Aleiodes martini Shaw and Marsh

Shaw, Scott R., Marsh, Paul M. & Talluto, Miranda A., 2013, Revision of North American Aleiodes (Part 9): the pallidator (Thunberg) species-group with description of two new species (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Rogadinae), Zootaxa 3608 (3), pp. 204-214 : 208-210

Aleiodes martini Shaw and Marsh , sp.nov.

( Figs 9–12 )

Female.— Body color: entirely yellow including legs and antennae, propodeum and first metasomal tergum occasionally marked with light brown ( Figs 9, 11 ); wings hyaline,veins brown, stigma and veins C+Sc+R and 1-R1 yellow. Body length, 5.0 mm; fore wing length, 5.0 mm. Head: eyes and ocelli large ( Fig. 10 ), covering most of head; 45–47 antennomeres, flagellomeres slightly longer than wide; malar space short, less than basal width of mandible and about 1/5 eye height; temple narrow, about 1/3 eye width; occipital carina not quite meeting hypostomal carina, absent on vertex behind ocelli; oral opening small and circular, diameter equal to basal width of mandible; ocelli large, nearly touching eye, ocellocular distance 1/3 diameter of lateral ocellus; face coriaceous, weakly costate below antennae, frons, vertex and temple coriaceous; maxillary palpus not swollen; mandibles small, tips not crossing when closed. Mesosoma: pronotum coriaceous, weakly procate dorsally; mesonotum and scutellum coriaceous, notauli shallow and finely scrobiculate; mesopleuron coriaceous, subalar sulcus rugose, sternaulus absent; propodeum rugose-coriaceous dorsally, coriaceous laterally, median carina complete. Legs: tarsal claws entirely pectinate with 4–6 long spines on inner edge ( Fig. 12 ); hind coxa coriaceous dorsally; inner spur at apex of hind tibia less than 1/2 length of hind basitarsus. Wings: fore wing with vein r 1/2 length of 3RSa and about 2/3 length of m-cu, vein 1cu-a beyond 1M by distance slightly greater than 1cu-a, vein 1CUa 1/3 length of 1CUb; hind wing with marginal cell slightly but distinctly narrower in middle and slightly widening at apex, vein RS weakly sinuate, vein r-m nearly as long as 1M, vein M+CU longer than 1M; vein m-cu short and weak but distinct. Metasoma: first tergum slightly wider at apex than long, strgate coriaceous, median carina complete; second tergum strigate coriaceous, median carina complete, third tergum strigate coriaceous on basal half, coriaceous on apical half, median carina absent on apical half; remainder of terga weakly coriaceous; ovipositor short, less than 1/2 length of hind basitarsus.

Male.—Unknown.

Holotype.—Female: FLORIDA, Oneco, March 22, 1955, John C. Martin. Deposited in CNC.

Paratypes.—FLORIDA: 2 females, same data as holotype; 1 female, Highlands Co., Archibold Biol. Sta., October 9, 1987, D. Wahl; 1 male, Gainesville, May 1–4, 1986, John LaSalle. Deposited in USNM, UWIM, AEI.

Distribution.—Known only from southwestern Florida.

Biology.—Unknown.

Comments.—Because of its small body size and light yellow color, this A. martini may appear similar to some species in the gastritor species-group, which are more commonly collected (see Shaw 2006). But A. martini can be distinguished from species of the gastritor group by its strongly pectinate tarsal claws ( Fig. 12 ) and shorter malar space ( Fig. 9 ). It can be distinguished from other light-colored species in the pallidator species-group by its small body size (5 mm), completely and strongly pectinate tarsal claws, shorter antennae with 43–45 flagellomeres, and southern distribution (known only from Florida).

Etymology.—This species is named for the collector of most of the type-series, the late John C. Martin.

Aleiodes pallidator (Thunberg, 1822) ( Figs 13–16 , 25–27 )

Ichneumon pallidator Thunberg, 1822 , Mem. Acad. Sci. St. Petersburg 8: 259.

Aleiodes unicolor Wesmael, 1838 , Nouv. Mem. Acad. Brux. 11: 111. Synonymized by Roman, 1912.

