Ooctonus insignis Haliday, 1833

Triapitsyn, Serguei V., 2010, Revision of the Palaearctic species and review of the Oriental species of Ooctonus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), with notes on extralimital taxa 2381, Zootaxa 2381 (1), pp. 1-74 : 21-25

Ooctonus insignis Haliday, 1833

( Figs 21–31 )

Ooctonus insignis Haliday 1833: 344 ; type material lost according to Hincks (1952) and Graham (1982); type locality: near London, England, UK, possibly Southgate or its neighborhood according to Graham (1982); neotype female [NMID], designated by Hincks 1952: 155–156 (photographs of the entire neotype but not specimen itself examined); neotype locality: Hackfall Woods, Masham, Yorkshire Co., England, UK. Designation of a “neoallotype” male of O. insignis by Hincks (1952) was invalid; the specimen [NMID] has the same label data as the neotype but has no type status.

Ooctonus insignis Haliday : Walker 1846: 50 (brief diagnosis, distribution); Foerster 1847: 202–203 (brief diagnosis); Dalla Torre 1898: 430 (catalog); Hincks 1952: 154–156 (type information, redescription, diagnosis); Hellén 1974: 7 (diagnosis, distribution); Graham 1982: 226 (notes on type material).

Ooctonus major Foerster 1847: 200 ; type locality: Aachen [area], North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, syn. n. One female was mentioned by Foerster (1847: 200) and 6 female “cotypes” by Soyka (1941: 95), but 7 female and 4 male syntypes were found in NHMW, 3 with original labels partly in A. Foerster’s handwriting. It is impossible to recognize the one female mentioned in the original description among specimens examined.

Ooctonus major Förster : Dalla Torre 1898: 430 (catalog).

Ooctonus maior [sic] Förster: Soyka 1941: 83–84 (redescription), 95; Soyka 1949: 35 (figure), 46–47 (redescription, invalid type designation).

Ooctonus elegantissimus Soyka 1949: 49–50 ; 1 female and 1 male syntypes stated as “Types” [NHMW], examined; type locality: Krössbach , Neustift, Stubaital, Tirol, Austria, syn. n.

Ooctonus austriacus Soyka 1949: 36 (figures), 57–58; 5 female and 1 male syntypes stated as “Types” and “Cotypes” [NHMW], 1 female and 1 male examined; type locality: Krössbach , Neustift, Stubaital, Tirol, Austria, syn. n.

Ooctonus silvestris Soyka 1949: 35 (figure), 68–69; female holotype [NHMW], examined; type locality: Hundsheim (in forest on the way to Hainburg an der Donau), Lower Austria, Austria, syn. n.

Ooctonus isotomus Mathot 1969: 13–14 ; female holotype [ISNB], examined; type locality: Archennes , Bouly, Walloon Brabant, Belgium, syn. n.

Ooctonus isotomus Mathot : Donev 1983: 32–33 (distribution); Pricop 2008: 44 (illustrations), 46–47 (distribution, taxonomic notes).

Type material examined. Ooctonus austriacus Soyka : Lectotype female [ NHMW], here designated to avoid ambiguity of the status of the type specimens of this species, on slide labeled: 1. “ Ooctonus austriacus (Soyka) ♀ Type ”; 2. [red] “ Type ”; 3. “ Krössbach am Fenster 27. Aug. 1947 lg. Soyka In Canadab. ”. Paralectotype male [ NHMW] on slide, same data as the holotype.

Ooctonus elegantissimus Soyka : Lectotype female [ NHMW], here designated to avoid ambiguity of the status of the type specimens of this species, on slide labeled: 1. “ Ooctonus elegantissimus (Soyka) ♀ Type”; 2. “Type”; 3. “Krössbach – Stubai – Tirol am Fenster (Ranalter) 12. Aug. 1945 - lg. Soyka Coll. Soyka In Canadab. 1945”. Paralectotype male [ NHMW] on slide labeled: 1. “ Ooctonus elgantissimus (Soyka) ♂ Type”; 2. “Type”; 3. “Krössbach – Stubai am Fenster Ra – 14. Aug. 1945 - lg. Soyka Coll. Soyka In Canadab. 1945”.

