African Trigonalidae- Keys to genera and species

Key to African (and Malagasy) Species

Strand , 1912 #184 described 3 new genera from four specimens and Benoit , 1950 #13; , 1951 #14 and Bischoff , 1951 #30 described new species and subspecies disagreeing completely on generic placement and synonymization. None of these papers give keys to the African species, and most of the descriptions use variable characters or are too brief to be diagnostic.

A. Antenna banded. Propodeum, at least above propodeal foramen, rugose reticulate (wrinkled network). Occipital carina ends mesad of mandible, at or fading just before hypostomal carina. Males without tyloides. Wings hyaline, 2nd submarginal cell petiolate to sub-petiolate. Mesosoma predominately reddish to amber. Metasoma without armature. Metosomal plates thin and may dry distorted ............................................................................................Orthogonalys

- Antennae not banded. Other characters various, but not fitting above description. Wings often with dark markings; females often with armature; males often with tyloides .................................................................................................................B

B. Area immediately above clypeal suture smooth and shiny- not punctate. Usually with strong ledge between antennae. Gena thick. Gena wide, occipital carina at top of genal angle (see fig 27a). Thorax and abdomen predominately black, second metasomal tergum often with ivory diagonal markings or all black. Wings darkened or smoky. .................................................................Trigonalys

Area immediately above clypeal suture as punctate as frons immediately above antennae. Metasoma with transverse light markings or all reddish. Relatively flat frons. Female armature on second sternum. Other characters variable .......C

C. Gena narrow, flat area laterad of occipital carina and not deeply excavated inside of occipital carina. Area between antennae relatively wide, with only a slight slope from frons down to upper clypeal suture. Thorax and propodeum evenly amber or reddish brown colored. Wing hyaline except part of costal cell, all of marginal cell and area distal of marginal cell. Female with bluntly bifid armature on second sternum. Male with flattened sterna and with 5 or more narrow elongate tyloides on outside of antennae ...........................Taeniogonalos

- Gena at base of eye swollen. Metasoma red except near petiole. Female armature with two parallel sharp 'fins' on second sternite, armature on third sternite forms a flat ledge under second sternite. Male unknown, possibly without tyloides ...............................................................................Afrigonalys (New Genus)

Key to African Genera (slightly revised and updated)

1. Antenna banded. Propodeum, at least above propodeal foramen, rugose reticulate (wrinkled network). Genal carina fading before hypostomal carina, not ending at mandibular base. Males without tyloids. Wings hyaline, submarginal cell II petiolate to subpetiolate. Mesosoma predominately orange. Metasoma without armature. Metasomal plates thin and may dry distorted ......................Orthogonalys

- Antennae not banded. Other characters various, but not fitting above description. Wings often with dark markings; females often with armature; males often with tyloids ........................................................................................................................2

2. Area immediately above clypeal suture smooth and shiny- not punctate. Frons usually with strong ledge between antennae. Gena wide (Fig. 21), genal carina at top of genal angle (Fig. 17). Thorax and abdomen predominately black, tergum II often with ivory diagonal markings or all black. Female armature various, usually present. Wings darkened or smoky ...........................................................Trigonalys

- Area immediately above clypeal suture as punctate as frons immediately above antennae. Frons relatively flat. Metasoma dark with transverse light markings or entirely orange. Female armature on sternum II. Other characters variable ...........3

3. Shortest distance between toruli (antennal sockets) about the same as the shortest distance between the inner eye margin and the torulus. Marginal cell and area distal of marginal cell much darker than discal cell. Female with bluntly bifid armature on sternum II, armature on sternum III forms a flat ledge under sternum II and does not project. Male with flattened sterna and with 5 or more narrow elongate tyloids on outside of antennae ..............................................Taeniogonalos

- Shortest distance between toruli is almost twice the shortest distance between the inner eye margin and the torulus. Wing hyaline or evenly colored, marginal cell not darker than rest of wing. Metasoma orange except darker near petiole. Female armature with two parallel sharp 'fins' on sternum II, armature on sternum III forms a flat projecting ledge under sternum II. Male unknown, possibly without tyloids ...................................................................................................................Afrigonalys

Orthogonalys-

1. Occipital carina at vertex (medially) carinate . Females from Tanzania ..............2

- Occipital carina at vertex not carinate, carina same as elsewhere. Madagascar .....3

2. abdomen evenly reddish brown (except propodeum and base of petiole darker brown); center of scutellum and dorsellum each with medial white spot (mesoscutum may have third spot, but pin is placed through) .............O. seyrigi

