Aleiodes whartoni Shaw and Marsh

Shaw, Scott R., Marsh, Paul M. & Fortier, Joseph C., 2006, Revision of Nearctic Aleiodes Wesmael (Part 8): the coxalis (Spinola) Species­Group (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Rogadinae), Zootaxa 1314, pp. 1-30 : 26-27

Aleiodes whartoni Shaw and Marsh , NEW SPECIES

( Fig. 10 )

Female. Body color: ( Fig. 10 ) entirely honey yellow or orange, apical 1/4 of antenna black, wing veins dark brown, stigma mostly yellow. Body length, 7.5 mm; fore wing length, 6 mm. Head: eyes and ocelli small, eyes bulging well beyond width of head; 54–56 antennomeres, all flagellomeres longer than wide; malar space long, about 4/5 eye height and twice basal width of mandible; temple wide, 4/5 eye width; occipital carina complete, meeting hypostomal carina; oral space small and circular, width about 3/5 malar space and face height; clypeus weakly swollen; ocelli small, ocellocular distance 2 times diameter of lateral ocellus; face rugose costate, frons, vertex and temple rugose, face with short median carine between antennae; maxillary palpus not swollen; mandible small, tips not crossing when closed. Mesosoma: pronotum strongly rugose; mesonotum and scutellum coriaceous; notauli scrobiculate, meeting posteriorly in wide strongly rugose triangular area; mesopleuron coriaceous rugose, smooth above episternal scrobe, subalar sulcus and sternaulus wide and strongly rugose; propodeum strongly rugose, apical corners produced into short ridges, median carina complete. Metasoma: terga 1–4 strongly rugose striate, terga 3 and 4 coriaceous at apex, median carina complete on all 4 terga; first tergum slightly wider at apex than long; remainder of terga coriaceous; ovipositor about 1/3 langth of hind basitarsus. Legs: tarsal claws not pectinate but with 6–8 thin spines at base; inner spur of hind tibia about 1/3 length of hind basitarsus; hind coxa coriaceous dorsally at base, costate on inner side on apical half. Wings: lightly dusky; fore wing with vein r 1/2 length of 3RSa and of m­cu, vein 1cu­a beyond 1M by distance very slightly longer than 1cu­a, 1CUa about 1/3 length of 1CUa; hind wing with vein RS arched in middle, marginal cell narrowest in middle, vein 1r­m shorter than 1M, M+CU longer than 1M, vein m­cu indicated by very short and weakly infuscated line.

Male. Essentially as in female.

Holotype. Female: TEXAS, Brazos Co., College Station, Lick Creek Park, April 25–May 2, 1988, Wharton, Praetorius. Deposited in USNM.

Paratypes. TEXAS: 1 female, 13 males, same data as holotype, dates ranging from May 22, 1987 to January 29, 1989, collectors Wharton, Praetorius, Woolley, Heraty; 7 males, Montgomery Co., Jones State Park, 8 mi. S Conroe, April 6–16, 1987, Warton, Wang, Praetorius; 1 male, Walker Co., Stubblefield Lake, April 7, 1985, R. Wharton; 3 males, Kerrville, May 6–14, 1988, H. and M. Townes; 12 males, Fredericksburg, May 7–19, 1988, H. and M. Townes. OKLAHOMA: 2 males, Tulsa Co., 4 mi. S. Bixby, June 1–12, 1984, Malaise trap. LOUISANA: 1 female, 1 male, Bayou Chicot, Evangeline Co., May 15–June 4, 1971, D. Shrank; 2 males, Lake Bisteneau S. P., May 1–8, 1972, G.

Heinrich. KENTUCKY: 1 female, 1 male, Golden Pond, June 1965, Malaise trap. Deposited in USNM, RMSEL, TAMU, OKSU, CNC, AEI.

Distribution. Known only from Oklahoma and Texas

Biology. Unknown.

Comments. This species is similar to A. aciculatus but is distinguished by its larger size, more strongly rugose metasomal terga (mostly striate in aciculatus ), and the yellow stigma.

Etymology. This species is named for Professor Robert A. Wharton of Texas A&M University, our friend and colleague, and the collector of much of the type­series.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 10. Habitus illustrations of the A. coxalis species group. 9, A. quadratus; 10, A. whartoni.