Boeria Hedqvist

Desjardins, Christopher A., 2007, Phylogenetics and classification of the world genera of Diparinae (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), Zootaxa 1647 (1), pp. 1-88 : 30-31

Boeria Hedqvist

Boeria Hedqvist 1969: 185 . Type species: Boeria saetosa Hedqvist (orig. desig. and by monotypy).

Diagnosis: Boeria is known only from females, and can be diagnosed by a combination of features. First, the toruli are situated low on the face, approximately 2 torulus diameters from the oral fossa. Boeria shares this character only with Cerodipara , as the toruli are situated at least 4 torulus diameters from the oral fossa in the remainder of diparines. Three features exist to distinguish Boeria from Cerodipara . First, Boeria has many pairs of bristles present on the vertex and dorsal surface of the mesosoma, while Cerodipara has only a single pair of scutellar bristles on the lateral edges of the frenal sulcus. Also, Boeria has a gently sloping propodeum which is longer than high (as in Figs. 59, 60 ), while Cerodipara has a steeply sloping propodeum which is higher than long ( Fig. 61 ). Third, Boeria has parallel-sided inner eye margins, while Cerodipara is the only diparine to have ventrally diverging inner eye margins. Boeria is also the only diparine with a full complement of bristles and a broadly expanded acropleuron.

Discussion: Although the male of Boeria is unknown, given the genus’ placement in the phylogeny it would be expected to be sexually dimorphic. However, only 5 specimens of Boeria are known to exist, so it is possible that males are not sexually dimorphic, but have just not been collected. It is difficult to speculate on what the males of Boeria would look like, but given the males of Dipara < Pondia >, and the proposed males of Pseudoceraphron , it would appear that Boeria males would have pedunculate flagellar segments with long, apically appressed setae.

Boeria is phylogenetically positioned in a grade with Cerodipara and Dozodipara , leading to the most derived diparines, although the relationships of these taxa too each other vary across analyses. In all analyses excluding the bristle positional characters, Boeria is sister-taxon to Cerodipara with Dozodipara basal to them. Boeria and Cerodipara have a number of features in common, particularly the lower positioning of the toruli, which is unique to these taxa among Diparinae . The clade of diparines inclusive of Cerodipara , Boeria , and the most derived diparines is defined by 2 synapomorphies: a broadly expanded acropleuron and reduced axillae.

Boeria is one of the few taxa whose phylogenetic positioning may be adversely affected by the inclusion of bristle characters. Boeria , which in analyses including bristle positional characters is positioned basal to Cerodipara , has a large complement of bristles, while none of the taxa more derived than Cerodipara have any bristles. The inclusion of bristle positional characters therefore causes a sister-group relationship between Boeria and Cerodipara to cost 4 additional steps, which may inaccurately outweigh otherwise strong synapomorphies.

Number of species: 1 described.

Distribution: South Africa (Western Cape, Eastern Cape).

Hosts: Unknown.

Key to species: None.

Figures

FIGURES 59–64. Lateral habitus views: 59, Neapterolelaps viridescens; 60, N. mitteri; 61, Cerodipara sabensis; 62, Chimaerolelaps villosa; 63, Conophorisca littoriticus; 64, C. grisselli.