Pteromalus hieracii ( Thomson, 1878 )

Gómez, Jose F. & Nieves-Aldrey, Jose Luis, 2012, Notes on the larval morphology of Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) species parasitoids of gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) in Europe, Zootaxa 3189, pp. 39-55 : 52

Pteromalus hieracii ( Thomson, 1878)

Measurements. Body length: 1.3–2.3 (1.8) mm, maximum width: 0.5–0.8 (0.6) mm (n=2) ex gall Aulacidea follioti Barbotin.

Description. Whitish or yellowish; smaller with body 2.5× as long as broad ( Fig. 4 E).

Head (anterior view) ( Fig. 6 E). Regularly rounded, slightly broader than long; vertex clearly incised medially.

Mouth parts ( Fig. 7 E). Ventral margin of clypeus straight; labium large and more or less rectangular, 3× wider than long.

Biology. The species P. hieracii is a parasitoid of several cynipid galls in Asteraceae plants such as Hieracium spp . ( Fig. 9 B). In the Palaearctic region apart from A. follioti it has been reared from galls of Aulacidea hieracii (Linnaeus) , Aulacidea tragopogonis (Thomson) , Isocolus jaceae (Schenck) , Isocolus scabiosae (Giraud) , Phanacis caulicola (Hedicke) , Phanacis centaureae (Förster) , Phanacis hypochoeridis (Kieffer) , Timaspis lampsanae (Perris) , Timaspis lusitanica Tavares ; and also from galls of Aylax papaveris (Perris) on Papaver spp . ( Papaveraceae ) (Askew et al. 2006). It is always a primary ectoparasitoid of the cynipid larvae.

Material examined. ex gall A. follioti on Sonchus asper (Asteraceae) , France, Pyrénées Atlantiques: Vallée D’Aspe (07/08/2003) J. L. Nieves leg. (n=2).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Ventral view of terminal instar pteromalid larvae (A = agamic generation; S = sexual generation for host). A. Arthrolytus glandium ex Callirhytis rufescens (A). B. Cecidostiba fungosa ex Andricus quercusradicis (S). C. Cecidostiba geganius ex Andricus quercusradicis (A). – D. Pteromalus bedeguaris ex Diplolepis rosae. E. Pteromalus hieracii ex Aulacidea follioti. F. Pteromalus isarchus ex Xestophanes potentillae. G. Rivasia fumariae ex Neaylax versicolor. H. Stinoplus lapsanae ex Timaspis lapsanae.

FIGURE 6. Anterior view of the head of terminal instar pteromalid larvae (A = agamic generation; S = sexual generation for host). A. Arthrolytus glandium ex Callirhytis rufescens (A). B. Cecidostiba fungosa ex Andricus quercusradicis (S). C. Cecidostiba geganius ex Andricus quercusradicis (A). D. Pteromalus bedeguaris ex Diplolepis rosae. E. Pteromalus hieracii ex Aulacidea follioti. F. Pteromalus isarchus ex Xestophanes potentillae. G. Rivasia fumariae ex Neaylax versicolor. H. Stinoplus lapsanae ex Timaspis lapsanae.

FIGURE 7. Anterior view of mouthparts of terminal instar pteromalid larvae (A = agamic generation; S = sexual generation for host). A. Arthrolytus glandium ex Callirhytis rufescens (A). B. Cecidostiba fungosa ex Andricus quercusradicis (S). C. Cecidostiba geganius ex Andricus quercusradicis (A). D. Pteromalus bedeguaris ex Diplolepis rosae. E. Pteromalus hieracii ex Aulacidea follioti. F. Pteromalus isarchus ex Xestophanes potentillae. G. Rivasia fumariae ex Neaylax versicolor. H. Stinoplus lapsanae ex Timaspis lapsanae.

FIGURE 9. A. Larval cell of of Callirhytis rufescens (Agamic generation) with terminal-instar larvae of Arthrolytus glandium. B. Galls of Aulacidea hieracii on Hieracium spp. C. Galls of Xestophanes potentillae on runners of Potentilla reptans. D. Old galls of Callirhytis glandium (Agamic generation). E. Lateral habitus of Cecidostiba fungosa, adult female. F. Galls of Andricus quercusradicis (Agamic generation) on Quercus pyrenaica. G. Cross-section of unilocular gall of Neaylax versicolor showing fully-grown larva of Rivasia fumariae. H. Fresh galls of Diplolepis rosae on Rosa spp. shrub. I. Lateral habitus of Pteromalus bedeguaris, adult female. J. Galls of Timaspis lapsanae on Lapsana communis. K. Terminal instar larva of Stinoplus lapsanae ex gall of Timaspis lapsanae.