Diagnosis.—Body mostly honey yellow ( Figs 14, 15 ) except ocellar triangle brown to black ( Fig. 13 ), antenna of male brown, wings hyaline, veins brown, pterostigma and C+Sc+R light brown to yellow; body length 6.0–8.0 mm; malar space equal to basal width of mandible and about 1/3 eye height; oral opening small and circular, diameter equal to basal width of mandible and about 1/2 face height; antenna with 51–55 flagellomeres; ocelli very large, ocell-ocular distance about 1/3 diameter of lateral ocellus ( Fig. 13 ); face weakly rugulose, frons, vertex and temple coriaceous; pronotum coriaceous, rugulose medially; mesonotum and scutellum coriaceous; mesopleuron coriaceous, subalar sulcus rugose, sternaulus rugulose; propodeum rugulose coriaceous dorsally, coriaceous laterally, median carina complete; first, second and basal 1/2 of third metasomal terga rugose costate, median carina complete on first and second and, sometimes weak or absent on third tergum; fore wing with vein 1cu-a beyond 1M by distance slightly greater than length of 1cu-a; hind wing with vein RS arched slightly beyond middle, marginal cell narrowest beyond middle ( Fig. 16 ); tarsal claws not entirely pectinate but with with 5–6 thin spines at base.

Distribution.—This species is native to Europe, where it is reported to be a monophagous parasitoid of the satin moth. During the 1930s it was introduced and released in the northeastern United States (Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut) for biological control of the satin moth, and also released in the Pacific northwest (Washington state). More recently it has been reported from Maryland (Barbosa et al. 2001).

Biology.—In the eastern United States, A. pallidator has been reared from the satin moth, Leucoma salicis (L.). In Maryland, possibly other Lymantriidae including Orgyia definita Packard , the white-marked tussock moth, Orgyia leucostigma (J.E. Smith) , and Dasychira species are hosts (S. Shaw 2006). Prior to its release into the United States, the biology of this species was studied in great detail. There is one generation per year, with the parasitoid overwintering as a larva inside overwintering caterpillars. Dowden (1938) studied this species (as Rogas unicolor ) and reported that it is a monophagous feeder on caterpillars of Leucoma salicis . He also noted that that in Europe, as well as the populations released into the United States, reproduction by this species is parthenogenetic, with females producing females without males. More recent studies by Mark Shaw confirm that in Europe the species is a strict monophage, reproducing parthenogenetically (M. Shaw 1983, 1994, 2002). Material from Maryland poses an interesting puzzle, as it includes both males and females, and has been reared from other lymantriid hosts including Orgyia definita Packard , the whitemarked tussock moth, Orgyia leucostigma (J.E. Smith) , and Dasychira species. It is not yet clear if this is a sexually reproducing population of A. pallidator or if this population is a previously unrecognized sibling species.

Comments.—This is one of the oldest known species in the genus, having been assigned to Aleiodes by Wesmael (1838). It is similar to A. indiscretus , a parasitoid of the gypsy moth. However, A. pallidator is lighter in color, and has less dense sculpture, especially notable on the side of the mesopleuron where there is a smooth shining area ( Fig. 14 ). By comparison, A. indiscretus is more reddish brown, and has coarser sculpture on the mesopleuron. The hind wing RS vein of A. pallidator is sinuate before or near the middle of the vein ( Fig. 16 ), not distinctly beyond the middle as in A. indiscretus ( Fig. 4 ).

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 12. Aleiodes martini Shaw & Marsh, sp. nov. Figure 9. Head and face, anterior view. Figure 10. Head and ocelli, dorsal view. Figure 11. Habitus, lateral view. Figure 12. Hind tarsus and claws.

FIGURES 13 – 16. Aleiodes pallidator (Thunberg). Figure 13. Head and ocelli, dorsal view. Figure 14. Mesosoma, lateral view. Figure 15. Habitus, lateral view. Figure 16. Hind wing venation showing sinuate RS vein.

FIGURES 23 – 28. Mummified host caterpillar remains. Figure 23. Dasychira sp. parasitized by A. indiscretus. Figure 24. Lymantria dispar (gypsy moth caterpillar) parasitized by A. lymantriae. Figure 25. Dasychira sp. parasitized by A. pallidator. Figure 26. Leucoma salicis (satin moth caterpillar) parasitized by A. pallidator. Figure 27. Orgyia leucostigma parasitized by A. pallidator. Figure 28. Olene grisefacta parasitized by A. xanthoclypeus.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Aleiodes indiscretus (Reardon). Figure 1. Head and ocelli, dorsal view. Figure 2. Mesosoma, lateral view. Figure 3. Hind tarsus and claws. Figure 4. Hind wing venation showing sinuate RS vein.