Refine
Year of publication
Document Type
- Part of Periodical (12)
- Article (5)
Language
- English (17)
Has Fulltext
- yes (17)
Is part of the Bibliography
- no (17)
Keywords
- Afrotropical Region (17) (remove)
Taxonomic revision of the African assassin bug genus Fusius (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Peiratinae)
(2023)
The African assassin bug genus Fusius Stål, 1862 is revised after the examination of type specimens with redescriptions of four species. Lectotypes of Pirates (Fusius) H-flavum Reuter, 1881 and Pirates rubricosus Stål, 1855 are designated. The status of P. (Fusius) H-flavum Reuter, 1881 is revalidated with its current name as F. hflavus (Reuter, 1881) stat. rev. et comb. nov. Seven new synonyms are proposed: F. dilutus Miller, 1957 = F. gowdeyi Miller, 1957 syn. nov. = F. liberiensis Miller, 1957 syn. nov. = F. dilutus anonymus Dispons, 1969 syn. nov. = F. dilutus vicinus Dispons, 1969 syn. nov.; F. distinctus Miller, 1957 = F. sylvestris Miller, 1957 syn. nov.; F. hflavus (Reuter, 1881) = F. hargreavesi Miller, 1957 syn. nov.; F. rubricosus (Stål, 1855) = F. ugandensis Miller, 1957 syn. nov. A key is provided to separate the four species of this genus. Diagnosis and distribution of Fusius are briefly discussed.
The planthopper family Caliscelidae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Fulgoromorpha) and the tribe Adenissini are recorded here for the first time from the Socotra Archipelago (Yemen). A new genus, Oceatra gen. nov., is described for two new species from Socotra Island – Oceatra litoralis gen. et sp. nov. (type species) from coastal sand dunes and salt marshes, and O. scandens gen. et sp. nov. from evergreen montane woodland and shrub communities of the Hagher mountains. Oceatra gen. nov. is similar to Perissana Metcalf, 1952 but differs in the structure of the male style and phallobase. A key to distinguish the genera of the subtribe Adenissina is provided.
The Sultanate of Oman is a country on the southeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, near the intersection of the Afrotropical, Palaearctic, and Indomalayan biogeographic realms. We surveyed ants at 18 sites between 16 and 22 November 2017 using beating sheets, hand picking, Malaise traps, sifting trays, sweeping net, and light traps on the coastal plains and monsoon slopes of Dhofar Governorate in southwest Oman, an area that is relatively verdant due to its exposure to monsoons between June and September. We collected 37 ant species, including 11 species recorded for the first time from Oman: Camponotus diplopunctatus Emery, 1915, Cardiocondyla minutior Forel, 1899, Cardiocondyla wroughtonii (Forel, 1890), Carebara arabica (Collingwood & van Harten, 2001), Leptanilla islamica Baroni Urbani, 1977, Monomorium clavicorne André, 1881, Monomorium floricola (Jerdon, 1851), Monomorium sahlbergi Emery, 1898, Strumigenys membranifera Emery, 1869, Anochetus sedilloti Emery, 1884, and Hypoponera ragusai (Emery, 1894). In total, 130 ant species are now known from Oman, including 53 from Dhofar. The known ants of Dhofar are primarily of Afrotropical origin (23 species, 43%), followed by Palearctic (20 species, 38%), and Indomalayan (4 species, 8%), and a single species from both the Malagasy and Neotropical Regions (1%). Five species (9%) are apparently endemic to Dhofar, Lepisiota dhofara Collingwood & Agosti, 1996, Lepisiota elbazi Sharaf & Hita Garcia, 2020, Crematogaster jacindae Sharaf & Hita Garcia, 2019, Meranoplus mosalahi Sharaf, 2019, and Nesomyrmex micheleae Sharaf, 2020. The zoogeography of the Omani ant fauna reflects a clear dominance of faunal elements from the Palearctic Region (68 species, 53%) followed by Afrotropical faunal elements (45 species, 34%), and five species that are broadly spread throughout both the Palearctic and the Afrotropical Regions (4%). There are nine species (6%) from the Indomalayan Region, two species from the Neotropical Region (2%), T. melanocephalum, C. emeryi, and a single species Ph. megacephala (1%) from the Malagasy Region. The number of endemic species (15 species, 12%) is relatively low compared to the large geographical area of Oman and the broad diversity of habitats that characterizes the country.
