Distribution
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Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, Somalia,
South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Palaearctic region: Spain
(Canary Islands). |
Biology |
Circumstantial evidence (host data lacking) suggests
this species is a parasitoid of syrphids: one male deposited in SANCI
(above) has label data stating “ex syrphid pupa in psyillid gall...” |
Diagnosis |
This is the only species of Anacharoides with a
shagreened mesoscutum, entirely lacking rugae and/or strigae; all other
species have much more substantial sculptural elements on the mesoscutum.
Quinlan (1979: figs 74–77) figured A. eurytergis Benoit, A.
nigra Quinlan, A. decellius Quinlan and A. pallida as
all lacking mesoscutal sculpturing; holotypes of the three former
species were all examined and determined to belong to A. striaticeps.
Further, none of these three former species have a shagreened mesoscutum
as does A. pallida; this observation further underscores how
easily these characters can be misinterpreted if lighting is not
carefully controlled. |
References |
Buffington,
M.L. & van Noort, S. 2009.
A world revision of Anacharoides Cameron, 1904 (Hymenoptera:
Figitidae) with a description of a new species. Zookeys 20:
245-274.
Quinlan, J. 1979. A revisionary classification of
the Cynipoidea (Hymenoptera) of the Ethiopian Zoogeographical Region.
Aspicerinae (Figitidae) and Oberthuerellinae (Liopteridae). Bulletin
of the British Museum of Natural History (Entomology) 39: 85-133. |
Credits
|
Photographs
© Simon van Noort (Iziko Museums of South Africa) or
Matt Buffington
(Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA/ARS)
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Next genus: Aspicera |
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