Gonatocerus (Cosmocomoidea) nigriflagellum ( Girault, 1914 )

Triapitsyn, Serguei V., Huber, John T., Logarzo, Guillermo A., Berezovskiy, Vladimir V. & Aquino, Daniel A., 2010, Review of Gonatocerus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) in the Neotropical region, with description of eleven new species, Zootaxa 2456, pp. 1-243 : 189-194

Gonatocerus (Cosmocomoidea) nigriflagellum ( Girault, 1914)

( Figs 393–402 )

Ooctonus nigriflagellum Girault 1914: 150 . Type locality: San Bernardino, Paraguay.

Lymaenon H-luteum Ogloblin 1938b : 29 –32 + plate (lámina) II (illustrations). Type locality (of the lectotype, designated here): Villa Ballester, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Syn. n.

Gonatocerus (Gonatocerus) h-luteum (Ogloblin) : De Santis 1967: 104 (catalog); De Santis 1979: 365 (catalog).

Lymaenon nigriflagellum (Girault) : Mendonça Filho 1972: 39.

Gonatocerus (Gonatocerus) nigriflagellum (Girault) : De Santis 1979: 366 (catalog).

Gonatocerus H-luteum (Ogloblin) : De Santis 1981: 32 (catalog, record from Brazil); De Santis 1989: 72 (catalog, incorrect record from Uruguay); Yoshimoto 1990: 40 (list).

Gonatocerus h-luteum (Ogloblin) : Huber 1988: 15 (mentioned); Luft Albarracin et al. 2009: 9 (list; distribution in Argentina).

Gonatocerus nigriflagellum (Girault) : Yoshimoto 1990: 40 (list).

Lymaenon h-luteum Ogloblin : Loiácono et al. 2005: 14 (type information, invalid paratype designation).

Type material examined. Holotype female of Ooctonus nigriflagellum [ ZMHB] on slide labeled: 1. “ Ooctonus nigriflagellum Gir. ♀ type.”; 2. [red] “ Type ”; 3. “31961”. The holotype is poorly mounted and fragmented into the following five pieces: head with one antenna and scape of other antenna, remainder of the second antenna, mesosoma (crushed, mounted laterally) with one pair of wings and a hind leg, the other hind leg, and metasoma. According to Girault (1914, p. 150), this specimen was remounted by him in xylol-balsam from a minuten pin bearing the labels “4322. Paraguay. San Bernardino. K. Fiebrig S. V.”.

Lectotype female of Lymaenon h-luteum [MLPA], here designated to avoid the existing confusion about the status of the type specimens of this species, on slide labeled: 1. “ Lymaenon H-luteum A. O. Villa Ballester 13.vii.1937. A O.”; 2. “ Lymaenon h-luteum Ogloblin ♀ SYNTYPE Det. S. Triapitsyn & G. Logarzo 2006 ”. The lectotype, although uncleared, is in good condition, complete, well spread out and mounted dorsoventrally. Lymaenon h-luteum was described from 5 female and 5 male syntypes collected in the following localities in Buenos Aires Province of Argentina: Villa Ballester, Villa del Parque, [El] Palomar, Bella Vista, Tigre, and La Plata. However, besides the female syntype from Villa Ballester chosen here as the lectotype, there are 9 additional females and 7 males on 11 slides, all of which were collected prior to October 1938 (the month and year of publication of the description) in the localities listed in the original description. Except for one male from Bella Vista, which was incorrectly labeled as a “paratype” by Ogloblin himself, none has any indication of its type status, so it is impossible to determine which of them he considered as part of the type series of this species other than the two males from Villa del Parque, mounted on the same slide and under the same coverslip. If he considered only the specimens with the species names written on the slide labels in ink rather than in pencil, this would still leave more specimens (7 females and 5 males, not counting the missing specimen(s) from El Palomar) than he listed in the original description. Therefore, we assume that Ogloblin incorrectly indicated the number of original syntypes and here we designate all of the following specimens as paralectotypes [all MLPA]: 1 ♂ on slide labeled: 1. “ Lymaenon H-luteum A. O. ♂ Bella Vista. 14.X.1937. KOH. Paratipo!”; 2. “3869/3” [this specimen was invalidly designated as a paratype by Loiácono et al. (2005)]; 1 ♀ on slide labeled: “ Gonatocerus H-luteum A. Ogl. [ip] ♀ La Plata. vii.932 J. A. Rosas Costa”; 1 ♀ on slide labeled: “ Gonatocerus H-luteum A. Ogl. ♀ La Plata. vii 1932 J. A. Rosas Costa”; 1 ♀ on slide labeled: “ Gonatocerus H-luteum A. Ogl. ♀ La Plata. vii.1932 J. A. Rosas-Costa”; 1 ♀ on slide labeled: “ Gonatocerus H-luteum [ip] ♀ La Plata J. A. Rosas Costa vi–1932 ”; 1 ♂ on slide labeled: “ Gonatocerus Hluteum [ip] ♂ La Plata J. A. Rosas Costa vi.1932 ”; 1 ♂ on slide labeled: “ Gonatocerus H-luteum A. Ogl. [ip] ♂ La Plata vii 932 J. A. Rosas Costa”; 2 ♀ and 1 ♂ on slide (under the same coverslip) labeled: “ Lymaenon Hluteum A. O ♀♀ Bella Vista 14.x.1937 A. O.”; 2 ♀ and 1 ♂ on slide (under the same coverslip) labeled: “ Lymaenon H-luteum A. O. Tigre. 14.XI 1937. A. O.”; 1 ♀ on slide labeled [ip]: “ Lymaenon H-luteum ♀ Tigre BA 1937”; 2 ♂ on slide (under the same coverslip) labeled: “ Lymaenon H-luteum A. O. ♂ Villa del Parque VIII.1937. A. O.”. At least one additional original syntype (from El Palomar) has not been found in MLPA; if it still exists, it would also be a paralectotype.

Material examined. ARGENTINA. BUENOS AIRES: Bella Vista : 15.v.1955, A .A. Ogloblin [1 ♀, MLPA]; 20.xii.1956, [A.A. Ogloblin] [3 ♀, MLPA]; [no date], [A.A. Ogloblin] [1 ♀, MLPA]. Canal San Fernando, A.A. Ogloblin: 12.ix.1945 [1 ♀, 1 ♂, MLPA] ; 7.x.1945 [1 ♀, MLPA]; 16.iii.1947 [1 ♂, MLPA]. José C. Paz, A.A. Ogloblin : iv.1939 [2 ♀, MLPA] ; ii.1940 [2 ♀, MLPA]. Luján, Universidad Nacional de Luján , 34°35'07"S 59°04'45"W, 32 m, C. Coviella: 17.iii.2005 [12 ♀, 3 ♂, CNCI (2 ♀), UCRC] ; 1.xii.2006 [2 ♀, 1 ♂, UCRC]. Moreno, 34°08’57’’S 58°46’57’’W, C. Coviella : 9.iii.2005 [1 ♀, UCRC] ; 23.iii.2005 [1 ♀, 1 ♂, UCRC]; 9.iv.2005 [1 ♀, UCRC]; 17.iv.2005 [1 ♂, UCRC]. Tigre : 21.ii.1945, A.A. Ogloblin [1 ♀, MLPA] ; 12.iii.1945, A.A. Ogloblin [1 ♀, MLPA]; 34°23’50’’S 58°34’32’’W, 5 m, G.A. Logarzo : 23–28.xi.2005 [2 ♀, UCRC] ; 1–14.iv.2006 [1 ♂, UCRC]. CÓRDOBA: Los Túneles , 18.xi.2000, C. Porter, P. Fidalgo [1 ♀, UCRC] . Río San Marcos (near San Marcos Sierra), 30°47’00.05’’S 64°37’05.26’’W, 685 m, 19.x.2008, D.A. Aquino, J.P. Bouvet [1 ♀, MLPA] . San Esteban , 17.xi.2000, C. Porter, P. Fidalgo [1 ♀, 1 ♂, IMLA] . MIS- IONES: Bernardo de Irigoyen , 20.ii.1962, A . A. Ogloblin [1 ♀, MLPA]. Loreto: 14.iii.1933, A . A. Ogloblin [1 ♂, MLPA]; 22.x.1933, A . A. Ogloblin [1 ♀, MLPA]; 13.x.1934, A . A. Ogloblin [1 ♂, MLPA]; 21.iii.1935, A . A. Ogloblin [1 ♀, MLPA]; 16–30.iii.2001, P . Fidalgo [1 ♂, UCRC]. Parque Nacional Iguazú, Cantera, 8.xii.1990 – 6.i. 1991, 200 m, S. & J. Peck [1 ♂, CNCI]. Puerto Rico, 27.xii.1932, A.A. Ogloblin [1 ♀, MLPA] . Santa Ana, 27.34°S 55.53°W, 77 m, 27.iii.2003, J. Munro [1 ♂, UCRC] . SALTA: Aguas Blancas , 22.72°S 64.40°W, 447 m, 23.iii.2003, J . Munro [2 ♀, 1 ♂, UCRC]. Anta , 12.xi.1940, [A.A. Ogloblin] [1 ♀, MLPA] .

Departamento de Orán, Río Pescado, 17.v.1955, [A.A. Ogloblin] [1 ♂, MLPA]. Metán , 15.v.1955, A.A. Ogloblin [1 ♂, MLPA] . SAN JUAN, San Juan , 9.ii.1939, A.A. Ogloblin [1 ♂, MLPA] . TUCUMÁN: La Ramadita, 27°05’31.5’’S 65°39’34.0’’W, 720 m, 19.i.2003, S.V. Triapitsyn, G.A. Logarzo [1 ♀, 1 ♂, UCRC]. Lules , 1.xii.1940, A.A. Ogloblin [1 ♀, MLPA] . San Pedro de Colalao, 27.iv.1951, [A.A. Ogloblin] [1 ♀, MLPA].

Redescription. FEMALE (holotype of Ooctonus nigriflagellum as well as lectotype and paralectotypes of Lymaenon h-luteum and non-type specimens). Body length 1120–1390 µm. Head mostly yellow with some brown, trabeculae dark brown; radicle yellow, remainder of scape light brown to brown, pedicel and flagellum brown to dark brown; color of mesosoma variable from almost entirely yellowish to yellowish-brown, often brown on most of mesoscutum, scutellum, and part of mesopleuron, with lateral edges of mesoscutum and scutellum, and posterior edge of mesoscutum yellow, thus mesonotum appearing to have a yellowish H-pattern; legs mostly yellow except metatibia brown and metabasitarsus light brown; petiole as well as base and tip of gaster mostly yellowish, middle gastral terga brown (gaster appearing as with 4 brown bands).

Antenna ( Figs 393 , 397 ) with radicle a little more than 0.3x total length of scape, rest of scape 3.1–3.8x as long as wide; pedicel longer than F1; F1 without mps, about as long as F8, F2–F6 more or less subequal in length (F6 sometimes a little shorter), F7 slightly shorter than F6; F2–F8 each with 2 mps; clava with 8 mps, 3.2–4.2x as long as wide, about as long as combined length of F5–F8 or a little shorter.

Mesosoma ( Figs 394 , 398 ). Mesoscutum and scutellum almost smooth; propodeum ( Fig. 398 ) with welldeveloped, slightly curved, subparallel submedian carinae extending to near anterior margin where curved parallel with anterior margin to corners of dorsellum, mostly smooth between them except sometimes for a connecting wrinkle closer to anterior margin of propodeum, and smooth between submedian and lateral carinae. Forewing ( Figs 396 , 399 ) 3.3–3.5x as long as wide; longest marginal seta 0.21–0.27x maximum wing width; disc with a brown band behind stigmal vein and with a slight brownish tinge elsewhere, less so behind submarginal and marginal veins and just beyond venation; bare behind submarginal vein, with a cubital row of setae complete and a few setae between it and marginal vein, densely setose elsewhere. Hind wing 17–20x as long as wide; disc with a row of setae along each margin and a few additional setae; with a slight brownish tinge; longest marginal seta 1.7–2.0x maximum wing width.

Metasoma ( Figs 395 , 398 ). Petiole 1.0–1.3x as wide as long; gaster longer than mesosoma; ovipositor usually 0.7–0.8x length of gaster, slightly exserted beyond apex of gaster by at most 0.1x own length; 1.3– 1.6x as long as mesotibia.

Measurements (µm) of the holotype of Ooctonus nigriflagellum . Mesosoma 609; petiole 72; gaster [?shriveled] 535; ovipositor 541. Antenna: radicle 97; rest of scape 197; pedicel 68; F1 55; F2 84; F3 82; F4 82; F5 82; F6 70; F7 70; F8 55; clava 282. Forewing 1390:424; longest marginal seta 89. Hind wing 1052:61; longest marginal seta 106.

