Sycophila Walker, 1871

Lotfalizadeh, Hossein, Delvare, Gérard, Cruaud, Astrid & Rasplus, Jean-Yves, 2024, Morphological phylogeny and revision of Sycophila and Ficomila (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea, Eurytomidae) associated with Afrotropical fig trees (Moraceae, Ficus), Zootaxa 5401 (1), pp. 1-190 : 72

Sycophila Walker, 1871

Sycophila Walker, 1871: 63 . Original description.

Type species Sycophila decatomoides Walker, 1871 by subsequent designation of Ashmead, 1904: 238.

Phytomyza Rondani, 1872: 205 . Original description. Type species Tineomyza pistacina Rondani by original designation, synonymy by Bouček, 1974: 267.

Isanisa Walker, 1875: 15 . Type species Sycophila decatomoides Walker, 1871 , by monotypy, synonymy by Dalla Torre, 1898: 319.

Pseudisa Walker, 1875: 15 . Type species Pseudisa smicroides Walker, 1875 , by monotypy, synonymy by Dalla Torre, 1898: 319.

Eudecatoma Ashmead, 1888: 42 , 43. Type species Decatoma batatoides Ashmead, 1888 by subsequent designation of Ashmead, 1894: 319, synonymy by Bouček, 1974: 267.

Decatomidea Ashmead, 1888: 42–43 . Type species Decatomidea xanthochroa Ashmead, 1888 by subsequent designation of Ashmead, 1894: 322, synonymy with Eudecatoma by Peck, 1951: 582.

We describe 36 new species and bring the number of Afrotropical species of Sycophila to 46, which may be still far from the overall diversity occurring in Africa. We reanalyze the circumscription of the genus Sycophila and define three subgenera, including one new subgenus. We also provide illustrations, morphological diagnoses and dichotomous keys to species as well as biological information about their host figs.

Diagnosis of Sycophila

In this wider circumscription the genus Sycophila can be defined by the bilobed clypeus, the presence of a basal carina on propodeum exhibiting different shapes (angulate, wedge-like of truncate mesally), the presence of a row of long setae on the dorsal edge of hind tibiae, and the enlarged marginal vein (mv), that vary from slightly enlarged to distinctly bulging, postmarginal vein (pmv) absent or distinctly present, stigmal vein (stv) curved or not, mesodiscrimen varies from flattened to raised umbilicate sculpture.