Bracon (Glabrobracon) dichromus Wesmael, 1838

Papp, Jenő & Xviii, Budapest, 2012, A revision of the Bracon Fabricius species in Wesmael’s collection deposited in Brussels (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Braconinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 21, pp. 1-154 : 10-16

Bracon (Glabrobracon) dichromus Wesmael, 1838

Figs 3 A-J, 4A, 5A

Braco dichromus Wesmael, 1838: 49 ♀ (type material: 1 ♀), type locality: “environs de Liège” ( Belgium), ♀ holotype (“Le seul individu...” Wesmael l.c., present designation) in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels; examined.

Bracon breviventris Szépligeti, 1901: 268 (in key); 282 (description) (in Hungarian); 1904 (1901): 188 (in key) and 194 (description) (in German), type locality: Pápa ( Hungary), ♀ lectotype (and two ♀ paralectotypes) in Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum, Budapest; examined.

Bracon carpaticus Niezabitowski, 1910: 9 (53) enumeration and 13 (57) description (type material: one or more ♀♀), type locality: ”Rytro” ( Poland) and 13 description, (supposed) depository of the type material in Zakład Ekologii i Ochrony Srobowska WSP, Kielce ( Poland); not examined, syn. nov. Bracon collaris Telenga, 1936: 149 (♀, in key), 209 (description), assigned to ”Section Glabrobracon ”) (in Russian) and 351 (♀, in key), 390 (description) (in German), type locality: ”Turkmenien: Merv”. Bracon (Glabrobracon) discretus Szépligeti, 1901: 268 (in key) and 281 (desription) (in Hungarian); 1904 (1901): 188 (in key) and 193 (description) (in German) ♀, type locality: Fonyód ( Hungary), ♀ lectotype in Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum, Budapest; examined.

Braco maculiger Wesmael, 1838: 50 ♀ (type material: 1 ♀), type locality: ”environs de Bruxelles ” ( Belgique), ♀ holotype (present designation) in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels; examined.

Bracon ornatulus Telenga, 1936: 150 (♀), 155 (♁) (in key), 210 (description), assigned to ”Section Glabrobracon ”) (in Russian) and 352 (♀), 357 (♁) (in key), 391 (description) (in German), type locality: ”Mongolien, Gashun-Gobi, Tsatshau”.

Bracon velbingeri Fahringer, 1951: 67 ♀♁, type locality: ” Pasardschik, Südbulgarien”.

Bracon (Glabrobracon) dichromus – Szépligeti 1901: 268 (in key, in Hungarian); 1904 (1901): 188, 190 (in key, in German) ♀ ♁. — Fahringer 1927: 291 (♀ in key) and 1928: 453 (redescription), assigned to ”Section Glabrobracon ”. — Telenga 1936: 149 (♀) and 154 (♁) (in key), 208 (redescription) (in Russian) and 351 (♀), 357 (♁) (in key, in German). — Shenefelt 1978: 1565 (literature up to 1974). — Tobias 1986: 134 (as synonym of B. variator Nees with a question mark).

Bracon (Glabrobracon) breviventris – Fahringer 1927: 292 (♀ in key) and 1928: 440 (redescription), as valid species and assigned to ”Section Glabrobracon ”. — Telenga 1936: as valid species 150 (♀, in key), 211 (redescription) (in Russian) and 352 (in key, in German). — Tobias 1961: 164 (as synonym of B. maculiger Wesmael ) and 1986: 134 (as synonym of B. variator Nees ). — Shenefelt 1978: 1572 (as synonym of B. maculiger Wesmael after Tobias l.c.). — Papp 2004: 172 (♀ lectotype as synonym of B. dichromus and two ♀ paralectotypes as synonym of B. variator var. maculiger Wesmael ).

Bracon carpaticus – Fahringer 1928: as valid species 284 (in key) and 441 (redescription) ♀. — Telenga 1936: as valid species 175 (in key) and redescription (redescription) in Russian) and 378 (in key, in German) ♀. — Shenefelt 1978: 1560 (as valid species, literature up to 1936).

