Achrysocharoides gahani (Miller)

Hansson, Christer & Shevtsova, Ekaterina, 2010, Three new species of Achrysocharoides Girault (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) parasitoids of Phyllonorycter spp. (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) on Acer platanoides and Robinia pseudoacacia, Zootaxa 2388, pp. 23-43 : 41-42

Achrysocharoides gahani (Miller)

( Figs 53–54 , 55, 58 )

Enaysma gahani Miller, 1962:1041 . Holotype female in CNC, not examined. Achrysocharoides gahani (Miller) ( Yoshimoto 1977:928) .

Hosts. The type material of A. gahani was reared from Phyllonorycter spp. on Fagus grandifolia , Tilia americana and Quercus alba ( Miller 1962) . Kamijo (1991) transferred the material from Quercus alba to A. reticulatus Yoshimoto. Apart from these records A. gahani has also been reported from Phyllonorycter sp. on Rhus toxicodendron ( Kamijo 1991) , P. blancardella (Fabricius) on Malus sp. ( Maier 1984), P. crataegella (Clemens) on Prunus pensylvanica ( Maier 1988) and P. propinquella (Braun) on Prunus serotina ( Maier 1988) . We have examined 4 female paratypes of A. gahani from Q. alba and we agree with Kamijo that these do not belong to this species. We have also been able to examine 3 females and 7 males from P. propinquella on P. serotina and 5 females and 1 male from P. crataegella on P. pensylvanica reared by Chris T. Maier (specimens in CAES and CNC). These specimens belong to species-group clypeatus, i.e. they do not have a transverse carina on pronotum or submedian carinae on propodeum — characteristics of the gahani -group, and are hence not A. gahani . Furthermore, we have seen a single female from Phyllonorycter sp. on Rhus radicans (in CNC) identified as A. gahani by Kamijo. This female is similar to paratypes of A. gahani from Fagus and Tilia , but females of Achrysocharoides are difficult to separate and we would like to see a male from Rhus before confirming microlepidopterans on Rhus as hosts for A. gahani . We have not been able to examine any material from P. blancardella on Malus and we can not state anything regarding the validity of this record. However, in view of our findings regarding Achrysocharoides from Phyllonorycter spp. on Prunus spp. this record needs confirmation.

Material examined. Type material: 10 female paratypes (2 from Fagus , 4 from Quercus , 4 from Tilia ) and 2 male paratypes (1 from Fagus and 1 from Tilia ) ( CNC).

Figures

FIGURES 49 – 54. 49 – 50. Head and antenna lateral, female. 49. Achrysocharoides platanoidae sp. nov. 50. A. acerianus (Askew). 51 – 54. Head frontal, male. 51. A. robiniae sp. nov., holotype. 52. A. robiniae, paratype from U. S. A., New Hampshire. 53. A. gahani (Miller), paratype from Canada, Ottawa, on Tilia americana. 54. A. gahani, non-type specimen from Canada, Ottawa, on Tilia americana. Abbreviation: ped = pedicel.

FIGURES 55 – 60. Gaster dorsal, male. 55. Achrysocharoides gahani (Miller), paratype from Canada, Ottawa, on Tilia americana. 56. A. robiniae sp. nov., paratype from Hinsdale, New Hampshire. 57. A. robinicolus sp. nov., paratype from Highland Falls, New York, 58. A. gahani, schematic drawing. 59. A. robiniae, schematic drawing. 60. A. robinicolus, schematic drawing