Ooctonus isotomus Mathot : Holotype female [ ISNB] on slide labeled: 1. “ Université de Louvain LAB. ENTOMOLOGIE Archennes Bouly lg. VII.50”; 2. “ Université de Louvain LAB. ENTOMOLOGIE Ooctonus isotomus DEB. ♀ TYPE”. The holotype specimen is complete, mounted laterally, with the head detached from the body.

Ooctonus major Foerster : Lectotype female [ NHMW], here designated to avoid ambiguity of the status of the type specimens of this species, on slide labeled: 1. [in W. Soyka’s handwriting] “ Ooctonus maior Förster ♀ dt. Soyka In Canadab. ”; 2. “137”; 3. “ O. major [in India ink in A. Foerster’s handwriting] Förster, Type”; 4. “Aach. Först.”; 5. “ Collect. G. Mayr ”. Paralectotypes [ NHMW]: 5 females (numbers 132–136) and 3 males (numbers 128–130) on individual slides, labeled: 1. [in W. Soyka’s handwriting] “ Ooctonus maior Förster [respective gender symbol]”; 2. [slide number]; 3. “Collect. lg. Mayr Förster, Type Aachen, Förster In Canadab. ”. 1 male on slide, labeled: 1. “ O. major [in India ink in A. Foerster’s handwriting] Förster, Type”; 2. “ Collect. G. Mayr ”; 3. “131”; 4. [in W. Soyka’s handwriting] “ Ooctonus maior Förster ♂ In Canadab.”. 1 female on a minuten pin, labeled: 1. “ Coll. Förster don. Mayr”; 2. “ Ooctonus major m var. ped . leviter infuscatus”.

Ooctonus silvestris Soyka : Holotype female [ NHMW] on slide labeled: 1. “ Ooctonus silvestris (Soyka) ♀ Soyka dt. Type”; 2. “Type”; 3. “Hundsheim im Walde Weg nach Hainburg 10. Aug. 1942 lg. Novicky In Canadab. 1942”. Soyka (1949) mentioned a female “Type” and 1 female “Cotype” of this species; it is obvious that the latter was meant as a modern paratype, and therefore the “Type” is considered to be the holotype. This female paratype (from the same habitat and site) was not found in NHMW.