Bracon collaris – Tobias 1958: 98 (as valid species in key, in Russian). — Shenefelt 1978: 1563 (as valid species, literature up to 1958). — Tobias 1986: 134 (synonymization in key as B. variator var. collinus Telenga ).

Bracon (Glabrobracon) discretus – Fahringer 1927: 292 (♀ in key) and 1928: 457 (redescription), as valid species and assigned to ”Section Glabrobracon ”). — Telenga 1936: as valid species 148 (in key), 203 (redescription) (in Russian) and 350 (in key, in German) ♀. — Shenefelt 1978: 1566 (as synonym of B. dichromus Wesmael after Papp 1966: 382). — Papp 2004: 174 (type designation, as synonym of B. dichromus ); 2008: 1785 (synonymy).

Bracon maculiger - Szépligeti 1901: as valid species 269 (in key, in Hungarian), 1904 (1901): 188 (in key, in German). — Fahringer 1927: as valid species 293 (♀), 306 (♁) (in key) and 469 (redescription), assigned to ”Section Glabrobracon ”). — Telenga 1936: as valid species 150 (♀), 155 (♁) (in key), 212 (redescription) (in Russian) and 352 (♀), 357 (♁) (in key, in German). — Tobias 1961: 164 (as valid species, redescription). — Papp 1966: as valid species 379 (in key) and 386 (redescription). Shenefelt 1978: 1572 (as valid species, literature up to 1974). — Tobias 1986: 134 (as synonym under the name of B. variator ”f.” maculiger ).

Bracon ornatulus - Tobias 1958: 99 and 1959: 895 (synonymization). — Tobias & Belokobylskij 2000: 143 (synonymization, designation of the ♀ lectotype and one ♀ paralectotype in Zoological Institut, Sankt Petersburg); not examined.

Bracon velbingeri - Papp 1971: 280 (designation of the ♀ lectotype and one ♀ + one ♁ paralectotypes, types in Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, Müncheberg, synonymized with B. dichromus ). — Shenefelt 1978: 1566 (as synonym of B. dichromus after Papp l.c., literature up to 1971); examined.

Designation of the ♀ holotype of Bracon dichromus

(First label, handwritten) ”18”, (second label, printed) ” Coll. Wesmael ”, (third label) ” B. Dichrous mihi” (sic!, lapsus calami) ”dét. C. Wesmael ” (printed), (fourth label, printed) ”R. Mus. Hist. Nat. Belg. I. G. 3.317”, (fifth label, my handwriting) ” Belgique / Liège/ leg. M. Robert ” (the locality label adapted after Wesmael l.c.), sixth label is the holotype card. Holotype is in poor condition: (1) pinned by mesosoma; (2) head together with antennae missing; (3) missing: right pair of wings, right fore leg (except coxa), left fore tarsus, middle pair of legs, tarsomeres 4-5 of left hind leg.

Besides the holotype specimen there is a second ♀ of B. dichromus in Wesmael’Collection; however, it does not belong to the syntype series (see Wesmael’s indication before). The ♀ is representing a melanic form: head almost entirely brown to dark brown, mesosoma dark to blackish brown, metasoma testaceous except dark brown first tergite, leg testaceous. The specimen is in fairly poor condition: legs deficient, right fore wing apically damaged.

Material examined

140 ♀♀ + 31 ♁♁ from fifteen countries: SLOVAKIA: 6 ♀♀ +1 ♁ from five localities. HUNGARY: 97 ♀♀ + 19 ♁♁ from 87 localities. ROMANIA: 6 ♀♀ from six localities. SERBIA: 2 ♀♀ from two localities. CROATIA: 3 ♀♀ + 1 ♁ from four localities. BULGARIA: 7 ♀♀ from four localities. GREECE: 1 ♀. ITALY: 3 ♀♀ from three localities. ALGERIA: 1 ♀. CYPRUS: 1 ♀ + 3 ♁♁ from four localities. SYRIA: 1 ♁. ISRAEL: 3 ♀♀ + 1 ♁ from four localities. JORDAN: 1 ♀. TURKEY: 6 ♀♀ from six localities. UKRAINE: 2 ♀♀ from one locality. GEORGIA: 1 ♀.

