New distribution records for the rare genus Afrotremex Pasteels (Siricidae: Hymenoptera) and provision of interactive Lucid identification keys to species

By

Van Noort, Simon
Goulet, Henri

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2015-11-23

Original Publication

Biodiversity data journal

Volume

3

Pages

1--11

Subjects

Africa , Afrotremex , Afrotropical region , Distribution , endemic , Hymenoptera , identification keys , Lucid matrix key , Siricidae , Siricoidea

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia Pensoft Publishers [2013]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.3.e7160

 

Abstract

Afrotremex Pasteels, 1951 is a rare genus of wasps endemic to the Afrotropical region, containing 6 species represented by 14 specimens. Specimens were previously only recorded from central Africa: Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon and Uganda.<br> Here we record two additional specimens housed in the Natural History Museum in London (BMNH), one of which is a male of A. xylophagus Goulet, 2014 collected in Ghana (previously Gold Coast). This record extends the known distribution of the genus into west Africa, and represents the second known male specimen for the genus. The other BMNH specimen is a female paratype of A. violaceus Pasteels, 1951 collected in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We provide high quality photographs of these additional two specimens. Images of all six known species are openly available online on WaspWeb. In addition we have developed interactive online Lucid Matrix and Lucid Phoenix identification keys to the species, which are openly available on WaspWeb at: http://www.waspweb.org/Siricoidea/Siricidae/Keys/index.htm