Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 3183 No. 1: 6 Feb. 2012
Type: Articles
Published: 2012-02-06
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3183.1.3
Page range: 49–64
Abstract views: 77
PDF downloaded: 5

The first record of Astichus Förster (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Entiinae), parasitoids of Ciidae (Coleoptera) in bracket fungi, from the Afrotropical Region and the description of four new species from South Africa

Formerly Biosystematics Division, Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Council, Private Bag X134, Queenswood, Pretoria,0121, South Africa
Hymenoptera Euderinae fungus beetles Agaricomycetes Polyporales endo-parasitoid

Abstract

The genus Astichus Förster (Eulophidae: Entiinae) is recorded for the first time from sub-Saharan Africa and four newspecies are described from South Africa: A. micans n. sp., A. silvani n. sp., A. gracilis n. sp. and A. naiadis n. sp. .Astichusspecies are known as parasitoids of Ciidae (Coleoptera) tunnelling and living in bracket fungi. The South African speciesemerged together with Ciidae from a variety of bracket fungi from many localities in the region. They are easily separatedfrom known Astichus species from other regions in the world by their distinctive colour and patterning. A key to the SouthAfrican Astichus species, distribution maps, and notes on biology are included, as well as identifications of Ciidae and bracket fungus specimens encountered in the study.

References

  1. Askew, R.R. (2007) Two new species of Tetrastichinae (Hym., Chalcidoidea, Eulophidae) emerging from bracket fungi. Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine, 143, 233–237.

    Bouček, Z. (1963) Studien über europaische Eulophidae, III: Euderinae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea). Beiträge zur Entomologie, 13, 257–281.

    Bouček, Z. (1976) African Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera): new taxa, synonomies and combinations. Journal of the entomological Society of southern Africa, 39 (1), 9–31.

    Bouček, Z. (1988) Australasian Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera). A Biosystematic Revision of Genera of Fourteen Families, with a Reclassification of Species. CAB International, Wallingford, 832 pp.

    Doğanlar, M. (1992) A new species of Astichus Förster from Corsica. Spixiana, München, 15(3), 281–284.

    Förster, A. (1851) Eine Centurie neuer Hymenopteren. Vierte und fünfte Dekade. Verhandlungen des Naturhistorischen Vereins der Preussischen Rheinlande und Westfalens. Bonn, 8, 1–42.

    Förster, A. (1856) Hymenopterologische Studien. 2. Chalcidiae und Proctotrupii. 152 pp. Aachen.

    Gibson, G.A.P., Huber, T.J., Wooley, J.B. (Eds) (1997) Annotated Keys to the Genera of Nearctic Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera). NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 794 pp.

    Girault, A.A. (1913) Australian Hymenoptera Chalcidoidea - IV. The family Eulophidae with descriptions of new genera and species. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 2, 176.

    Girault , A.A. (1915) Australian Hymenoptera Chalcidoidea - IV. Supplement. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 3, 212.

    Girault, A.A. (1920) New genera and species of chalcid-flies from Australia. Insecutor Inscitiae Menstruus, 8, 37–50.

    Girault , A.A. (1927) Notes on and descriptions of chalcid wasps (Chalcididae) in the South Australian Museum. Records of the South Australian Museum, 3, 336.

    Girault, A.A. (1933) ‘Some beauties inhabitant not of commercial boudoirs but of natures bosom, notably new insects.’ The privately published papers of AA Girault. 5pp. Brisbane. In: Gordh et al. 1979, Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 28, 302.

    Hansson, C. & Straka, J. (2009) The name Euderinae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is a junior homonym. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 111, 272–273.

    Hedqvist, K.J. (1969) Notes on the genus Astichus Först. and description of a new species Entomologisk Tidskrift, 90(3/4), 166–173.

    Noyes, J.S. (2002) Interactive Catalogue of World Chalcidoidea. 2nd Edition. CD-ROM. The Natural History Museum and Dicky S. Yu, London, U.K.

    Lopes-Andrade C, Matushkina N, Buder G, Klass K-D. (2009) Cis pickeri sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Ciidae) from Southern Africa. Zootaxa, 2117, 56–64.

    Tachikawa, T. (1977) Two new species of Astichus parasitic on ciid beetles from Japan. Transactions of the Shikoku Entomological Society, 13(3/4), 123–127.

    Tachikawa, T. (1983) A new species of Astichus parasitic on a ciid beetle from Borneo. Contributions of the American Entomological Institute, 20, 189–190.

    Tachikawa, T. (1984) A new eulophid parasite of a ciid beetle from Japan. Transactions of the Shikoku Entomological Society, 16 (3), 45–47.

    Tachikawa, T. (1987) A new species of the genus Astichus parasitic on a ciid beetle from the Philippines. Transactions of the Shikoku Entomological Society, 18(3/4), 301–303.

    Walker, F. (1872) Notice of species found in Madeira. Notes on Chalcididae. London. p.126.

    Yoshimoto, C.M.(1970) A new species of Astichus associated with the birch bracket fungus, Polyporus betulinus, and woody fungus, Ganoderma applanatum, in eastern Canada. Canadian Entomologist, 102(6), 656–659.