Redescription of the ♀ holotype of Bracon dichromus ( Fig. 3 C-J)

HEAD. Missing.

LENGTH. Body, i.e. meso- and metasoma combined, 4 mm long.

MESOSOMA. In lateral view stout, 1.25 times as long as high, polished. Notaulix hardly distinct. Propodeum polished, close above lunule with short weak rugae ( Fig. 3C ).

LEGS. Hind femur 3.6 times as long as broad medially ( Fig. 3D ). Claw weakly curved, its basal lobe fairly large and pointed ( Fig. 3E ).

WINGS. Forewing slightly longer than meso- and metasoma combined. Pterostigma ( Fig. 3F ) fairly wide, 2.5 times as long as wide, issuing r proximally from its middle, r somewhat shorter than width of pterostigma. Submarginal cell less long, 3-SR a bit longer than 2-SR, SR1 straight, 1.9 times as long as 3-SR and reaching tip of wing ( Fig. 3F ). First discal cell high, 1-M twice as long as m-cu, 1-SR-M curved and 1.25 times as long as 1-M ( Fig. 3G ).

TERGITES ( Fig. 3H ). First tergite somewhat longer than broad behind, pair of spiracles before middle of tergite, beyond spiracles parallel-sided, margin of scutum very finely crenulated, otherwise together with further tergites polished. Second tergite 3.1 times as broad behind as long, suture between tergites 2-3 bisinuate, smooth. Third tergite a bit longer than second tergite ( Fig. 3H ). Ovipositor sheath long, as long as hind tarsus + tibia + half femur combined. Hypopygium pointed, posterior end of ovipositor sheath as in Fig. 3I.

COLOUR. Ground colour of body testaceous. Black to blackish: prosternum, mesosternum, propodeum (latero-posteriorly reddish), hind coxae. Blackish to brown: fore coxa, trochanters, hind femur proximally, tibiae apically and tarsi entirely. Wings brownish fumous, pterostigma and veins brownish.

Description of the head ( Fig. 3 A-B)

The description of the head is based on a ♀ specimen quite identical to the ♀ holotype (taken in Hungary, Budapest: Svábhegy, 2 Aug. 1897, ex coll. Magyar Rovartani Állomás = Hungarian Entomological Service).Antenna somewhat shorter than body and with 27 antennomeres. First flagellomere 1.75 times, further flagellomeres shortening so that penultimate flagellomere 1.4 times as long as broad. Head in dorsal view transverse ( Fig. 3A ), almost 1.9 times as broad as long, eye almost 1.3 times length of temple, temple strongly rounded, occiput excavated. Oral opening usual in size, its horizontal diameter somewhat longer than shortest distance between opening and compound eye ( Fig. 3B ). Head polished. Scape blackish brown, flagellum dark brown. Head testaceous, occiput brownish black, palpi and rostrum brown.

Deviating features of the ♀♀ and ³³ ( Figs 1D ; 3J ; 4 A-C; 5A)

Body 3-5 mm long. Antenna of ♀♀ with (25-)27-32(-33) and of ♁♁ with 27-32(-39) antennomeres. Temple in dorsal view somewhat receded (3 ♀♀, cf. Fig. 4C ). Basal lobe of claw slightly more pointed (5 ♀♀, cf. Fig. 1D ). First discal cell apparently slightly higher, i.e. 1-M more than twice as long as m-cu (4 ♀♀, Fig. 3J ). First tergite broad, as long as broad behind, its scutum fairly wide (4 ♀♀, Fig. 4A ). Second tergite antero-medially finely striate-substriate (2 ♀♀ + 1 ♁, Fig. 5A ). Ovipositor sheath long, as long as hind leg or metasoma + half mesosoma (1 ♀). Pterostigma yellow (3 ♀♀).

