Meteorus lionotus 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 : 59

Meteorus lionotus Thomson

Fig. 32 , 105

Meteorus lionotus Thomson, 1895:2160 . Lectotype ♂, Sweden: Norrland (MZLU, Lund)—examined.

Meteorus ruficoloratus Fischer, 1957b:4 . Holotype ♂, Germany: München , 15.vii.1884. (Kreichbaumer) (ZSBS, Münich).

Diagnosis: The extremely contracted head along with the size of the ocelli make this species easy to distinguish. The only similar species that it can be mistaken for is M. versicolor but the contracted head and the ocellar size (OOL=0.5) of M. lionotus is well distinguished from the more rounded head and smaller ocelli (OOL=1) of M. versicolor .

Studied material: ~ 10 specimens.

Description: Size about 4–5mm. Antennae with 31–33 articles, long. Head very strongly contracted behind the eyes. Ocelli very large, OOL=0.5, protuberant. Eyes not strongly protuberant. Clypeus strongly protuberant. Mandibles strongly twisted, small. Precoxal sulcus shallow, rugose. Propodeum generally depressed, with distinct lateral carinae and occasionally with a weak medial transverse carina. Petiolar tergum long with no dorsal pits; ventral borders conjoined at midpoint of segment. Ovipositor about 1.5 times length of petiolar tergum. Legs long, slender; tarsal claws with strong basal lobe. Colour testaceous, black around ocelli and occipital region, legs are always light in colour. Male same as female except that ocelli and eyes slightly smaller.

Distribution: Western Palearctic. Country records: Austria; China; Czechoslovakia; Finland; Germany; Greece; Norway; Poland; Slovakia; Sweden; Switzerland; United Kingdom.

Biology: M. lionotus is most commonly recorded as a parasitoid of Geometridae larvae ( Huddleston 1980, Yu et al. 2005).

Figures

FIGURES 26–32. Characters used in key to species. 26) ventral view of the petiolar tergum of M. versicolor, 27) head in lateral view of M. rubens, 28) head in lateral view of M. pulchricornis, 30) fore wing of M. colon, 31) habitus of M. acerbiavorus, 32) dorsal view of the head of M. lionotus.

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