Aleiodes desertus (Telenga, 1941)

van Achterberg, Cornelis, Shaw, Mark R. & Quicke, Donald L. J., 2020, Revision of the western Palaearctic species of Aleiodes Wesmael (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Rogadinae). Part 2: Revision of the A. apicalis group, ZooKeys 919, pp. 1-259 : 1

Aleiodes desertus (Telenga, 1941) Figs 217-220 , 221-233

Rhogas (Rhogas) desertus Telenga, 1941: 184-185, 423 (not R. aestuosus var. desertus Telenga, 1941, from China) [examined].

Rogas desertus ; Shenefelt 1975: 1223.

Rogas (Rogas) desertus ; Tobias 1986: 76 (transl. 124) (lectotype designation).

Aleiodes desertus ; Fortier and Shaw 1999: 230.

Type material.

Lectotype, ♀ (ZISP), "[Uzbekistan:] Khiva, 30.iv.[1]927, V. Gussakovskij/ S.Kh.Op.Ot., at light", "Lectotypus Rogas desertus Tel., design. [V.I.] Tobias, 1980". Paralectotypes: 1 ♀ (ZISP), "[Turkmenistan:] Ashkhabad [= Ashgabat], 25.iii.[1]905, S. Ahnger", "Paralectotypus Rogas desertus Tel., design. [V.I.] Tobias, 1980"; 1 ♀ (ZJUH, figured), "Khiva, Rabat, 3.v.[1]927, V. Gussakovskij/collected at light", "Paratypus Rogas desertus Telenga", "Rec[eived] in exchange Academy of Science, Leningrad, B.M.1963-211".

Molecular data.

None.

Biology.

Unknown. It seems to fly in spring (March-May) and may be univoltine.

Diagnosis.

Maximum width of hypoclypeal depression 0.9-1.0 × minimum width of face; anterior part of clypeus very narrow, most of clypeus depressed (Fig. 229 ); OOL approx. 0.9 × diameter of posterior ocellus and remotely punctate; mandible massive triangular, coarsely punctate and with thick ventral lamella (Figs 229 , 231 ); face largely transversely rugose; malar space 0.15 × as long as height of eye and 0.27 × basal width of mandible; area of precoxal sulcus (but posteriorly superficially) and anteriorly area above it distinctly rugose; lateral lobes of mesoscutum largely smooth, strongly shiny and glabrous, middle lobe remotely punctulate and with satin sheen; basal half of wings (except anteriorly) largely glabrous and remainder of wing inconspicuously setose; vein r of fore wing 0.7-0.8 × vein 3-SR (Fig. 221 ) vein 1-CU1 0.1 × as long as 2-CU1, narrow and oblique; tarsal claws long, slender, hardly bent and simple (Fig. 232 ); tarsal segments (except telotarsus) with four apical spines; 1st and base of 2nd tergite aciculate-rugulose, 3rd tergite micro-sculptured and matt, remainder of metasoma shiny and rather smooth; head and mesosoma (except prothorax anteriorly and mesoscutum posteriorly) black; pterostigma dark brown; legs and palpi pale yellowish. According to original description antenna of ♀ with 50-52 segments, but ZJUH paralectotype has 63 segments.

Description.

Lectotype, ♀, length of fore wing 7.5 mm, of body 8.2 mm.

Head. Antennal segments of ♀ more than 45, but apical segments missing, length of antenna of paralectotype 1.1 × body and its subapical segments moderately slender; frons rugose, shiny; OOL 0.9 × diameter of posterior ocellus; OOL and vertex remotely punctate, shiny; anterior part of clypeus 9 × wider than high, coarsely punctate and rather convex; clypeus above lower level of eyes; ventral margin of clypeus thick and not protruding forwards; width of hypoclypeal depression 0.9 × minimum width of face (Fig. 229 ); length of eye 1.7 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 230 ); vertex behind stemmaticum convex and sparsely punctate; length of malar space 0.15 × length of eye in lateral view; mandible massive triangular, coarsely punctate and with thick ventral lamella (Figs 229 , 231 ); occipital carina nearly complete, fine and ventrally strongly curved.

