Rhoptromeris villosa (Hartig, 1840)

Costa Baião, Guilherme & Forshage, Mattias, 2018, Revision of the West Palaearctic species of Rhoptromeris Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Eucoilinae), Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 52 (17 - 20), pp. 1201-1224 : 1222

Rhoptromeris villosa (Hartig, 1840)

( Figure 5c,d )

Diagnosis

A common and remarkably variable species in terms of colouration, size, sculpture of scutellum and size of scutellar plate. It is possible that large-scale molecular studies will eventually reveal that the species as currently circumscribed comprises a complex of closely related species. The short female antennae with F3 smaller than F4 and the male antennae with almost straight F2 separate R. villosa from all other Rhoptromeris species. The species can be further distinguished from R. heptoma by the slender femora, and from R. dichromata by the smooth scutellar surface.

Redescription

Compound eyes small. Male antennae brown with the first two flagellomeres light brown or yellow, F1 nearly straight. Female antennae short, F1 subequal to F2, both longer than F4, F3 smaller than F4. Pre-club flagellomeres yellow or light brown, club distinct, dark, 6- segmented. Pronotal foveae separated by a medial bridge, dorsal surface of scutellum smooth, scutellar plate narrow. Anteroventral cavity of metapleura present, posterior incision of metapleura absent. Wings narrow, females sometimes brachypterous.

Distribution

Widespread throughout Europe. Records listed here follow Fauna Europaea and Nordlander (1978), with additions by the authors. EUROPE: Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden. MACARONESIA: Madeira Islands.

Biology

Rhoptromeris villosa has been collected mostly on grass, particularly in sandy areas. Probably a parasitoid of grass-inhabiting Chloropidae ( Nordlander 1978) .

Figures

Figure 5. Habitus of Rhoptromeris heptoma (a: female, b: male), Rhoptromeris villosa (c: female, d: male), Rhoptromeris strobigena (e: female, f: male), Rhoptromeris nigriventris (g: female, h: male) and Rhoptromeris rufiventris (i: female).