Ormyrus watshami Bouček, 1981

Koutsoukos, Evangelos, Compton, Stephen G., Noort, Simon van, Avtzis, Dimitrios N. & Askew, Richard R., 2024, A new species of Ormyrus Westwood (Hymenoptera, Ormyridae) developing in figs of Ficus microcarpa in Europe, European Journal of Taxonomy 917, pp. 170-193 : 185-188

Ormyrus watshami Bouček, 1981

Figs 9–11

Ormyrus watshami Bouček, 1981: 224–226 , fig. 157.

Material examined

Holotype

ZIMBABWE • ♀; “Holotype”; “Rhodesia, Makumba Mission, nr. Salisbury, A. Watsham. xii.1976, 240, 264.”; “HOLOTYPE ♀ Ormyrus watshami sp. n. det. Z. Bouček, 1979.”; “B.M. TYPE HYM 5.2876”; NHMUK 010835121 ; Imaged WaspWeb LAS 4.9 SAMC 2021.

Paratypes

ZIMBABWE • 1 ♀; “Paratype”; “ Rhodesia , Salisbury, Chishawasha on F[icus] burkei , iii.1976, A. Watsham. ”; “♀ Ormyrus watshami sp. n. det. Z. Bouček, 1980.”; NHMUK 013457329 . • 1 ♂; “ Paratype ”; “ Rhodesia, Salisbury distr. ex Ficus burkei, A. Watsham. Makumba Mission xii.1976.”; “♂ Ormyrus watshami sp. n. det. Z. Bouček, 1980.”; NHMUK 013457330 .

Host Plant

Ficus burkei Miquel.

Distribution

Zimbabwe.

Remarks

Ormyrus watshami is a parasitoid in galled ovules of Ficus burkei .A resemblance between O. microcarpae Askew & Koutsoukos sp. nov. and the description of O. watshami , especially the figure ( Bouček et al. 1981: 225, fig. 157) depicting the female gaster, prompted an examination of the female holotype (images provided in Figs 9–11 ), and male and female paratypes of O. watshami from the Natural History Museum (London).

The female paratype of O. watshami , body length 2.0 mm, is larger than the usual size of O. microcarpae Askew & Koutsoukos sp. nov., the body is brighter green to greenish blue with weaker sculpture and the legs are somewhat darker with metallic tints on the front and hind femora, the outer face of the metacoxa is shiny with weakly raised reticulate sculpture, and the spines on the posterior edge of the metatibia are fully half as long as the tibial width. The antennal flagellum of O. watshami is longer (1.47× length of eye compared to 1.16× in O. microcarpae ) and stouter (Fu1 about 0.65× width of Fu6 compared to hardly 0.5× width of Fu6) than in O. microcarpae . The mesoscutum of O. watshami is less setose than in the new species with a few setae only on its mid-lobe and these are restricted to the sides of the posterior half. Gasters of O. watshami and O. microcarpae have the same characteristic shape but differ significantly in that O. watshami has large foveae fully exposed only on Gt3.

The male paratype of O. watshami differs from male O. microcarpae Askew & Koutsoukos sp. nov. in that the gaster is less dorsoventrally compressed, its ventral surface brownish and the discs of Gt2–4 are largely pale and non-metallic, and there are about four rows of comparatively small and shallow foveae exposed on Gt3 and Gt4.

Comparison of Ormyrus inhabiting seeds of Ficus microcarpa

The two species of Ormyrus reared from figs of F. microcarpa have the relatively sparse but strong and suberect mesosomal setation and large fore wing speculum characteristic of most species of Ormyrus inhabiting Ficus , but O. microcarpae Askew & Koutsoukos sp. nov. and O. lini differ from each other in several respects. Ormyrus lini is testaceous at least on the mouth margin, and often on the sides of the mesosoma, especially in males, whereas the body of O. microcarpae is without testaceous colouration except about the wing bases.

The antennae are placed lower on the head in O. lini than in O. microcarpae Askew & Koutsoukos sp. nov. with toruli entirely below the lower level of the eyes in the former.

Several pairs of relatively long setae are borne on the vertex of O. lini , absent in O. microcarpae Askew & Koutsoukos sp. nov., but the mid-lobe of the mesoscutum bears more setae in O. microcarpae than in O. lini (see descriptions). The female gaster of O. microcarpae has a distinct mid-dorsal carina, the epipygium is directed almost vertically upwards and Gt3 and Gt4 have respectively about two and three irregular transverse rows of exposed large foveae. The female gaster of O. lini is acarinate, the epipygium is oblique, and there are rather more exposed foveae.

Figures

Fig. 9.Ormyrus watshami Bouček, 1981, holotype, ♀, B.M. TYPE HYM 5.2876 (NHMUK). A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Habitus, dorsal view. C. Body, lateral view. D. Body, dorso-lateral view. E. Head and mesosoma, lateral view. F. Head and mesosoma, dorsal view.

Fig. 10. Ormyrus watshami Bouček, 1981, holotype, ♀, B.M. TYPE HYM 5.2876 (NHMUK). A. Head and pronotum, antero-lateral view. B. Head and antennae, lateral view. C. Head and mesosoma, dorsolateral view. D. Scutellum and propodeum, dorsal view. E. Propodeum and metasoma, dorso-lateral view. F. Metasoma, lateral view.

Fig. 11. Ormyrus watshami Bouček, 1981, holotype, ♀, B.M. TYPE HYM 5.2876 (NHMUK). A. Propodeum and metasoma, dorsal view. B. Terminal terga and ovipositor valves, lateral view. C. Wings, dorsal view. D. Labels.