The subfamily is poorly defined with no confirmed synapomorphic characters uniting the currently included taxa. Many, but not all, sceliotracheline genera possess foamy structures, which, among platygastroids, are limited to Platygastridae (Lahey et al. 2019b; Chen et al. 2021). The following characters can be loosely used for a broad definition: the form of the female antennal clava, which is often abrupt, massive and usually obviously 3- or 4-merous; a very stout habitus, similar to the form present in the subfamily Telenominae, with the metasoma not laterally carinated (there is no impressed submarginal ridge as found in Scelioninae and Teleasinae), at most a sharp lateral edge. There is a very short (sometimes almost absent) to a long, well developed (especially in species with 10 antennomeres) apically knobbed submarginal vein in Fidiobia (Ovidiu Popovici pers. comm.), except in the brachypterous F. pronotata Szabó, and a longer submarginal vein in Allotropa that has a spectral knob. In Platygastoides Dodd, at least in the type of the genus, P. mirabilis, the submarginal vein is knobbed apically, but far more spectral. Sometimes there is a spectral submarginal vein present in Amitus, but this is never knobbed apically. Fore wing venation is absent in Isolia and Sceliotrachelus, except for S. karooensis sp. nov., which has a spectral submarginal vein. The Australian Platygastoides combines some characters of Fidiobia, Plutomerus and Isolia.

Afrisolia is the only genus in the Isolia-cluster with a transepisternal line, which is strong and in a posteriorly facing cup–shape; fore wing with short, strong tubular submarginal vein; fore wing broad, with microtrichiae on disc transformed into bulbous spiculae, marginal cilia absent; anterior admedian depressions present, but may be weak. Species are stout and squat with black head and mesosoma and brown metasoma; surface sculpture micro-alutaceous, polished, matte, or delicately reticulate; notauli at same level with mesoscutum, surrounded by deep grooves; median foamy keels of propodeum spaced widely apart, with 3 slight elevations or abbreviated costae between them.

Afrisolia anyskop van Noort & Lahey, sp. nov. (South Africa) (Figs 1–3).

Afrisolia obesa Masner & Huggert, 1989 (South Africa) (Fig. 4).

Afrisolia quagga van Noort & Lahey, sp. nov. (South Africa) (Figs 5–7).

Afrisolia robertsoni van Noort & Lahey, sp. nov. (South Africa) (Fig. 8).

Afrotropical: South Africa (Masner and Huggert 1989).

Unknown.

The Afrisolia species recorded from Iran (represented by two males) in Lotfalizadeh (2018) is a misidentification and these specimens are in fact a species of Isolia.

Holotype : South Africa • ♀; Western Cape, Anyskop Farm, (5.5 km 290°W Langebaanweg); 32°57.301'S, 18°05.283'E; 18–25 September 2002; S. van Noort; Yellow pan; LW02-N8-Y282; Sand Plain Fynbos; SAM-HYM-P032464 (SAMC).

Paratypes : South Africa • 1 ♂; data as for holotype except for LW02-N8-Y288, SAM-HYM-P032465 (SAMC) • 1 ♀; Western Cape, Anyskop Farm, (5.5 km 290 W Langebaanweg); 32°57.301'S, 18°05.283'E; 4–11 Sept 2002; S. van Noort, D. Larsen, E. Bartnick; Pitfall trap; LW02-N8-P04; Sand Plain Fynbos; SAM-HYM-P095169 (SAMC) • 1 ♀; W. Cape, Anyskop Farm, (5.5 km 290 W Langebaanweg); 32°57.394'S, 18°05.324'E; 4–11 Sept 2002; S. van Noort, D. Larsen, E. Bartnick; Pitfall trap; LW02-N7-P06; Sand Plain Fynbos; SAM-HYM-P095170 (SAMC) • 1 ♂; W. Cape, Anyskop Farm, (5.5 km 290 W Langebaanweg); 32°57.394'S, 18°05.324'E; 18–25 September 2002; S. van Noort; Yellow pan; LW02-N7-Y277; Sand Plain Fynbos; SAM-HYM-P095171 (SAMC) • 1 ♂; W. Cape, Anyskop Farm, (5.5 km 290 W Langebaanweg); 32°57.394'S, 18°05.324'E; 18–25 September 2002; S. van Noort; Yellow pan; LW02-N7-Y275; Sand Plain Fynbos; SAM-HYM-P095172 (SAMC) • 1 ♀; W. Cape, Koeberg Nature Reserve; 33°37.622'S, 18°24.259'E; 16 May–13 June 1997; S. van Noort and HG. Robertson; Pitfall trap; KO97-P09; West Coast Strandveld; SAM-HYM-P095173 (SAMC).

Female. Body length 1.05 mm. Colour of body black, with metasoma, antennae, alar sclerites, coxae, fore femur, and fore tibia dark brown, meso- and meta-tibiae, all tarsi, and mandibles yellow-brown; wings appear white due to dense presence of white microtrichiae.

Head in dorsal view strongly transverse (7:24), lens-like, with frons only gently arched; temples straight, strongly receding toward occipital carina; POL:LOL:OOL = 7:3:3. Scape distinctly shorter than interorbital space (5:9) with scrobe absent; eyes with minute hairs, scattered setae on head slightly longer; head with delicate alutaceous reticulation, including posterior of hyperoccipital carina; head in lateral view almost twice as high as wide (5:9), with lower frons gently convex, vertex acute and posterior toruli distinctly raised; eyes oval (13:23) and upper part of gena almost disappearing behind eye; posterior edge of gena defined by crenulate and sharp occipital carina with c. 5 long, posteriorly projecting setae from ventral section of carina; malar space almost as long as eye height (45:55); head in anterior view wider than high (28:21), subtriangular, with vertex almost straight, cheeks distinctly concave, widening towards clypeus and mandibles; interorbital space larger than eye height (45:29); frons evenly covered with delicate punctate-reticulate sculpture and scattered setae; toruli with dorsal carina forming shelf; interantennal process acute, projecting between toruli; clypeus subquadrate, medially gently concave. Antenna with scape much longer than radicle (24:7), scape micro-alutaceous. Clava 3-merous, noticeably longer than combined length of pedicle and flagellomeres 1–5.

Mesosoma distinctly longer than high (11:7), moderately convex dorsally; pronotum and mesoscutum, with delicate reticulation and scattered setae; scutellum polished, twice as wide as long; posterior margin of scutellum crenulate; dorsellum (= metascutellum) about 6 × wider than long, smooth between metascutellar carinae; sulcus separating metanotum from propodeum not raised, only a fine line; propodeum with anteriodorsal transverse concave plate from which the foamy keels arise, extending lateroventrally on each side of propodeum; lateral foamy edges are bent up like flanges; mesopleuron smooth, but with a complete longitudinal striation dorsally accompanied by a few shorter striations in posterodorsal third; transepisternal line present, anterior third arched ventrally to meet mesopleural carina; acetabular and ventral mesopleural carinae delicate; metapleuron with rather dense, long white setae except for around depression and dorsal and posterior edge forming wide foamy area. Fore wing curved over metasoma, only just surpassing tip of metasoma, 1.4× length of metasoma, very broad (15:7), without marginal cilia, with extremely short pointed white microtrichiae with bulbous base; hind wing (22:5) with distinct marginal cilia only basally.

Metasoma equal in length to rest of body, wider than high (5:2); T1 broadly trapezoidal (11:3), anteriorly covered with dense patch of long white setae; T2 distinctly wider than long (19:10), anterior margin with two broad setose depressions; T3–T6 short; S1 covered with dense patch of long, white setae.

Male. Similar to females except for fore wings of normal shape, not curved over metasoma; head with hyperoccipital carina absent between lateral ocelli and inner margin of compound eye; occiput not excavated; parapsidal lines on mesoscutum present; anterior admedian depressions more distinct than in female, pit-like; tibiae much less robust; antenna filiform.

Afrisolia anyskop has a distinctly shaped head as a result of the concave genae, which make the compound eyes protrude laterally; the dorsal pronotal area is significantly expanded with well-developed pronotal shoulders, such that A. anyskop has an obvious ‘neck’, similar to Sceliotrachelus; notauli far more narrow (7× longer than wide) and parallel sided than in other species, where the notauli are at most 5× longer than wide; mesoscutal sculpturing micro-reticulate as in A. quagga, more polished in A. obesa and A. robertsoni.

Named after the type locality, Anyskop farm. Noun in apposition.

South Africa (Western Cape).

Holotype : South Africa • ♀; Grahamstown, 24 June 1955, E. McCallan (NHMUK).

Overall a much lighter-coloured species as in A. quagga, with a red-orange metasoma, and red-brown mesosoma and head, whereas A. anyskop and A. robertsoni have a dark brown-black body, and A. quagga has an orange-yellow metasoma contrasting strongly with the darker head and mesosoma; A. obesa has OOL shorter than LOL, whereas it is longer than LOL in A. quagga, and equal in length to LOL in A. anyskop and A. robertsoni; notauli are broader, 3× longer than wide as in A. quagga, whereas remaining species have narrower notauli, at least 5× longer than wide; mesocutum polished between notauli as in A. robertsoni, alutaceous reticulate in A. anyskop and A. quagga; only a single strong dorsal striation on mesopleuron, whereas other species have two or more striations.

Unknown.

South Africa (Eastern Cape) (Masner and Huggert 1989).

Holotype : South Africa • ♀; Eastern Cape, Blauwe Krans Farm, (12.8 km 216°SW Kirkwood) 33°30.747'S, 25°24.644'E; 9–16 Feb 2001; HG Robertson & R Tourle; Winkler; VB01-A3N-W10; Valley Bushveld (non-trashed); SAM-HYM-P095157 (SAMC).

Paratypes : South Africa • 2♂♂; E. Cape, Asante Sana Game Reserve, Waterkloof; S32 14.745 E24 56.471; 1807 m; 18–25 Nov 2009; J. Midgley; T3S3b; Pitfall trap; Camdeboo Escarpment Thicket; Mixed Grass (tussock & tall shrubs with scattered small oubos); SAM-HYM-P043318; SAM-HYM-P095174 (SAMC).

Female. Body length 1.1 mm. Colour of head black, mesosoma orange-brown, metasoma yellow-orange, antennae, alar sclerites, and legs yellow; wings are hyaline, but appear white due to dense presence of white microtrichiae.

Head in dorsal view strongly transverse (1:3), lens-like, with frons only gently arched; temples straight, strongly receding toward occipital carina; POL:LOL:OOL = 22:10:15. Scape distinctly shorter than interorbital space (24:15) with scrobe absent; eyes glabrous; scattered white setae on head; head with delicate alutaceous reticulation, including posterior of hyperoccipital carina; head in lateral view more than twice as high as wide (9:21), with lower frons gently convex, vertex acute and posterior toruli distinctly raised; eyes oval (9:12) and upper part of gena almost disappearing behind eye; malar space much shorter than eye height (19:28); head in anterior view wider than high (12:9), lenticular, with vertex gently rounded, cheeks straight; interorbital space larger than eye height (17: 14); toruli with dorsal carina forming bilateral convex shelf, medial concave; interantennal process acute, slightly projecting between toruli. Antenna with scape to radicle as 24:5, scape micro-alutaceous. Clava 3-merous, length subequal to combined length of pedicle and flagellomeres 1–5.

Mesosoma distinctly longer than high (12:8), moderately convex dorsally; pronotum and mesoscutum, with delicate alutaceous reticulation and scattered setae; scutellum polished, more than twice as wide as long (9:4), anteromedially pointed; posterior margin of scutellum smoothly convex; dorsellum (= metascutellum) about 8× wider than long, smooth between metascutellar carinae; sulcus separating metanotum from propodeum raised; propodeum with anteriodorsal transverse concave plate from which the foamy keels arise, extending lateroventrally on each side of propodeum; lateral foamy edges are bent up like flanges; mesopleuron smooth, but with a two complete longitudinal striations dorsally accompanied by a few shorter striations in posterodorsal third; transepisternal line present, anterior third arched ventrally to meet mesopleural carina; acetabular and ventral mesopleural carinae delicate; metapleuron with rather dense, long white setae except for around depression and dorsal and posterior edge forming wide foamy area. Fore wing curved over metasoma, extending beyond tip of metasoma, 1.6× longer than length of metasoma (35:22), broad (19:10), without marginal cilia, with extremely short pointed white microtrichiae with bulbous base; hind wing (3:1) with distinct marginal cilia along full length of posterior margin.

Metasoma shorter than rest of body (11:13), wider than high (10:3); T1 broadly trapezoidal (16:5), anteriorly covered with patch of scattered long white setae; T2 distinctly wider than long (32:15), anterior margin with single transverse setose depression; T3–T6 short; S1 covered with dense patch of long, white setae.

Male. Similar to females except for fore wings of normal shape, not curved over metasoma, twice as long as metasoma; head with hyperoccipital carina less pronounced and absent between lateral ocelli and inner margin of compound eye; occiput not as laterally excavated as in females; antenna filiform; notauli much broader and more lenticular in shape, posteriorly very narrow; dorsal striations on mesopleuron more numerous. Colouration similar to female, except for pedicel and flagellum, which is dark brown.

A distinctly coloured species with an orange-yellow metasoma contrasting strongly with the red-brown mesosoma and dark brown head; A. quagga has OOL longer than LOL, whereas it is shorter or equal in length to LOL in the other species; mesocutum alutaceous reticulate between notauli as in A. anyskop, polished in A. obesa and A. robertsoni; notauli are broader, 3× longer than wide as in A. obesa, whereas remaining species have narrower notauli, at least 5× longer than wide; notauli positioned closer together relative to scutellar width, meeting the mesoscutellar sulcus at least double the posterior notaular width from the lateral margins of the scutellum, in contrast to other species where the notauli are posteriorly more widely spaced.

Named for the similar coloration and habitat affiliation to the Quagga, an extinct Plains Zebra subspecies that previously existed in the Cape region. These zebras had reduced stripes and a distinct orange hue on the flanks and hind quarters, which is also reflected in the coloration of the metasoma of this new Afrisolia species. Noun in apposition.

South Africa (Eastern Cape).

Holotype : South Africa • ♀; Eastern Cape, Februarie Farm, (40.2 km 267°W Kirkwood); 33°33.124'S, 25°03.043'E; 10–12 Feb 2001; S. van Noort; Malaise trap; VB01-R1N-M22; Valley Bushveld (non-trashed); SAM-HYM-P095158 [OSUC 20243869] (SAMC).

Female. Body length 0.95 mm. Colour of body black, with clava, metasoma and alar sclerites dark brown; rest of antennae, all legs and mandibles yellow-brown; wings basally appear white due to dense presence of white microtrichiae, appear infuscate over distal two-thirds due to dark microtrichae.

Head in dorsal view strongly transverse (5:15), lens-like, with frons only gently arched; temples straight, strongly receding toward occipital carina; POL:LOL:OOL = 8:5:5. Scape distinctly shorter than interorbital space (38:57) with scrobe absent; eyes with minute hairs, scattered setae on head slightly longer; head with delicate alutaceous reticulation, including posterior of hyperoccipital carina; head in lateral view about twice as high as wide (12:25), with lower frons gently convex, vertex acute and posterior toruli distinctly raised; eyes oval (5:8) and upper part of gena almost disappearing behind eye; posterior edge of gena with long, posteriorly projecting setae from ventral section; malar space much shorter than eye height (40:75); head in anterior view wider than high (20:13), lenticular, with vertex gently rounded, cheeks straight; interorbital space larger than eye height (6: 4); frons evenly covered with delicate punctate-reticulate sculpture and scattered setae; toruli with dorsal carina forming medially convex shelf; interantennal process acute, projecting between toruli. Antenna with scape to radicle as 75:20, scape micro-alutaceous. Clava 3-merous, noticeably longer than combined length of pedicle and flagellomeres 1–5.

Mesosoma distinctly longer than high (17:12), moderately convex dorsally; pronotum and mesoscutum with delicate reticulation and scattered setae; scutellum polished, more than twice as wide as long (9:4), anterior margin medially pointed; posterior margin of scutellum smoothly convex; dorsellum (= metascutellum) about 7 × wider than long, smooth between metascutellar carinae; sulcus separating metanotum from propodeum not raised, only as fine line; propodeum with anteriodorsal transverse concave plate from which the foamy keels arise, extending lateroventrally on each side of propodeum; lateral foamy edges are bent up like flanges; mesopleuron smooth, but with a complete longitudinal striation dorsally accompanied by a few shorter striations in posterodorsal third; transepisternal line present, anterior third arched ventrally to meet mesopleural carina; acetabular and ventral mesopleural carinae delicate; metapleuron with rather dense, long white setae except for around depression, dorsal and posterior edge forming wide foamy area. Fore wing straight, not curved over metasoma, extending well beyond tip of metasoma, 1.7× longer than length of metasoma (19:11), broad (19:10), without marginal cilia, with extremely short pointed white microtrichiae with bulbous base; hind wing (30:7) with distinct marginal cilia only basally.

Metasoma equal in length to rest of body, wider than high (4:2); T1 broadly trapezoidal (12:3), anteriorly covered with dense patch of long white setae; T2 distinctly wider than long (17:10), anterior margin with two broad setose depressions; T3–T6 short; S1 covered with dense patch of long, white setae.

Male. Unknown.

Afrisolia robertsoni is overall a dark species as in A. anyskop, opposed to the much lighter A. obesa and A. quagga, which have distinctly paler metasomas; OOL is equal in length to LOL as in A. anyskop, shorter than LOL in A. obesa, longer than LOL in A. quagga; the straight genae separate this species from A. anyskop, which has a distinct head-shape as a result of the concave genae; notauli broader (5× longer than wide) than in A. anyskop (7× longer than wide), and narrower than in A. obesa and A. quagga (3× longer than wide); mesocutum polished between notauli as in A. obesa, alutaceous reticulate in A. anyskop and A. quagga.

Named after Hamish Robertson, previous director and entomologist at the Iziko South African Museum, colleague and friend of Simon van Noort. Together they implemented the entomological sphere of the Conservation Farming Project through which the type specimen was procured. Noun in the genitive case.

South Africa (Eastern Cape).

Head in dorsal view wider than long, subellipsoidal to lens-like. Occipital pit not developed. Temples very short to almost absent. Posterior ocellus at most 1 diameter distant from inner orbit; OOL<LOL. Facial and malar striae absent. Mandibles long, bidentate and crossing scissor-like. Female antenna with semi-abrupt 3-merous clava; male antenna often with whorls of long, erect bristles on A3–A7. Mesosoma with notauli absent. Scutoscutellar sulcus foveolate. Propodeum centrally with elevated, glabrous central keel or triangular bulge. Netrion not developed. Transepisternal line deep and horseshoe-shaped; metapleuron and sides of propodeum hairy. Tarsal formula 5-5-5 (4-4-4 in one undescribed species). T1 transverse, longitudinally costate. Metasoma with lateral edge indistinct.

Allotropa canopyana Buhl, 2011 (Tanzania).

Allotropa delottococci Buhl, 2019 (South Africa. Introduced to Spain).

Allotropa fusca Buhl, 2011 (Tanzania).

Allotropa kamburovi Annecke & Prinsloo, 1977 (South Africa) (Fig. 9).

Allotropa loundsburyi Ashmead, 1901 (South Africa).

Allotropa magnini Risbec, 1955 (Ivory Coast).

Allotropa pauliana Risbec, 1955 (Madagascar).

Allotropa species (South Africa) (Fig. 10).

Afrotropical: Ivory Coast, Madagascar, South Africa, Tanzania. Cosmopolitan, excluding Antarctica and New Zealand (Vlug 1995).

Solitary and gregarious endoparasitoids of mealybugs and cochineals (Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Pseudococcidae and Dactylopiidae).

Holotype : Tanzania • ♀; Tanga, Lushoto Dist., Mazumbai For. Res.; 1370–1435 m; 4.xii.1995 (ZMUC).

Unknown.

Tanzania (Buhl 2011).

Holotype : South Africa • ♀; Limpopo province, Letsitele; 7358977'S, 239175'E UTM coordinates; grid 36K; 14.vi.2017; Marco Benito; from Delottococcus aberiae (De Lotto) in crop of orange Citrus sinensis (L). Osbeck (ZMUC).

Paratypes : South Africa • 3♀♀, 2♂♂ same data as holotype (ZMUC).

Parasitoid of the mealybug Delottococcus aberiae (De Lotto, 1961) (Hemiptera, Pseudococcidae) (Buhl 2019).

South Africa. Introduced into Spain as a biocontrol agent of Delottococcus aberiae (Buhl 2019).

Holotype : Tanzania • ♀; Tanga, Muheza Dist., Kwamgumi For. Res.; 170–220 m; 25.vii.1995 (ZMUC).

Unknown.

Tanzania (Buhl 2011).

Holotype : South Africa • ♀; Pretoria, Tvl., laboratory culture. S. Kamburov, ex Planococcus citri (Risso) on potato sprouts. Type material was held in culture for a number of months having first emerged from P. citri collected at Rustenburg, Tvl., ii. 1976, by E.C.G. Bedford (T 5025) (SANC).

Paratypes : South Africa • 1♂; same data as holotype; slide mounted (SANC); 24♀♀, 43♂♂, same data as holotype (NHMUK, USNM).

Only a single male is present in the NHMUK. Additional specimens identified as A. loundsburyi are likely to be misidentifications of A. kamburovi by Ferrière. See comments below under Allotropa loundsburyi.

Solitary endoparasitoid of the citrus mealybug Planococcus citri (Risso) on potato sprouts (Annecke and Prinsloo 1977).

South Africa (Annecke and Prinsloo 1977).

Holotype : South Africa • ♀; Cape Colony; 22 Oct. 1898; C.P. Lounsbury; ex Dactylopius sp. on gorse; Cat. No. 5727 (USNM).

The NHMUK specimen database states that specimens from South Africa: Nelspruit, v.1932 ex Pseudococcus are almost certainly a misidentification of A. kamburovi by Ferrière; A. loun(d)sburyi was originally reared from gorse. Specimens in very bad condition.

Parasitoid of Dactylopius sp. (Hemiptera, Dactylopiidae) on gorse (Ashmead 1901).

South Africa (Ashmead 1901).

Syntypes : Ivory Coast • 39♀♀, 50♂♂; Bingerville; vi–vii.1953; Magnin; Allotropa magnini Risbec; ex larves de Pseudococcus njalensis (MNHN).

Parasitoid of Formicococcus njalensis (Laing, 1929) (Hemiptera, Pseudococcidae) (Risbec 1955a; Notton 2010).

Ivory Coast (Risbec 1955a).

Syntypes : Madagascar • 2♀♀, 1♂, 2 unsexed adults within host remains (MNHN).

Parasitoid of mealybugs on Philippia species (Risbec 1955).

Madagascar (Risbec 1955b).

Short, stocky, dorsoventrally flattened species, with long wings without distinct veins; head in lateral view somewhat opisthognathous; antennal formula usually 10-10, rarely 8-8 (e.g. Amitus wellsae (Polaszek)); female antenna with abrupt, subcompact, spindle-shaped to ovoid clava resulting from the fusion of A8–A10; sulci present between clavomeres except in Australian members of the genus (e.g. Amitus wellsae (Polaszek)); male antenna with specialized paddle-shaped area on A4; netrion well developed; propodeum partly covered with foamy structures; metasoma short, subsessile, almost as wide as long; T1 strongly trapezoidal-transverse; T2 usually with fan of striae anterolaterally.