Several varieties and aberrations of B. dichromus have been described by Fahringer 1928: 453; Telenga 1936: 208; Papp 1966 and Shenefelt 1978: 1565. From these, two varieties are recognized as extreme colour deviations from the nominate form:

1) Bracon (Glabrobracon) dichromus var. maculiger (Wesmael) (= B. carpaticus Niezabitowski, 1910 , = B. variator ab. bicolor Papp, 1966)

Material examined

144 ♀♀ + 32 ♁♁ from twenty countries: ENGLAND: 1 ♀. FRANCE: 5 ♀♀ + 1 ♁ from six localities. GERMANY: 3 ♀♀ from three localities. BOHEMIA: 2 ♀♀ from two localities. SLOVAKIA: 1 ♀.

HUNGARY: 72 ♀♀ + 15 ♁♁ from 68 localities. ROMANIA: 12 ♀♀ + 2 ♁♁ from twelve localities. CROATIA: 3 ♀♀ + 1 ♁ from three localities. MACEDONIA 1 ♀. BULGARIA: 3 ♀♀ +1 ♁ from three localities. GREECE: 2 ♀♀ from two localities. TURKEY: 5 ♀♀ + 1 ♁ from five localities. SPAIN: 6 ♀♀ + 1 ♁ from six localities. ITALY: 7 ♀♀ + 3 ♁♁ from four localities. CYPRUS: 1 ♀ + 2 ♁♁ from two localities. ISRAEL: 1 ♀. JORDAN: 1 ♀ + 1 ♁ from two localities. TUNISIA: 6 ♀♀ + 3 ♁♁ from four localities. ARMENIA: 3 ♀♀ + 1 ♁ from three localities. TURKMENISTAN: 9 ♀♀ from three localities.

The var. maculiger represents the melanic form of the species. The head and mesosoma are almost entirely dark coloured: head and mesoscutum partly reddish yellow or entirely black and femora 2-3 blackish to black, frequently scutum of first tergite also black(ish), i.e. metasoma usually reddish yellow, testaceous or rusty, dark coloured streak on tergites 2-4(-6) sometimes present. Antenna with (22-)25- 29(-32) antennomeres (♀) and with (23-)27-32 antennomeres (♁).

2) Bracon (Glabrobracon) dichromus var. discretus ( Szépligeti, 1901)

Material examined

29 ♀♀ + 5 ♁♁ from eight countries: BOHEMIA: 1 ♁. HUNGARY: 21 ♀♀ + 2 ♁♁ from eighteen localities. ROMANIA: 1 ♀ + 1 ♁ from two localities. CROATIA: 2 ♀♀ from two localities. BULGARIA: 2 ♀♀ + 1 ♁ from two localities. MACEDONIA: 1 ♀. PORTUGAL: 1 ♀. TURKMENISTAN: 1 ♀.

The var. discretus represents the albanic form of the species: at most mesosternum, hind femur partly (and hind tergites medially) with blackish to black pattern, frequently body and legs entirely reddish yellow or testaceous.

Hosts

COL. Curculionidae : Gymnetron asellus Gravenhorst , Larinus flavescens Germar , L. turbinatus Gyllenhal. — LEP. Gelechiidae : Platyedra subcinerea Haworth. Tortricidae : Grapholitha funebrana Treitschke. Phycitidae : Myelois cribrella Hübner. — DIPT. Tephritidae : Euribia stylata Fabricius , Tephritis cometa Loew , Terellia serratulae Linnaeus , Xiphosia miliaria Schrank.

