Bocchus thorpei

Bocchus thorpei is a species of wasp belonging to the family Dryinidae.^[1] The species was first described by Massimo Olmi in 2007, and is known to occur in New Zealand.

Bocchus thorpei
Female specimen of Bocchus thorpei
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Dryinidae
Genus:	Bocchus
Species:	B. thorpei
Binomial name
Bocchus thorpei Olmi, 2007

Taxonomy

Holotype specimen from the Auckland War Memorial Museum collections

The species was described by Massimo Olmi in 2007, based on a holotype collected by Stephen E. Thorpe from the Auckland Domain in March 2005.^[2][3] Olmi named the species after Thorpe.^[2]

Description

Females of the species measure between 2.81–3.50 mm (0.111–0.138 in), and have a black head and enlarged claws with a row of three subdistal teeth.^[2]

Distribution and habitat

The species is found in the vicinity of Auckland, Tauranga and the Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand.^[1] As it is typically found in modified habitats near port cities, it is unclear whether the species is endemic or introduced to New Zealand,^[2] and it is suspected to be a species that originated in Australia.^[4] The host species of B. thorpei is unknown. Other species of Bocchus parasitise members of the family Issidae, however no species within this family have been recorded in New Zealand.^[2]