Revision of the Afrotropical genus Pulchrisolia Szabó (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae, Sceliotrachelinae)

Zachary Lahey,Lubomir Masner,Andrew Polaszek,Simon Van Noort,Norman Johnson

doi:10.3897/jhr.73.33876

Abstract

The genus Pulchrisolia Szabó is revised. Pulchrisolia maculata Szabó is redescribed and nine species are described as new: P. ankremos Lahey, sp. nov. (Ghana, Ivory Coast), P. asantesanavan Noort &amp; Lahey, sp. nov. (South Africa), P. diehoekensis van Noort &amp; Lahey, sp. nov. (South Africa), P. ellieae Lahey, sp. nov. (Madagascar), P. nephelae Lahey, sp. nov. (Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Mali, Nigeria), P. robynae van Noort &amp; Lahey, sp. nov. (South Africa), P. sanbornei Lahey &amp; Masner, sp. nov. (South Africa), P. teras Lahey, sp. nov. (Madagascar), and P. valerieae Polaszek &amp; Lahey, sp. nov. (Zambia). The genus is diagnosed from Afrisolia Masner &amp; Huggert, Isolia Förster, and Sceliotrachelus Brues, and a key is provided to the platygastrid genera of the Isolia-cluster.

Highlights

The genus Pulchrisolia Szabó was erected for the species Pulchrisolia maculata Szabó based on a single female collected in Shirati (Tanzania) by Kálmán Kittenberger in 1909 (Szabó 1959)
Upon accumulation of new material and reexamination of the type, Masner and Huggert (1989) reinstated Pulchrisolia as a valid genus based on a series of characters not found in Sceliotrachelus: fore wing with a short, tubular submarginal vein; a transverse frontal ledge just above the toruli; and a ventrally-produced, apically-bifurcated interantennal process
Pulchrisolia resembles Isolia Förster and Afrisolia Masner & Huggert but can be separated from those genera using some of the characters mentioned above as well as characters unique to each genus

Summary

Introduction

The genus Pulchrisolia Szabó was erected for the species Pulchrisolia maculata Szabó based on a single female collected in Shirati (Tanzania) by Kálmán Kittenberger in 1909 (Szabó 1959). Masner (1964) examined the type and treated Pulchrisolia as a junior synonym of Sceliotrachelus Brues. Upon accumulation of new material and reexamination of the type, Masner and Huggert (1989) reinstated Pulchrisolia as a valid genus based on a series of characters not found in Sceliotrachelus: fore wing with a short, tubular submarginal vein; a transverse frontal ledge just above the toruli; and a ventrally-produced, apically-bifurcated interantennal process. As revealed by this revision, the latter two characters are present in most, but not all, species.

Objectives

Methods