Distribution

Afrotropical region:  Benin, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Uganda.

Biology

A potential crop pest or biological control agent, larvae feeding on Commelinaceae: Commelina benghalensis Linnaeus (Bengal dayflower) and C. communis Linnaeus (Asiatic dayflower)  (Liston et al. 2015). Commelina benghalensis is consumed as a vegetable in Africa and parts of Asia (Grubben and Denton 2004). Commelina communis is an invasive weed in parts of Europe and North America (Zheng et al. 2006).

References

Grubben GJH, Denton OA (Eds). 2004. Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Volume 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation and Backhuys Publishers, Wageningen, 668 pp.

Koch, F. 1995. Die Symphyta der Äthiopischen Region. 1. Gattung: Xenapates Kirby, 1982 (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae, Allantinae). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, Neue Folge, Berlin 42(2): 369-437.
Koch, F. 1996. Die Symphyta der Äthiopischen Region: Zwei neue Arten aus der Gattung Xenapates Kirby, 1882 (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae: Allantinae). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, Neue Folge, Berlin 43(2): 307-312.
Liston A, Goergen G, Koch F. 2015. The immature stages and biology of two Xenapates species in West Africa (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 62(1): 9-17. doi: 10.3897/dez.62.8922

Zheng H, Wu Y, Ding J, Binion D, Fu W, Reardon R. 2006. Invasive Plants of Asian Origin Established in the United States and Their Natural Enemies. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, FHTET-2004-05, Morgantown, WV, 147 pp.

Credits

Photographs © Andrew D. Liston (Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut), Georg Goergen (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Benin) and Frank Koch (Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin).