Opius cablus Wharton

Wharton, Robert & Norrbom, Allen L., 2013, New species and host records of New World, mostly Neotropical, opiine Braconidae (Hymenoptera) reared from flower-infesting, stem-galling, and stem-mining Tephritidae (Diptera), ZooKeys 349, pp. 11-72 : 32-33

Opius cablus Wharton sp. n. Figs 19, 41, 43, 45

Type locality.

Guatemala, Sacatepequez, Volcan de Agua, trail from Ciudad Viejo.

Type material.

Holotype. Female (USNM), first label, first line: Guatemala: Sacatepequez: second line: Volcan de Agua, trail third line: from Ciudad Viejo, fourth line: 19. X. 1990, A.L.Norrbom Second label, first line: reared ex. stem of second line: undetermined plant (90G13) third line: probably ex. puparium fourth line: of Tephritidae sp., possibly fifth line: Trupanea sp.

Paratype: 1 female, same data as holotype (TAMU).

Description.

Female. Eyes in dorsal view slightly bulging beyond temples, temples weakly receding. Clypeus 1.26-1.4 × wider than high, very weakly punctate throughout; completely concealing labrum when mandible closed, ventral margin of clypeus evenly convex, slightly overlapping dorsal margin of mandible when mandible closed. Antenna with 38 and 42 flagellomeres. Malar sulcus distinctly impressed throughout. Mesosoma 1.2 × longer than high. Pronotum laterally with vertical groove weakly crenulate dorsally, distinctly crenulate ventrally, weakly sculptured medially. Propodeum mostly unsculptured, with small weakly rugulose patch posterior-medially. Fore wing 3RSa 1.85-1.95 × longer than sinuate to strongly sinuate 2RS; (RS+M)a weakly sinuate, nearly straight. T1 2.25-2.35 × wider at apex than at base, 1.1 × longer than apical width; smooth, unsculptured basally, striate to finely strigose over apical 0.5; dorsal carina distinct basally, extending to apex but weaker and largely obscured by sculpture posteriorly. Ovipositor (total length) 2.25 × longer than mesosoma; ovipositor sheath 1.8-1.85 × longer than mesosoma. Head color as in Opius baderae . Mesosoma black to dark red-brown except propleuron almost completely light brown, paler ventrally; tegula and basal wing sclerite pale yellow to white; mesopleuron with pale brown to brown band extending between fore and mid coxae; axillae and lateral 0.2-0.3 of metanotum dark yellow to yellow-orange; mesoscutum variegated as in Opius baderae , with 3 black bands on yellow-orange background. T1 black, T2-T6 dark reddish brown to black, T3-T6 with narrow hyaline margin posteriorly; T4-T6 also with median white band anteriorly. Fore and mid tibiae and all femora pale yellow, hind femur with pale brown subapical spot; hind tibia mostly yellow, dark brown over basal 0.2, with some weak infumation apically on posterior face. Body length 2.7-3.1 mm; wing length 3.3-3.6 mm; mesosoma length 1.0 mm. Otherwise having all the characteristics described above for the baderae species group.

Diagnosis.

This species is nearly identical to the larger-bodied Opius baderae , but there are slight differences in the color of the propleuron and the ovipositor is longer relative to the body length.

Biology.

The tephritid puparia from which the holotype and paratype emerged are mounted with each of the separately point-mounted specimens. The puparia are distinctly different from the puparia of the Eutreta xanthochaeta that yielded the type series of Opius baderae . They are smaller, black, and consistent with known species of Trupanea . No flies emerged from this sample of stem galls, but dissection of an unemerged puparium revealed remains of a tephritid that was probably a species of Trupanea . The plant had no reproductive structures and could not be identified.

Etymology.

The species name is an arbitrary combination of letters.

Remarks.

This species is known only from the two females reared from a tephritid host infesting stems of an unknown plant.