Eupelmus, Dalman, 1820

Fusu, Lucian, 2017, An integrative taxonomic study of European Eupelmus (Macroneura) (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eupelmidae), with a molecular and cytogenetic analysis of Eupelmus (Macroneura) vesicularis: several species hiding under one name for 240 years, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 181 (3), pp. 519-603 : 576-578

EUPELMUS (MACRONEURA) MUELLNERI RUSCHKA

FIGS 47 , 86 , 91 (♀), 26, 34, 48, 110 (♂)

Eupelmus sp. – Mantero, 1914: 313.

Eupelmus müllneri Ruschka, 1921: 305 . Lectotype ♀ (present designation), NHMV, examined. Type locality: Croatia, North-Adriatic Archipelago , Mali LoŠinj.

Eupelmella schizomyiae Masi, 1921a: 179 . Lectotype ♀ (present designation), MCSN, examined. Type locality: Libya, Benghazi. Synonymy by Bouček, 1970: 83. – Masi, 1921b: 298 (description of the male).

Eupelmella muellneri – Ferrière, 1954: 8.

Macroneura (Euronmacra) muellneri – Kalina, 1981: 93, 103.

Eupelmus (Macroneura) muellneri – Askew & Nieves-Aldrey, 2000: 57.

Description: Female. Length = 1.15–3.8 mm. Body somewhat tricoloured, with a metallic head, reddish-brown or brownish-yellow mesosoma, and brown metasoma ( Fig. 47 ), with colour and station as described in detail for E. vladimiri , except legs lighter with slightly paler, light yellowish, apices of mid- and hind tibiae, and sometimes fore tibia light along dorsal margin and with stronger multicoloured metallic luster on some areas, especially on pronotal collar, parts of mesoscutum, acropleuron, and propodeum; mesoscutal plate sparsely setose, with posteromedial concave region asetose or with one to two setae, reddish-brown with faint golden-green to bluish-green metallic luster mostly on anteromedial lobe; posterior depressed area with a wide-triangular violet spot with variably golden luster, bordered anteriorly by blue and greenish-blue and covering about one-fourth to half of mesoscutum length depending on the viewing angle; axillae and scutellum dark brown with dark green, coppery, and bronze luster; axilla covered with brown hair-like setae only on outer surface and scutellum setose only on perimeter, with a pair of slightly lanceolate white setae toward frenal line. Metasoma with long and sparse setae, on Gt2–Gt4 distance between sockets of two adjacent setae smaller than to about as large as seta length; black to dark brown with some metallic luster, including Gt1 uniformly black with metallic green to violet luster. Ovipositor sheaths comparatively abruptly dark brown in about apical third, more or less strongly along ventral margin and basally, with a yellowish elongate spot or complete transverse band ( Fig. 47 ).

Head in lateral view hemispherical, 1.8–1.85× as high as long, transverse in dorsal view, 1.9–2× as broad as long. Frontovertex coriaceous-imbricate to reticulate. Pedicel plus flagellum 1.25–1.3× head width. Pronotal ridge with two paramedial tufts with four to eight setae each and about as long as or slightly longer than pronotal collar. Mesoscutal plate with flat, V-shaped anterior region differentiated by minute reticulate sculpture and posteriorly reticulate with larger mesh size to smooth distally and posterior concave area declined to median. Scutellum and axillae weakly convex except scutellum within extreme anterior edge Λ- like angulate. Acropleuron semicircularly strigose in dorsal half, imbricate-alutaceous to strigose ventrally and with effaced sculpture mesally ( Fig. 91 ). Wings as described for E. vladimiri . Middle leg with row of three to nine mesotibial apical pegs; mesotarsus with basitarsus with one to three (rarely more and usually two) basal pegs on either side and the total number of basal pegs not less than three; both basitarsus and second tarsomere with one apical peg on either side, third and fourth tarsomeres without pegs ( Fig. 86 ). Metasoma ovoidal and comparatively narrow, 1.8–3.4× as long as wide, Gt5 coriaceous. Syntergum and anal plate forming truncate or obliquely inclined surface above ovipositor sheaths and gaster usually extending at most to apex of second valvifer. Ovipositor sheaths 0.5–0.6× as long as metatibia and 0.3–0.4× as long as metasoma.

