Afronympha, a new genus of Entedoninae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) from the rainforests of Africa.

Afronympha gen. nov. is described for the single known species A. eminpashai sp. nov. collected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. This new genus is similar to some extent to Asecodes, but differs from this and other genera of Entedoninae in having a produced and medially notched anterior margin of the clypeus, and robust mandibles. Similarities and differences between Afronympha and other genera are discussed. The type species, A. eminpashai sp. nov., was collected in degraded mid-altitude rainforest in Kibale National Park, western Uganda and disturbed areas of lowland rainforest in the Ituri region of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, suggesting its ecological plasticity under circumstances of habitat transformation.

First report of the lace bug Neoplerochila paliatseasi (Rodrigues, 1981) (Hemiptera: Tingidae) infesting cultivated olive trees in South Africa, and its complete mitochondrial sequence.

Olive lace bugs are small phytophagous Hemipteran insects known to cause agricultural losses in olive production in South Africa. Plerochila australis (Distant, 1904) has been reported as the species responsible for damage to olive trees; however, the diversity of olive lace bug species in the region has lacked attention. Adult olive lace bugs were collected incidentally from wild and cultivated olive trees in the Western Cape Province, and identified as P. australis and Neoplerochila paliatseasi (Rodrigues, 1981). The complete mitochondrial genome of a representative specimen of N. paliatseasi was sequenced, and used for comparative mitogenomics and phylogenetic reconstruction within the family. Furthermore, the value of DNA barcodes for species identification in Tingidae was assessed using genetic clustering and estimates of genetic divergence. The patterns of genetic clustering and genetic divergence of COI sequences supported the morphological identification of N. paliatseasi, and the utility of DNA barcoding methods in Tingidae. The complete mitogenome sequence had the typical Metazoan gene content and order, including 13 PCGs, 22 tRNAs, two rRNAs, and an AT-rich non-coding region. A+T content was high, as commonly found in Tingidae. The phylogenetic reconstruction recovered Agramma hupehanum (Drake Maa 1954) as basal to Tingini, and as a sister species to N. paliatseasi. Stephanitis Stål 1873 and Corythucha Stål 1873 were monophyletic, but Metasalis populi (Takeya 1932) was not recovered as sister to Tingis cardui (Linnaeus 1746), as expected. The mitochondrial phylogeny of the family Tingidae has been recovered inconsistently across different studies, possibly due to sequence heterogeneity and high mutation rates. Species diversity of olive lace bugs in South Africa was previously underestimated. The presence of P. australis was confirmed in both wild and cultivated olives, and N. paliatseasi is reported in cultivated olives for the first time. These results warrant further investigation on the diversity and distribution of olive lace bugs in the Western Cape to inform pest control strategies.

Morphology and life history of an ant parasitoid, Psilocharis afra (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae).

Eucharitidae (Hymenoptera) are specialized ant (Formicidae) parasitoids. As we begin to develop a better understanding of their phylogenetic relationships, it is critical to establish baselines for morphological and biological data. A morphological review and the first report of life history data for Psilocharis afra Heraty is provided based on new material from the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. Psilocharis Heraty is included in Eucharitinae, but it is unclear whether it is the sister group of all other members of the subfamily, or sister group to Neolosbanus Girault in a monophyletic Psilocharitini, which would in turn be sister group to Eucharitini. The oviposition habits of P. afra differ from those of other Eucharitidae in that eggs are placed among trichomes under bracts at flower bases, instead of either being inserted into cavities formed in plant tissue by an enlarged ovipositor (as in Oraseminae and some Neolosbanus) or inserted into cavities in plant tissue, as in most Eucharitini. The egg and first-instar planidia larva are described, and adult morphology is discussed with reference to Eucharitidae and other parasitoid Hymenoptera.

Description of a new species of Capederces (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae) from South Africa.

A new species of longhorned beetle in the tribe Tillomorphini, Capederces madibai sp. nov., is described from the "Albany district" in south-eastern South Africa. Adult specimens are illustrated and compared with the only other known species from this previously mono-specific genus: C. hauseri Adlbauer, 2001. An illustration of the female of C. hauseri is provided for the first time.

New species of Bacuma Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Braconinae) from Kenya and West Darfur with a key to species.

Three new species of the Afrotropical braconine wasp genus Bacuma are described, and biological observations (nectar feeding) by one of them are noted. The new species are: B. kayserae Quicke & Butcher sp. nov. from Kenya, B. madiensis Quicke & Butcher sp. nov. from Uganda and B. darfurensis Quicke & Butcher sp. nov. from Sudan. A group of four large nominal species with red metasomas and finely sculptured tergites (B. granulatus, B. maculipennis, B. rufa and B. whitei) may represent a single widespread species or a pair of species separated by mesoscutum colour, or four separate but morphologically very similar species. However, given the small number of specimens available for study and the poor condition of some of these, including the types, they are not formally synonymised here. A partial key to the species of Bacuma is presented, which recognizes those species that are clearly distinct, including three new species. Interactive Lucid dichotomous and matrix keys are available on www.waspweb.org.

Revision of Afrotropical Dyscritobaeus Perkins, 1910 (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae).

A revision of Afrotropical species of Dyscritobaeus Perkins is presented with re-description of the four known species (D. bicolor O'Connor et Ashe, D. comitans Perkins, D. parvipennis (Dodd) and D. sulawensis Mineo, O'Connor et Ashe) and description of six new species (D. antananarivensis Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov., D. flavus Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov., D. kilimanjarensis Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov., D. madagascarensis Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov., D. ndokii Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov. and D. tanzaniensis Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov.). Dyscritobaeus cerosus is considered to be a junior synonym of D. comitans, D. hannibal is considered to be a junior synonym of D. sulawensis and D. maputanus is a junior synonym of D. parvipennis; so far these species are the only three Dyscritobaeus species that are widely distributed across four zoogeographical regions: Afrotropical, Australian, Oriental and Palearctic. Dyscritobaeus comitans and D. ndokii Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov. belong to the comitans-group, the other eight species belong to the orientalis-group. Dyscritobaeus antananarivensis Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov., D. madagascarensis Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov. and D. sulawensis are morphologically similar to D. orientalis bearing the specillum on T2; D. bicolor, D. flavus Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov., D. kilimanjarensis Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov., are morphologically similar to D. parvipennis; D. tanzaniensis Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov. shares the lack of a protruding metascutellum together with D. aspinosus Mineo, O'Connor et Ashe.Dyscritobaeus species are sexually dimorphic, particularly in the following features: the anterior and posterior fringes of the fore wing are longer in the female than in the male; the odontoid process, when present in females, is less developed or absent in the corresponding males; the specillum, when present in females, is less defined and smaller or absent in the corresponding males; the sculpture of the head is more evident in males than in females; and the first and second tergites are frequently lighter in males than in females.