Amitus hesperidum Silvestri, 1927 (China, but introduced to most tropical areas) (Fig. 11).

Amitus species 1 (Kenya).

Amitus species 2 (Madagascar).

Amitus species 3 (South Africa) (Fig. 12).

Afrotropical: Kenya, Madagascar, South Africa (new records). Cosmopolitan, excluding Antarctica and New Zealand (Masner and Huggert 1989; Vlug 1995).

Solitary and occasionally gregarious endoparasitoids of whiteflies (Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Aleyrodidae) (Masner and Huggert 1989; Vlug 1995).

Holotype : China • Lost. Redescribed by MacGown and Nebeker (1978).

USA • 2♀♀, 1♂ card mounted; 13♀♀, 2♂♂ loose in gelatine capsule; Florida, Gainsville; xi. 1989; Ru Nguyen; ex Aleurocanthus woglumi on citrus; ex consignment; AcBC 275; Amitus hesperidum (SANC).

Parasitoid of the citrus blackfly, Aleurocanthus woglumi (Hemiptera, Aleyrodidae), a major pest of citrus trees (Masner and Huggert 1989; Vlug 1995).

China, but introduced to most tropical areas of the world as part of biocontrol programs (Masner and Huggert 1989; Vlug 1995). Possibly present in South Africa (see comments below).

No published evidence of introduction or establishment of A. hesperidum in South Africa could be located, possibly because Eretmocrus serius Silvestri (Chalcidoidea, Aphelinidae) was introduced and successfully controlled citrus blackfly after its discovery in 1959 in South Africa (Bedford and Thomas 1965; Hoelmer and Grace 1989). Biological control using E. serius was also effective in the Seychelles (Greathead 1971) and in Kenya (Wheatley 1964). Specimens of A. hesperidum are deposited in SANC suggesting that the species may have been introduced or considered for introduction at some point in the mid twentieth century.

Minute species (0.6–1.3 mm) with body slightly to considerably depressed dorsoventrally; mostly melanic, with brightly coloured appendages; vertex rounded without hyperoccipital carina. OOL variable, but in most species very short, equal to or shorter than diameter of posterior ocellus; antenna 9- or 10-merous, in females with abrupt, 3-merous clava; A8–A10 slightly less abrupt in males. Mesoscutum flattened; notauli (if present) abbreviated anteriorly, gradually dilated posteriorly. Fore wing in most species with short tubular submarginal vein. T2 the largest tergite, with two depressions anterolaterally (Popovici and Buhl 2010).

Fidiobia benjamini (Nixon, 1969) (Kenya) (Fig. 13).

Fidiobia celeritas van Noort & Lahey, sp. nov. (South Africa) (Figs 14–16).

Fidiobia danielssoni Buhl, 2001 (South Africa) (Figs 17A, B).

Fidiobia filicornis Buhl, 2014 (Togo).

Fidiobia semirufa Buhl, 2014 (Togo).

Fidiobia tanzaniana Buhl, 2010 (Tanzania).

Fidiobia tschirnhausi Buhl, 2014 (Togo).

Fidiobia zebra Buhl, 2010 (Tanzania).

Fidiobia species (Tanzania) (Figs 17C–F, 18).

Afrotropical: Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo. Cosmopolitan, excluding Antarctica (Masner and Huggert 1989; Vlug 1995).

Solitary endoparasitoids of weevil (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) and leaf beetle (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) eggs (Vlug 1995). One species reported to be hyperparasitic through an ichneumonid parasitoid of the pine bud moth Exoteleia dodecella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) (Lemarie 1958, 1959). Two species are possibly parasitoids of various gall wasps (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae) on Quercus species (Popovici and Buhl 2010), but they are more likely to be attacking beetle eggs laid in the old, empty cynipid galls (Notton et al. 2014).

There are numerous further undescribed species of Fidiobia from the Afrotropical region present in the collections of SAMC, OSUC and CNCI. These will be treated in a separate revision in collaboration with Ovidiu Popovici (Universitatea Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Iaşi).

Holotype : Kenya • ♀; Kangaita; 26.i.1967; ex Entypotrachelus micans on tea; CIEA2853 (NHMUK):

Paratypes : Kenya • 2♀♀; same data as holotype (NHMUK)

Egg parasitoid of Entypotrachelus micans Hustache, 1929 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) on tea, Camellia sinensis (Nixon 1969).

Kenya (Nixon 1969).

Holotype : South Africa • ♀; Eastern Cape, Februarie Farm, (40.2 km 267°W Kirkwood) 33°33.124'S, 25°03.043'E; 10–12 Feb 2001; S. van Noort; Malaise trap; VB01-R1T-M21; Valley Bushveld (goat trashed); SAM-HYM-P095159 (SAMC).

Paratypes : South Africa • 1 ♂; same data as holotype except for SAM-HYM-P095160 (SAMC). 1♀; 2♂; RSA: Eastern Cape Prov. 37 km. NW. Willowmore, Grootrivierberg Range; 33°11.46'S, 24°09.51'E; 19–24.XI.99; MT; M.E. Irwin et al.; 700 m; SA-15 (CNCI) • 1♂; RSA: Eastern Cape Prov., 30 km. S. Steytlerville, Baviaanskloof Mtns.; 33°33.88'S, 24°20.95'E; 17.XI.99; M.E. Irwin et al.; 535 m; MT; SA-11; 17–22.XI.1999; M.E. Irwin et al. (CNCI) • 1♀; RSA: Eastern Cape Prov., 6 km. N. Steytlerville; 33°16.84'S, 24°22.78'E; 16–23.XI.99; MT; 500 m; M.E. Irwin et al.; SA-05 (CNCI) • 1♂; RSA: Western Cape Prov., 28 km. S. Steytlerville, Baviaanskloof Mtns; 33°32.76'S, 24°21.29'E; 17–22.XI.1999; M.E. Irwin et al.; 535 m; MT; SA-11 (CNCI) • 1♀; South Africa: Cape, 28 km S. Steytlerville; 33°32.76'S, 24°21.29'E; 17–22.XI.1999; M. Irwin et al.; MT (CNCI) • 1♀; South Africa: E. Cape, Februarie Farm, 40.2 km 267°W Kirkwood; 33°33.124'S, 25°03.043'E; 14–16.ii.2001; S. van Noort; Malaise trap; VB01-R1T-M53; Valley Bushveld, goat trashed; SAM-HYM-P095200 [OSUC 20223308] (SAMC) • 1♂; South Africa: E. Cape, Februarie Farm, 39.9 km 268°W Kirkwood; 33°32.813'S, 25°03.091'E; 12–14.ii.2001; S. van Noort; VB01-R2N-M38; Malaise trap; Valley Bushveld non-trashed; SAM-HYM-P095201 [OSUC 20243831] (SAMC) • 1♂; South Africa: E. Cape, Marais Hoop Farm, 25.6 km 254°W Kirkwood; 33°32.635'S, 25°13.678'E; 14–16.ii.2001; S. van Noort; Malaise trap; valley bushveld non-trashed; VB01-R4N-M52; SAM-HYM-P095202 [OSUC 20242793] (SAMC) • 1♀; South Africa: W. Cape, Koeberg Nature Reserve; 33°37.622'S, 18°24.259'E; 5.ix–3.x.1997; S. van Noort; Malaise trap; West Coast Strandveld; KO97-M09; SAM-HYM-P095203 [OSUC 20226148] (SAMC) • 1♀; South Africa: W. Cape, Koeberg Nature Res.; 33°37.622'S, 18°24.259'E; 20.ii–20.iii.1998; S. van Noort; Malaise trap; KO97-M24; West Coast Strandveld; SAM-HYM-P095204 [OSUC 20243069] (SAMC) • 1♀; South Africa: W. Cape, Elandsfontein farm, site E1; 32°17.69'S, 22°55.53'E 24.iv.2001; S. van Noort & HG. Robertson; Nama Karoo; dolerite soil; Malaise trap; BW01-E1-M17; SAM-HYM-P095205 [OSUC 20243128] (SAMC) • 1♂; South Africa: W. Cape, West Coast Fossil Park, 5.5 km 270°W Langebaanweg; 32°58.117'S, 18°05.789'E; 11–18.ix.2002; S. van Noort; Malaise trap; Acacia cyclops on slimes dam; LW02-U1-M27; SAM-HYM-P095206 [OSUC 20612460] (SAMC).

Female. Body length 0.9 mm. Colour of body dark brown to black, with metasoma, antennal funicular segments, alar sclerites brown; scape and pedicel and legs yellow; wings clear with brown microtrichiae.

Head in dorsal view strongly transverse (5:13), lens-like, with frons only gently arched; temples straight, strongly receding toward occipital carina; POL:LOL:OOL = 40:22:20. Scape distinctly shorter than interorbital space (7:10) with scrobe absent; eyes with minute hairs, scattered white setae on head slightly longer; head with delicate alutaceous reticulation; head in lateral view two-thirds as wide as high (10:15), with lower frons gently convex, vertex acute and posterior toruli distinctly raised; eyes oval (7:10) with upper part of gena still visible behind eye; posterior edge of gena defined by crenulate and sharp occipital carina with c. 5 long, posteriorly projecting setae from ventral section of carina; malar space over half as long as eye height (55:83); head in anterior view wider than high (14:10), broadly oval, with vertex rising to ocelli, cheeks gently convex; interorbital space larger than eye height (80:63); frons evenly covered with delicate punctate-reticulate sculpture and scattered setae; toruli with dorsal carina not forming shelf; interantennal process absent; clypeus ellipsoidal, gently convex in profile, anterior margin distinctly convex. Antenna with 10-antennomeres, with scape to radicle as 11:2, scape micro-alutaceous. Clava 3-merous, equivalent in length to combined length of pedicle and flagellomeres 1–5.

Mesosoma distinctly longer than high (14:10), wider than long (95:80); moderately convex dorsally; pronotum and mesoscutum, with delicate reticulation and scattered white setae; scutellum polished, twice as wide as long; posterior margin of scutellum crenulate; dorsellum (=metascutellum) medially hidden in dorsal view; sulcus separating metanotum from propodeum not raised, only as fine line; propodeum with an anteriodorsal transverse flat, polished plate from which the parallel foamy keels arise, extending lateroventrally on each side of propodeum forming an H-shape; lateral foamy edges extend as moderate flanges; mesopleuron smooth, but dorsally with a set of 14–15 longitudinal striations, the dorsal five transversely complete, reaching the anterior mesopleural edge, subsequent ventral striations shorten sequentially towards the transepisternal line; transepisternal line present, anterior third arched ventrally to meet mesopleural carina; acetabular and ventral mesopleural carinae delicate; metapleuron with dense, long white setae except for around depression and dorsal and posterior edge forming wide foamy keels. Fore wing only slightly curved over metasoma, well surpassing tip of metasoma, 1.7× length of metasoma, very broad (2:1), with very short marginal cilia, and extremely short pointed brown microtrichiae with slightly bulbous base; submarginal vein ending with distinct rounded club, just over a quarter (0.27×) of fore wing length; hind wing (5:1) with distinct marginal cilia apically and basally.

Metasoma equal in length to rest of body, wider than high (15:6.5); T1 broadly trapezoidal (4:1), anterolaterally covered with sparse patches of long white setae; anteromedially with two depressions filled with short white setae, one each side of the nucha which has a raised carina; T2 distinctly wider than long (15:8), anterior margin with two transversely narrow setose depressions; T3–T6 short; ovipositor apically serrate.

