Formosempria varipes Takeuchi, 1929

Smith, David R., Pratt, Paul D. & Makinson, Jeff, 2014, Studies on the Asian sawflies of Formosempria Takeuchi (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae), with notes on the suitability of F. varipes Takeuchi as a biological control agent for skunk vine, Paederia foetida L. (Rubiaceae) in Florida, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 39, pp. 1-15 : 4-7

Formosempria varipes Takeuchi

Figs 6 -18

Formosempria varipes Takeuchi, 1929: 85-86. Figure of wings; Malaise 1961: 249 (in key); Togashi 1990: 184, figs 46-50; Wei et al. 2006: 527 (listed).

Formosempria annamensis Malaise, 1961: 249. syn. n.

Formosempria metallica Wei, in Wei and Nie 2003: 136-137, 207, figures, male and female; Wei et al. 2006: 527 (listed). syn. n.

Description.

Female: Length, 6.5-7 mm. Black, with slight metallic lustre, and following white: apices of coxae, trochanters, basal third of mid and hind femora, basal third to half of mid and hind tibiae, base of hind basitarsus, most of mid and fore basitarsi. Wings lightly, uniformly infuscated; veins and stigma black. Head and body with slight metallic luster, smooth, shiny, with short silvery hairs.

Antenna (Figs 6 , 10 ) with scape longer than broad; pedicel about quadrate; antennomere 3 longer than 4, remaining antennomeres gradually decreasing; length less than half body length (thorax and abdomen) and about 1.7 × head width. Clypeus truncate to slightly protruding anteriorly, with corners rounded (Fig. 8 ). Malar space linear. Hind basitarsus (Fig. 11 ) about equal to length of remaining tarsomeres combined. Sheath (Fig. 13 ) slender in dorsal view, in lateral view slightly truncate at apex, appearing slightly directed dorsally. Lancet (Fig. 12 ) with serrulae low, pointed at apices, each with about 6 fine anterior and posterior subbasal teeth.

Male: Length, 6.5 mm. Similar in color and structure to female. Genitalia in Figs 14 , 15 .

Neonates (Fig. 17 ): Similar to late feeding stage.

Last feeding stage (Fig. 18 ): Length, about 12 mm. Head black with postclypeus, preclypeus, area between antacorium and clypeus and mandible, mandible except apex and mouthparts except apices of palpi whitish; labrum brownish. Thorax and abdomen entirely pale with whitish bloom. Head with long scattered setae, longer than preclypeus; preclypeus with 2 setae on each side; labrum with 3 setae on each side; right mandible with 3 small ventral teeth and 2 acute and one broad dorsal teeth; left mandible with 2 acute ventral teeth and 4 acute dorsal teeth and with inner ridge extending inward from outer dorsal tooth. Thorax with scattered long setae. Abdominal segments each with 6 dorsal annulets; 2-3 setae on each side of annulets 2 and 4; subspiracular lobe and surpedal lobe each with about 4 long setae; apical segment with about 12 long setae dorsally and with long setae on subanal area.

Prepupa: Differs from feeding stages by head, thorax, and abdomen entirely pale, whitish. Setae on head and body absent. Each mandible with 3 linear teeth; left mandible with outer tooth largest, basal 2 teeth smaller and subequal in size; right mandible with central tooth largest, outer and inner teeth smaller and subequal in size.

Type material.

Takeuchi described this species from a single female "Sozan near Taihoku, Formosa" "collected by M. Kato, on May 2, 1926". The holotype should be in UOP with the Takeuchi collection. On a visit to Japan in 1979, I examined the holotype and took some brief notes. When recently requesting the type, it could not be found in the Takeuchi collection at UOP. A thorough search for the type was made by Noria Hirai (UOP) and Akihko Shinohara (National Museum of Nature and Science), but to no avail.

Formosempria annamensis was described from a single female. The holotype is at NHR, was examined and is labeled "Phuc Son, Annam, XI-XII, H Rosse, Berlin, s.w. 11", “TYPUS” [red], Formosempria annamensis n. sp., R. Malaise det 1958, "NHRS-HEVA 000000839".

