Cremnops vulgaris (Cresson)

Tucker, Erika M., Chapman, Eric G. & Sharkey, Michael J., 2015, A revision of the New World species of Cremnops Förster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Agathidinae), Zootaxa 3916 (1), pp. 1-83 : 73-75

Cremnops vulgaris (Cresson)

[ Plate 28 , Figs A–I]

Agathis vulgaris Cresson, 1865 . Female. Agathis media Cresson, 1865 . Male.

Agathis exoratus Cresson, 1872 . Female.

Diagnosis. This species is easily distinguished by the acute projection off the anterior portion of the scape, narrow hind femur, and large number of hind tibial spines (12–25).

Description. Holotype: female. Body length 8 mm (7–9 mm).

Head (Figs C & F). Thirty-six (33–37) flagellomeres. Acute dorsoapical projection on scape present. Lateral carina of frons strong, ending immediately anteriad lateral ocellus. Interocellar space not elevated, level with lateral ocelli. Malar space 1.3x (1.3–1.5x) eye height. Apical tooth of mandible extending well past margin of basal lobe, often appearing as one long tooth.

Mesosoma (Figs D, E & H). Subpronopes adjacent, separated by a partition wider than the longitudinal length of the dorsomedial portion of pronotum. Median mesonotal lobe depressed medially. Notaulus foveolate. Scutellar sulcus with 6 (1–6) longitudinal carinae. Hind margin of posterolateral scutal flange not prominent; rather: 90° to obtuse (to lobed). Mesoscutellar trough with longitudinal carinae laterally. Metanotal trough with weak longitudinal carinae laterally. Sternaulus with 7 (6–9) pits; about 1/ 2x (1/3–2/ 3x) length of mesopleuron. Discrimen foveolate. Medial propodeal areola with 3 (2–4) transverse carinae. Metapleuron rugose on ventral and posterior margins.

Hind leg (Fig. I). Femur length about 3x width. Trochantellar carina absent. Distal tibia covered with 19 (12–23) spines. Claw missing on type specimen, inner tooth of inner and outer claws symmetrical, broad, angled quadrangular-shaped or narrow and angled (to curved), with 4–5 basal pectines.

Fore wing (Fig. G). Hyaline with melanic tint (hyaline to dark yellow); veins melanic; stigma melanic. 2nd submarginal cell about as high as wide (2M equal to or slightly longer than 3RSa). Hyaline spot in anterior part of 1st submarginal cell and basal part of 2nd discal cell.

Metasoma (Figs A & B). 1st median tergite length about 3x apical width, apical width about 2x basal width.

Body Color Orange, except melanic as follows: base of mandibles, labrum, mouthparts, tegula, ventral mesosoma , fore and mid coxae, trochanters, and trochantellus, hind trochanter, trochantellus, parts of femur, tibia and tarsus (to black head and propodeum with melanic color on legs variable).

Biology. Host— C. vulgaris has been reared from Loxostege sticticalis (Linnaeus) (Balduf 1962) and L. commixtalis (Walker) ( Simmonds 1947) .

Associated Plants —alpine Astragalus , Astragalus alpines (Faboideae) ; Augchium pructanii, Echium pininana ? Webb & Berth ( Boraginaceae ); Croton californicus Muell.Arg. (Euphorbiaceae) ; and alfalfa flowers Medicago sativa L. ( Fabaceae ) [from label data].

Adults Collected —April to September.

Geographic Range —Connecticut west to Washington, Saskatchewan south through Mexico. See map in Appendix II.

Comments. Cremnops vulgaris and C. crassifemur are the only two species, worldwide, known to possess an acute projection on the scape. The unusual morphology of this species (e.g. acute scape projection and numerous hind tibial spines) suggests it is sister to C. crassifemur . While analyses of limited COI data for C. crassifemur does not support this sister relationship, these shared character states suggest such a relationship may be the case.

In the specimens examined, there was one specimen from the CNC collection that appeared to have some defect in the antennae with only 28 flagellomeres on one side and 21 on the other. Otherwise, all specimens examined fit the species description.

Etymology. The word “ vulgaris ” means ordinary or common. While the morphological characteristics of this species clearly are not ordinary, there are many older specimens of this species in the museum collections examined for this revision, indicating that in the past this species was commonly collected.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: female, type no. 1740.1, ( ANSP) (H3455 & H8277). Non-Types: 36 ( CNC), 91 ( ESSIG), 55 ( CAS), 11 ( FSCA), 64 ( MCZ), 6 (NHM), 57 ( INHS), 16 ( UCDC), 18 ( HIC), 46 ( UAIC), 8 ( CSCA). For holotype and additional images see Appendix VIII.

Figures

PLATE 28. Cremnops vulgaris. A. lateral habitus (2 color variations); B. dorsal habitus (2 color variations); C. lateral head; D. mesopleuron; E. mesoscutum; F. face; G. wings; H. propodeum; I. hind leg with tibial spines insert.