Paramblynotus Cameron, 1908

Noort, Simon van & Buffington, Matthew L., 2013, Revision of the Afrotropical Mayrellinae (Cynipoidea, Liopteridae), with the first record of Paramblynotus from Madagascar, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 31, pp. 1-64 : 4-6

Paramblynotus Cameron

Paramblynotus Cameron, 1908: 299. Type species Paramblynotus puntulatus Cameron by subsequent designation ( Rohwer and Fagan 1917: 372).

Paraegilips Kieffer, 1910b: 335. Type species Paraegilips reticulata Kieffer by monotypy. Synonymized with Paramblynolus by Hedicke (in Hedicke and Kerrich 1940: 179); resurrected as a valid genus by Weld (1952: 164). Synonymy re-established by Ronquist (1995: 34).

Allocynips Kieffer, 1914: 185. Type species Allocynips ruficeps Kieffer [= Paramblynotus ruficollis Cameron] by original designation and monotypy. Synonymized with Paramblynotus by Weld (1930: 137).

Holocynips Kieffer, 1916: 284. Type species Holocynips nigra Kieffer by original designation and monotypy. Synonymized with Paraegilips by Weld (1952: 164). Preoccupied by Holocynips Kieffer, 1910a: 114. Synonymy by Ronquist (1995: 34).

Diholocynips Rohwer & Fagan, 1917: 365. Replacement name for Holocynips Kieffer. 1916 nec Kieffer 1910a.

Mayrella Hedicke, 1922: 190. Type species Mayrella formosana Hedicke by monotypy. Synonymized with Paramblynotus by Weld (1952: 158).

Paribalia Weld, 1922: 325. Type species Paribalia borneana Weld by monotypy. Synonymy by Ronquist (1995: 34).

Stylobrachys Belizin, 1951: 572. Type species Stylobrachys scaber Belizin by original designation and monotypy. Synonymized with Paramblynotus by Kovalev (1994: 414).

Baviana Barbolin, 1954: 125. Type species Baviana ferruginea Barbolin by original designation and monotypy. Synonymized with Paramblynotus by Weld (1962: 279).

Decellea Benoit, 1956: 52. Synonymised with Paramblynotus by Weld (1962; 279); status re-established by Ronquist (1995: 34); synonymy by Liu et al. (2007: 30).

Diagnosis.

Medium-sized to very small cynipoids. Very small species look superficially like cynipids, but careful attention to the relative size of the metasomal terga will help separate Paramblynotus from cynipids. Some superficially resemble figitids, especially Thrasorinae (not found in Africa), but can be separated from the latter by having a deeply foveate pronotum and mesoscutum, as well as by the diagnostic liopterid metasomal tergal arrangement with an enlarged sixth abdominal tergum ( Figs 8A , 13A ). Within Afrotropical Liopteridae, Paramblynotus can be distinguished by lacking any scutellar armament, by the lack of any sort of lobe at the base of the tarsal claws, and by the presence of an axillula (= auricula) on the side of the scutellum ( Fig. 28C ). Two apomorphic characters were proposed by Ronquist (1995) to circumscribe the genus: a well-defined and evenly curved ventral margin to the mesopleural triangle, and the female abdominal tergum six expanded to form the largest tergite in dorsal view. The Paramblynotus yangambicolus species-group has a less well-defined mesopleural triangle ventral margin, which is regarded by Liu et al. (2007) as a reversal, since this species-group is deeply nested within the Paramblynotus clade, and because an irregularly defined margin is a basal character state within the Cynipoidea ( Liu et al. 2007).

Identification.

Online interactive keys to genera of Afrotropical Liopteridae are available at: http://www.waspweb.org/Cynipoidea/Keys/index.htm . A standard dichotomous key is also available online at this URL as well as in Buffington and van Noort (2012). Here we provide keys to the Afrotropical species-groups and Paramblynotus species, which are also available on WaspWeb.