Male. Similar to females except for fore wings of normal flat shape, not curved over metasoma, narrower, twice as long as wide; legs brown; antenna filiform, almost as long as body, with 9 antennomeres, flagellar segments (A3–A9) of equivalent length (0.5× scape length), very setose with short, freely projecting multiporous plate sensillae present in 4–5 staggered rows over entire funicle segment.

Named after the Latin word for speed with reference to the notauli and median sulcus configuration on the mesoscutum that is reminiscent of GT racing stripes. Noun in apposition.

Both sexes are immediately distinguishable by the presence of a median mesoscutal line, which is absent in the other species. The notauli extend far forward, almost meeting the admedian depressions. Males are unique amongst other members of the genus, and the subfamily Sceliotrachelinae, by possessing the sex segment (tyloid) on A3 because of the fusion of A3 and A4, resulting in 9-merous antennae in the male.

Unknown.

South Africa (Eastern Cape).

This species strongly resembles the genus Afrisolia, so much so that it was misidentified as a member of that genus in figure 3 of Lahey et al. (2019b). Fidiobia celeritas is excluded from Afrisolia based on the apectinate fore tibial spur (without a comb). Genera of the Isolia-cluster have a combed fore tibial spur, whereas it is simple in other sceliotracheline genera.

Holotype : South Africa • ♀; Cape Province, Koomplanskloof, 10 km S Citrusdal; 200–270 m; 32°40'S, 19°01'E; 4–8.X.1994; Malaise trap; R. Danielsson (MZLU).

Unknown.

South Africa (Buhl 2001).

Holotype : Togo • ♂; Région des Plateaux, Cascade d’Ayomé NE of Amlamé; 07°30'08"N, 00°57'20"E; 305–330 m; 13.iv.2008; at shady creek bank in rock gorge; much Anubias gigantea; swept; M. von Tschirnhaus (ZMUC).

Unknown.

Togo (Buhl 2014).

Holotype : Togo • ♂; Région des Plateaux, Zogbégan, village part Zogbégan-Carriére (SE of Badou), at creek Elèbè, V-shaped valley near cocoa plantation downstream of village; 07°34'50"N, 00°40'03"E; 20–25.iv.2008; 650 m; remains of secondary rainforest; swept; M. von Tschirnhaus (ZMUC).

Unknown.

Togo (Buhl 2014).

Holotype : Tanzania • ♀; Udzungwa Mts, Iringa Region, Kilolo dist., Ndundulu Forest, Matumbo camp area; 1430 m; 10–24.vii.2007; Malaise trap in semi-evergreen virgin forest; L.A. Hansen (ZMUC).

Unknown.

Tanzania (Buhl 2010).

Holotype : Togo • ♀; Région des Plateaux, Ouvêtsévé near Kpélé Élé; 07°21'27"N, 00°51'12"E; 345 m; 15.iv.2008; creek bank within forest, diverse herb vegetation; swept; M. von Tschirnhaus (ZMUC).

Unknown.

Togo (Buhl 2014).

Holotype : Tanzania • ♀; Udzungwa Mts., Iringa Region, Kilolo dist., Ndun-dulu Forest, Luwala camp area; 1880 m; 1–14.ii.2007; Malaise trap in semi-evergreen tropical montane virgin forest; L.A. Hansen (ZMUC).

Unknown.

Tanzania (Buhl 2010).

Robust, usually dark-coloured species. OOL subequal to LOL. Frons above toruli without transverse ledge; interantennal process moderately developed. Mandibles short, strong with lower edge upcurved apically. Female antenna with abrupt 3-merous clava. Male antenna filiform. Pronotal shoulders well-developed. Notauli abbreviate anteriorly. Scutellum broadly transverse, subrectangular, with scutellaxillar pits reduced to points, and scutellar rim not defined. Mesopleuron without transepisternal line. Propodeum with foamy structures. Fore wing with no tubular veins, and with microtrichia in the form of minute, semi-erect spiculae. Fore tibial spur combed. Metasoma short and broad, with laterotergites wide and no felt fields on S2 (Masner and Huggert 1989).

Isolia hispanica Buhl, 1999 (Kenya). Also present in the Palearctic (Spain) (Fig. 19).

Isolia species (Madagascar).

Unknown.

Afrotropical: Kenya, Madagascar. Palearctic: France, Greece, Iran, Israel, Italy, Mongolia, Montenegro, Spain, Thailand, Turkey. Indomalayan (Oriental): China, India, Philippines (Masner and Huggert 1989; Vlug 1995).

Holotype : Spain • ♀; Zaragoza, Los Monegros region; UTM 30TYL2794; 25.vii.1992; leg. Javier Blasco-Zumeta; Wilkening trap placed in the branches of Juniperus thurifera L.

Unknown.

Kenya (new country record here). Also present in the Palearctic (Spain) (Buhl 1999).

Body shape variable, from stocky and highly convex to elongate, spindle-like. All Old World species are apterous, as are the described Neotropical species with some undescribed New World species being micropterous or full-winged. Mostly yellow or light brown. Posterior ocellus contiguous with inner orbit; ocellar triangle high. Cheek and postgena with deep longitudinal excavation for housing of scape. Antennal clava of both sexes ovoid, 4-merous. Mesosoma of flightless species subrectangular, with most sclerites fused. Fore wing (when present) with short rudiment of submarginal vein without apical knob. Metasoma highly convex both dorsally and ventrally. T1 fused with T2, and S1 with S2, into solid sclerite; felt fields absent from S2 (Masner and Huggert 1989).

Parabaeus abyssus Austin, 1990 (Australia) (Fig. 20)

Parabaeus africanus Austin, 1990 (Malawi)

Parabaeus armadillus Austin, 1990 (South Africa) (Figs 21–24)

Parabaeus austini Buhl, 2011 (Tanzania)

Parabaeus brevicornis Buhl, 2011 (Tanzania)

Parabaeus nasutus van Noort, sp. nov. (South Africa) (Figs 25, 26)

Parabaeus papei Buhl, 2011 (Tanzania)

Parabaeus peckorum Austin, 1990 (South Africa)

Parabaeus quasimodus Austin, 1990 (Kenya)

Parabaeus ruficornis Kieffer, 1910 (Seychelles) (Fig. 27)

Afrotropical: Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania (Kieffer 1910; Austin 1990; Buhl 2011). Australasia: Australia. Neotropical: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Mexico, Panama, USA (Florida), Venezuela (Masner and Huggert 1989; Vlug 1995).

Unknown. Predicted to be living near the ground, possibly as leaf-litter inhabitants (Austin 1990). A number of specimens have subsequently been collected from canopy fogging sampling in Tanzania (Buhl 2011), suggesting that they are far more mobile than previously assumed. Species from these fogging samples are likely to be associated with the rich epiphyte, micro-habitat present in the canopy of Afromontane forest.

The Old World species are all apterous, as are the described Neotropical species: P. lenkoi de Santis, 1970 (Brazil) and P. kiefferi de Santis, 1970 (Argentina), but a number of New World species are known that are also micropterous or fully winged (Masner and Huggert 1989). The Angolan species, P. machadoi Risbec, 1957 is in fact a species of Baeus Haliday (=Angolobaeus Kozlov) (Kozlov 1970; Masner 1976). There is a described fossil species, P. pusillus Brues, 1940, from Eocene-Oligocene Baltic amber (Brues 1940) and an undescribed species known from Oligocene-Miocene Dominican amber (Talamas and Buffington 2015).

Sexual dimorphism is slight in some species with morphological differences only apparent in the shape of the antennal club (Austin 1990), whereas other species have a metasomal horn developed on T1 in females, presumably to accommodate the ovipositor (Austin 1990). Parabaeus ruficornis and P. peckorum are only known from males, and it is thus unclear as to whether the respective females will have a metasomal horn or not. Parabaeus peckorum belongs to the P. armadillus species-group, which does not have a metasomal horn in the females, whereas P. ruficornis belongs to the P. quasimodus species-group and hence is predicted to have a horn in females. Parabaeus nasutus sp. nov. belongs to the P. armadillus species-group.

There are two apparent species-groups in the Afrotropical region defined by the presence or absence of a hyperoccipital carina. We predict that these two groups will be further supported by the presence or absence of a metasomal horn in females, once both sexes of the known species are discovered.

Parabaeus armadillus species-group (P. armadillus, P. nasutus, P. peckorum)

1. Hyperoccipital carina present.
2. Sexual dimorphism slight, females without metasomal horn on T1.
3. Absence of a sulcus between the lateral pronotum and mesopleuron.

Parabaeus quasimodus species-group (P. africanus, P. austini, P. brevicornis, P. papei, P. quasimodus, P. ruficornis)

1. Hyperoccipital carina absent.
2. Sexual dimorphism strong, females with metasomal horn on T1 that is developed to varying degrees in size.
3. Sulcus between the lateral pronotum and mesopleuron present.

The only other described Old World species, the Australian P. abyssus falls into its own species-group, sharing characters across the two Afrotropical species-groups (hyperoccipital carina absent, but no metasomal horn on T1 in females) and the Neotropical species-group, which has armature (points, spikes or truncate projections) on the posterior or posterolateral margin of the propodeum, and these are also present in P. abyssus (Austin 1990).

The following key includes diagnostic characters enabling both sexes to be keyed out where known. Males of four species (P. austini, P. brevicornis, P. quasimodes, P. papei) with metasomal horns in females are as yet unknown, and hence will not be identifiable using the current key configuration.

Holotype : Australia • ♀; Western Australia, Perth, Kings Park; 1952; G. Bornemissza (ANIC).

Paratype : Australia • ♀; Western Australia, Walpole-Nornalup Nat. Pk; 34°59'S, 116045'E; 17–21.i.1987; J. S. Noyes (NHMUK).

Australia (Austin 1990).

Holotype : Kenya • ♂; Mt Kulal; 2134 m; April 1980; D. Levin (CNCI).

Malawi (Austin 1990).

Holotype : South Africa • ♀; Port St Johns, Pondoland; Dec. 1923; R. E. Turner; Brit. Mus. 1924-97 (NHMUK).

Paratypes : South Africa • 5♀♀; 2 unknown sex: same data as holotype, but with different dates (Nov. 1923–25.ii.1924) • 3♀♀; 1 unknown sex (NHMUK) • 1♀, 1 unknown sex (SANC) • 1♀ (WARI) • 3♀♀, 3♂♂;Transvaal, 30 km W. Trichardt; Podocarpus forest; 30.xii.1985; M. Sandbourne; 2♀♀, 2♂♂ in (CNCI), 1♀, 1♂ in (WARI).