Male. Length = 1.8 mm. Body dark, metallic bronze-green ( Fig. 48 ). Head dark bluish-green with bronze and coppery reflections mainly on lower face, gena and temples. Lower gena with one long seta. Maxillary palpus brown. Antenna with scape dark brown with dark bluish-green luster and on outer surface similarly dark ventrally along entire length except without metallic luster ( Fig. 110 ), pedicel and flagellum brown; pedicel with line of three hooked setae ventrally and a straight distal seta much shorter than other three; fl2–fl8 with dense, comparatively short and semierect dark setae; fl2–fl4 without differentiated black setae ventrally. Mesosoma similar in colour to head but with more extensive bronze and coppery luster; propodeum dark green with strong violet luster on callar and plical regions. Tegula dark brown. Fore wing ( Fig. 34 ) as described for E. vladimiri except costal cell ventrally with two rows of setae along length and WIP with magenta to blue band in apical third ( Fig. 26 ). Front leg with coxa dark, metallic, femur dark except narrowly yellowish apically and tibia mostly yellowish- brown except dark ventrally and subbasally, tarsus yellowish-brown basally, gradually darker toward apex. Middle and hind legs similar to front leg except tibiae dark brown and on hind leg yellowish-white in basal quarter. Metasoma dark brown with faint metallic luster under some angles of light and Gt1 not differentiated in colour from following tergites.

Antenna ( Fig. 110 ) as detailed for E. impennis but pedicel plus flagellum 1.3× head width. Fl1 slightly transverse and setose as subsequent flagellomeres, with two rows of setae. Basal funiculars cylindrical, fl2 and fl3 2.0× as long as wide, and fl8 quadrate. Funiculars with MPS in single row. Mesosoma 1.9× as long as broad. Fore wing 2.4× as long as broad. Propodeum with effaced coriaceous sculpture and with a vestigial median carina interrupted mesally.

Comparative diagnosis and variability: Females of this species are easily recognized by their comparatively long and banded ovipositor sheaths ( Fig. 47 ) and their characteristic mesotarsal peg pattern (basitarsus usually with one to three basal pegs, rarely more, and one apical peg on either side) ( Fig. 86 ). Density and length of the gastral setae are also variable, but this is difficult to quantify. The variation does not seem to be geographic but rather correlated with specimen size, smaller specimens tending to have comparatively longer and sparser setae. For example, the types of both E. muellneri and E. schizomyiae have sparse and comparatively long setae, while in Spain there are specimens with sparse setae or with somewhat denser and longer setae.

Males of E. muellneri are apparently very rare, and the above description is based on a single male, but it can be separated easily from the frequent males of E. vladimiri as outlined under the latter species. It differs from the males of E. impennis markedly in the leg colour pattern, with all legs being darkened except for the basal third of hind tibia being yellowish-white, and in the setal pattern of the cubital fold, the speculum being open posteriorly. In E. impennis , the legs are largely yellowish to orangish-brown and the speculum is closed posteriorly by a line of setae. The single male of E. muellneri also has the tegula uniformly dark brown, as opposed to bicoloured in the other two species, but this could be due to it being a very dark specimen.

B i o l o g y: Po l y p h a g o u s s p e c i e s d e s c r i b e d f r o m galls of Myopites olivieri Kieffer on Inula viscosa ( Ruschka, 1921) . Noyes (2015) lists hosts in Diptera ( Cecidomyiidae and Tephritidae ), Hemiptera ( Aphididae ), Hymenoptera ( Cynipidae and Eurytomidae ), and Lepidoptera ( Pyralidae ).

I have seen specimens reared from four insect orders. Coleoptera : Curculionidade: unidentified Scolytinae in stemsof Euphorbiacanariensis. Diptera : Cecidomyiidae : galls of Lasioptera carophila on Foeniculum vulgare , galls of L. eryngii on Eryngium campestre , galls of Stefaniella cf. atriplicis Kieffer on Atriplex halimus infrutescences; Tephritidae : Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin) on Olea europaea . Hymenoptera : Cynipidae : galls of Isocolus lichtensteini (Mayr) on Centaurea aspera , galls of Plagiotrochus quercuscalicis (bisexual) on Quercus ilex . Lepidoptera : Coleophoridae : galls of Coleophora cf. serinipennella Christoph on Atriplex halimus ; Gelechiidae : galls of Parapodia sinaica (Frauenfeld) on Tamarix canariensis .

Distribution: Mediterranean; distributed from Spain to the Dalmatian coast in Croatia, but not known in the rest of the Balkan Peninsula where it is replaced by E. vladimiri . North Africa including Algeria (new record).

The following countries are excluded from the species distribution. Records for Hungary ( Ferrière, 1954; Erdős, 1960) and Slovakia ( Bouček, 1968) were connected with E. impennis (see Bouček, 1970). All the Hungarian material in HNHM identified by Erdős as E. muellneri was checked and belongs to E. impennis . The records for Romania ( Tudor, 1969; Andriescu, 2003) were also connected with E. impennis (material in ANCO examined). See also under E. impennis .

