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Pycnostigmus mastersonae Buffington & van Noort

(Life: Kingdom: Metazoa (animals); Phylum: Arthropoda; Class: Hexapoda; Order: Hymenoptera; Superfamily: Cynipoidea; Family: Figitidae; Subfamily: Pycnostigminae; Genus: Pycnostigmus)

Pycnostigmus mastersonae Buffington & van Noort 2007. Holotype: in Iziko South African Museum. Type Locality: Langberg Farm (3km 270º W Langebaanweg), 32º58.461'S 18º07.344'E (Western Cape Province, South Africa)

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Pycnostigmus_mastersonae_habitus Pycnostigmus_mastersonae_head
Pycnostigmus_mastersonae_mesosoma_lateral Pycnostigmus_mastersonae_mesosoma_dorsal
Pycnostigmus_mastersonae_mesosoma Pycnostigmus_mastersonae_wing
Pycnostigmus_mastersonae_labels  
Distribution

South Africa: Western Cape Province: West Coast Fossil Park; Langberg Farm; Koeberg Nature Reserve

Biology

Unknown

Diagnosis

 Separated from all other species of Pycnostigmus by having head and mesosoma (including coxae) metallic green-gold.

Etymology

Jill Masterson was murdered by Auric Goldfinger in the Fleming (1959) based United Artists movie Goldfinger. Masterson supposedly died by dermal asphyxiation when she was completely covered in gold paint. Her name is used since this species of Pycnostigmus is the only known metallic cynipoid.

References

Buffington, M.L. & van Noort, S. 2007. A world revision of Pycnostigminae (Cynipoidea: Figitidae) with descriptions of seven new species. Zootaxa 1392: 1-30

Credits

Photographs © Simon van Noort (Iziko Museums of Cape Town), first published in Zootaxa 1392

Matt Buffington (Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA/ARS) played an integral role in the development of the Cynipoidea pages

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Web author Simon van Noort (Iziko South African Museum)

Copyright 2004-2010 Iziko Museums of Cape Town

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