 new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 884 (1), pp. 1-386 : 342-343

Aphanogmus fumipennis Thomson, 1858

Johnson & Musetti 2004: 15‒17.

Aphanogmus fumipennis – Mikó 2012c, 2012d (male genitalia dorsal and median view). — Trietsch et al. 2019: 11‒14 .

Remarks

Male and male genitalia known. The original description ( Thomson 1858) is short and only insufficiently characterizes the species. Dessart (1963a: 394, figs 12‒13) provided a description of a female and a male specimen, including a drawing of the male genitalia. Mikó (2012c, 2012d) provided CLSM volume rendered media files of male genitalia. With this detailed information at hand, robust species delimitations based on the male genitalia are possible (see remarks under A. pilosicoxa sp. nov., A. fraterculus sp. nov., and A. simbai sp. nov.). However, the identity of A. fumipennis is uncertain as it might subsume several species (Mikó I., pers. com.).

Biology

Parasitoid, parasitizes larvae of gall midges ( Diptera : Cecidomyiidae ) which prey on Coccoidea ( Hemiptera ) ( Dessart 1975c: 25). Dessart & Bournier (1971) reported that A. fumipennis parasitizes the pronymphal stages of Thrips tabaci Lindemann, 1889 . This is considered as an accidental host by Dessart (1975c). In the same paper, Dessart (1975c) mentioned that A. fumipennis is often considered as a species associated with ants, but these statements are not reliable given the unclear identity of the species.

Distribution

Afrotropical (including Kenya), Nearctic, Neotropical and Palaearctic.

Type depositories

Female holotype deposited in MNHN and the male allotype is deposited in RBINS.