Xenocynips Kieffer

Buffington, Matthew L. & Noort, Simon van, 2012, Revision of the Afrotropical Oberthuerellinae (Cynipoidea, Liopteridae), ZooKeys 202, pp. 1-154 : 109-110

Xenocynips Kieffer

Xenocynips Kieffer, 1910b:340.Type species: Xenocynips subsquamata Kiefferby monotypy.

Diagnosis.

Metasomal terga 3-5 fused, with inter tergal sutures partially visible; lower mesopleuron horizontally striate. Tessmannella is most easily confused with Xenocynips ; the fusion of terga in Xenocynips is a very reliable and clearly visible character. Additionally, most species of Xenocynips possess a dorsoventrally striate lateral aspect of the scutellum, posterior to the auricula; this is useful for specimens in which the metasoma is missing.

Distribution.

Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Biology.

Unknown.

Comments.

This little known genus was treated by both Quinlan (1979) and Ronquist (1995), the latter providing a proper redescription of the genus as well as apomorphies supporting its monophyly (included here as diagnostic characters). Quinlan (1979) reported the holotype of Xenocynips subsquamata as missing, but Ronquist (1995) reported the type in DEIC, and it is figured here (Fig. 56). This species, in addition to the two described here as new, bring the total number of Xenocynips species to three.

Included species.

Xenocynips rhothion Buffington & van Noort, sp. n.

Xenocynips ronquisti Buffington & van Noort, sp. n.

Xenocynips subsquamata Kieffer, 1910b: 340

Key to species of Xenocynips (both sexes)

(Available online at http://www.waspweb.org/Cynipoidea/Keys/index.htm)