Zeuxevania splendidula (Costa, 1884)

Silva, Hugo Miguel, Franquinho Aguiar, António M., Gonçalves, Ysabel Margarita, Gomes, Gonçalo & Aguín-Pombo, Dora, 2025, A review of the ensign wasps (Hymenoptera: Evaniidae) from Macaronesia, Zootaxa 5653 (2), pp. 263-274 : 269-270

Zeuxevania splendidula (Costa, 1884)

Evania dinarca Schletterer, 1886

Evania dinarica Schletterer, 1886

Evania splendidula Costa, 1884

Zeuxevania dinarca (Schletterer, 1886)

Material studied: PORTUGAL • ICLAM05947 ; 1♀; Madeira Island, Santana, Achada do Gramacho ; 32.824329, -16.885678; 270 m a.s.l; 14.VIII.2015; C. Brazão leg.; On: yellow sticky-trap on vineyard • ICLAM05948 ; 1♀; Madeira Island, Santana, Achada do Gramacho ; 32.824329, -16.885678; 270 m a.s.l; 14.VIII.2015; C. Brazão leg.; On: yellow sticky-trap on vineyard .

Morphological features: Zeuxevania splendidula is distinguished by its black body ( Fig. 2 a-e) while the tibiae and tarsi ( Fig. 2h ), and sections of the antennae ( Fig. 2 a-c) show an oxblood color ( Cassar & Mifsud 2020). The face exhibits noticeable punctuation ( Fig. 2 a-c), except for the clypeus. The petiole displays heavy punctuation ( Fig. 2g ).

Distribution notes: This species is presumed to be of Mediterranean origin. It has been reported from southern European countries, including France, Italy, Croatia, Spain, Portugal, and Greece ( Žikic et al. 2016, Cassar & Mifsud 2020), and extends its presence to North Africa, including Egypt and Tunisia. However, its habitat extends beyond the Mediterranean, as it is known to inhabit tropical and southern African regions such as Congo, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Tanzania ( Deans 2005). Additional records indicate its occurrence in China, where it is possibly a recent introduction ( Li & Xu 2017).

Biology notes: It is found in areas characterized by abundant leaf litter and dead wood bark ( de la Cuesta-Santiago & Zaragoza 2017), although it is not very commonly observed (del Castillo 1983, Žikic et al. 2016). The species is reported to be a parasite of Loboptera decipiens (Germar, 1817) , a species present in all the islands of the Madeira Archipelago ( Table 2).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Brightfield photographs of a female of Zeuxevania splendidula (Costa, 1884) removed from a sticky trap. a) Dorsal view of the head. b) Anterior view of the head. c) Lateral view of the head. d) Lateral view of the mesosoma. e) Dorsal view of the mesosoma. f) Dorsal view of the left fore wing. g) Lateral view of the abdomen. h) Lateral view of the hindlegs.