Meteorus brevicauda 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 : 48

Meteorus brevicauda Thomson

Fig. 88

Meteorus brevicauda Thomson, 1895:2165 . Lectotype ♀, Sweden (MZLU, Lund - examined)

Meteorus thuringiacus Schmiedeknecht, 1897:190 . Syntypes ♀, Germany (lost). Synonymized by Huddleston 1980:23.

Meteorus mongolicus Fahringer, 1935:10 . Holotype ♀, China: S. Kansu (Hummel) (NHRS Stockholm)—examined. Synonymized by Huddleston 1980:23.

Diagnosis: Meteorus brevicauda is a very small species and is easily distinguished amongst the other small species based on the shape of the clypeus (as wide as the face) and mandibles (large, stout and not twisted). M. micropilosus have a small, square clypeus and slightly twisted but stout mandibles. M. punctifrons is distinguished by the presence of punctures on the frons, which lack in M. brevicauda . M. breviantennatus have a wide clypeus similar to that of M. brevicauda , but it can easily be distinguished from the latter by having a longer ovipositor (twice the length of petiolar tergum in the former, 1.5 times petiolar tergum in the latter).

Studied material: ~ 10 specimens.

Description: Size about 3mm. Antennal articles 24–27, articles slightly longer than broad. Ocelli small, OOL=3. Eyes not strongly protuberant, slightly converging. Malar space very short. Face rather flat and about 2 times as broad as high. Clypeus large, flat and as wide as face. Tentorial pits large. Mandibles large, stout and not twisted. Precoxal sulcus foveolate. Propodeum short with distinct carinae. Petiolar tergum with distinct dorsal pits and glymmae. Ovipositor short, about 1.5 times the length of petiolar tergum. Legs short, the hind coxa smooth, punctuate; tarsal claws with no basal lobe but slightly swollen at the base. Colour generally black except antennae at base, clypeus, mandibles and prothorax ventrally testaceous, legs yellow. Fore wing vein m-cu antefurcal.

Distribution: Palearctic. Country records: Austria; Bulgaria; China; Finland; Germany; Hungary; Italy; Lithuania; Poland; Sweden; Switzerland; United Kingdom.

Biology: Meteorus brevicauda parasitizes on the leaf-feeding larvae of Zeugophora subspinosa (Fabricius) ( Coleoptera , Chrysomelidae ) ( Shaw, 1988).

Figures

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