Afrotropical Cynipoidea (Hymenoptera) Author Noort, Simon van Author Buffington, Matthew L. Author Forshage, Mattias text ZooKeys 2015 493 1 176 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.493.6353 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.493.6353 1313-2970-493-1 1FBFFA4CA71F495CAD22F2EB680FEF95 1FBFFA4CA71F495CAD22F2EB680FEF95 Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Figitidae Xyalaspis Hartig, 1843 Remarks. Not common in the Afrotropical region. The genus is often difficult to separate from Aegilips and requires revision. Diagnosis . Xyalaspis are often easy to recognise by their very distinct scutellar spines, but several taxa have more blunt or moderate spines that are close to character states found in Aegilips . In these cases, the scutellum of Xyalaspis is characterised by a heavier foveolate sculpture, where no circumscutellar carina is obvious. As currently circumscribed, the genus is somewhat heterogenous in the Afrotropical region, and a distinct species group is characterised by a strongly sculptured mesoscutum with longitudinal carinae as well as strong genal carinae. Figure 8. Xyalaspis species (South Africa). A habitus lateral view B head and mesosoma dorsolateral view C head, anterior view. Distribution . Mainly Holarctic, but also present throughout the Old World Tropics. Afrotropical records: South Africa ( Kieffer 1912 ), Nigeria, Uganda ( Mata-Casanova et al. 2014 ), Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Malawi, Yemen, Zimbabwe (here). Biology. Parasitoids of aphidivorous Neuroptera larvae ( Fergusson 1986 , Miller and Lambdin 1985 ). Species richness. Xyalaspis capensis (Kieffer, 1912), comb. n. ( Aegilips ) (South Africa, Zimbabwe) (Type supposedly in ZMBH, but not found there. However, the original description has been deemed sufficient for generic placement here) Xyalaspis subsaharica Mata-Casanova & Pujade-Villar, 2014 (Nigeria, Uganda) Several undescribed species from elsewhere in the region.