SOUTH AFRICA • 1♀, 1♂; Kwazulu-Natal, Umtamvuna Nature Reserve; 31°03.506'S 30°10.392'E, 160m; 15-16.xi.2000; S. van Noort; Malaise trap; KW00-M74; Coastal Forest; SAM-HYM-P031787A; SAM-HYM-P031787B (SAMC) • 1♀; Kwazulu-Natal, Umtamvuna Nature Reserve; 31°03.506'S 30°10.392'E; 160m; 17-18.xi.2000; S. van Noort; Malaise trap; KW00-M114; Coastal Forest; SAM-HYM-P031789 (SAMC) • 1♀; Kwazulu-Natal, Umtamvuna Nature Reserve; 31°03.506'S 30°10.392'E, 160m; 18-19.xi.2000; S. van Noort; Malaise trap; KW00-M132, Coastal Forest; SAM-HYM-P031790 (SAMC) • 2♀♀; Kwazulu-Natal, Umtamvuna Nature Reserve; 31°03.506'S 30°10.392'E, 160m; 15.xi.2000; S. van Noort; Winkler extraction leaf litter; KW00-W15; Coastal Forest; SAM-HYM-P088559; SAM-HYM-P088560 (SAMC) • 1♀; Eastern Cape, Asante Sana Game Reserve, Zuurkloof; S32 15.112 E25 00.417; 2013m; 18-25 Nov 2009; J. Midgley; T2S5a; Pitfall trap; Karoo Escarpment Grassland, High altitude tussock grassland, few shrubs; SAM-HYM-P043319 (SAMC) • 3♀♀, 2♂♂; Eastern Cape, Asante Sana Game Reserve; 32°14.990'S 24°55.962'E; 2183m; 23 Feb -7 April 2010; S. van Noort; Yellow pan; Karoo Escarpment Grassland; ASA09-GRA1-Y05; SAM-HYM-P037510A to E (SAMC) • 1♀, 2♂♂; Eastern Cape, Asante Sana Game Reserve; 32°14.990'S 24°55.962'E; 2183m; 29.x.2009-23.ii.2010; S. van Noort; Yellow pan; Karoo Escarpment Grassland; ASA09-GRA1-Y04; SAM-HYM-P037635A to C (SAMC) • 1♀, 3♂♂; Eastern Cape, Asante Sana Game Reserve; 32°14.990'S 24°55.962'E; 2183m; 7 Apr - 28 July 2010; S. van Noort; Yellow pan; Karoo Escarpment Grassland; ASA09-GRA1-Y10; SAM-HYM-P038464A to D (SAMC) • 1♂; Eastern Cape, Asante Sana Game Reserve; 32°14.930'S 24°56.975'E; 1642m; 7 Apr - 28 July 2010; S. van Noort; Yellow pan; Southern Karoo Riviere, Leucosidea dominated, ASA09-OUB1-Y11; SAM-HYM-P038465 (SAMC) • 4♂♂; Northern Cape, Swaarweerberg, Vredehoek Farm; 1613m; 32°26.387'S 20°34.501'E; 31 March - 29 July 2010; S. van Noort; Yellow pan trap; Roggeveld Shale Renosterveld; SWA09-SUC1-Y04; SAM-HYM-P040741A to D (SAMC) • 1♀; Northern Cape, Swaarweerberg, Vredehoek Farm; 1613m; 32°26.387'S 20°34.501'E; 29 Aug - 28 Oct 2009; S. van Noort; Yellow pan trap; Roggeveld Shale Renosterveld; SWA09-SUC1-Y01; SAM-HYM-P040393 (SAMC) • 1♀; Northern Cape, Swaarweerberg, Vredehoek Farm; 1613m; 32°26.387'S 20°34.501'E; 29 July - 30 September 2010; S. van Noort; Yellow pan trap; Roggeveld Shale Renosterveld; SWA09-SUC1-Y05; SAM-HYM-P040394 (SAMC) • 1♀; Western Cape, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve; 33°59.030'S 20°49.128'E; 340m; 5.xi.2009-27.ii.2010; S. van Noort; Yellow pan trap; Afromontane Forest; GVB10-FOR1-Y01; SAM-HYM-P037636 (SAMC) • 1♂; Western Cape, Gamkaberg Nature Reserve; 33°43.745'S 21°56.972'E; 1000m; 19 Feb - 30 Mar 2010; S. van Noort; Yellow pan trap; Renosterveld; GB09-REN1-Y47; SAM-HYM-P038646 (SAMC) • 1♂; Western Cape, Gamkaberg Nature Reserve; 33°43.745'S 21°56.972'E; 1000m; 30 Mar - 24 July 2010; S. van Noort; Yellow pan trap; Renosterveld; GB09-REN1-Y56; SAM-HYM-P038647 (SAMC) • 1♀; Western Cape, Gamkaberg Nature Reserve; 33°39.504'S 21°53.947'E; 322m; 10 Sept - 4 Nov 2009; S. van Noort; Yellow pan trap; Gamka Thicket; GB09-SUC4-Y37; SAM-HYM-P038466 (SAMC) • 1♀; Western Cape, Gamkaberg Nature Reserve; 33°43.663'S 21°57.600'E; 940m; 30 Mar - 24 July 2010; S. van Noort; Yellow pan trap; Rooiberg Sandstone Fynbos; GB09-FYN1-Y58; SAM-HYM-P038648A to B (SAMC).

There is the possibility that the additional material cited above may include two similar looking species. There is some variation present within the available material with regard to colouration, dimensions of the mesosoma, and degree of striation on the metasoma. Whether this is intra-specific variation, or indicative of the presence of additional species, requires a focused morphologically assessment, ideally with the additional aid of barcoding tools.

South Africa (Austin 1990).

Holotype : Tanzania • ♀; Tanga, Lushoto Dist., Mazumbai For. Res.; 1370–1435 m; 4.xii.1995 (ZMUC). Paratype: 1 ♀; Mazumbai For. Res.; 1650–1730 m; 27.xi.1995 (ZMUC).

Tanzania (Buhl 2011).

Holotype : Tanzania • ♀; Tanga, Muheza Dist., Kwamgumi For. Res.; 170–220 m; 18.vii.1995 (ZMUC).

Tanzania (Buhl 2011).

Holotype : South Africa • ♀; Northern Cape, Swaarweerberg, Vredehoek Farm; 1613 m; 32°26.387'S, 20°34.501'E; 29 July–30 September 2010; S. van Noort; Yellow pan trap; Roggeveld Shale Renosterveld; SWA09-SUC1-Y05; SAM-HYM-P040757 (SAMC).

Paratypes : South Africa • 3♂♂, data as for holotype, except for 31 March–29 July 2010; SWA09-SUC1-Y04; SAM-HYM-P040756a-c (SAMC).

South Africa • 1♀; Western Cape, Gamkaberg Nature Reserve; 33°39.941'S, 21°53.505'E; 315 m; 19 Feb–30 Mar 2010; S. van Noort; Yellow pan trap; Gamka Thicket; GB09-SUC1-Y28; SAM-HYM-P093813 (SAMC).

Female body length: 0.84 mm. Colour of head, metasoma, antennae and fore and mid legs brown; mesosoma and hind legs yellow-brown.

Head as wide as long. Much wider than mesosoma, fractionally narrower than width of metasoma; in dorsal view moderately transverse; clypeus produced into flattened volcano-shaped, nasute-like process with central fovea ringed by a carina; malar sulcus present; frons convexly rounded; occiput vertical, mostly hidden by mesosoma; occipital carina not visible dorsally, not reaching to posterior margins of eyes or lateral ocelli; lateral ocelli connected by hyperoccipital carina forming a sharp dorsal delimitation between occiput and vertex; ocelli forming an obtuse triangle, POL>LOL; in anterior view frons 0.6× width of head; subocular carina absent; gena wide; head covered with coriaceous sculpturing; antennal segments short and robust, clava 2.5× as long as wide.

Mesosoma. Robust, 0.8× width of metasoma, as long as wide; in dorsal view pronotum only visible as narrow strip around anterior margin, pronotal collar with posteriorly orientated, raised, medial bifurcated projection; mesoscutum convexly rounded, posterior margin strongly elevated, with scutellum forming dorsal plateau defined by darker, toothed ellipsoidal carina; posterior face abruptly declivitous; in lateral view pronotal spiracle seen as a small toothed bump at posterodorsal corner of pronotum; tegula absent; mesopleural carina absent; mesopleural carina present; dorsal mesosoma imbricate with associated posteriorly facing setae; pronotum imbricate in dorsal half, smooth with longitudinal striations in ventral half of lateral face; mesopleuron smooth dorsally with longitudinal striations in ventral half; pronotum and mesopleuron fused; metapleuron and dorsolateral propodeum densely covered with fine setae.

Metasoma. In dorsal view oval in shape; anterior margin broad; T1 very narrow, densely setose laterally, base of metasoma without obvious foveate pits (although there are possibly two pits indicated by depressions that are obscured by setae); tergite 1 with bifurcate projecting medial plate; T2 composing virtually all dorsal metasoma; T3–T6 very narrow, strip-like, only seen in posterior view; anterior T2 faintly longitudinally coriaceous, smooth in posterior half, whole surface sparsely setose.

Male. As in females, except for clava, which is more elongate.

Parabaeus nasutus has the following unique morphological apomorphies: elevation of posterior section of mesoscutum and scutellum into a medial projection, which dorsally has a transversely ellipsoidal plateau formed by the scutellum with a 90 degree drop-off posteriorly; base of metasoma without obvious foveolate pits (although there are possibly two pits indicated by depressions that are obscured by setae); T1 with bifurcate projecting medial plate; pronotal collar with posteriorly projecting medial bifurcating raised plate; clypeus produced into dorso-ventrally compressed, volcano-shaped, nasute-like process with a central apical fovea ringed by a carina; occipital carina not visible dorsally. Although P. nasutus has a number of derived diagnostic characters, from a ground-plan perspective the species is morphologically similar to P. peckorum sharing the same squamate sculpturing with scattered posteriorly projecting setae on the dorsal mesosoma, and dense setose patches on the metapleuron, dorsolateral propodeum and T1. Colour is, however, different from P. peckorum, which has a dark brown to black body with lighter brown antennae and legs, and dense white pubescence at the mesosomal-metasomal boundary.

Named for the exceptional clypeal modification into a nasute-like process. Latin adjective.

South Africa.

We suspect that the central fovea ringed by a carina that is terminally situated on the clypeal nasute-like process is olfactory in nature, potentially containing chemo-sensillae that may be involved in host location, although males also possess this adaptation, so possibly it is involved in mate recognition. It is likely that the species lives in the leaf-litter habitat and probably attacks insect or arachnid eggs.

The single female from Gamkaberg Nature Reserve is uniformly orange-yellow, has a smoother mesopleuron, and weaker clypeal and posterior mesosomal protrusions. Overall, the surface sculpturing is also weaker. The specimen is smaller than the type series specimens and these differences may simply be related to the reduced size. There is, however, the possibility that this specimen represents a second closely related, undescribed species, but until further specimens are acquired to assess the degree of intraspecific variation this specimen is considered to belong to P. nasutus, but it is excluded from the type material.

Holotype : Tanzania • ♀; Tanga, Lushoto Dist., Mazumbai For. Res.; 1370–1435; 8.xii.1995 (ZMUC).

Tanzania (Buhl 2011).

Holotype : South Africa • ♀; Natal, 75 km WSW Estcourt, Cathedral Peaks, Rainbow Gorge, podocarp forest; 1500 m; sweeping; 17.xii.1979; S. and J. Peck (SANC).

Paratypes : South Africa • 3♀♀; same data as holotype; 2♀♀ (CNCI); 1♀ (WARI).

South Africa (Austin 1990).

Holotype : Kenya • ♀; Mt Kulal; 2134 m; April 1980; D. Levin (CNCI).

Kenya (Austin 1990).

Holotype : Seychelles • ♀; Mahe; Percy Sladen Trust Expedition; 1913-170; ‘08-9 [= August-September?]; figured specimen; B.M. TYPE HYM 9.399 (NHMUK).

Seychelles (Kieffer 1910).

Fore wing with very short, tubular R vein terminating in a knob and at least some microtrichia of the fore and hind wings in the form of short, scale-like pegs; distinctive colour of the adult (most species are yellow, orange, red, or a combination thereof); frontal ledge present on the lower frons in all but one species; interantennal process present, bilobed in most species; and tract of dense setae on the metatibia.

Pulchrisolia ankremos Lahey, 2019 (Ghana, Ivory Coast).

Pulchrisolia asantesana van Noort & Lahey, 2019 (South Africa).

Pulchrisolia diehoekensis van Noort & Lahey, 2019 (South Africa).

Pulchrisolia ellieae Lahey, 2019 (Madagascar).

Pulchrisolia maculata Szabó, 1959 (Kenya, Tanzania).

Pulchrisolia nephelae Lahey, 2019 (Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Mali, Nigeria).

Pulchrisolia robynae van Noort & Lahey, 2019 (South Africa) (Fig. 28).

Pulchrisolia sanbornei Lahey & Masner, 2019 (South Africa).

