ARS | Publication request: Revision of the Oberthuerellinae (Cynipoidea: Liopteridae)

Submitted to: ZooKeys
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: May 16, 2012
Publication Date: June 15, 2012
Repository URL: http://www.pensoft.net/journal_home_page.php?journal_id=1&page=article&SESID=d3c91f9a76cc53fd23faa5aa38c7a831&type=show&article_id=2136&issue_id=279&ttar=da&search=Oberthuerella&IN=Journals&TIP=&Image100_x=0&Image100_y=0&
Citation: Buffington, M.L., Simon Van, N. 2012. Revision of the Oberthuerellinae (Cynipoidea: Liopteridae). ZooKeys. 202:1-154.

Interpretive Summary: Parasitic wasps are important biological control organisms especially for the control of invasive, exotic species that are pests in agriculture and forestry. This paper investigates a group of wasps native to Southern and Central Africa that parasitize wood boring beetle larvae. It provides a better understanding about the evolution of this group and provides species identities and distributions that are essential to well-developed biological control projects. Eleven species are described as new and on-line, interactive keys for 53 species are made available. Digital color images of all of the species are provided in the paper as well as on-line. Biological control researchers, ecologists and tropical agricultural researchers will find this paper useful.

Technical Abstract: The Afrotropical endemic Oberthuerellinae is revised, and new dichotomous and multi-entry keys to the species of Oberthuerella, Tessmannella, and Xenocynips are provided. All previously described species in these genera are redescribed; descriptions are augmented by color images of each species' holotype specimen. The following species are described as new: Oberthuerella cyclopia Buffington and van Noort; O. eschara Buffington and van Noort; O. kibalensis van Noort & Buffington; O. pardolatus Buffington and van Noort; O. sharkeyi Buffington and van Noort; O. simba Buffington and van Noort; Tessmannella copelandi Buffington and van Noort; T. kiplingi Buffington and van Noort; T. roberti Buffington and van Noort; Xenocynips rhothion Buffington and van Noort; X. ronquisti Buffington and van Noort. We provide identification keys to the genera and species occurring in the Afrotropical region. Online dichotomous and interactive Lucid keys to genera and species are available at http://www.waspweb.org/Cynipoidea/Keys/index.htm.