Afrotropical Cynipoidea (Hymenoptera)
Author
Noort, Simon van
Author
Buffington, Matthew L.
Author
Forshage, Mattias
text
ZooKeys
2015
493
1
176
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.493.6353
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.493.6353
1313-2970-493-1
1FBFFA4CA71F495CAD22F2EB680FEF95
Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Figitidae
Bothrochacis Cameron, 1904
Bothrochacis
(synonyms
Ditrupaspis
Kieffer, 1910d,
Salpictes
Kieffer, 1913b,
Stirencoela
Cameron, 1910)
Remarks.
Not uncommon.
Bothrochacis
has been a small and easily recognisable genus since its original description.
Quinlan's
Afrotropical
Eucoila
species have been known for some time to not fit into
Eucoila
, but nothing has been published about them since their original description. Here we note that they share all the important characteristics of
Bothrochacis
except the very peculiar notched scutellum, and include them here. Most of the characteristics of the genus in the wider sense are also found in the genera
Afrodontaspis
and
Linoeucoila
, but preliminary phylogenetic analyses (
Baiao
and Forshage, unpubl.) have not supported their merging into one genus.
Diagnosis.
Most of the large and dark (black or distinctly bicolored) eucoilines in the Afrotropical region belong to
Bothrochacis
. They can be distinguished from the few others (
Afrodontaspis
,
Linoeucoila
,
Aganaspis
,
Trybliographa
and perhaps some
Trichoplasta
) by having plenty of large truncate setae on pronotum and mesoscutum, and stout setae on the subcosta of the wing. Like other genera of
Eucoilini
, they have subalar pits and glabrous oblique metapleural corners. They have a striate vertex, often have vermiculate-reticulate sculpture on the coxae and large scutellar foveae, usually strong reduction of wing pubescence, and sometimes a notched scutellum.
The core group are the "
erythropoda
species group", coinciding with
Bothrochacis
sensu Quinlan, the species possessing a notched scutellar plate. These are large, typically bicolored, have hairless wings, smooth coxae, and large scutellar foveae.
Appearing like a less modified stem group there is the "
veleda
species group", consisting of species described by Quinlan in
Eucoila
, typically of smaller size, with an evenly arched scutellar plate and smaller scutellar foveae, often with some pubescence on wings. Specimens belonging to this group are sometimes quite similar to
Trybliographa
, rare in the region, common elsewhere, but easily separated by the characters listed above.
Figure 25.
Bothrochacis marina
(Uganda). A habitus lateral view B head and mesosoma dorsal view C head, anterior view.
Distribution.
Mainly Afrotropical but also occuring in the Oriental and Oceanic regions (hitherto unpublished). Afrotropical records: Kenya (
Kieffer 1913b
), Rwanda
(
Benoit 1956a
), Ethiopia (
Belizin 1973
), Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe (
Quinlan 1988
), Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Namibia, Somalia, Tanzania, Zambia (here).
Biology.
One species is recorded as attacking
Muscidae
in dung (
Bridwell 1919
), and due to phylogenetic inference as well as inference based on parallell occurrence of morphological particularities (elsewhere in the
Eucoilinae
as well as in the
Figitinae
) it seems reasonable to assume that most of them have similar habits.
Species
richness.
Bothrochacis erythropoda
species group
Bothrochacis erythropoda
Cameron, 1904 (Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania)
syn
Ditrupaspis semirufa
Kieffer, 1910d
syn
Bothrochacis stercoraria
Bridwell, 1919
syn
Stirencoela striaticollis
Cameron, 1910
Bothrochacis rufiventris
(Kieffer, 1913b) (
Salpictes
) (Kenya)
Bothrochacis septenaria
Belizin, 1973 (Ethiopia)
Bothrochacis serratepilosa
Benoit, 1956a (Rwanda)
Bothrochacis veleda
species group
Bothrochacis bantia
(Quinlan, 1988), comb. n. (
Eucoila
) Type in BMNH studied by MF (Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gambia, Kenya, Madagascar, South Africa, Zimbabwe)
Bothrochacis erinna
(Quinlan, 1988), comb. n. (
Eucoila
) Type in RMCA studied by MB (Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya)
Bothrochacis marina
(Quinlan, 1988), comb. n. (
Eucoila
) Type in BMNH studied by MF (Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe)
Bothrochacis veleda
(Quinlan, 1988), comb. n. (
Eucoila
) Type in BMNH studied by MF (Botswana, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe)