M. S. Briscoe.
Insect Reconnaissance in Liberia, West Africa.
Psyche 54(4):246-255, 1947.

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INSECT RECONNAISSANCE IN LIBERIA,
WEST AFRICA
BY M. S. BRISCOE
College of Medicine, Howard University,
Washington, D. C.
The Republic of Liberia lies approximately between 4O 22' to 8' 50' north latitude, and 7' 33' to 1l0 32' longi- tude west of Greenwich. It has one of the most humid and rainiest climates of Africa. The rainy season begins in April and terminates in November, the annual rainfall being as much as 170 inches.
This paper is a report of an insect reconnaissance in many localities in the hinterland and coastal areas of Liberia. Collections were made throughout the year. Accordingly, an overall picture of seasonal distribution was obtained; this will be reported in a later paper. In the following list families are arranged in accord with recent phylogenetic studies. Among the Diptera there are five new distributional records for Liberia and four undescribed species. Definite localities are given for all of the specimens.
DIPTERA
Tipulidse
1. Trentepohlia exornata Bergr. Roberts Field ; Har- bel.
The collection also contains unidentified species of Elephantomyiu, Lecteria, Megistocera and Tipula col- lected at Roberts Field and Harbel.
Bibionidae
Unidentified species of Plecia collected at Roberts Field and Harbel.
Fungivoridse
Unidentified species of Cerotelion, Delopsis, Lycoria, Neoempheria and Trichosict, collected at Roberts Field and Harbel.
246




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19471 Briscoe-Insect Reconnaissance 247
Tendipedidae
Unidentified species of Tendipes collected at Roberts Field.
Heleidae
Unidentified species of Forcipomyia collected at Rob- erts Field.
Psychodidae
2. Brunettia albonotata (Brun.) Harbel.
3. Telmatoscopus albipunctatws (Will.) Roberts Field ; Harbel.
Culicidae
4. Anopheles f unestus Giles. Roberts Field ; Harbel ; Gbanga.
5. Anopheles gambice Giles. Roberts Field ; Harbel ; Owen's Grove ; Marshall ; Kakata ; Fisherman's Lake ; Reputa; Salala; Cape Palmas ; Grand Bassa. 6. Anopheles hancocki Edw. Roberts Field ; Harbel ; Fisherman's Lake.
7. Anopheles nili (Theob.) Roberts Field; Harbel. 8. Anopheles paludis Theob. New record for Liberia. Roberts Field.
9. Aedes (Aedimorphus) sp. very close to fills I. & M. Roberts Field.
10. Aedes cegypti (L.) Roberts Field ; Harbel ; Kakata ; Monrovia.
11. Aedes af ricanus ( Theob.) Roberts Field ; Kakata. 12. Aedes luteocephalus Newst. Roberts Field. 13. Aecles vittatus (Bigot). Roberts Field. 14. Culex annulirostris consirnilis Newst. Roberts Field ; Harbel.
15. Culex bitmiorhynchus Giles. Roberts Field ; Har- bel.
16. Culex guiarti Blanch. Roberts Field ; Harbel. 17. Culex moucheti Evans. Roberts Field ; Harbel. 18. Culex nebulosus Theob. Roberts Field; Harbel. 19. Culex tigripes Gr. & Ch. Roberts Field; Harbel. 20. Eretmapodites chrysogaster Graham. Roberts Field ; Harbel.
21. Mansonia af ricana (Theob.) Roberts Field ; Harbel.



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248 Psyche
[ Dec.
22. Mansonia meiallica (Theob.) Roberts Field. 23. Mansonia unif ormis (Theob.) Roberts Field. 24. Megarhinus sp. probably brevipalpis conradti Griinb. Roberts Field ; Harbel.
The collection also includes unidentified species of Ficalbia (Miomyia) collected at Roberts Field. Tabanidae
Chrysops longicornis Macq. Roberts Field. Tabanus besti var. arbucklei Austen. Roberts Field ; Harbel.
Tabanus par Walk. New record for Liberia. Eob- erts Field.
Tabanus kingsleyi Ricardo. Roberts Field ; Harbel. Tabanus postacutus Oldroyd. New record for Li- beria. Roberts Field ; Harbel.
Tabanus tmiola Palis. de B. Roberts Field. Thaumastocera akwa Griinberg.
New record for Li-
beria. Roberts Field.
Hcematopota furians Edw. New record for Liberia. Roberts Field.
Htsmatopota guheensis Bigot. Roberts Field. Unidentified species of Suragina collected at Roberts Field and Harbel.
Asilidae
Two new species, Laphria and Ommatius, collected at Roberts Field.
Do r ilaidae
Unidentified species of Dorilas collected at Roberts Field and Harbel.
Syrphidae
34. Baccha brevis Karsch. Roberts Field ; Harbel. 35. Melanostoma annulipes Macq. var. mauritianum Big. Roberts Field ; Harbel.
36. Microdon brevkorniff Loew. Roberts Field. 37. Microdon pwtulatus Wied. Roberts Field. 38. Paragus borbonicus Macq. Roberts Field.



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19471 Briscoe-Insect Reconnaissance 249
39. Protglocera cesacus Walker. Roberts Field ; Harbel; ~akita.
40. Protulocera dibaphus Walker. Roberts Field ; Har- bel; ~akata.
-
41. Rwia csrulescens Loew. Roberts Field ; Harbel ; Kakata.
The collection also contains unidentified species of Tubifera and two new species, Eumerus near triangularis Herve-Bazin, and Graptomyza, collected at Roberts Field. Tephritidse
42. Ceratitis (Pardalaspis) giffardi Bessi. Roberts Field ; Harbel.
43. Ceratitis (Pardalaspis) punctata ( Wiedmann) . Roberts Field ; Harbel.
44. Ceratitis (Trirhithrum) f raterna Munro. Roberts Field ; Harbel.
45. Ceratitis (Trirhithrum) nigerrima (Bezzi). Roberts Field ; Harbel.
46. Dacus armatus F. Roberts Field; Harbel. ' 47. Dacus punctatifrons Karsch. Roberts Field; Harbel. The collection also includes unidentified species of Rhacochlma collected at Roberts Field.
Glossinidae
48. Glossima fusca Walker. Roberts Field ; Reputa ; Kolobanu.
49. Glossina dgrofusca Walker. Roberts Field ; Mem- meta.
50. Glossina palpalis Rob.-Desv. Roberts Field ; Kolo- banu ; Lengatown ; Banga ; Reputa ; Memmeta ; Kakata.
HYMENOPTERA
Chalcidoidea
Unidentified species of Brachymeria, Cleonymus, Phi- lomides and Ptinobius collected at Roberts Field. Braconidse
Unidentified species of Iphiaulaas collected at Roberts Field and Harbel.




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250 Psyche [Dec.
Ichneumonidae
51. Idechthis canescens (Grav.) Roberts Field ; Harbel. The collection also includes unidentified species of Amalon, Charops, Emkospilns, Melanichneumon, Pri- stomerus, Xanthocampoplex, Xanttzopimpla and Zalepto- pygus collected at Roberts Field.
Tiphiidas
52. Tiphia pedestris Gerst. Roberts Field ; Harbel. Scoliidae
53. Campsomeris albicollis (Chr.) Roberts Field. The collection also contains unidentified species of Scolia collected at Harbel.
Mutillidae
54. Timulla cyparissa ( Sm.) Roberts Field. The collection also includes unidentified species of OdontomutilIa collected at Roberts Field and Harbel. Chry sididse
55. Chrysis lyncea F. Roberts Field ; Harbel ; Marshall ; Kakata ; Reputa.
Formicidae
56. Dorylus (Dorglus) gribodoi Emery. Roberts Field ; Harbel ; Monrovia ; Salala.
57. Dorylus (Anomma) nigricans Illiger. Roberts Field ; Harbel ; Monrovia.
58. OScophylla longinoda var. fusca Emery. Roberts Field ; Harbel ; Kakata.
59. Paltothyreus tarsatu,~ (F.) Roberts Field. The collection also contains unidentified species of
Crematogaster collected at Roberts Field and Harbel. Pompilidae
60. Cyp7zononyx croceicornis (Er.) Harbel. 61. Paracyphononyx matus (111.) Roberts Field. 62. Pseudagenia personata Grib. Roberts Field. The collection also contains unidentified species of Anoplius collected at Roberts Field.




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19471 Briscoe-hsect Reconnaissance 251
Vespidse
Polistes marginalis var. ornatus Lep. Roberts Field. Polybioides tabida (F.) Roberts Field.
Ropalidia cincta (Lep.) Roberts Field.
Belonogaster juncevs (F.) Roberts Field. Rggchium margkellum (F.) Roberts Field ; Harbel. Rygchwm albonigrum (J. Bequaert) . Roberts Field ; Harbel.
Rygchium synagroides (Sauss.) Harbel.
Rygchiwm ventrale (Sauss.) Harbel.
Sy11ap-is calida (L. ) Harbel.
Synagris cornuta (L.) Roberts Field; Harbel; Mar- shall.
Syaagris spimventris (111.) Roberts Field ; Harbel. Sphecidse
Chalybion f uscipennis ( Sm.)
Roberts Field ; Mar-
shall.
Chlorion xanthoceros (111.) Roberts Field ; Harbel ; Marshall.
Motes croesus (Sm.) Roberts Field.
Sceliphron spirifex (L.) Roberts Field ; Harbel ; Marshall ; Kakata ; Salala.
Sphex, near indutus (Kohl).
Roberts Field ; Harbel ;
Marshall.
The collection also includes unidentified species of Cer- ceris, Dasyproctus, Hoplisoides, Trypoxylon and Bemhix collected at Roberts Field. The last named specimen was also found at Kakata, Reputa and Salala. Apidse
79. Trigona erythra Schlett. Tototown ; Salala. 80. Trigona erytkra togoensis Stad. Tototown ; Salala. 81. Trigona (Dactyhrina) staudingeri Grib. Roberts Field ; Harbel.
82. Anthophora cincta F. Roberts Field; Harbel. 83. Mesotrichia albiceps (F.) Reputa ; Salala. 84. Mesotrichia gabomca Vach. Roberts Field ; Harbel. 85. Mesotrichia imitator nigriceps Friese. Roberts Field.




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252 Psyche
[Dec.
86. Mesotrichia modesta (Smith). Roberts Field ; Har- bel.
87. MesotricMa prcensta (Smith). Roberts Field. 8 Mesotrichia torrida ( Westw. ) Roberts Field ; Har- bel.
89. Pasites niqerrima Fr. Roberts Field. 90. Euaspis abdominalis (F.) Roberts Field; Harbel. 91. Gronoceras prcetexta (Vach.) Rloberts Field ; Har- be1 ; Marshall.
92. Megachile crocutella Ckll. Roberts Field. 93. Megachile rufipes (F.) Harbel ; Reputa. 94. PachyaittJzidiwm xanthostomum Ckll. Roberts Field. The collection also contains unidentified species of Xylocopa, Crocisca and Halictus collected at Roberts Field and Harbel.
Carabidae
Unidentified species of Anisodact ylus, Craspedophorus, Ochyropus, Orthogonus and Pheropsophus collected at Roberts Field.
Hydrophilidae
Unidentified species of Sternolop7zus collected at Rob- erts Field.
St aphy linidae
Unidentified species of Pcederus collected at Roberts Field.
Histeridae
Unidentified species of Hister collected at Roberts Field and Harbel.
Lycidae
95. Lycus latissimus (L.) Roberts Field. 96. Lycus sinuatus Dalm. or semiamplexus Murray. Roberts Field.
The collection also includes unidentified species of Speckia collected at Roberts Field.
Meloidae
Unidentified species of Zonabris and Zonitis collected at Roberts Field and Epicauta found at Reputa.



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1947 I Briscoe-Insect Reconnaissance 253 Coccinellidse
97. Cheilomenes axillaris Ws. Roberts Field; Harbel. 98. Chilocorus schicedtei Muls. Roberts Field ; Harbel. 99. Epilachna assimilis Muls. Roberts Field ; Harbel. Tenebrionidae
100. Odontopus cupreus F. Roberts Field. The collection also contains unidentified species of Ezweszis, Opatrks and Prioscelis collected at Roberts Field and Harbel.
Lagriidse
Unidentified species of Lagria collected at Roberts Field.
Scarabseidse
101. Odoretus luteipes Cast. teste Ohaus. Roberts Field ; Harbel.
102. Anomala discordabilis Dohrn. Roberts Field. 103. Anomala imarginata Ohs. Roberts Field. 104. Archon cemtaurus (F.) Roberts Field ; Harbel. 105. Diplognatha gagates (Forst.) Harbel. 106. Heteroligus meles Bilb. Roberts Field. 107. Incala lineola Westw. Roberts Field. 108. Oryctes monocerus 01. Roberts Field ; Harbel. 109. Pachnoda marginata Drury. Roberts Field; Har- bel.
110. Pachnoda tridentata (F.) Roberts Field ; Harbel. The collection also includes unidentified species of Apo- gonia, Eulepida and Trochalus collected at Roberts Field and Harbel.
Lucanidse
Unidentified species of Prosopocoilus collected at Rob- erts Field.
Cerambycidse
111. AcanthopJiorzis (TitJwes) palhi Hope. Owen's Grove.
112. Monochamus ruspator (F.) Owen's Grove. 113. Sternotomus regalis (F.) Roberts Field.



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The collection also contains unidentified species of Callichroma and Euporus collected at Roberts Field. Chrysomelidae
114. Callispa sp. near migripes Baly. Roberts Field. 115. Cryptocephalus sp. perhaps dregei Suffr. Roberts Field.
116. Galerueella gemculata Harold. Roberts Field. The collection also includes unidentified species of Aspidomorpha, Hispa and Momolepta collected at Roberts Field and Harbel.
Anthribidse
117. Gymafzdrocerus antennalis Lac. Harbel. 118. Polycorynus sp. probably compressicornis P. Rob- erts Field.
The collection also includes unidentified species of PMoetrogus collected at Roberts Field.
Curculionidae
119. Rhync7zophorus phos&%ensis F. Roberts Field ; Harbel.
120. Sipalinus guineensis (F.) Roberts Field. 121. Temnosdioita quadripustulata (F.) Roberts Field. The collection also contains unidentified species of Lixus, Mec7~istocerus and Protocylas collected at Roberts Field.
ORTHOPTERA
Blattidse
Leucop72 cea grads ( Sauss. ) Roberts Field. Periplaneta australask (F.)
Roberts Field ; Har-
bel.
Gryllidse
Gryllotalpa af ricana Beauv. Roberts Field ; Har- bel.
DERMAPTERA
Forficulidse
Diaperasticu,~ eryt7wocephalus (Oliv. ) Roberts Field ; Harbel.




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Briscoe-Insect Reconnaissance 255
Labiduridae
Unidentified species of Eurollia collected at Roberts Field.
Termitidae
126. Macrotermes beZlicosus (Smeathman). Roberts Field ; Kakata ; Salala ; Reputa ; Harbel. Pulicidse
127. Ctenoceplialides cams (Curtis) . Roberts Field ; Kakata ; Harbel ; Monrovia.
Myrmeleonidae
128. Palpares manicatus Bambur. Roberts Field ; Har- bel.
SUMMARY TABLE
Orders Families Genera Species $gi u ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - .....................
Diptera 14% 43 71 50 21
......
Hymenoptera 12 55 69 44 25
............
Coleoptera 15 55 5 6 2 7 29
............
Oithoptera 2 .3 3 3 0
.........
Dermaptera 2 2 2 1 1
..................
Isoptera 1 1 1 1 0
......
Siphonaptera 1 1 1 1 0
.........
Neuroptera 1 1 1 1 0
8 48 161 204 128
-
-
-
.-
76
,-.
* The following families were not listed because of- undetermined speci- mens : Empididse, Therevidse Dolichopodidse, ,Otitidae, Piophilidae, Phoridse, Milichiidse, Pyrgotidae, Stratiomyidae, Drosophilidse and Diopsidae. The writer is indebted to Mr. C. F. W. Muesebeck and staff of the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine for aid in determining the specimens. Dr. Alan Stone determined the Culicidae. Dr. Joseph Bequaert, Curator of Insects, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard College, revised the Tabanidffi and Vespidse.



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