3000 miles from home: a new Gastrosericus baobabicus Pulawski, 1995 (Hymenoptera, Larridae) distribution record highlights that the Sahel has a distinct entomofaunal signature

Abstract

[from introduction] On October 30, 1953, an unidentified female wasp (Fig. 1) was collected from ‘Belet Uen, Somaliland’ (= Beledweyne, 4°44’N 45°12’E), situated in the valley of the Shebelle River, HiraanProvince,Somalia. It was deposited in the aculeate Hymenoptera collection of the Albany Museum, Grahamstown by D. Greathead prior to 1968. Apart from the words ‘Somaliland’ and ‘Desert Locust Survey’ the label is handwritten and the collector’snameis not recorded. Greathead’s sister, S. Gess (Albany Museum), deciphered the label and stated that he had worked for the Desert Locust Survey, investigating the natural enemies of locusts and had been in Somalia (then Somaliland) at that time (Murphy & Cock 2007). The specimen was sent in 2004 by F. Gess to W. Pulawski, who determined it as Gastrosericus baobabicus Pulawski, 1995. Gastrosericus species prey on spiders and a variety of small insects (Pulawski 1995), including Orthoptera (Krombein & Pulawski 1986), so it is likely that Greathead collected the specimen in connection with his interest in the insect enemies of Acridoidea (Orthoptera) (Greathead 1962)