Ganaspidium Weld, 1955: 274

Buffington, Matthew, 2010, A revision of Ganaspidium Weld, 1952 (Hymenoptera, Figitidae, Eucoilinae): new species, bionomics, and distribution, ZooKeys 37 (37), pp. 81-101 : 84-87

Ganaspidium Weld, 1955: 274

Type species: Ganaspidium pusillae Weld , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Malar space and ventral clypeal margin with distinct conical protuberances. Notauli absent. Parascutal impression incomplete. Scutellar plate narrow with paired conical protuberances anterior of midpit; midpit positioned in posterior onethird of plate. Setal band at base of syntergum of metasoma complete. Similar to Disorygma , Microstilba , and Nordlanderia , but distinguished by the absence of notauli and the presence of a hairy ring at the base of the syntergum; also similar to Agrostocynips , but with the pronotal plate less than one-half the width of the head, the genal carina absent, and the presence of clypeal and malar protuberances. Similar to Banacuniculus , but differing in the morphology of the scutellar plate (conical protuberances present in Ganaspidium , absent in Banacuniculus ) and the incomplete parascutal impression (complete in Banacuniculus ).

Redescription. Head. Nearly glabrous with a few scattered setae on lower face, clypeus, inner margins of compound eyes, and gena; ocellar hair patches absent. Ventral one-fourth of lower face with admedial clypeal furrows converging towards the clypeus; point of convergence resulting in the formation of a distinct conical protuber- ance protruding from anterior margin of clypeus. Orbital furrows absent. Malar sulcus ranging from simple to compound. Malar space smooth to distinctly strigose, with large conical protuberance present. Genal carina absent.

Antennae. Female: 13 segments, moniliform, clavate; segments 3–13 sub-equal in length; rhinaria present only on the last 7 segments. Male: 15 segments; segments 3–15 sub-equal in length; rhinaria present on segments 3–15. Segment 3 modified, curved outwardly, excavated laterally.

Pronotum. Pronotal plate narrow, with setae present along posterior margin; dorsal margin rounded; pronotal fovea open. Lateral pronotal carina absent. Pronotal triangle absent. Pronotal impression absent. Lateral aspect of pronotum smooth, glabrous in most species.

Mesoscutum. Glabrous and smooth. Parascutal impression incomplete. Notauli, mesoscutal keel, parapsidal ridges, and parapsidal hair lines absent.

Mesopectus. Upper and lower part of mesopleuron ranging from completely smooth to longitudinally striate; glabrous. Mesopleural triangle present, faintly indicated (often only visible in the space immediately anterior to the mesopleural spiracle). Mesopleural carina simple; mesopleural hair patch present to absent. Precoxal carina of lower part of mesopleuron present anteriorly and posteriorly, absent ventrally. Surcoxal depression reduced, smooth.

Scutellum. Scutellar plate small, narrow; scutellar midpit positioned posteriorly, typically on posterior one-third of plate (MP, Fig. 1A); rim of plate translucent; dorsal surface of plate with pair of tubercles (TUB, Fig. 1A, B). Dorsal surface of the scutellum reticulate to smooth; rounded posteriorly and laterally; posterior carina present or absent. Laterodorsal and posterior projections absent. Lateral bar as long as wide; ventral lobe absent. Scutellar fovea oval, smooth and deep.

Metapectal-propodeal complex. Posterior one-third to one-fourth of metapectus setose. Spiracular groove with a well-defined dorsal margin and reduced ventral margin. Posterior margin of metapectus smooth, not ridged. Metapleural ridge and submetapleural ridge absent. Anterior impression of metepimeron absent; anterior impression of metepisternum reduced. Anteroventral cavity rounded, setose. Propodeum covered in dense, appressed setae. Lateral propodeal carinae semiparallel, bowed at junction with auxiliary propodeal carinae; auxiliary propodeal carinae distinct. Nucha glabrous, reticulate.

Wings. Hyaline; setose. R complete, pigmented along anterior margin of wing; marginal cell truncate, typically 1 deeper than long (Fig. 1C). Apical fringe short.

Legs. Fore and mid coxa sub equal in size, hind coxa twice the size of either fore or mid coxa. Fore coxa variously setose; mid and hind coxa with distinct anterior and posterior dorsoventral setal bands. Femora with sparse setal lines; tibiae and tarsomeres with dense, appressed setae. Length of hind tarsomere 1 equal to 0.5x the combined length of remaining hind tarsomeres.

Metasoma. Female: Sub equal in size to mesosoma. Base of syntergum with hairy ring, comprised of dense appressed setae and a ring of thin, erect setae; remainder of metasoma glabrous. Micropunctures present on posterior one-third of syntergum and remaining terga. Terga posterior to syntergum gradually directed ventrally, resulting

Figure |. Diagnostic features of Ganaspidium . A scutellum, dorsal view B scutellum, lateral view C forewing, dorsal view. All illustrations of Ganaspidium pusillae . Abbreviations: MP midpit of scutellar plate PC posterior carina of scutellum TUB tubercles of scutellar plate.

in 70 degree angle between syntergum and remaining terga. Ovipositor with series of sub apical serrations (seen only in large specimens). Male: as in female, with the terga posterior to syntergum abruptly angled ventrally, resulting in 90 degree angle between syntergum and remaining terga.

Distribution. Figure 5 .

Neotropical Region: Chile, Costa Rica; Nearctic Region: northern Mexico, continental United States, southern Canada.

Biology. Several species of Liriomyza have been recorded as hosts ( Weld 1955; Harding, 1965, present study). Species of this genus can be found in nearly biogeo- graphic region and have been recovered from hosts in 25 families of Asteraceae ( CABI 1992). This incredibly broad geographic and host range helps explain the presence of this host from lush agroecosystems to arid desert habitats.

Comments. Miller (1989) described two species of eucoiline wasps that were placed in Nordlanderia Quinlan. Although the type specimens for these two species are apparently lost (Miller, pers. comm.), it is clear from the scanning electron micrographs accompanying the original descriptions that these two species do not belong in Nordlanderia . One species, N. navajoae Miller , bears diagnostic features of Ganaspidium and is transferred below; the second species, N. merickeli Miller , belongs in Banacuniculus , and is formally transferred in Buffington (2010). One paratype of Ganaspidium pusillae is actually a specimen of Disorygma pacifica (Yoshimoto) , reared from Liriomyza pusilla . This specimen bears the label “ Disorygma ” in Nordlander’s hand.

Figures

Figure 5. General distribution map of all species of Ganaspidium.