Cremnops desertor (Linnaeus)

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 : 50-52

Cremnops desertor (Linnaeus)

[ Plate 11 , Figs A–I]

Ichneumon desertor Linnaeus, 1758 . Female. (BMNH).

Ichneumon purgator Fabricius, 1793 .Synonymized by Latreille, 1805. Bracon deflagrator Spinola, 1808 .Synonymized by Curtis, 1837.

Cremnops lemniscatus Enderlein, 1920 . Synonymized by Sharkey, 1996. Cremnops atricornis Smith, 1874 . Synonymized by Sharkey, 1996. Cremnops alterans Enderlein, 1920 . Synonymized by Sharkey, 1996. Cremnops malayensis Bhat, 1979 . Synonymized by Sharkey, 2011. Agathis nigritarsus Cameron, 1899 . Synonymized by Sharkey, 2011.

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by its banded fore wing, often yellow or partially yellow stigma, weak or absent sternaulus, lack of trochantellar carina, and interocular carinae usually ending significantly anteriad the lateral ocelli.

Description. Holotype: female. NOTE: C. desertor description is based on the specimen (H8268) collected in the New World that has molecular data, not on the (Old World) holotype specimen on which the rest of the species descriptions are based. Body length 8mm (5–9mm).

Head (Figs C & F). Antennae broken on type specimen, 37–43 flagellomeres. Lateral carina of frons weak, ending significantly anteriad lateral ocellus. Interocellar space not elevated, level with lateral ocelli, or not elevated, lower than lateral ocelli. Malar space 1.0x (0.5–1.0x) eye height. Apical tooth of mandible not extending past margin of basal lobe.

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 not depressed medially (to depressed medially). Notaulus smooth (sometimes weakly foveolate). Scutellar sulcus with 1 longitudinal carina. Hind margin of posterolateral scutal flange not prominent; lobed (to 90° to obtuse). Mesoscutellar trough without longitudinal carinae laterally. Metanotal trough with (to without) weak longitudinal carinae laterally. Sternaulus absent (or 1–2 pits); about 1/ 3x length of mesopleuron. Discrimen smooth (to foveolate). Medial propodeal areola with (2–4) transverse carinae. Metapleuron rugose on ventral 1/3.

Hind leg (Fig. I). Femur length about 3– 4 x width. Trochantellar carina absent. Distal tibia with 2 spines. Inner tooth of inner and outer claws asymmetrical, broad, angled quadrangular-shaped.

Fore wing (Fig. G). With three hyaline bands, one covering the basal, subbasal and anal cells of the wing, one covering the 1st submarginal and basal part of the 2nd discal cell, and one covering the center part of the 3rd submarginal and 2nd discal and apical part of the 2nd subdiscal (varies to one or two hyaline bands; holotype is fore wing is melanic with two hyaline spots); veins some yellow, some melanic (to all melanic); stigma mostly yellow with apical 1/8 melanic (basal 1/4 to entirely yellow). 2nd submarginal cell about as high as wide.

Metasoma (Figs A & B). 1st median tergite length about 1.5x apical width, apical width about 2.5x basal width.

Body Color Orange, except melanic as follows: distal part of hind tibia and tarsus.

Biology. Host —With its many synonymies over the years, C. desertor has a number of recorded hosts. It has been recorded on Sitochroa verticalis (Linnaeus 1758) , Eutectona machoeralis (Walker 1859) and Eurhypara hortulata (Linnaeus 1758). Under the name C. atricornis it additionally has the hosts Palpita machaeralis (Walker) and Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner 1796) . All of these host species are members of the family Pyralidae / Crambidae (Yu 2012) . There are also a few records from other Lepidoptera families including: Tortricidae : Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus 1758) ; Sesiidae : Synanthedon spheciformis (Denis & Schiffermuller 1775) ; and Noctuidae : Euxoa triaena (Kozhantschikov 1929) . Considering all other species of Cremnops with known hosts attack Pyralidae / Crambidae members, there is some doubt as to the accuracy of these non-Crambidae host records ( Sharkey 1996).

Adults Collected —August (New World only).

Geographic Range —New World: Massachusetts, Ottawa & Hamilton Ontario, & Washington D.C.; throughout the Old World: Sweden to Russia and Japan, south to Malaysia. See map in Appendix II.

Comments. Cremnops desertor has been described under many names. The coloration of holotype's wing is quite different (melanic without hyaline bands) from a number of the ‘species’ that have been synonymized with it (1–3 hyaline bands). The specimens from the New World more closely resemble the wing color variation seen in the synonymized species C. malayensis or C. lemniscatus . However, molecular analyses based on partial COI data (still in progress: Tucker unpublished) indicate that some of the previously synonymized species may be re-erected in future publications.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: Cremnops desertor images and literature ( LSUK). TYPES: Cremnops alterans , female, 23.11.0 7, Formosa Takawa, H.Sauter S., ( MZPW); Cremnops alterans , male, 8.VIII.07, Formosa Takawa, H.Sauter S. ( MZPW); Cremnops lemniscatus , female, Sumatra, Soekaranda, Dr. H. Dorhrn S. (2) ( MZPW); Cremnops malayensis , female, Malay Penin. West Coast, Langrai Is., April 20th 1928, ( FSCA). Non- Types: 30 ( HIC), 2 ( CAS), 2 ( CNC), 3 ( MCZ), 2 ( ESSIG). For holotype and additional images see Appendix VIII.

Figures

PLATE 11. Cremnops desertor. A. lateral habitus; B. dorsal habitus; C. lateral head; D. mesopleuron; E. mesoscutum; F. face; G. wings; H. propodeum; I. hind leg.