Pyramidophoriella
Until very recently this amazing species was considered to be a member of the subfamily Diparinae of the family Pteromalidae. However, Pteromalidae included many unrelated groups and was referred to as the “garbage can” of the superfamily Chalcidoidea. Basically, specimens that lacked a set of morphological characters that placed them in one of the clearly defined families of Chalcidoidea ended up in the Pteromalidae. This situation has now been rectified with the use of molecular methods for generating robust phylogenies independent of morphological data. Consequently, the Diparinae have been elevated to family status and the group is now known as the Diparidae. Little is known of the biology of this small family (ca. 120+ described species worldwide) with records of species parasitizing weevils, mantids and tsetse flies. Nothing is known about our insect of the week (Pyramidophoriella) except that the genus is recorded only from South Africa from which two species have been described. The Kenyan Pyramidophoriella may be a new species. The genus name means “carrying pyramids” and refers to the pyramid-shaped processes on the mesothorax. We have collected 6 specimens of this species, two each from Muhaka Forest, Buda Forest and Longomwagandi Forest. These forests all belong to the East African Coastal Forest hotspot of biodiversity.
Credits: Dr Robert Copeland