Although well studied in the Afrotropical Region, the genus Cosmorrhyncha Meyrick, 1913 (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Olethreutinae), has received little attention in the New World, where it apparently is restricted to the Neotropics from Guatemala south to Paraguay. Seven species are recognized, five of which are described as new: C. tonsana (Walker, 1863) (Type locality: Brazil); C. ocelliferana (Walker, 1863) (TL: Brazil); C. landryi Brown and Razowski, sp. n. (TL: French Guiana); C. parintina Brown and Razowski, sp. n. (TL: Brazil); C. macrospina Brown and Razowski, sp. n. (TL: Brazil); C. albistrigulana Brown and Razowski, sp. n. (TL: Costa Rica); and C. osana Brown and Razowski, sp. n. (TL: Costa Rica). Our circumscription of C. ocelliferana is rather broad and most likely encompasses a species complex rather than a single entity. Larvae of C. tonsana have been reared from Picramnia latifolia Tul. (Picramniaceae), Dialium guianense (Aubl.) Sandwith (Fabaceae), and Machaerium seemannii Benth. ex Seem. (Fabaceae) in Costa Rica; and those of C. albistrigulana from Dialium guianense (Fabaceae).
Simulium (Trichodagmia) Enderlein, 1934 has an unstable classification system. The broader concept of the subgenus includes five species-groups resulting from an extensive history of synonymisations, often outside of a phylogenetic framework. This concept also ignores relationship hypotheses with the Afrotropical subgenera S. (Anasolen) Enderlein, 1930, S. (Freemanellum) Crosskey, 1969, S. (Xenosimulium) Crosskey, 1969, and the Oviedoi species-group, with several Neotropical species of S. (Trichodagmia). We performed a morphological phylogenetic analysis to test the monophyly of S. (Trichodagmia), its species-groups, and their relationship with the above-mentioned subgenera and Oviedoi species-group. We analysed a data matrix with 69 terminal taxa and 62 characters under parsimony implied weights, with a range of concavities (k1–100), finding three categories of k. Our analysis concludes that S. (Trichodagmia) is not monophyletic, since Oviedoi and the Afrotropical subgenera group with its species-groups Tarsatum and Orbitale. Therefore, we propose a new classification for S. (Trichodagmia) by restricting it to the Orbitale species-group, revalidating S. (Hearlea) Vargas et al., 1946, S. (Hemicnetha) Enderlein, 1934, S. (Obuchovia) Rubtsov, 1947 and S. (Shewellomyia) Peterson, 1975, synonymysing S. (Xenosimulium) with S. (Anasolen), and erecting a new subgenus, S. (Disculter) subgen. nov. for Oviedoi. The geographical distribution of the groups involved is discussed.
The genus Elaeidobius Kuschel, 1952 (Curculionidae, Curculioniae, Derelomini) is an Afrotropical genus associated with the male inflorescences of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis Jacq. The activity of species in this genus is critical for pollen transportation and for the fruit set of this economically important palm. In this study, the genus Elaeidobius was revised using an integrative taxonomic approach, combining traditional taxonomic treatment of species and an analysis of sequences of mitochondrial genes (COI and COII). A total of eight species is now recognized: five now formally included within it [E. bilineatus Hustache, 1924) comb. nov., E. kamerunicus (Faust, 1898) comb. nov., E. plagiatus (Fåhraeus, 1844) comb. nov., E. singularis (Faust, 1898) comb. nov., E. subvittatus Faust, 1898)], one transferred here from the genus Prosoestus to the genus Elaeidobius, E. spatulifer (Marshall, 1950) comb. nov., and two newly described species (E. pilimargo Haran & Kuschel sp. nov., E. piliventris Haran & Kuschel sp. nov.). The following new synonymies are proposed: Prosoestus armatus Voss, 1956 = E. bilineatus (Hustache, 1924) comb. nov. and Derelomus uelensis Hustache = E. singularis (Faust, 1898). An illustrated key to the species is provided with photographs of the adult habitus and male genitalia.
