Xyalophora Kieffer, 1901

van Noort, Simon, Buffington, Matthew L. & Forshage, Mattias, 2014, Review of Afrotropical Figitinae (Figitidae, Cynipoidea, Hymenoptera) with the first records of Neralsia and Lonchidia for the region, ZooKeys 453, pp. 37-69 : 50

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Figitidae

Xyalophora Kieffer, 1901

Xyalophora Kieffer, 1901: 344. Type species: Figites clavatus Giraud, 1860, by monotypy and original designation.

Ceraspidia Belizin, 1952: 301. Type species: Ceraspidia japonica Belizin, 1952, by monotypy and original designation.

Diagnosis.

Xyalophora shares the presence of a scutellar spine with Neralsia , absent in Figites and Lonchidia . Xyalophora can be separated from Neralsia by the presence of transversely striate notauli (smooth in Neralsia ), and an often slightly smaller scutellar spine; this second character, however, is often linked to adult body size and should be used with caution. As in the case of Neralsia , species of Xyalophora can be superficially similar to Prosaspicera ( Aspicerinae), but can be separated from that taxon by the lack of a facial impression on the head, as well as the lack of a ligulate metasomal T2. All three African species have the occipital carinae directed towards the ocellar area and separated in the middle by a smooth surface as well as a smooth interocellar area.

Distribution.

Probably worldwide, but no records from the Oriental region are published. Afrotropical records: Burkina Faso ( Jiménez et al. 2008); Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Namibia, South Africa (here).

Biology.

Parasitoids of calyptrate Brachycera larvae in decomposing substrates ( Ionescu 1969).

Comments.

A rare genus that has been recently revised by Jiménez et al. 2008.