Echthrodape africana
The insect featured this week is a rare species of Torymidae, Echthrodape africana (Burks). It is endemic to Kenya and, as near as I can tell, has previously been collected only in the Nairobi area. We captured the species in a Malaise trap set in the Kongór area of western Kenya, near the Uganda border. With targeted sampling, it is likely to be found in Uganda and elsewhere. The species is an ectoparasitoid of allodapine bees (family Apidae) and the type series was reared by Michener from nests made by small bees of the genus Braunsapis in dead stems of Lantana camara. Morphologically speaking both adult and larval stages are taxonomically confusing. The species was described from adult material and originally placed incorrectly (and with reservations) in the family Perilampidae, later transferred to the Torymidae. The larva has long erect setae and inflated pseudopods that may provide support and protection against the rough nest walls. The distribution of Echthrodape species is disjunct, E. africana having only a single congeneric species, Echthrodape papuana, known from Papua New Guinea and Australia. Among torymid parasitoids, E. africana is the only indigenous species known to parasitize bees in the Afrotropical region.
Thanks to Mike Gates and Petr Jansta for help with the identification.
Credits: Dr Robert Copeland, icipe