The flower fly genus Afrosyrphus Curran, 1927 (Diptera, Syrphidae) is revised and a new species, Afrosyrphus schmuttereri sp. nov., from Kenya and Uganda is described. Diagnoses, illustrations, DNA barcodes and known distributional data are provided for the two species of this genus, as well as an identification key. A critical review of the published literature is also provided.
A new genus and species of owlfly from eastern and southern Africa (Neuroptera: Ascalaphidae)
(2018)
The genus Dorsomitus Tjeder, 1992, is considered a nomen nudum. Dorsomitus gen. nov. is described and validated here. A new combination, Dorsomitus neavei (Kimmins, 1949) gen. et comb. nov. is proposed, Dorsomitus tjederi gen. et sp. nov. is described, and Disparomitus neavei Kimmins, 1949, is designated as type species of the genus Dorsomitus gen. nov.
Ten morphologically similar species of Acrapex Hampson, 1891 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae, Apameini) from Central and Eastern Africa are reviewed, including five new species: Acrapex kafula le Ru sp. nov., A. kavumba le Ru sp. nov., A. kiakouama le Ru sp. nov., A. miscantha le Ru sp. nov. and A. simillima le Ru sp. nov. Evidence is provided to transfer the monotypic genus Poecopa Bowden, 1956 to the genus Acrapex. Host plants of five species are recorded, some of them for the first time. Acrapex kavumba sp. nov., A. miscantha sp. nov. and A. simillima sp. nov. were found on one host plant each. Acrapex mediopuncta, previously reported in West Africa from Pennisetum purpureum Schumach., Rottboellia compressa L., Setaria megaphylla (Steud) Dur. & Schinz. and Sorghum arundinaceum (Desv.) Stapf, was only found from S. megaphylla in Central Africa. Larvae of Acrapex unicolora were collected on Andropogon gayanus Kunth, Chrysopogon zizanoides (L.) Roberty, Cymbopogon schoenanthus subsp. proximus (Hochst. ex A.Rich.) Maire & Weller, Cymbopogon pospischiilii (K.Schum.) C.E.Hubb., Hyparrhenia diplandra (Hack.) Stapf and Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss. We also conducted molecular phylogenetic analyses (using maximum likelihood) and molecular species delimitation analyses on a comprehensive sample of 61 specimens belonging to eight of the studied species. Molecular phylogenetic analyses provided additional evidence of the synonymy of Acrapex and Poecopa, whereas molecular species delimitation analyses support the validity of the five newly described species and unravel another potential new species, only collected in the larval stage.
The Afrotropical subgenus Phornus Paulian, 1948 of the genus Orphnus MacLeay, 1819 is revised and currently comprises six species. Four new species are described: Orphnus renaudi sp. nov., Orphnus valeriae sp. nov., Orphnus ferrierei sp. nov. and Orphnus parastrangulatus sp. nov. The subgenus is characterized by the coarse stridulatory field, sclerotized plate on the second abdominal sternite near plectrum, absence of the pronotal lateral processes in males, rounded apices of the parameres and endophallus without armature, although some of these characters differ in O. giganteus Paulian, 1948. Symphysocery is reported for the first time for members of the Orphninae. In O. giganteus, the majority of specimens have malformed antennomeres. Four of the six species of Phornus are brachypterous and all species except for O. giganteus are known only from males. A key to Phornus species and a map of their localities are provided.