Distribution

Western Palaearctic Region, mainly in its steppe and forest-steppe zone; in southern half of Europe fairly frequent)

Taxonomic position

Within the subgenus Glabrobracon the species B. dichromus is nearest to B. helleni Telenga (European Russia, Kazakhstan: Uralsk) and B. popovi Telenga ( Hungary, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekhistan) considering their reddish yellow or testaceous corporal colour; the three species are separated by the following key features:

1 (2) Third tergite only a bit longer than second tergite; first tergite broad ( Figs 3H ; 4A ). Temple in dorsal view strongly rounded ( Fig. 3A ). Claw weakly downcurved ( Fig. 3E ). Ground colour of body testaceous, mesosoma ventrally and propodeum black to blackish (nominate form); varieties: head, mesosoma with much blackish to black pattern ( var. maculiger ), body almost entirely reddish yellow ( var. discretus ) ♀ ♁: (2.5-)3-4.5(-5) mm ............................................................................................ ...................................................................................................... B. (Gl.) dichromus Wesmael, 1838

2 (1) Third tergite clearly longer than second tergite ( Figs.4B, E ); first tergite less broadening ( Fig. 4B ) or evenly broadening posteriorly ( Fig. 4E ). Temple in dorsal view receded ( Fig. 4C ) or less receded ( Fig. 4E ). Claw strongly downcurved ( Fig 4G ).

3 (4) Temple in dorsal view receded ( Fig. 4C ). Claw less downcurved. Forewing: SR1 reaching tip of wing, pterostigma issuing r proximally from its middle, SR1 one-third longer than 3-SR ( Fig. 4D ). First tergite 1.3 times as long as broad behind, suture between 2-3 bisinuate ( Fig. 4B ). ♀: 2.5-3.5 mm ..................... .......................................................................................... B. (Gl.) helleni Telenga, 1936

4 (3) Temple in dorsal view less receded ( Fig. 4E ). Claw less downcurved ( Fig. 4G ). Forewing: SR1 approaching tip of wing, pterostigma issuing r from its middle, SR1 clearly twice longer than 3-SR ( Fig. 4H ). First tergite slightly longer than broad behind, evenly broadening posteriorly, suture between tergites 2-3 straight ( Fig. 4E ). ♀: 2.5-3.5 mm ........................................ B. (Gl.) popovi Telenga, 1936

Figures

Fig. 3. Bracon (Glabrobracon) dichromus Wesmael, 1838 (A-I: ♀ holotype). A. Head in dorsal view. B. Head in frontal view. C. Propodeum. D. Hind femur. E. Claw. F. Distal part of right forewing. G. First discal cell of right forewing. H. Tergites 1-3. I. Hypopygium and ovipositor apparatus. J. First discal cell of right forewing (♀).

Fig. 1. Bracon (Glabrobracon) colpophorus Wesmael, 1838 (A-H: ♀ holotype). A. Head in dorsal view. B. Head in lateral view. C. Head in frontal view. D. Claw. E. Distal part of right forewing. F. cu-a of hindwing. G. Tergites 1-3. H. Hind end of ovipositor. I. First tergite of ♀. J. cu-a of hindwing of ♀ + ♁. K. First tergite of ♁.

Fig. 4. — A. Bracon (Glabrobracon) dichromus Wesmael, 1838, first tergite of ♀. — B-D. Bracon (Glabrobracon) helleni Telenga, 1936, ♀. B. Tergites 1-3. C. Head in dorsal view. D. Distal part of right forewing. — E-H. Bracon (Glabrobracon) popovi Telenga, 1936, ♀. E. Tergites 1-3. F. Head in dorsal view. G. Claw. H. Distal part of right forewing.

Fig. 5. — A. Bracon (Glabrobracon) dichromus Wesmael, 1838, ♀, second tergite. — B-K. Bracon (Glabrobracon) discoideus Wesmael, 1838, ♀ lectotype. B. Head in dorsal view. C. Head in lateral view. D. Head in frontal view. E. Propodeum. F. Hind femur. G. Claw. H. Distal part of right forewing. I. First discal cell of right forewing. J. Tergites 1-3. K. Hypopygium and ovipositor apparatus.