Remarks: Eupelmus muellneri was described from several females (‘Einige Stücke’) from Lussin piccolo (Mali LoŠinj in Croatia) ( Ruschka, 1921). The larger female in NHMV (2.7 mm according to Ferrière, 1954) was considered by Ferrière (1954: 9) to be the type, but this cannot be regarded as a valid lectotype designation (ICZN Art. 74.6) because Ruschka’s text implies several specimens (ICZN Art. 74.5 and 74.6). The larger female with the labels differing slightly from the other two syntypes (labels also quoted by Ferrière) and with an identification label in Ferrière’s handwriting is here designated as lectotype. It is uncontorted and is entire except that it lacks the head. A head without antennae is glued near the lectotype but it is from another specimen (probably an Anastatus Motschulsky ).

Eupelmella schizomyiae was described from 15 specimens of which 14 were probably not known directly to Masi (1921a), but he referred to them by bibliographic reference to Mantero (1914). The only specimen certainly known to Masi (a female from Benghazi) was considered to be the unique type by Bouček (1970) and is here designated as lectotype. It bears an identification label with the mention ‘Typus’ and a more recent holotype label.

Type material examined: CROATIA: Lectotype ♀ of Eupelmus muellneri (present designation): ex Myopites Olivieri / s Inula viscosa ; 2265 / Lussin; Müllneri / m. / det. Ruschka; Eupelmella / müllneri Rusch / Ch. Ferrière, 1954; Lectotype (red label); Lectotypus Eup. Muellneri Ruschka Det. Fusu L. 2011 . Paralectotypes 2♀ with the labels: Myopites Olivieri / Inula viscosa ; 2265 / Lussin; Müllneri / m. / det. Ruschka; Paralectotype (red label); Paralectotypus Eup. muellneri Ruschka Det. Fusu L. 2011 . LIBYA: Lectotype ♀ of Eupelmella schizomyiae (present designation): Bengasi / June 1916 / Zanon; Eupelmella / schizomyiae / Masi / cecidî del / Pituranthus / ♀ Typus!; HOLOTYPUS ♀ / Eupelmella / schizomyiae / Masi, 1921; Museo Civico / di Genova.

Non-type material: Croatia ( CNC), France ( AICF, BMNH, CNC, MNHN). Italy ( BMNH, CNC). Spain ( AICF, CNC, BMNH). Extralimital material: Algeria ( MNHN). See Appendix 1.

Figures

Figures 43–50. Habitus of Eupelmus (Macroneura) species: E. messene ♀ (43), E. balcanicus ♀ holotype (44), E. vesicularis ♀ (45) and ♂ (46), E. muellneri ♀ (47) and ♂ (48), E. vladimiri ♀ (49) and ♂ (50). Scale bars – 1 mm.

Figures 68–87. Metasoma and mesotarsus in Eupelmus (Macroneura) females: E. rameli (68, 77), E. balcanicus (69, 78), E.barai from Romania (70, 79),E. barai from Spain (71, 82), E.messene (72, 80), E.vesicularis from Sweden (73, 83),E.vesicularis from Slovenia (74), E. vesicularis clade B from Canada (75), E. seculatus (76), E. messene (lectotype of Eupelminus coleopterophagus) (81), E. impennis (84), E. falcatus (85), E. muellneri (86), E. vladimiri (87). Scale bars – 0.2 mm.

Figures 88–95. Mesosoma in lateral view and scutellar-axillar complex in females of: Eupelmus aseculatus (88), holotype of E. rameli (89, 94), E. barai (90), E. muellneri (91), E. falcatus (92), E. impennis (93), E. vesicularis clade B (95). Scale bars – 0.2 mm for 88–91 and 50 µm for 92–95.

Figures 103–110. Antenna in Eupelmus (Macroneura) males: E. falcatus (103), E. seculatus with insert showing pedicel and fl1–fl4 (104), E. vesicularis with insert showing pedicel and fl1–fl3 (105), E. barai from Romania (106), E. barai from Spain (107), E. vladimiri (108), E. impennis (109), E. muellneri with insert showing pedicel, quadrate fl1 and base of fl2 (110). Scale bars – 0.2 mm. Black arrows in insert of Figures 104 and 105 point to the groups of differentiated setae on the ventral side of fl2 to fl4. White arrows in Figures 105 point to the MPS visible below the setae.

Figures 27–34. Wings of Eupelmus (Macroneura) males: E. vesicularis (27), E. impennis (28), E. barai (29), E. vladimiri – large specimen (30), E. falcatus (31), E. vladimiri – small specimen (32), E. seculatus (33), E. muellneri (34). Scale bars – 0.2 mm. Arrows indicate the extent of the dorsal line of setae along leading margin of costal cell. Inserts: distal part of costal cell; dorsal setae are close to the leading wing margin, thicker, and pointing anteriorly.

Figures 19–26. WIP on the wings of Eupelmus (Macroneura) males: E. vesicularis (19), E. impennis (20), E. barai (21), E. vladimiri – large specimen (22), E. falcatus (23), E. vladimiri – small specimen (24), E. seculatus (25), E. muellneri (26). Scale bars 0.2 mm.