Eucharissa insolita

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Eucharissa insolita
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Eucharitidae
Subfamily: Eucharitinae
Genus: Eucharissa
Species: E. insolita
Binomial name
Eucharissa insolita
Heraty, Mbanyana, van Noort, 2020

Identification

Distribution

Habitat

Biology

Host ant: Bothroponera granosa

Nomenclature

Description

This species shares the following features with Eucharissa natalica Westwood: 16 antennal segments, flagellomeres of male with long dorsal rami, absence of a pronounced interantennal process, labrum transverse and hidden behind clypeus, hind tibia with one spur, and head and mesosoma dark blue. The major difference is the presence of basket-like, double-branched rami on all but the last flagellomere. This form of the antenna is most similar to E. stigmatica Westwood (cf. Westwood 1874.

Holotype. South Africa: Mpumalanga: 2km E R532 on God’s Window sideroad, 1495m, 24°54'32"S, 30°51'38"E, 07 Dec 2016, N. Mbanyana & S. van Noort; nest #48 found at the base of a grass tussock with soil and gravel around the entrance; ex Bothroponera granosa (1 ♂, SAM-HYM-P095050); deposited in SAMC; ant host voucher (SAM-HYM-C028101; SAMC).

References

  • Heraty JM, Mbanyana N, Noort SV (2020) A new species of Eucharissa Westwood (Eucharitidae) from South Africa, with an evaluation of the importance of pupae for assessing relationships in these ant parasitoids. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 79: 43–55. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.79.56042