Pulchrisolia teras Lahey, 2019 (Madagascar).

Pulchrisolia valerieae Polaszek & Lahey, 2019 (Zambia).

Endemic to the Afrotropical region: Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia (Lahey et al. 2019b).

Unknown.

Lahey et al. (2019b).

Holotype : Ghana • ♀; Ashanti Reg., Bobiri Forest Reserve; 06°42'N, 01°20'W; II-2002; flight intercept trap; C. Carlton & O. Frimpong; OSUC 20666426 (CNCI).

Ghana, Ivory Coast (Lahey et al. 2019b).

Holotype : South Africa • ♀; Eastern Cape Prov., Asante Sana Game Reserve, Zuurkloof; 1621 m; 32°16.011'S, 25°00.244'E; 23.X.2010; pitfall trap; J. Midgley; T2S3d; Camdeboo Escarpment Thicket, tall grass stands, scattered oubos shrubs; SAM-HYM-P046628a (SAMC).

South Africa (Lahey et al. 2019b).

Holotype : South Africa • ♀; Eastern Cape, Winterberg, The Hoek Farm; 1879 m; 32°21.260'S, 26°23.001'E; 9 April –26 July 2010; S. van Noort; yellow pan trap; Amathole Mistbelt Grassland; WTB09-GRA1-Y04; SAM-HYM-P038987 (SAMC).

South Africa (Lahey et al. 2019b).

Holotype : Madagascar • ♀; Toliara Auto. Prov., 60 km NE Morondava, Beroboka Avaratra; 18.V–23.V.1983; J. S. Noyes & M. C. Day; OSUC 20666430 (NMHUK).

Madagascar (Lahey et al. 2019b).

Holotype : Tanzania • ♀; Mara Reg., Shirati, V-1909; Katona; Hym. Typ. No. 9583 Mus. Budapest. (HNHM).

Kenya, Tanzania (Lahey et al. 2019b).

Holotype : Mali • ♀; Koulikoro Reg., Mourdiah; 25.VIII–5.IX.1986; Malaise trap; M. Matthews; OSUC 20666433 (CNCI).

Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Mali, Nigeria (Lahey et al. 2019b).

Holotype : South Africa • ♀; Eastern Cape Prov., Marais Hoop Farm, 25.6 km (254°) W Kirkwood; 33°32.635'S, 25°13.678'E; H. G. Robertson & R. Tourle; valley bushveld (goat trashed); pitfall trap, VB01-R4T-P06; SAM-HYM-P031619 (SAMC).

South Africa (Lahey et al. 2019b).

Holotype : South Africa • ♀; Limpopo Prov., 15 km E Klaserie, Guernsey Farm; 19.XII–31.XII.1985, pan trap, M. Sanborne, OSUC 20666387 (SAMC).

South Africa (Lahey et al. 2019b).

Holotype : Madagascar • ♀; Toliara Auto. Prov., Andohahela National Park, 36.1 km (308°) NW Tolagnaro, 1.7 km (61°) ENE Tsimelahy, Ambohibory Forest; 300 m; 24°55'48"S, 46°38'44"E; BLF4915; 16.I–20.I.2002; pitfall trap; Fisher, Griswold et al.; CASENT 2043862 (CASC).

Madagascar (Lahey et al. 2019b).

Holotype : Zambia • ♂; Lukwakwa, open Dambo; 12°39'40"S, 24°26'13"E; 1147 m; 4–8.ix.13; Yellow Pan; Smith, Takano and Oram; NHMUK010823075, type number 9.1020 (NHMUK).

Zambia (Lahey et al. 2019b).

Colour of head and mesosoma black; metasoma black to light brown or orange-brown; scape, pedicel, flagellar segments in female, legs orange-brown; club and flagellar segments in male black; wings either infuscate or dark with white areas.

Head wider than long, narrowing towards clypeus; frontal ledge absent; antenna 10-merous; clava subcompact, terminal segment tapering, 3-merous; arrangement of setae on ventral surface of each clavomere forming a chevron-shaped area with the posterior-most papillary sensillum at its point; male antennae filiform; toruli in close apposition, separated by less than one torular diameter, positioned on frontal protrusion close to mandibles, situated well below compound eyes; inter-antennal process present, acuminate distally; clypeus smooth, with convex margin; mandibles bidentate; frons micro-reticulate, finely punctate in dorsal half and along inner orbits, with minute setae medially; malar sulcus absent, malar space three-fifths of eye height; facial and malar striae absent; hyperoccipital carina present on dorsal margin of vertex, anterior profile with two raised areas corresponding with lateral ocelli; vertex anterior to hyperoccipital carina finely punctate, with minute setae, posterior of carina micro-reticulate; lateral ocelli positioned posterior of hyperoccipital carina, separated from inner margin of compound eye by more than 5 ocellar diameters; occiput micro-reticulate; occipital carina present, with or without occipital pit; occipital carina ventrally reaches, or approaches the anterior articulation of the mandible.

Mesosoma. Pronotal shoulder sharply angled transversely, with pronotal carina present posteriorly; pronotum transverse, weakly to strongly triangular with strong medial longitudinal sulcus (possibly representing convergence of two epomia); shoulders weak to strong, micro-reticulate to polished; pronotal cervical sulcus with depressions at ventral and dorsal apices, dorsal depression setose; admedian depressions present, widely spaced, longitudinally offset from deep posterior notaular grooves; mesoscutellar disc flanked by parallel longitudinal grooves, which fuse with the trans-axillar carina; axillar carinae present or absent; axillae moderately to strongly excavated; sculpture of mesoscutellum micro-reticulate to polished; mesopleuron polished, may be dorsally transversely ridged, or longitudinally compressed, much higher than long; transepisternal line absent; mesopleural carina strong, may form a flange posteriorly; foamy structures present posteriorly on metapleuron, concealing metapleural carina; metapleural pit present; submarginal vein of fore wing absent or spectral; marginal cilia of fore wing absent; wing microtrichia normal, or strong and needle-like; hind wing may have a strong thickened marginal vein.

Metasoma. Ovate, sessile with indistinct lateral carina; T1 transverse in dorsal view; T2 large, as long as wide, comprising more than half to 4/5^ths of metasomal length; foamy structures present anterolaterally on T1 and on S1; posterior margin of T1 with fringe of long setae; anterior margin of T2 with transverse furrow covered by elongate setae of posterior margin of T1, containing minute setae that often accumulate a white exudate; scattered long setae present on S2; tibial spur formula 1-2-2; protibial spur with comb of setae.

Sceliotrachelus is recognizable by the median longitudinal sulcus on the pronotum and the presence of long setae on sternite 2. These two characters separate the genus from all other sceliotrachelines. Additional diagnostic characters are: the malar sulcus with tract of long, straight setae; hyperoccipital carina present with the lateral ocelli positioned posterior to its margin; widely spaced admedian depressions on the mesoscutum; notauli present; transaxillar and axillular carinae fused; axillar area as wide as or wider than mesoscutellum; transepisternal line absent; metapleuron with lateral projection in ventral half; ventral surface of coxae, trochanters, and portion of femur and S2 with long setae; scrobe present on dorsal surface of hind femur; foamy structures present on propodeum, metapleuron, T1, and S1; anterior margin of T2 with a transverse, setose furrow; submarginal vein of fore wing absent.

Sceliotrachelus shares morphological affinities with Afrisolia, Isolia and Pulchrisolia, together forming the Isolia-cluster, which is defined by the combed fore tibial spur. Additional putative synapomorphic characters centre on the foamy structures present on the propodeum in these four genera (Lahey et al. 2019b; Veenakumari et al. 2019). Pulchrisolia is hypothesized as being distinct from Sceliotrachelus by the presence of a short, tubular submarginal vein on the fore wing (but this is also present in S. karooensis sp. nov.); a transverse frontal ledge just above the toruli (except for P. ankremos), no setae on sternite 2, and absence of the lateral projection on the lower metapleuron (Masner and Huggert 1989; Lahey et al. 2019b).

Sceliotrachelus braunsi Brues, 1908 (South Africa) (Figs 29–36, 49).

Sceliotrachelus karooensis van Noort, sp. nov. (South Africa) (Figs 37–42, 49).

Sceliotrachelus midgleyi van Noort, sp. nov. (South Africa) (Figs 42–48).

The genus Sceliotrachelus is, as far as known, confined to the Eastern and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa (Fig. 50).

Unknown, but likely to be parasitoids of arthropods living in the leaf litter habitat (see discussion).

Holotype : South Africa • ♂; Eastern Cape, Algoa Bay, Cape Colony; 10 November 1896; H. Brauns; Sceliotrachelus braunsi Brues (MCZ). Photographs of holotype examined (Fig. 29).

Paratype : South Africa • ♂; same data as holotype (MCZ).

South Africa • ♀; Eastern Cape: 1♀; 1♂ Schilpad Laagte Farm, (14.7 km 229°SW Kirkwood); 33°31.104'S, 25°22.353'E; 9–16 Feb 2001; HG Robertson and R Tourle; Pitfall; VB01-A2T-P02; Valley Bushveld (goat trashed) [Sundays Thicket]; SAM-HYM-P030896 (SAMC) • 3♀♀; 1♂ Blauwe Krans Farm, (12.8 km 216°SW Kirkwood); 33°30.747'S, 25°24.644'E; 9–16 Feb 2001; HG Robertson and R Tourle; Pitfall; VB01-A3T-P03; Valley Bushveld (goat trashed) [Sundays Noorsveld]; SAM-HYM-P030894 (SAMC; OSUC) • 2♀♀; idem except for VB01-A3T-P06; SAM-HYM-P030897 (SAMC) • 1♀; Blauwe Krans Farm, (12.8 km 216°SW Kirkwood); 33°30.747'S, 25°24.644'E; 9–16 Feb 2001; HG Robertson and R Tourle; Pitfall; VB01-A3N-P06; Valley Bushveld (non-trashed) [Sundays Noorsveld]; SAM-HYM-P030898 (SAMC) • 1♀; Februarie Farm, (40.2 km 267°W Kirkwood); 33°33.124'S, 25°03.043'E; 10–17 Feb 2001; HG Robertson and R Tourle; Pitfall, VB01-R1T-P01; Valley Bushveld (goat trashed) [Sundays Thicket]; SAM-HYM-P030899 (SAMC) • 1♀; idem except for VB01-R1T-P08; SAM-HYM-P030900 (SAMC) • 1♀; Februarie Farm, (39.9 km 268°W Kirkwood); 33°32.813'S, 25°03.091'E; 10–17 Feb 2001; HG Robertson and R Tourle; Pitfall VB01-R2N-P04; Valley Bushveld (non-trashed) [Sundays Thicket]; SAM-HYM-P030895 (SAMC) • 1♂; idem except for VB01-R2N-P05; SAM-HYM-P030901 (SAMC) • 1♀; 30 km S. Steytlerville, Baviaanskloof Mtns., Wolwerkrall Farm; 33°33.88'S, 24°20.95'E; 17.XI.1999; M.E. Irwin et al.; MT across dry creek; SA-08; [Gamtoos Thicket] (CNCI).

Female body length: 2 mm; male body length: 2 mm. Colour of head and mesosoma black; metasoma light brown with lateral tergites below lateral keel orange-brown; scape, pedicel, flagellar segments in female, legs orange-brown; flagellar segments in male black; foamy structures white; wings with dark brown and white patches.

Head 1.15× wider than long, strongly narrowing towards toruli and clypeus; eye height equal to inter-ocular distance; malar space 0.6× eye length; antennal length ratios (female): scape 13, pedicel 3, funicle 5, clava 10; male antennae filiform: scape 13, pedicel 3, flagellum 30; LOL:OOL:POL (2.5:5.5:5.5); occipital carina present, without occipital pit with numerous long white setae.

