Stinoplus lapsanae Graham, 1969

Gómez, Jose F. & Nieves-Aldrey, Jose Luis, 2012, Notes on the larval morphology of Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) species parasitoids of gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) in Europe, Zootaxa 3189, pp. 39-55 : 53

Stinoplus lapsanae Graham, 1969

Measurements. Body length: 1.9 mm, maximum width: 0.8 mm (n=1) ex gall T. lampsanae .

Description. Whitish; integument smooth and almost glabrous with a row of very short spiniform setae on each thoracic segment; body subrectangular, 2.3× as long as broad ( Figs 4 H, 5H); anal segment truncated, broader than long; body (lateral view) not ventrally curved ( Fig. 5 H); intersegmental areas visible; ventral margin of body segments strongly convex ( Fig. 5 H).

Head (anterior view) ( Fig. 6 H) rounded, 1.05× as broad as high; upper margin and medial area of vertex also rounded; with some pairs of setae but very short and indistinct; antero-medial setae of antennal area slightly above antennae; clypeal and latero-clypeal setae very short, situated at different levels between antennae and clypeus, being closer to clypeal area; antennal area and antennae conspicuous and nipple-shaped; ventral margin of clypeus straight; labrum rectangular, 2.6× as long as wide ( Fig. 7 H).

Mouth parts ( Fig. 7 H). Maxillae triangular, differentiated from labium, with one pair of very short setae on each maxilla; maxillary palps not visible; labium concave and collapsed, with a pair of inconspicuous setae.

Mandibles ( Fig. 8 D) clearly visible externally; tooth 1.35× longer than wide measured at its base; apex sharp and slender; angle separating inner side of tooth and base of mandible nearly 90º with outer margin relatively convex.

Biology. The small genus Stinoplus Thomson currently includes eight species ( Graham 1969; Noyes 2011; Askew 2011). It is only associated with cynipid galls on herbs and shrubs of different species in the Palaearctic region (Askew et al. 2006) ( Fig. 9 J). The terminal instar larva ( Fig. 9 K) is a specific primary ectoparasitoid of T. lampsanae .

Material examined. ex gall T. lampsanae on Lapsana communis (Asteraceae) , Spain, Madrid: El Escorial (17/ 09/2005) (J. L. Nieves leg.) (n=1).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Ventral view of terminal instar pteromalid larvae (A = agamic generation; S = sexual generation for host). A. Arthrolytus glandium ex Callirhytis rufescens (A). B. Cecidostiba fungosa ex Andricus quercusradicis (S). C. Cecidostiba geganius ex Andricus quercusradicis (A). – D. Pteromalus bedeguaris ex Diplolepis rosae. E. Pteromalus hieracii ex Aulacidea follioti. F. Pteromalus isarchus ex Xestophanes potentillae. G. Rivasia fumariae ex Neaylax versicolor. H. Stinoplus lapsanae ex Timaspis lapsanae.

FIGURE 5. Lateral view of terminal instar pteromalid larvae (A = agamic generation; S = sexual generation for host). A. Arthrolytus glandium ex Callirhytis rufescens (A). B. Cecidostiba fungosa ex Andricus quercusradicis (S). C. Cecidostiba geganius ex Andricus quercusradicis (A). D. Pteromalus bedeguaris ex Diplolepis rosae. E. Pteromalus hieracii ex Aulacidea follioti. F. Pteromalus isarchus ex Xestophanes potentillae. G. Rivasia fumariae ex Neaylax versicolor. H. Stinoplus lapsanae ex Timaspis lapsanae.

FIGURE 6. Anterior view of the head of terminal instar pteromalid larvae (A = agamic generation; S = sexual generation for host). A. Arthrolytus glandium ex Callirhytis rufescens (A). B. Cecidostiba fungosa ex Andricus quercusradicis (S). C. Cecidostiba geganius ex Andricus quercusradicis (A). D. Pteromalus bedeguaris ex Diplolepis rosae. E. Pteromalus hieracii ex Aulacidea follioti. F. Pteromalus isarchus ex Xestophanes potentillae. G. Rivasia fumariae ex Neaylax versicolor. H. Stinoplus lapsanae ex Timaspis lapsanae.

FIGURE 7. Anterior view of mouthparts of terminal instar pteromalid larvae (A = agamic generation; S = sexual generation for host). A. Arthrolytus glandium ex Callirhytis rufescens (A). B. Cecidostiba fungosa ex Andricus quercusradicis (S). C. Cecidostiba geganius ex Andricus quercusradicis (A). D. Pteromalus bedeguaris ex Diplolepis rosae. E. Pteromalus hieracii ex Aulacidea follioti. F. Pteromalus isarchus ex Xestophanes potentillae. G. Rivasia fumariae ex Neaylax versicolor. H. Stinoplus lapsanae ex Timaspis lapsanae.

FIGURE 8. Anterior view of left mandible of terminal-instar pteromalid larvae (A = agamic generation for host). A. Arthrolytus glandium ex Callirhytis rufescens (A). B. Cecidostiba geganius ex Andricus quercusradicis (A). C. Pteromalus bedeguaris ex Diplolepis rosae; and anterior view of the left mandible. D. Stinoplus lapsanae ex Timaspis lapsanae. E. Rivasia fumariae ex Neaylax versicolor.

FIGURE 9. A. Larval cell of of Callirhytis rufescens (Agamic generation) with terminal-instar larvae of Arthrolytus glandium. B. Galls of Aulacidea hieracii on Hieracium spp. C. Galls of Xestophanes potentillae on runners of Potentilla reptans. D. Old galls of Callirhytis glandium (Agamic generation). E. Lateral habitus of Cecidostiba fungosa, adult female. F. Galls of Andricus quercusradicis (Agamic generation) on Quercus pyrenaica. G. Cross-section of unilocular gall of Neaylax versicolor showing fully-grown larva of Rivasia fumariae. H. Fresh galls of Diplolepis rosae on Rosa spp. shrub. I. Lateral habitus of Pteromalus bedeguaris, adult female. J. Galls of Timaspis lapsanae on Lapsana communis. K. Terminal instar larva of Stinoplus lapsanae ex gall of Timaspis lapsanae.