Xyalaspis petiolata Kieffer, 1901

Mata-Casanova, Noel, Selfa, Jesús & Pujade-Villar, Juli, 2015, Revision of the genus Xyalaspis Hartig, 1843 (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Anacharitinae) in the Western Palaearctic, Zoosystema 37 (1), pp. 31-43 : 36-40

Xyalaspis petiolata Kieffer, 1901

( Figs 1D ; 2E ; 3A, B ; 4B )

Xyalaspis petiolata Kieffer, 1901: 161 (male).

TYPE MATERIAL. — Lectotype. ♂ with the following labels: “ Aegilips subulifera JH ” (white label, handwritten), “ Subulifera JH ” (white label, handwritten), “ Xyalaspis petiolata Kieffer , det. R. B. Benson 1940” (white label), “ Lectotype Xyalaspis petiolata det N. D. M. Fergusson, 1981” (white label), “ Xyalaspis petiolata Kieffer, 1901 , ♂, det. J. P-V 2012” (white label). (Deposited in NHM).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. — UK. Glenasmole,, IX.1937, coll. A. W. Stelfox, 1♂ ( NHM). Glenn Cova, 11-30.VI.1939, coll. I. E. & R. B. Benson, 1♂ ( NHM). Waverley, 7.X.1952, H. W. Daltry, M. W. R de V, Graham, coll. 1♀ ( NHM). New Forest, 5.IX.1958, H. W. Daltry, M. W. R de V, Graham coll. 1♂ ( NHM). New Forest, 18.IX.1958, H. W. Daltry, M. W. R de V, Graham coll. 1♂ ( NHM). SW Lough Rea, 30.V.1960, H. W. Daltry, M. W. R de V, Graham coll. 1♂ ( NHM). Beinn Eighe Forest, 30.V.1961, coll. R. B. Benson, 1♂ ( NHM). Kinlochewe, 1-8. VI.1961, coll. R. B. Benson, 1♂ ( NHM). Shieldaig, 7.VI.1961, coll. R. B. Benson, 1♀ ( NHM). Esher Common, Surrey, 30.V.70, coll. Bouček, 1♂ ( NHM). Craswall, Hereford, 23-24.VI.73, 1♀ ( NHM). Abbots Moss, 6.II.1974, M. R. Shaw, 1♂ ( NHM). Abbots Moss, 3.X.1974, coll. M. R. Shaw, 1♂ ( NHM). Burnham Beeches, Buckinhamshire, 3.VIII.75, Bouček, 1♀ ( NHM). Northants, Spratton, In Malaise trap, VIII.1975, coll. I. & P. Gauld, 2♂ ( NHM) Fife Tentsmuir Nat, 16.VII.1977, coll. Noyes, Rogers & Huddleston, 1♂ ( NHM). Angus Airlie Castle, 19.VII.1977, coll. Noyes, Rogers & Huddleston, 2♂ ( NHM). Barton Mills, Suffolk, 7.IX.1977, coll. J. S. Noyes, 1♀ ( NHM).

Ireland. Manor Kilbride, 19.VII.1950, coll. A. W.Stelfox, 1♂ ( NHM).

France. Col de Salèse, Valdeblore, Alpes-Maritimes, 2058 m, Malaise trap, 18.IX-05.X.2009 (M09-BOR2000-M1- T 7), 1♀ ( MNHN).

Sweden. Höör distr., 16.VI.1938, coll. D. M. S. P. & J. F. P., B. M., 1♂ ( NHM). Röstanga, 4.VII.1938, coll. D. M. S. P. & J. F. P., B. M., 1♂ ( NHM). Fjellfota sjö, 7.VIII.1938, coll. D. M. S. P. & J. F. P., 2♂ ( NHM).

BIOLOGY. — Known to attack Hemerobius sp. and Wesmaleius subnebulosus ( Neuroptera : Hemerobiidae ) (Ferguson 1986).

DISTRIBUTION. — Palaearctic. Known from Britain ( Cameron 1883; Kieffer 1901) and Ireland (Ferguson 1986); first records from France and Sweden.

DIAGNOSIS. — Species belonging to the group of Xyalaspis having a weak carinated sculpture on the mesoscutum like X. arapahoe Mata-Casanova & Pujade-Villar, 2014 , X. flavipes Ashmead, 1896 and X rugosus , but clearly different from these species and all other Xyalaspis species in having scutellar spine rounded in dorsal view and an elongated mesoscutum (scutellar spine highly variable in length but always spike-ended and mesoscutum wider than long other Xyalaspis species).

REDESCRIPTION

Length

Body 3.3 mm. Wings 2.9 mm. Antennae 2.9 mm (♂), 2.6 mm (♀).

Coloration Head, mesosoma and metasoma black. Mandibles yellowishbrown with darker teeth. Antennae dark yellowish-brown. Legs yellowish-brown with darker coxae. Wing venation dark brown.