Mesoscutum. Sculpture of mesosoma smooth, polished; ronotum transverse, strongly delta-shaped with strong medial longitudinal sulcus anteriorly with numerous long white setae; shoulders pointed, strongly humped in lateral view; mesoscutum very short, 3× wider than long; medial length approximately equivalent to pronotum and scutellum; admedian depressions short, deep grooves, extending posteriorly beyond anterior apex of notauli; notauli align with grooves on either side of the narrow mesoscutellar disc; axillar carinae expanded into thick ridge; axillae strongly and broadly excavated; posterior margin of scutellum strongly raised in lateral view; propodeum with foamy structures extending to T1; mesopleuron polished, dorsally with three incomplete transverse ridges; extremely longitudinally compressed, 5× higher than long; mesopleural carina moderately strong; foamy structures present posteriorly on metapleuron, concealing metapleural carina, metapleuron ventrally with dense patch of white setae; fore wing narrow, 3× longer than wide, brachypterous, reaching just beyond posterior margin of T2; submarginal vein of fore wing absent; wing microtrichia strong, needle-like; hind wing with a strong, thickened marginal vein.

Metasoma. T1 transverse in dorsal view with dense row of setae on posterior margin overlapping T2; T2 large, as long as wide, 0.7× metasomal length, with anterior transverse furrow c. equivalent to length of T1, centrally situated, encompassing two-thirds of anterior tergite width; T2 anteriomedially polished grading into posterior micro-reticulate area, bounded anterolaterally by more strigate area.

Male as in female, except for antennal configuration: eight funicular segments, first as long as second and third combined; second to seventh subequal in length, 2× longer than wide; ultimate segment longer than penultimate segment.

The shape and colour pattern of the fore wings immediately distinguish this species from the other two species, which either have a much more brachypterous or normal fore wing shape. The hind wing costal margin has a thick band of black sclerotization that runs nearly the entire length of the wing, which is absent in the other two species. Strong genal and pronotal rugae are present, absent in the other two species. The mesosoma is the most longitudinally compressed of the three species with the pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum all extremely transverse and of equal length. Strong white setae are present on the occiput and pronotum. The mesoscutum is posteriorly strongly raised in lateral view; mesoscutum compressed, narrow 2.5× wider than long, without raised carinae; pronotal shoulders taper to point; wings slightly shortened, extending just beyond posterior margin of second tergite, 3× longer than wide.

Named by Brues after the collector of the two type specimens, Dr Hans Heinrich Justus Carl Ernst Brauns, a medical doctor who practiced in Willomore in the Eastern Cape. The Brauns collection of Apocrita Hymenoptera was purchased by the Transvaal Museum (now Ditsong Museums of South Africa) for £1500 (Kock and Krüger 1972; Anonymous 2020; Biodiversity Explorer 2020). The Brauns collection includes over 10,600 species represented by about 70,000 specimens and approximately 900 types (Ditsong Museums of South Africa 2018). However, a number of the types could not be found in the collections held at Ditsong, (Audrey Ndaba, Collections Manager, pers. comm. 2018) and their precise whereabouts is of concern.

(Fig. 50). This species is currently only known from the Eastern Cape Province where the species is associated with three vegetation types that are endemic to the province. The following vegetation distributional summaries were extracted verbatim from Mucina and Rutherford (2006):

Gamtoos Thicket (coastal basin of the Gamtoos River Valley, south of the Baviaanskloof Mountains and along some smaller river valleys such as that of the Kromme River; also found north of the Baviaanskloof Mountains in more xeric conditions on some low ridges south and southeast of Steytlerville; altitude 0–700 m).

Sundays Noorsveld (mostly north of the Klein Winterhoek Mountains, centred around Waterford and the Darlington Dam and a smaller area from Jansenville westwards; also some patches south of this mountain range west of Kirkwood in the Sundays River Valley; altitude 100–600 m).

Sundays Thicket (from the surrounds of Uitenhage and the northern edge of Port Elizabeth into the lower Sundays River Valley to east of Colchester and northwards to the base of the Zuurberg Mountains and stretching westwards north of the Groot Winterhoek Mountains to roughly the Kleinpoort longitude; also an extensive area north of the Klein Winterhoek Mountains including much of the Jansenville District and parts of the far-southern Pearston District and far-western Somerset East District; altitude 0–800 m).

The current distribution is likely to be an artefact of under-sampling and the species is expected to be more widespread in the Eastern Cape (Fig. 50).

The female specimen (Fig. 35) in CNCI has most of the long setae that are normally present on the head and mesosoma missing. These have clearly been dislodged, probably as part of a cleaning process. The specimen is unusually clean for a Sceliotrachelus, specimens of which usually have some degree of a covering of exudate, presumably as a result of their association with the leaf litter habitat or host association. The basal remnants of the setal insertions are evident on close examination of the pronotum and occiput, and all other characters support the determination of this specimen as S. braunsi.

Holotype : South Africa • ♀; Western Cape, Anysberg Nature Reserve, 5.8 km west of Vrede; 785 m; 33°28.658'S, 20°31.572'E; 8 Dec 2014–8 Jan 2015; S. van Noort; yellow pan trap; Succulent Karoo; ANY14-SUC1-Y19; SAM-HYM-P086434 (SAMC).

Paratypes : South Africa • 1♀; same data as holotype, except SAM-HYM-P086435 (SAMC) • 1♂; Anysberg Nature Reserve; 5.8 km west of Vrede; 785 m; 33°28.658'S, 20°31.572'E; 8 January–23 February 2015; S. van Noort; yellow pan trap; Succulent Karoo; ANY14-SUC1-Y28; SAM-HYM-P095115 (SAMC) • 1♂; idem except for SAM-HYM-P095116 (SAMC) • 1♂; idem except for SAM-HYM-P095117 (SAMC) • 1♂; idem except for SAM-HYM-P095118 (SAMC) • 1♂; idem except for SAM-HYM-P095119 (SAMC) • 1♀; idem except for SAM-HYM-P095120 (SAMC) • 1♀; Anysberg Nature Reserve, 5.8 km west of Vrede; 785 m; 33°28.658'S, 20°31.572'E; 23 February–6 May 2015; S. van Noort; yellow pan trap; Succulent Karoo; ANY14-SUC1-Y30; SAM-HYM-P086436 (SAMC) • 1♀; idem except for SAM-HYM-P086437 (SAMC) • 1♀; Anysberg Nature Reserve, 6.4 km west of Vrede; 775 m; 33°28.548'S, 20°31.264'E; 23 September – 29 October 2015; S. van Noort; yellow pan trap; Succulent Karoo; ANY14-SUC7-Y49; SAM-HYM-P086438 (SAMC) • 1♂; Anysberg Nature Reserve, 5.8 km west of Vrede; 785 m; 33°28.658'S, 20°31.572'E; 23 Feb – 6 May 2015; S. van Noort; pitfall trap; Succulent Karoo; ANY14-SUC1-P11; SAM-HYM-P086439 (SAMC) • 1♀; Anysberg Nature Reserve, 5.8 km west of Vrede; 785 m; 33°28.658'S, 20°31.572'E; 8 Oct – 3 Nov 2014; S. van Noort; pitfall trap; Succulent Karoo; ANY14-SUC1-P03; SAM-HYM-P049531 (SAMC) • 1♂; Anysberg Nature Reserve, 5.8 km west of Vrede; 785 m; 33°28.658'S, 20°31.572'E; 8 Dec 2014–8 Jan 2015; S. van Noort; pitfall trap; Succulent Karoo; ANY14-SUC1-P07; SAM-HYM-P049534 (SAMC) • 1♂; Anysberg Nature Reserve, 5.8 km west of Vrede; 785 m; 33°28.658'S, 20°31.572'E; 23 September – 29 October 2015; S. van Noort; yellow pan trap; Succulent Karoo; ANY14-SUC1-Y48; SAM-HYM-P084755 (SAMC) • 1♂; idem except for SAM-HYM-P084756 (SAMC) • 1♂; idem except for SAM-HYM-P084757 (SAMC) • 1♂; Gamkaberg Nature Reserve; 33°44.090'S, 21°55.654'E; 997 m; 19 Feb–30 Mar 2010; S. van Noort; Malaise trap; Rooiberg Sandstone Fynbos; GB09-FYN2-M35; SAM-HYM-P038481 (SAMC).

Female body length: 2.4 mm; male body length: 2.3 mm. Colour of head and mesosoma black; metasoma light brown anterolaterally, with central tergites and sternites orange-brown; scape, pedicel, flagellar segments in female, legs orange-brown; flagellar segments in male black; foamy structures pale yellow; wings infuscate.

Head 1.27× wider than long, strongly narrowing towards toruli and clypeus; eye height 0.9× inter-ocular distance; malar space 0.55× eye height; antennal length ratios (female): scape 16, pedicel 3, funicle 8, clava 12; male antennae filiform: scape 23, pedicel 5, flagellum 60; LOL:OOL:POL (4:7:7); hyper-occipital carina present, collared, with occipital pit, glabrous.

Mesoscutum. Sculpture of mesosoma polished; pronotum transverse, weakly delta-shaped with medial longitudinal sulcus, glabrous; shoulders rounded, flat in lateral view; mesoscutum short 2.4× wider than long medially; 3× medial length of pronotum, equivalent to scutellar length; anterior admedian depressions short, deep grooves, not overlapping longitudinally with posterior shallow notauli, which are widely spaced; weak median mesoscutal line present; notauli align with grooves on lateral margins of mesoscutellar disc, which are continuous with the scutoscutellar sulcus, itself widened; axillar carinae present; axillae weakly and evenly excavated; posterior margin of mesoscutellum not raised in lateral view; propodeum with foamy structures extending to T1; mesopleuron polished, dorsally with c. ten incomplete transverse ridges; not longitudinally compressed, 1.4× higher than long; mesopleural carina strong, curled dorsally; foamy structures present posteriorly on metapleuron, concealing metapleural carina, ventrally with dense patch of yellow setae; fore wing of normal shape, 2.25× longer than wide, reaching to end of metasoma, almost glabrous with scattered microtrichiae in basal quarter, dense microtrichiae present over distal three-quarters; submarginal vein of fore wing present, but spectral and not reaching margin; hind wing with submarginal vein absent, except for basal remnant that has stout setae, anterior margin straight, slightly humped at hamulus, which comprises strong, curved setae, narrow and almost glabrous with scattered microtrichiae on basal half, dense microtrichiae present over distal half; long setae present on basal half of posterior wing margin.

Metasoma. T1 transverse in dorsal view with dense row of setae on posterior margin overlapping T2; T2 large, wider than long, 0.63× metasomal length, with anterior transverse furrow 0.5× length of T1, centrally situated, encompassing central three-quarters of anterior tergite width; T2 centrally polished grading into lateral micro-reticulate area, bounded anterolaterally by more strigate area.

Male as in female, except for antennal configuration: 8 funicular segments, first longer than second; second to seventh subequal in length, 3.5× longer than wide; ultimate segment longer than penultimate segment.

This species is immediately identifiable by the appearance of the fore wings which are of normal shape, and uniformly fuscous, without dark patches or strong microtrichiae, in contrast to the elongate and chromatically modified fore wings in the other two species. An additional diagnostic character is the presence of an occipital pit, which is absent in the other two species. The mesosoma is correspondingly less longitudinally compressed, with the mesocutum and mesopleuron being more normal in proportions. The pronotum and occiput are glabrous without the long setae present in the other two species. The acetabular and mesopleural epicoxal sulci do not converge as in the other two species, and, correspondingly, the fore and mesocoxae are separated by more than one fore coxal width (separated by less than the fore coxal width in other two species).

Named after the Karoo area wherein both main collection localities fall. Noun in apposition.