MALE (paralectotypes of Lymaenon h-luteum and non-type specimens). Body length 1060–1400 µm. Similar to female except for normal sexually dimorphic features and the following. Body ( Fig. 401 ) often with yellowish H-pattern on mesonotum. Antenna as in Fig. 400 . Forewing 3.0–3.5x as long as wide. Genitalia as in Fig. 402 .

Diagnosis. Gonatocerus (Cosmocomoidea) nigriflagellum is a member of the bucculentus subgroup of the ater species group. It is recognizable by the combination of its color, the forewing disc with a complete cubital row of setae and a brown band behind the stigmal vein ( Figs 396 , 399 ), and the peculiar submedian carinae on the propodeum ( Figs 394 , 398 , 401 ).

Distribution. NEOTROPICAL: Argentina,? Brazil, and Paraguay. The record of G. h-luteum from Uruguay by De Santis (1989) is incorrect because he misidentified the male from Picada de Techera (Río Cebollatí, Rocha); it belongs instead to an undetermined species of G. ( Gonatocerus ). The records of G. h-luteum from Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (Pernambuco, Brazil) by De Santis (1979), and from continental Brazil by De Santis (1981) need verification. The record of G. nigriflagellum [as Lymaenon nigriflagellum (Girault) ] from Alagoas State, Brazil, by Mendonça Filho (1972) also needs verification.

Hosts. Unknown. Two species of Crambidae (Lepidoptera) were reported by Mendonça Filho (1972) as hosts of Lymaenon nigriflagellum in Alagoas, Brazil, but that almost certainly is erroneous.

Comments. Ogloblin (1938b) noted quite correctly that his Lymaenon h-luteum seemed to be rather variable, especially the color of the mesosoma, which can vary from almost entirely yellow to brown with a light brown H-shaped pattern. Among our freshly collected specimens from Argentina (all UCRC), there are quite a few specimens from Misiones and Salta, and also 1 male from Formosa, 1 female from Jujuy, and 4 females from La Rioja Provinces that may or may not belong to G. nigriflagellum . They have its characteristic forewing and body color but differ in other features. Most of these specimens from Misiones (Loreto) and Salta (Aguas Blancas and San Ramón de la Nueva Orán), and a specimen from Jujuy (Caimancito) have somewhat different submedian carinae on the propodeum (either very narrow and extending to its anterior margin or quite wide but not extending to it), sometimes the female funicle segments are relatively shorter (F2–F5 not longer than pedicel), and often they have just one mps on F2 of the female antenna. The male specimen ( Figs 403–406 ) from Herradura, Formosa (= G. sp. 11), that emerged 16.x.2003 from the sentinel egg mass of Scoposcartula limitata (Signoret) (Cicadellini) exposed 26–29.ix.2003 by G.A. Logarzo and L. Varone, is similar to the specimens from Jujuy, Misiones, and Salta that have wide submedian propodeal carinae not extending to the anterior margin of the propodeum. The females from Anillaco, La Rioja, collected 1–28.ii.2001 by P. Fidalgo, J. Torréns and G. Fidalgo using yellow pan traps, have a mps on F1 and rather wide fore- and hindwings (3.0x and 14x as long as wide, respectively). It is very likely that these forms represent cryptic species comprising the G. (Cosmocomoidea) nigriflagellum complex.

Figures

FIGURES 393 – 396. Gonatocerus (Cosmocomoidea) nigriflagellum ♀ (holotype): 393, antenna; 394, mesosoma (lateral view); 395, metasoma (lateral view); 396, wings.

FIGURES 397 – 399. Gonatocerus (Cosmocomoidea) nigriflagellum ♀ (lectotype of Lymaenon h-luteum): 397, antenna; 398, body; 399, forewing.

FIGURES 400 – 402. Gonatocerus (Cosmocomoidea) nigriflagellum ♂ (Canal San Fernando, Buenos Aires, Argentina): 400, antenna; 401, body; 402, genitalia.

FIGURES 403 – 406. Gonatocerus (Cosmocomoidea) sp. 11 (near G. (Cosmocomoidea) nigriflagellum) ♂ (Herradura, Formosa, Argentina): 403, antenna; 404, propodeum; 405, forewing; 406, genitalia.