Meteorus abscissus Thomson, 1895

Stigenberg, Julia & Ronquist, Fredrik, 2011, Revision of the Western Palearctic Meteorini (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), with a molecular characterization of hidden Fennoscandian species diversity 3084, Zootaxa 3084 (1), pp. 1-95 : 44

Meteorus abscissus Thomson

Fig. 73 , 81

Meteorus abscissus Thomson, 1895:2156 . Lectotype ♀, Sweden: (MZLU, Lund)—examined.

Diagnosis: Meteorus abscissus is close to M. pulchricornis . They both share the character of having short dense setae on the clypeus. However, M. abscissus has a more stout body shape and its clypeus is more flat and the sculpture of hind coxae and mesosoma is more strongly rugose. Furthermore, M. abscissus has the ventral sides of the petiolar tergum separated, contrary to M. pulchricornis , which has the ventral sides of the petiolar tergum closed. Finally, M. abscissus has a true dorsope even though it can sometimes be so small that it is difficult to separate from the small indication of a dorsope present in M. pulchrichornis .

Studied material: ~ 20 specimens.

Description: Size about 4–5mm. Antennal articles 30–33, all flagellar articles distinctly long. Head broad, temples strongly contracted behind eyes. Ocelli large OOL=2. Eyes large, moderately convergent. Malar space about equal to basal breadth of mandible. Face 1.5 times as wide as high, not strongly protuberant. Clypeus peculiarly flattened, slightly protuberant. Mandibles slender and twisted. Precoxal sulcus broad. Propodeum broad, strongly convex and reticulate-rugose. Petiolar tergum long with distinct dorsal pits and shallow glymmae. Ovipositor 1.5–2.0 times length of petiolar tergum, straight. Hind coxa strongly rugose. Tarsal claws with a distinct basal lobe. Colour on holotype is dark read with black markings but some specimens are brownish testaceous. ♂ 34–36 antennal articles; petiolar tergum narrower; sculpture of hind coxa sometimes obsolescent.

Distribution: Palearctic. Country records: Albania; Austria; Bulgaria; China; China-Fujian; Croatia; Czechoslovakia; Germany; Hungary; Ireland; Italy; Korea; Norway; Romania; Russia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; United Kingdom; Yugoslavia.

Biology: Meteorus abscissus is recorded as a parasitoid of several Lepidoptera families, in particular Arctiidae , Geometridae and Noctuidae ( Yu et al. 2005) . Old host records might be erroneous due to the difficulties in properly separating some intermediate specimens from M. pulchricornis . We found 4 specimens within the SMTP. They were caught in late July and early August in arid, exposed environments.

Figures

FIGURES 73–78. Characters used in key to species. 73) lateral view of the head of M. abscissus, 74) lateral view of the head of M. ictericus, 75) lateral view of the head of M. limbatus, 76) dorsal view of the head of M. nixoni, 76) dorsal view of the head of M. corax, 78) dorsal view of the petiolar tergum of M. sulcatus.

FIGURES 80–133. Anterior view of the head of Meteorus species (except for M. politutele, which is depicted in lateral view).