(Fig. 50). This species is currently only known from the Western Cape Province where it is associated with two vegetation types in two biomes (Succulent Karoo and Fynbos). Both vegetation types are restricted to the province. The following vegetation distributional summaries were extracted verbatim from Mucina and Rutherford (2006):

Western Little Karoo (the unit covers most of the western basin of the Little Karoo from the confluence of the Groot and Gouritz Rivers in the west as far as Anysberg by surrounding this mountain range and also extending along the northern flanks of the Klein Swartberg; two larger patches of the Western Little Karoo are found immediately to the east and south of Touws River, and one small isolated patch fringes the Langeberg Mountains in the Montagu area; altitude 160–1060 m (most of the area at 300–860 m).

South Rooiberg Sandstone Fynbos (southern slopes of the mountains of Rooiberg, Gamka and the Amalienstein Ridge-Sandberg-Bakenskop range; altitude 350–1490 m on the summit of Rooiberg).

The current distribution is likely to be an artefact of under-sampling and the species is expected to be more widespread in the Western Cape.

Holotype : South Africa • ♀; Eastern Cape, Asante Sana Game Reserve, Zuurkloof; 32°17.092S, 25°00.521E; 1204 m; 18–25 Nov 2009; J. Midgley; T2S1c; Pitfall trap; Camdeboo Escarpment Thicket; Acacia thicket; next to river bed with larger trees; SAM-HYM-P046650 (SAMC).

Paratypes : South Africa • 3♀♀, 1♂; Eastern Cape, Asante Sana Game Reserve, buttress between Waterkloof and Zuurkloof; 32°16.932S, 24°58.795E; 1401 m; 18–25 Nov 2009; J. Midgley; T1S1e; Pitfall trap; Camdeboo Escarpment Thicket, Open habitat, low shrubs and mat forming wild carnation, scattered grass; SAM-HYM-P036025A-D (SAMC) • 1♀ idem except for SAM-HYM-P038230 (SAMC) • 4♀♀; idem except for SAM-HYM-P046654 (SAMC) • 1♂; Asante Sana Game Reserve, Zuurkloof; 32°17.099S, 25°00.527E; 1207 m; 18–25 Nov 2009; J. Midgley; T2S1e; Pitfall trap; Camdeboo Escarpment Thicket; Acacia thicket; next to river bed with larger trees SAM-HYM-P036026; SAM-HYM-P046646; SAM-HYM-P046649 (SAMC) • 2♀♀; Asante Sana Game Reserve, Zuurkloof; 32°16.461S, 25°00.067E; 1406 m; 18–25 Nov 2009; J. Midgley; T2S2c; Pitfall trap; Camdeboo Escarpment Thicket; Mixed thicket with some small shrubs and larger trees; sparse grass; SAM-HYM-P036028 (SAMC) • 2♀♀; 1♂; idem except for SAM-HYM-P046648 (SAMC) • 1♂; Asante Sana Game Reserve, buttress between Waterkloof and Zuurkloof; S32 17.003 E24 58.298; 1202 m; 18–25 Nov 2009; J. Midgley; T1S5d; Pitfall trap; Camdeboo Escarpment Thicket; Acacia thicket; stony ground; SAM-HYM-P036030 (SAMC) • 1♂; Asante Sana Game Reserve, Waterkloof; 32°15.692S, 24°57.095E; 1415 m; 18–25 Nov 2009; J. Midgley; T3S1d; Pitfall trap; Camdeboo Escarpment Thicket; Mixed grass (low mat forming and tall) and small trees SAM-HYM-P036031 (SAMC) • 1♀; Asante Sana Game Reserve, Zuurkloof; 32°16.011S, 25°00.244E; 1621 m; 18–25 Nov 2009; J. Midgley; T2S3d; Pitfall trap; Camdeboo Escarpment Thicket; Tall grass stands with scattered oubos and scattered other shrubs; SAM-HYM-P036032 (SAMC) • 1♀; Asante Sana Game Reserve, buttress between Waterkloof and Zuurkloof; 32°16.934S, 24°58.801E; 1400 m; 18–25 Nov 2009; J. Midgley; T1S1d; Pitfall trap; Camdeboo Escarpment Thicket; Open habitat; low shrubs and mat forming wild carnation; scattered grass; SAM-HYM-P036033 (SAMC) • 1♀; Asante Sana Game Reserve, Zuurkloof; 32°16.463S, 25°00.062E; 1407 m; 18–25 Nov 2009; J. Midgley; T2S2d; Pitfall trap; Camdeboo Escarpment Thicket; Mixed thicket with some small shrubs and larger trees; sparse grass; SAM-HYM-P036034 (SAMC) • 2♀♀; Asante Sana Game Reserve; buttress between Waterkloof and Zuurkloof; 32°16.363S, 24°58.989E; 1793 m; 18–25 Nov 2009; J. Midgley; T1S3e; Pitfall trap; Camdeboo Escarpment Thicket; Steep rocky slope; dense shrubs (50 cm high) little to no grass; SAM-HYM-P040038 (SAMC) • 1♂; Asante Sana Game Reserve, buttress between Waterkloof and Zuurkloof; 32°16.580S, 24°58.942E; 1618 m; 18–25 Nov 2009; J. Midgley; T1S2a; Pitfall trap; Camdeboo Escarpment Thicket; Steep slope; mostly small shrubs; fynbos; with some grass tussocks; SAM-HYM-P046643 (SAMC) • 1♂; Asante Sana Game Reserve, Zuurkloof; 32°16.462S, 25°00.054E; 1413 m; 18–25 Nov 2009; J. Midgley; T2S2e; Pitfall trap; Camdeboo Escarpment Thicket; Mixed thicket with some small shrubs and larger trees; sparse grass; SAM-HYM-P046644 (SAMC) • 2♂♂; idem except for SAM-HYM-P046645 (SAMC) • 1♀; 1♂; Asante Sana Game Reserve, Waterkloof; 32°16.994S, 24°56.311E; 1205 m; 18–25 Nov 2009; J. Midgley; T3S6e; Pitfall trap; Camdeboo Escarpment Thicket; Acacia thicket; SAM-HYM-P046647; SAM-HYM-P046655 (SAMC) • 1♀; Asante Sana Game Reserve, buttress between Waterkloof and Zuurkloof; 32°16.370S, 24°58.986E; 1805 m; 18–25 Nov 2009; J. Midgley; T1S3c; Pitfall trap; Camdeboo Escarpment Thicket; Steep rocky slope; dense shrubs (50 cm high) little to no grass; SAM-HYM-P046651 (SAMC) • 1♀; Asante Sana Game Reserve, Zuurkloof; 32°16.462S, 25°00.084E; 1412 m; 18–25 Nov 2009; J. Midgley; T2S2a; Pitfall trap; Camdeboo Escarpment Thicket; Mixed thicket with some small shrubs and larger trees; sparse grass; SAM-HYM-P046652 (SAMC) • 1♀; Asante Sana Game Reserve, Waterkloof; 32°16.993S, 24°56.325E; 1197 m; 18–25 Nov 2009; J. Midgley; T3S6c; Pitfall trap; Camdeboo Escarpment Thicket; Acacia thicket; SAM-HYM-P046653 (SAMC).

Female body length: 2.26 mm; male body length: 2 mm. Colour of head and mesosoma black; metasoma dark brown to black, with lighter brown areas anteriolaterally; scape, pedicel, flagellar segments in female, legs orange-brown; flagellar segments in male dark brown; foamy structures pale yellow; wings yellow-white with broad darker band in apical half.

Head 1.27× wider than long, strongly narrowing towards toruli and clypeus; eye height 0.9× inter-ocular distance; malar space 0.55× eye length; antennal length ratios (female): scape 14, pedicel 2.5, funicle 5.5, clava 10; male antennae filiform: scape 15, pedicel 4, flagellum 35; LOL:OOL:POL (4:7:7); hyperoccipital carina present, collared, without occipital pit, long setae present.

Mesoscutum. Sculpture of mesosoma polished; pronotum transverse, strongly delta-shaped with medial longitudinal sulcus, with anteriorly projecting neck, covered in scattered long brown setae; shoulders angular, flat in lateral view; mesoscutum short 2.3× wider than long medially; 1.3× medial length of pronotum and equivalent to scutellar length; admedian depressions short, deep grooves, not overlapping longitudinally with posterior narrow and more shallow notauli, which are widely spaced; median mesoscutal line present; notaular excavations align with two deep and long parallel excavations of the axillular carina, which meet with the scutoscutellar sulcus, itself not widened; mesoscutellar disc medially and longitudinally evenly raised into hump; axillar carinae present and strongly raised; axillae weakly and evenly excavated; posterior margin of mesoscutellum not raised in lateral view; propodeum with foamy structures extending to T1; mesopleuron polished, dorsally with two complete transverse ridges; not longitudinally compressed, 1.9× higher than long; mesopleural carina strong, curled dorsally; foamy structures present posteriorly on metapleuron, concealing metapleural carina, metapleuron ventrally with dense patch of white setae; fore wing brachypterous, not extending beyond posterior margin of T2, narrow > 4× longer than wide, curved forwards in boomerang-shape; submarginal vein of fore wing absent except at base, narrow and almost glabrous with scattered microtrichiae for basal third, dense microtrichiae present over distal two-thirds; hind wing with marginal vein absent, except for basal remnant, anterior margin angled at hamulus, narrow and almost glabrous with scattered microtrichiae for basal half, dense microtrichiae present over distal half.

Metasoma. T1 transverse in dorsal view with dense row of setae on posterior margin overlapping T2; T2 large, as long as wide, 0.7× metasomal length, with anterior transverse furrow 0.5× length of T1, centrally situated, encompassing central three-quarters of anterior tergite width; T2 anteromedially polished grading into lateral strigulate areas, and posteriorly aerolate-rugulose.

Male as in female, except for antennal configuration: eight funicular segments, first 1.3× as long as second and third combined; second to seventh subequal in length, 2× longer than wide; ultimate segment longer than penultimate segment.

This species is immediately distinguishable by the brachypterous wings, which have a unique colour pattern, are extremely narrow, 4× longer than wide, and do not extend beyond the posterior margin of tergite 2. It shares the lack of the occipital pit, presence of long setae on the pronotum, and presence of strong microtrichiae with S. braunsi, but does not have rugae present on the genae and pronotum as in S. braunsi; has a wider mesoscutum (twice as wide as long, as opposed to 2.5× in S. braunsi); a distinctive mesoscutellar disc which is square in shape and medially and longitudinally evenly raised into a hump, laterally defined by strongly raised longitudinal axillar carinae; and the costal margin of hind wing is not sclerotized as in S. braunsi.

Named in honour of John Midgley, who first collected specimens of the new species as part of his PhD project. Noun in the genitive case.

(Fig. 50). This species is currently only known from the Eastern Cape Province where it is associated with high altitude regions (1197–1805 m) across a variety of micro-habitats present in Camdebo Escarpment Thicket (Grassland biome), including open grassland, grassland with mixed thicket, mixed thicket with some small shrubs, larger trees and sparse grass, to Acacia thicket with medium or tall trees, either on steep rocky slopes or in flatter areas next to river courses. This vegetation type is restricted to the Eastern Cape Province. The following vegetation distributional summary was extracted verbatim from Mucina and Rutherford (2006):

Camdebo Escarpment Thicket (south-sloping face of the Great Escarpment, forming an arc from Bruintjieshoogte in the east via the Coetzeeberg Mountains and Graaff-Reinet (including Spandaukop and the isolated Rooiberg) to Kamdebooberg and Aberdeen in the west; altitude varies from 570–1600 m, with most of the area between 700–1200 m).

The current distribution is likely to be an artefact of under-sampling and the species is expected to be more widespread in the Eastern Cape, but possibly restricted to higher altitudes in Camdebo Escarpment Thicket.