Xyalophora tintini van Noort, Buffington & Forshage

Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, South Africa.

Unknown.

Etymology

The specific epithet tintini is in the genitive case and is for Tintin, the comic book character by Hergé, whose adventures in the Congo have done much to popularise the country in a very controversial manner in parts of the world. The Xyalophora spine may possibly suggest Tintin’s famous tuft of hair.

References

Benoit, P.L.G. 1956. Figitinae nouveaux du Congo Belge (Cynip.-Figitidae). Revue de Zoologie et de Botanique Africaines 53: 377–384. Ionescu, M.A. 1969. Hymenoptera Cynipoidea. Fauna Republicii Socialiste România, Insecta vol IX, fasc 6, 292 pp.

Jiménez, M., Paretas-Martínez J. & Pujade-Villar, J. 2008. Revision of Xyalophora Kieffer and description of Xyalophoroides gen. n. (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Figitinae). European Journal of Entomology 105: 751–769.

van Noort, S, Buffington ML & Forshage, M. 2015. Afrotropical Cynipoidea (Hymenoptera). ZooKeys 493: 1-176. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.493.6353

van Noort, S, Buffington ML & Forshage, M. 2014. Review of Afrotropical Figitinae (Figitidae, Cynipoidea, Hymenoptera) with the first records of Neralsia and Lonchidia for the region. ZooKeys 453: 37–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.453.8511

Credits

Photographs © Simon van Noort (Iziko Museums of South Africa)

Matt Buffington (Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA/ARS) and Mattias Forshage (Swedish Museum of Natural History) both played an integral role in the development of the Cynipoidea pages.