Head

Width of head 1.2 × its height in front view and 2 its length in dorsal view. Face smooth, shiny and pubescent, with abundant piliferous punctae. Malar sulcus present, coriaceous, 0.7 × height of compound eye. Transfacial line 1.2 × height of compound eye. Diameter of toruli larger than inter-toruli distance and torulus to compound eye distance. Clypeus short; smooth, glabrous and convex. Occipital and postocular carinae absent. Compound eyes almost glabrous except for a few short setae. In females, POL: OOL: LOL ratio = 7:5:3, ocelli diameter 3; in males, POL: OOL: LOL ratio = 7.5:5:3, ocelli diameter 3.5. Frons smooth, shiny and shortly pubescent with some punctae.

Antennae

Flagellomeres cylindrical and hairy. Male antennal formula (type material only has F1 to F10, but other specimens with complete antennae have been used to complete the antennal formula): 9(3.5), 4(3.5), 10(3.5), 11(3.5), 11(3.5), 10(3.5), 10(3), 10(3), 9(3), 8(3), 8(3), 7.5(2.5), 7(2.5), 9(2.5). Female antennal formula: 11(4.5), 4(3.5), 12(2.5), 10.5(3), 9.5(3), 8.5(3), 8(3), 7(3), 7(3.5), 6.5(3.5), 6(3.5), 5.5(3.5), 9.5(3.5). Placodeal sensilla in start at F 3 females and at F 1 in males; they are abundant in males but scarce in females.

Mesosoma

Pronotum alutaceous and laterally carinated ( Fig. 2E ). Mesoscutum 0.9 wider than long in dorsal view ( Figs 1D ; 3A, B ). Mesoscutum sculpture highly variable between notauli: from smooth with slightly coriaceous and carinated sculpture at base of notauli ( Fig. 3A ) to completely alutaceous and carinated except for central mesoscutum ( Fig. 3B ). Notauli complete with transverse carinated sculpture; median mesoscutal furrow apparent.Region between external edge of notauli and margins of mesoscutum smooth and punctate. Parapsidal signum and parascutal sulcus present but weak. Scutellum 0.8 × mesoscutum length in dorsal view. Scutellum coriaceous and heavily areolate. Scutellar foveae alutaceous, weakly defined by a basal carina. Interfoveal line complete. Lateral pits of scutellar foveae absent. Scutellar spine one-quarter of entire length of scutellum; rounded in dorsal view ( Figs 1D ; 3A, B ) and straight in lateral view. Mesopleuron smooth, glabrous and shiny, lower transverse carinae becoming alutaceous as they reach the posterior mesopleuron; mesopleural triangle smooth with vertical carinae.Propodeum coriaceous, heavily areolate and pubescent; central area divided by a central longitudinal carina and several transverse carinae which define eight coriaceous cells.

Wings

Radial cell of forewing closed, 2.2 longer than wide. Marginal pubescence of forewing denser in apical third.

Metasoma

Petiole longer than wide, carinated on all sides ( Fig. 4B ). Third abdominal tergum 2.2 × longer than the fourth abdominal tergum in dorsal view. T 5 and T 6 in dorsal view. Metasoma smooth and glabrous; anterior margin of T 4- T 7 punctuate.

REMARKS

Cameron (1883) misidentified the collected British material and placed it under the designation Aegilips subulifera . Kieffer found that those specimens belong to a different species and described them as Xyalaspis petiolata (Ferguson 1986) . Regarding their morphological variability, most of the studied specimens present an alutaceous strip in the back of the internal edge of the compound eye, but this strip is variable in extension and can be absent in some specimens, hence it has been discarded for the recognition of the species.

Xyalaspis pseudolaevigata

Mata-Casanova & Pujade-Villar, n. sp. ( Figs 1E, G ; 2F )

TYPE MATERIAL.— Holotype. ♂ with the following labels: “Le Boréon ( France, Valdeblore), 1549 m, Malaise trap, 24.VII-13.VIII.2009: 1♂ ” (white label), “ Xyalaspis pseudolaevigata Mata-Casanova & Pujade-Villar n. sp., design Mata-Casanova-2013” (red label). Deposited in MNHN. Sample code (M09-BOR1400-M2- T4 ). Paratypes. (14♂): Htes. Alp. Brunissard , 19.7.90, coll. Bouček, 1♂ ( BMNH). Vallon de Sestrière, Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage, 1966 m, Malaise trap, 23.VII-07.VIII.2009 (M09-SES2000-M1- T4 ), 3♂ ( MNHN) ; same locality, same trap, 07-19.VIII.2009 (M09- SES2000-M1- T4 ), 2♂ ( MNHN). Col de Salèse, Valdeblore, Malaise trap, 2032 m, 24.VII-13.VIII.2009 (M09-BOR2000-M2- T4 ), 1♂ ( MNHN) ; same locality, same trap, 13-27.VIII.2009 (M09-BOR2000-M2- T5 ), 4♂ ( MNHN) ; same locality, Malaise trap, 2058 m, 13-27.VIII.2009 (M09-BOR2000-M1- T5 ), 2♂ ( MNHN). Le Boréon, Valdeblore, 1540 m, Malaise trap, 13-27. VIII.2009 (M09-BOR1400-M1- T5 ), 1♂ ( MNHN). ETYMOLOGY. — The specific epithet makes reference to the close resemblance to X. laevigata . BIOLOGY. — Unknown. DISTRIBUTION. — Palaearctic. Only recorded from France .