Distribution.

The genus is represented in all biogeographical regions except for the Western Palaearctic and Australia ( Liu et al. 2007; Ronquist 1995). Three species-groups are present in the Afrotropical region: the Paramblynotus trisetosus and Paramblynotus yangambicolus species-groups (two of the seven species-groups recognized by Liu et al. 2007), as well as the new species-group Paramblynotus seyrigi erected here, which are all endemic to the Afrotropical region.

Biology.

The type female of Paramblynotus yangambicolus was captured on a Drypetes gossweileri ( Euphorbiaceae ) log in Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) ( Benoit 1956). Two females of Paramblynotus yangambicolus from Uganda are labelled "ex Coleoptera"; two other females from Uganda are labeled "ex Lepidoptera" ( Ronquist 1995). In fact, no verified host records exist for Liopteridae ( Buffington et al. 2012; Buffington and van Noort 2012).

Comments.

Paramblynotus species are rare in collections. With the exception of Paramblynotus yangambicolus (6F), Paramblynotus fuscapiculus (14F), Paramblynotus zairiensis (2F), Paramblynotus kekenboschi (2F), Paramblynotus jacksoni (5F, 2M), and Paramblynotus scalptus (2F, 1M) the remaining 19 African species of Paramblynotus treated by Liu et al. (2007) were known from single specimens. The current revision is based on the examination of a further 65 specimens that have been recently collected or unearthed in existing collections.

Key to species-groups of Afrotropical Paramblynotus

http://www.waspweb.org/Cynipoidea/Liopteridae/Keys/index.htm

	https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/11696
1	Mesoscutum smooth, shiny with only remnants of transverse costae. Median mesoscutal impression present, reaching halfway to anterior margin. The two scutellar foveae each with four subcarinae creating a transverse row of 10 longitudinally elongate subfoveae. Latero-ventral margin of pronotum angled where it meets lateral pronotal carina. F1 of antenna shorter than F2	Paramblynotus seyrigi species-group ( Paramblynotus seyrigi sp. n.)
	https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/11697
-	Mesoscutum foveate-reticulate, or transversely carinate with foveae set in rows, or with rough discontinuous transverse costae produced into irregularly raised and slightly backward pointing teeth. Median mesoscutal impression, if present, obscured by sculpture. Scutellar foveae usually two in number, or less frequently subdivided into a maximum of 6 subfoveae. Latero-ventral margin of pronotum evenly curved. F1 of antenna equal to or longer than F2	2
	https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/11698
2	Pronotal crest gradually raised, medially forming a conspicuous slightly backward pointing ridge-like tooth. Mesoscutum with rough discontinuous transverse costae produced into irregularly raised and slightly backward pointing teeth. Speculum longitudinally costate. Median propodeal area not delimited by lateral propodeal carinae, posteriorly foveate-reticulate	Paramblynotus yangambicolus species-group
	https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/11699
-	Pronotal crest flat. Mesoscutum foveate-reticulate or with continuous transverse carinae with foveae set in rows. Speculum smooth, rarely longitudinally costate. Median propodeal area distinctly delimited by lateral propodeal carinae, posteriorly not foveate-reticulate	Paramblynotus trisetosus species-group.

Figures

Figure 8. Paramblynotus yangambicolus, holotype female. A lateral habitus B dorsal habitus C head and mesosoma, lateral view D head and mesosoma, dorsal view E mesosoma, lateral view F mesosoma, dorsal view.

Figure 13. Paramblynotus alexandriensis sp. n., holotype female. A lateral habitus B dorsal habitus C head and mesosoma, lateral view D head and mesosoma, dorsal view E head, anterior view F metasoma, lateral view.

Figure 28. Paramblynotus trisetosus, holotype female. A lateral habitus B dorsal habitus C head and mesosoma, lateral view D head and mesosoma, dorsal view E propodeum and metasoma, lateral view F propodeum and metasoma, dorsal view.