Eurytenes ormenus Walker & Wharton

Walker, Andrea K. & Wharton, Robert A., 2011, A review of New World Eurytenes s. str. (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Opiinae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 20, pp. 23-46 : 35-36

Eurytenes ormenus Walker & Wharton sp. n. Fig. 522-25

Holotype

♀ (TAMU): MEXICO: Guerrero 6.4 mi SW Filo de Caballo 9000 ft VII-8-1987 R. Wharton [five lines on a single label].

Paratypes

(TAMU): 1 ♀, same data as holotype except collected by Woolley and Zolnerowich; 1 ♀, Guerrero, 7 mi SW Filo de Caballo, 12.vii.1985, J. Woolley and G. Zolnerowich.

Diagnosis.

This species is most readily recognized by the dark brown hind femur. All other species from the New World have relatively pale (whitish to dark yellow) hind femora. The petiole is completely dark, as in Eurytenes pachycephalus , sp. n., but the latter is a much larger species with a distinctly broader gena.

Description

(♀). Length of body: 1.9-2.2 mm (m=2.0), length of fore wing 2.8-3.2 mm (m=2.8).

Head. 27-29 flagellomeres; first flagellomere length 3.0-5.5 × width (m=4.3), fifteenth flagellomere length 3.5-4.0 × width (m=3.7), fifth from last flagellomere 3.5 × width. Face 1.4-1.6 (m=1.5) × wider than high. Clypeus nearly semi-circular in shape, with ventral margin truncate to very slightly concave (Fig. 22); 1.7-2.1 (m=1.95) × wider than high; 1.2-1.5 (m=1.35) × wider than distance between clypeus and eye. Mandible not obviously expanded basally. Gena relatively narrow (Fig. 24). Occipital carina extending about 0.7-0.8 × distance from eye to nearest lateral ocellus.

Mesosoma. Posterior-ventral margin of lateral pronotum distinctly impressed, varying from crenulate to nearly smooth for most of length. Precoxal sulcus weakly impressed, not extending close to anterior margin of mesopleuron; precoxal sulcus approximately 30 degrees, inclined slightly less vertically than Eurytenes abnormis . Notaulus narrow, weakly impressed, crenulate over anterior 0.3 of mesoscutal disc; with relatively sparse cluster of short setae at finely rugulose base of anterior declivity and 1-2 widely spaced longer setae extending posteriorly. Propodeum with median carina present anteriorly, bifurcating near anterior 0.2 to form five-sided areola over posterior 0.8; surface densely punctate-rugose to coarsely granular laterally and posteriorly, obscuring carinae, weakly sculptured to nearly smooth anteriorly on either side of short median carina.

Wings. Fore wing r-m very weakly pigmented at extreme base; somewhat tubular (with lateral boundaries distinct) over anterior 0.3-0.5; m-cu distinctly postfurcal; 3M distinctly pigmented in basal third, gradually weakening and becoming depigmented distally. Hind wing m-cu indistinct.

Legs. Hind tibia 8.7-9.5 (m=9.1) × longer than maximum width.

Metasoma. Petiole 2.3-2.9 (M=2.65) × longer than apical width. Female ovipositor short but distinctly protruding, about 0.9 × length of mesosoma. Ovipositor sheath about 0.5 × length of mesosoma.

Color. Head, thorax, and petiole dark red-brown. Scape and pedicel yellow, first four flagellomeres light brown, quickly darkening distally to dark brown; palps, mandible, clypeus, and tegula yellow. Metasoma posteriad petiole medium brown. Legs yellow except hind femur medium to dark brown medially with apical and basal 0.1-0.15 pale, tibia and tarsus almost completely medium brown, tibia variously pale brown dorsally. Ovipositor sheath dark brown, ovipositor light brown. Wings hyaline.

Male and Host.

Unknown.

Distribution.

South central Mexico.

Etymology.

The name ormenus is derived from Greek: ormenus, petiolated. The name refers to the elongate petiole of the species.

Comments.

This is a small-bodied species similar in size to Eurytenes microsomus but with a more heavily sculptured propodeum and darker hind femur. Eurytenes ormenus is characterized by the long, narrow petiole, similar in form to the petiole of Eurytenes pachycephalus sp. n. and Eurytenes abnormis and unlike the broader petiole of Eurytenes microsomus and Eurytenes dichromus . As in Eurytenes pachycephalus sp. n., and unlike the other three species, the petiole is uniformly very dark in coloration. The anterior tentorial pits of Eurytenes ormenus are slightly larger in this species than in the others treated here.