Alaptus, Westwood, 1839

Huber, John T., Read, Jennifer D. & Triapitsyn, Serguei V., 2020, Illustrated key to genera and catalogue of Mymaridae (Hymenoptera) in America north of Mexico, Zootaxa 4773 (3), pp. 1-411 : 26-27

ALAPTUS Westwood, 1839

( Figs 31–60 )

Alaptus Westwood, 1839: 79 . Type species: Alaptus minimus Westwood, 1839 , by monotypy.

Parvulinus Mercet, 1912: 332 . Type species: Parvulinus auranti Mercet, 1912 , by monotypy. Synonymy by Girault, 1913 [127]: 221.

Metalaptus Malenotti, 1917: 339 . Type species: Metalaptus torquatus Malenotti, 1917 , by monotypy. Synonymy by Girault 1917 [330]: 1.

Diagnosis. Body length 205–555 μm; 210–580 μm in Triapitsyn (2017). Antenna with funicle 5-segmented ( Figs 35, 36 ), exceptionally with a minute additional segment between fu 1 and fu 2 ( Fig. 33 ); supraorbital trabecula with alternating sclerotized and unsclerotized sections ( Figs 32, 34 , 41 ); mandible with 2 teeth ( Figs 47, 48 ); head posteriorly with curved horizontal sulcus medially above foramen ( Fig. 44 ); fore wing posterior margin with an abrupt, recurved notch behind venation and, thereafter, posterior margin almost straight and gradually diverging from anterior margin ( Fig. 39 ) almost to wing apex; petiole much wider than long and almost indistinguishable from propodeum or gt 1 ( Figs 49, 50, 54 ); mesophragma projecting into gaster; gt 1 longitudinally divided medially ( Fig. 40 ). Male with flagellum 8-segmented ( Fig. 37 ).

Discussion. Alaptus belongs to the Alaptus group of genera, together with Callodicopus , Dicopomorpha , Dico- pus and Litus . Its species are among the smallest Mymaridae in the Nearctic; only some Camptoptera , Dicopus and Dicopomorpha species are as small.

Nearctic hosts. Psocoptera. Despite the numerous records from species of Hemiptera (Coccoidea) catalogued by Peck (1951, 1963), Thompson (1958), Herting (1972), and Noyes (2019) additional, careful rearings are needed to be sure of the associations. Triapitsyn (2017) listed only Psocoptera as reliable host records.

Important reference. Triapitsyn (2017).

Figures

FIGURE 31. Alaptus sp., habitus. Canada, Quebec, Cloridorme, 49°11.22'N 64°51.28'W, 26.vii.2008, fallow field, H. Goulet, C. Boudreault, A. Badiss. Scale bar=500 μm.

FIGURES 32–34. Alaptus spp. 32a, head, anterior; 32b, head, anterior (internal), showing ocular apodeme; 33, antenna (note small additional segment between fu2 and fu3); 34, head, anterodorsal. Scale bars=100 μm.

FIGURES 35–38. Alaptus iceryae Girault. 35, left antenna; 36, right antenna; 37, male antenna; 38, prosoma + fore leg. Scale bars=100 μm.

FIGURES 39, 40. Alaptus sp., male. 40, wings; 41, mesosoma (except prothorax) + metasoma, dorsal. Scale bars=100 μm.

FIGURES 41, 42. 41, Alaptus sp. body, dorsal, showing mesophragma and male genitalia. 42, Alaptus klonx Triapitsyn, body, lateral. Scale bars=100 μm.

FIGURES 43–48. Alaptus sp., head. 43, anterior; 44, posterior; 45, lateral; 46, dorsal; 47, ventral, 48, mouthparts. Scale bars=20 μm.

FIGURES 49–54. Alaptus sp., mesosoma. 49, dorsal; 50, dorsal (different specimen); 51, lateral; 52, ventral; 53 anteroventral; 54, scutellum–gt1. Scale bars=20 μm.

FIGURES 55–60. Alaptus sp., metasoma. 55, dorsal; 56, ventral; 57, lateral; 58, apex of gaster, male dorsal (genitalia exserted); 59, apex of gaster, male, lateral; 60, apex of gaster, male, ventral. Scale bars=20 μm.