DIAGNOSIS. — Species morphologically close to X. laevigata , but differs in having mesoscutum heavily carinated along its entire length and internally carinated notauli (only slightly carinated, notauli nearly disappearing in the anterior region of the mesoscutum and not internally carinated in X. laevigata ),and darker coloration with brownish to black legs and antennae and smoked wing (legs and antennae yellowish and wings hyaline in X. laevigata ).

DESCRIPTION

Length

Body 2.5 mm. Wings 2.6 mm. Antenna 2.8 mm (♂).

Coloration

Head, mesosoma and metasoma black. Mandibles yellowishbrown with darker teeth. Antennae dark brown to black. Legs black, except yellowish at joint between femur and tibia. Wing venation dark brown, wing membrane smoked.

Head

Width of head 1.3 × its height in front view and 2.1 its length in dorsal view. Face smooth, shiny and pubescent, with abundant piliferous punctae. Malar sulcus present, coriaceous, 0.6 × height of compound eye. Transfacial line 1.1 × height of compound eye. Diameter of toruli equal to inter-toruli distance and larger than torulus to compound eye distance. Clypeus short; smooth, glabrous and convex. Occipital and postocular carinae absent. Compound eyes almost glabrous except for a few short setae. In females, POL: OOL: LOL ratio = 5.5:4:2, ocelli diameter 2. Frons smooth, shiny and shortly pubescent with some punctae.

Antennae

Flagellomeres cylindrical and hairy. Male antennal formula: 8.5(4), 3.5(3.5), 9(3), 10(3), 9(3), 9(3), 8(3), 9(3), 8.5(3), 8(3), 7.5(3), 7.5(2.5), 7(2.5), 9.5(2.5). Placodeal sensilla start at F 1 in males and abundant in all flagellomeres.

Mesosoma

Pronotal plate alutaceous. Pronotum alutaceous and carinated in lateral view, with weaker sculpture in its upper part ( Fig. 2F ). Mesoscutum 1.3 wider than long in dorsal view. Mesoscutum alutaceous, transversely carinated along its entire length ( Fig. 1E, G ); notauli complete and internally carinated, median mesoscutal furrow short.. Parapsidal signum present but not clearly distinguishable; parascutal sulcus weakly impressed. Scutellum coriaceous and heavily carinated. Scutellum length equal to mesoscutum length in dorsal view. Scutellar foveae large and smooth, basally defined by a carina. Interfoveal line complete. Lateral pits of scutellar foveae large but weakly impressed, not distinct. Scutellum narrowing towards base of scutellar spine; scutellar spine parallel sided, projecting downwards in males in lateral view, length of spine about one-third of the scutellum entire length. Mesopleuron carinated, glabrous and shiny, smooth only in its upper third. Mesopleural triangle coriaceous and glabrous, with oblique carinae. Propodeum coriaceous, divided into quadrangular cells delimited by carinae in its central region; cells becoming smaller in the lower propodeum.

Wings

Pubescent. Radial cell of forewing closed, 2.6 longer than wide. Marginal pubescence of forewing denser in apical third.

Metasoma

Petiole coriaceous and longer than wide. Third abdominal tergum 2.8 × longer than fourth abdominal tergum in dorsal view. T 5- T 7 abdominal terga are visible in dorsal view. Metasoma glabrous; anterior margin of T 4- T 7 punctate.

Figures

FIG. 1. — Mesoscutum in dorsal view of: A, Xyalaspis armata (Giraud, 1860); B, Xyalaspis hyalina Belizin, 1951; C, Xyalaspis laevigata Hartig, 1843; D, Xyalaspis petiolata Kieffer, 1901; E, G, Xyalaspis pseudolaevigata Mata-Casanova & Pujade-Villar, n. sp.; F, Xyalaspis rugosa Hartig, 1843. Scale bars: A-D, F, 200 µm; E, G, 100 µm.

FIG. 2. — Mesosoma in lateral view of: A, Xyalaspis armata (Giraud, 1860); B, Xyalaspis laevigata Hartig, 1843; C, Xyalaspis hyalina Belizin, 1951; D, Xyalaspis rugosa Hartig, 1843; E, Xyalaspis petiolata Kieffer, 1901; F, Xyalaspis pseudolaevigata n. sp. Scale bars: 200 µm.

FIG. 3. — Mesoscutum sculpture variability in: A, B, Xyalaspis petiolata Kieffer, 1901; C, D Xyalaspis laevigata Hartig, 1843. Scale bars: 200 µm.

FIG. 4. — Metasoma of: A, Xyalaspis armata (Giraud, 1860); B, Xyalaspis petiolata Kieffer, 1901; arrows marking the petiole. Scale bars: 200 µm.