- metasoma dark brown dorsally with broad white lateral markings. Hind leg also dark brown to middle of first tarsus (remaining white). All coxae white laterally. Front and middle legs reddish brown. Mesosoma reddish brown dorsally and laterally, ventrally with dark tinge. Dorsellum with small white spot. ....O. hova

3. Thorax completely reddish-brown; metasoma with black and white markings ....... O. hova [1M-AEI, 3F- CAS, Copenhagen, Mus. Congo (latter id'd by Benoit as hova)]

Trigonalys

1. Supra-Antennal elevation with (slightly projecting) lobes, similar to Pseudogonalos except not as pronounced; indented between lobes when viewed from above; lobes and frons between antennae and ocelli very smooth, as smooth as vertex; Medial white spot just above propodeal foramen. (the major difference on the lobes may be that they are not punctate) ***Could this be a different genus?? One male [BMNH]: (printed label) ANGOLA (A26); Salazar, I.I.A.A.; 9-15.iii.1972. This male has only part of one antenna, the first 16 segments- no tyloides are visible!!- this I find very confusing. One female [AEI, Townes Trigonalys 3]: (hand written label) Angola (Sabela); July 54.

- Supra-antennal elevation without Pseudogonalos-like lobes; usually (not always) with ridge straight across between antennae when viewed from above; ridge (and or lobes) and frons with distinct punctae (especially when compared to vertex, which in all these species is smooth); no medial spot just above propodeal foramen (though often with two lateral spots on propodeum). Males with 4 (3-5) tyloides on segments 10-14 ----------------------2

2. Carina at back top of head flange-like. Female, {(one specimen) AEI, Townes Trigonalys sp.1, printed label: Freetown; Sierra Leone; May 1970K33; D. F. Owen. [two males same labels except one dated Jan.]} with very small bump or thorn on 2nd metasomal sternum, broad bifid scoop on 3rd. One male, Royal Ontario Museum: LIBERIA Kraan; Baasa; 27 FEB 1989; NE Taylor. Liberian spm is only one with large lateral white marks on second metasomal tergum visible dorsally and almost touching medially. Other spms have small lateral white marks visible laterally but not dorsally.

- Carina not flange-like ........................3

3. Females -[tyloides absent, armature present or absent]---------4

- Males [tyloides present, armature absent] [Keys artificial and incomplete] .......9

4. Second metasomal sternum without ledge, armature, tooth, or spur (spm with very small bumps on second sternum and a large spur on third sternum keys this way)- -.......................5

- Second metasomal sternum with armature ..........................7

5. slight projection on third sternum, distinctly bifid, wide cross-ways, narrow length-way. (8-12)mm. Southern African spms, plus one spm from Madagascar, another from Kenya. Trigonalys natalensis

- Tall, single spur projecting from third sternum, very small bump or protrusion medially at end of second sternum ...........Two females: [BMNH] Kampala; Uganda; 6.X.1913.; No. 5451 C.C. Gorodey. (The '3' and 'r' are not completely formed and may be misinterpreted.) [Cornell] Mwenda 1400m.; Mt. Ruwenzori; CONGO BELGE; Dec. 12 1948; (second label) Collected by; J.C. Bradley. [The Ruwezori Mtns are just west of Kampala, but Mwenda is several hundred miles south.]

7. Second sternum with distinct scoop or ledge that projects over a (usually smaller) similar scoop or ledge on the third sternum. 7-9mm. ---------many spm from Cameroun, Gabon, Ghana and one probable spm from Zaire.

- Second sternum with sharply pointed thorn-like armature [may be the same sp as 7a]------8

8- Third sternum with broad ledge- One spm from Angola [BMNH: ANGOLA (A26); Salazar, I.I.A.A.; 9-15.iii.1972.]

- Third sternum with sharply pointed thorn, similar to thorn on second sternum- One specimen from Nigeria [USNM: Olokemeji; Ibadan; Nigeria. (No date)]

9. Whole forewing smoky, distinctly dark; or apical half of wing distinctly dark with marginal cell distinctly darker; Second tergum with white or ivory markings that almost touch medially (the space between the markings less than their width). 10 (8-12) mm long ................................Trigonalys natalensis

- Wing all hyaline or apical half slightly smoky: marginal cell not distinctly darker. Second tergum black dorsally or black with white or yellow markings that are further apart than their width). 7-9mm ......Trigonalysfrom Cameroon

(Trigonalys natalensis lamani det. by Benoit)