Dicerataspis grenadensis Ashmead, 1896

Guimarães, Jorge A., Gallardo, Fabiana E., Diaz, Norma Beatriz & Zucchi, Roberto A., 2003, Eucoilinae species (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Figitidae) parasitoids of fruit­infesting dipterous larvae in Brazil: identity, geographical distribution and host associations, Zootaxa 278, pp. 1-23 : 7

Dicerataspis grenadensis Ashmead, 1896

( Figs. 16–23 )

Dicerataspis grenadensis Ashmead, 1896: 744 .

Diagnosis. Body stout. Head ( Fig. 16 ) with lateral margin of occiput not well defined. Eyes without pubescence. Face ( Fig. 16 ) with a prominent median area bounded laterally by grooves. Antennae of female ( Fig. 17 ) pilose, cilindrical, widened towards apex, club 6­segmented, conspicuous. Antennae of male ( Fig. 18 ) with the first flagellomere slightly curved, distally swollen, longer than second. Dorsal margin of pronotal plate ( Fig. 19 ) with three emarginations; sides of pronotum smooth. Mesoscutum ( Figs. 20 and 21 ) convex in profile, smooth. Dorsal part of scutellum ( Fig. 21 ) areolate­rugose; dorsoposterior part in dorsal view emarginate, with two small lateral angles and conspicuous posterior angles. Scutellar plate ( Figs. 20 and 21 ) small, elevated, with a circular pit close to the posterior margin of the plate. Mesopleuron ( Fig. 20 ) with subalar pit. Metapleuron ( Fig. 20 ) slightly sculptured. Forewings ( Fig. 22 ) completely hyaline or dusky at base, pubescent, apical margin with hair fringe; marginal cell anteriorly open; veins pale. Metacoxa ( Fig. 23 ) with a band of hairs along the posterior margin. Third abdominal tergum of metasoma ( Fig. 20 ) with a thin hairy ring at base; metasoma distally smooth.

Note: The coloration and size of the specimens of D. grenadensis collected in Brazil vary without correlation with biogeographical factors.

Geographical distribution. Neotropical Region: Grenada ( Ashmead 1896); Argentina ( Diaz 1974) and Brazil (new country record), in the State of São Paulo.

Hosts. Wharton et al. (1998) pointed out that the small size of Dicerataspis specimens make them probable parasitoids of drosophilids.

Remarks. Dicerataspis was described by Ashmead (1896) based on one species, Dicerataspis grenadensis from Grenada. Kieffer (1909) described the genus Dissodontaspis , monotypic on Dissodontaspis flavipes from Brazil. Weld (1921) suggested that Dissodontaspis could be a synonym of Dicerataspis . Later, Weld (1952) established the generic synonymy and the current combination, Dicerataspis flavipes .

Type material. Dicerataspis grenadensis : GRENADA. (Mount Gay Est.), Holotype, (1 female), coll. Smith. ( USNM). Dicerataspis flavipes : BRAZIL. Pará: Holotype, (1 female), coll. Baker ( CASC).

Material collected. BRAZIL: São Paulo: Nazaré Paulista, (2 males), 11.VII.1996; (1 female), 19.VII.1996; (13 males), 19.VII.1997; Monte Alegre do Sul, (1 female); 24.IV.2000; Campinas, (1 male); 30.XI.1994, (1 male, 1 female); 7.II.96, (3 males); 9.III.2000, coll. M.F. Souza Filho; Piracicaba, (3 males, 5 females), 14.III.2000, coll. J.A. Guimarães. ( ESALQ).

The specimens from Brazil, state of São Paulo, Nazaré Paulista (19.VII.1996 and 11.VII.96) and Campinas (30.XI.94 and 7.II.1996) had been misidentified as D. flavipes by Guimarães (1998) and Guimarães et al. (1999, 2000a; 2000b).

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 23. Dicerataspis grenadensis. 16. Head, anterior view (140 x, 100 m); 17. Female antenna (204 x, 100 m); 18. Flagellomerous 1 and 2 of male (280 x, 100 m); 19. Pronotal plate (366 x, 20 m); 20. Head, mesosoma and anterior part of metasoma, lateral view (120 x, 100 m); 21. Mesosoma, dorsal view (130 x, 100 m); 22. Forewing (10 x, 0,5 mm); 23. Metacoxa (130 x, 100 m).