Mesosoma. Lateral lobes of mesoscutum largely smooth, strongly shiny and glabrous, middle lobe remotely punctulate and with satin sheen; prepectal carina complete and lamelliform; precoxal area of mesopleuron widely rugose, but posterior 0.2 narrowly striate; mesopleuron above precoxal area anteriorly rugose and remainder weakly and sparsely punctate, shiny; axilla crenulate but posteriorly densely and coarsely rugose; scutellum largely smooth, with some punctures; propodeum evenly convex, finely rugose and with strong medio-longitudinal carina, without tubercles.

Wings. Fore wing: basal half largely glabrous; r 0.7 × 3-SR (Fig. 219 ); 1-CU1 oblique, 0.1 × as long as 2-CU1; r-m nearly as long as 3-SR; 2nd submarginal cell comparatively short (Fig. 221 ); cu-a inclivous; 1-M nearly straight posteriorly. Hind wing: basal 0.4 of marginal cell slightly widened and distally strongly widened, its apical width 2.7 × width at level of hamuli (Fig. 222 ); 2-SC+R subquadrate; m-cu indistinct; M+CU:1-M = 3:2; 1r-m 0.8 × 1-M.

Legs. Tarsal claws slender, slightly curved and only setose (Fig. 232 ); hind coxa partly obliquely striate dorsally; tarsi slender, segments (except telotarsus) with long apical spines; length of hind femur and basitarsus 5.0 and 6.8 × their width, respectively; length of inner hind spur 0.3 × hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. First tergite robust, 0.9 × longer than wide apically, strongly narrowed anteriorly (Fig. 225 ) and rather flat posteriorly; 1st and 2nd tergites finely longitudinally striate-rugulose; medio-longitudinal carina of 1st and 2nd tergites indistinct; 2nd tergite 0.6 × longer than its basal width; medio-basal area of 2nd tergite wide triangular, rather short; 2nd suture shallow and narrow; 3rd tergite matt and micro-sculptured, anteriorly finely striate; 4th and apical half of 3rd tergite without sharp lateral crease; ovipositor sheath with rather short setae and apically truncate (Fig. 220 ).

Colour. Black; mesoscutum posteriorly partly chestnut brown; antenna, clypeus, malar space ventrally, mandible, pronotum and propleuron anteriorly and metasoma, brownish yellow; tegulae, legs and palpi pale yellowish; pterostigma and ovipositor sheath dark brown; veins of fore wing (but pale in basal 0.3 of fore wing) brown; wing membrane hyaline.

Variation. Length of body 7.0-8.2 mm, of fore wing 7.5-7.9 mm; temple punctate to smooth; precoxal sulcus area finely to rather coarsely rugose; pronotal side largely black (except ventrally) black or brownish yellow; lateral lobes of mesoscutum entirely dark chestnut brown or only posteriorly so, or mesoscutum largely yellowish brown posteriorly and prolonged to base of notauli; first tergite usually entirely brownish yellow, but sometimes dark brown and only posteriorly and laterally yellowish; pterostigma dark brown or brown. Antennal segments: ♀ 63(1).

Distribution.

Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

Notes.

We have included this extralimital species from Central Asia because we suspect it may occur in Turkey. It should not be confused with Rogas aestuosus var. desertus Telenga, 1941, described from China in the same paper. The latter is an unavailable name (a primary homonym) and most likely a colour variety of R. aestuosus .

Figures

Figures 217 - 220. Aleiodes desertus (Telenga), ♀, paralectotype 217 habitus lateral 218 antenna lateral 219 detail of fore wing 220 ovipositor sheath lateral.

Figures 221 - 233. Aleiodes desertus (Telenga), ♀, paralectotype, but 224 and 230 of lectotype 221 fore wing 222 hind wing 223 mesosoma lateral 224 mesosoma dorsal 225 metasoma dorsal 226 fore femur lateral 227 hind femur lateral 228 apex of antenna 229 head anterior 230 head dorsal 231 head lateral 232 outer hind tarsal claw 233 base of antenna.