Formosempria metallica was described from nine female and male specimens from Hubei, Fujian, Zhejiang, Hangzhou provinces, China. The female holotype is at CSCS, from "Maheba, Xiangeng, Hubei, 1999-VII-25" and was examined. The holotype label is in Chinese, with the same date and "450 m." and additional labels " F. metallica ", "Holotype: Formosempria metallica Wei female, M. Wei 1992".

Specimens examined.

CHINA: Hong Kong, Sham Tseng San Tsuen Temple, larvae, March 24, 2013, on Paederia foetida , adults April 2013, reared in quarantine, ARS, Ft. Lauderdale, FL by Paul Pratt (5 ♀, 5 ♂, USNM); same data, larvae March 2014, pupated and adults emerged IV-V 2014 (about 7 ♀, 100 ♂, 20 larvae, USNM, IPRL); Hubei, holotype and paratype of F. metallica (1 ♀, 1 ♂, CSCS); Zhejiang, paratype; Henan (1 ♀, SDEI). TAIWAN: Keelung Co., Keelung City, V.2004, Malaise trap, L. Stange and H. Wang (1 ♀, 4 ♂, FSCA). VIETNAM: Holotype of F. annamensis (1 ♀, NHR).

Distribution.

China (Hong Kong, Hubei, Fujian, Zhejiang, Hangzhou); Taiwan; Vietnam.

Hosts.

Paederia foetida , also P. ciliata , P. cruddasiana , P. bojeriana , and P. pilifera based on host testing ( Rubiaceae ).

Comments.

The interpretations of F. varipes by Malaise (1961), Togashi (1990) and others were based on the original description by Takeuchi (1929), not examination of the type. The type is now presumed lost. In a collection of sawflies from Taiwan (FSCA) DRS discovered a series of four males and one female that agree with Takeuchi’s description. Due to the absence of the type, we are using these specimens as representative of F. varipes . A key character used by Malaise (1961) and others to separate F. varipes is the length of the hind basitarsomere. Takeuchi (1929) stated "posterior basitarsus shorter than the following joints". In the specimens examined, the hind basitarsomere is subequal to very slightly longer than the remaining tarsomeres combined. This is the only discrepancy between the Taiwan specimens we have and Takeuchi’s (1929) description. However, because of the overwhelming similarity of the Taiwan specimens with Takeuchi’s description, we do not believe “shorter”, “subequal”, or "slightly longer", alone are sufficient to justify a separate species. This could have been misinterpreted by the authors, or it could be slightly variable in the species. The female ovipositor and male genitalia of the Taiwan and Hong Kong specimens were compared and were identical.

Togashi (1990) briefly described one female from Taiwan "Shin Bao Shi, near Liu Kui, 3.V.1986, K. Baba leg." He stated that it agrees with Takeuchi’s original description. He illustrated the dorsal view of the head (fig. 46), front inner tibial spur (fig. 47), tarsal claw (fig. 48), sheath (fig. 49), and lancet (fig. 50). The front inner tibial spur was illustrated and stated to be simple; however, in specimens we have examined there is a very slight subapical projection. Otherwise, Togashi’s description and illustration agree with the specimens examined from Taiwan. Togashi’s specimen was not examined.

Malaise’s holotype of F. annamensis from Vietnam is identical to specimens from Taiwan and Hong Kong; therefore, we synonymize this species.

Wei (in Wei and Nie 2003) stated that F. metallica “… differs from its congeners in malar space absent, lateral furrows of postocellar area very weak and shallow, antenna as long as half the body length, and mesoscutellum black". Figures in Wei and Nie (2003) of the male genitalia, tarsal claw, sheath and part of the lancet do not noticeably differ from specimens from Taiwan and Hong Kong. All of the differing characters mentioned by Wei are shared with F. varipes , and, upon examination of the holotype, DRS observed no differences between this and F. varipes . Thus, F. metallica is synonymized.

Figures

Figures 6 - 9. Formosempria varipes. 6 Lateral 7 Dorsal 8 Head, front 9 Head, dorsal.

Figures 16 - 18. Formosempria varipes. 16 Eggs 17 Neonate larvae 18 Mature larva.

Figures 10 - 15. Formosempria varipes. 10 Antenna 11 Hind tarsus 12 Ovipositor 13 Female sheath, lateral 14 Male genital capsule, ventral 15 Male penis valve, lateral.