Material examined. AUSTRIA. LOWER AUSTRIA, Hundsheim, 10.viii.1942, S. Novicky (in forest on the way to Hainburg an der Donau) [2 ♂, NHMW]. TIROL: Krössbach, W. Soyka: 17.viii.1945 [1 ♀, 1 ♂, NHMW] (the male was erroneously labeled by W. Soyka as a “Type” of O. austriacus but its collection date does not correspond to Soyka’s (1949) published date of the single male syntype of that species); 5.ix.1945 [1 ♀, EMEC] (determined by W. Soyka as O. austriacus ); 1.ix.1963 [1 ♀, NHMW]. Mieden Wald, 23.viii.1959, W. Soyka [2 ♀, NHMW]. Stubai, Shieders Weld, 23.viii.1963, W. Soyka [1 ♀, NHMW]. BELGIUM. WAL- LOON BRABANT, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, 1–15.viii.1981, P. Dessart [2 ♀, CNCI]. ITALY. PIED- MONT, Aosta, Val di Rhèmes, 18.viii.1983, P. Dessart [1 ♀, CNCI]. RUSSIA. LENINGRADSKAYA OBLAST’, 69-km railway station near Sosnovo, 25–26.viii.1985, V.A. Trjapitzin [2 ♀, ZIN]. MOSKOVS- KAYA OBLAST’: NOGINSKIY RAYON, Fryazevo: 1–5.viii.1995, S.V. Triapitsyn [1 ♀, CNCI]; 26.vii– 14.viii.2000, M.E. Tretiakov [1 ♀, UCRC]; 23.viii.2000, M.E. Tretiakov [1 ♀, UCRC]; 24.viii.2001, M.E. Tretiakov [1 ♂, UCRC]. PUSHKINSKIY RAYON, Mamontovka, E.Ya. Shouvakhina: 1–10.viii.2000 [4 ♀, UCRC]; 10–20.viii.2000 [2 ♀, UCRC]; 20–31.viii.2000 [4 ♀, UCRC, ZIN]. PRIMORSKIY KRAY, Gornotayozhnoye (18 km SE of Ussuriysk), 43.66°N 132.25°E, 200 m, 21–26.viii.2000, M.V. Michailovskaya [1 ♀, UCRC]. SWEDEN. KALMAR, Öland Island, Stenasa, 17–20.viii.1986, N. Ryrholm [1 ♀, CNCI]. SWIT- ZERLAND. ZÜRICH, Dielsdorf, 650 m, 17.viii.1984, L. Masner [1 ♂, CNCI]. UNITED KINGDOM. ENGLAND: BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, Burnham Beeches, 14.ix.1974, Z. Bouček [1 ♀, BMNH]. CHESHIRE, Cotterill Clough, 24.ix.1946, H. Britten [1 ♀, MMUE] (det. W.D. Hincks). LANCASHIRE, Levenshulme, 30.viii.1929, H. Britten [1 ♀, MMUE] (det. W.D. Hincks). NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, Spratton, ix.1975, I. Gauld [1 ♀, BMNH]. SURREY: Coulsdon, Happy Valley, 1.viii.1982, J.S. Noyes [1 ♀, BMNH]. Ham, 4.viii.1995, J.S. Noyes [1 ♀, CNCI]. YORKSHIRE: Forge Valley, W.D. Hinks: 8.ix.1952 [1 ♂, MMUE]; 18.ix.1953 [1 ♀, MMUE]. Keighley, 29.viii.1948, J. Wood [1 ♀, MMUE] (det. W.D. Hincks). Masham, Hackfall Woods, 26.ix.1948, W.D. Hincks [1 ♀, 2 ♂, MMUE] (same label data as the neotype; det. W.D. Hincks). Matley Bog, 15.viii.1952, W.D. Hincks [1 ♀, MMUE]. No locality indicated (presumed in England), 28.vii.1909, C.O. Waterhouse [1 ♀, BMNH]. WALES: CLWYD: Dolywern (5 km S of Llangollen), 29.vii.1999, J.S. Noyes [1 ♀, CNCI]. Lamon Dyffryn Ceiriog (10 km SW of Llangollen), 31.vii.1999, J.S. Noyes [1 ♂, CNCI]. Llangollen, 2.viii.1999, J.S. Noyes [1 ♀, CNCI]. DENBIGH, Abergele Coed y Gopa, 27.vii.1999, J.S. Noyes [2 ♀, 6 ♂, CNCI]. GLAMORGAN: Kenfig Pool National Nature Reserve, J.S. Noyes: 6.viii.1988 [1 ♀, CNCI]; 31.viii.1995 [1 ♀, CNCI]. Whiteford Burrows National Nature Reserve, 2.viii.1988, J.S. Noyes [1 ♀, CNCI].

Extralimital record. USA. ALASKA, VALDEZ-CORDOVA [Census Area], Valdez, Valdez Glacier Campground , 2.viii.1978, P.H. Arnaud, Jr. [1 ♀, CAS] .

Redescription. FEMALE (primary and secondary types of the synonyms, and non-type specimens). Body length 1300–1700 µm. Head and mesosoma dark brown or black except eyes and ocelli pale or dirty pink; petiole yellowish or yellowish brown; gaster usually dark brown but sometimes somewhat lighter (brown); scape and pedicel mostly light brown, flagellum dark brown (F1 a little lighter); legs yellowish to light brown.

Head ( Fig. 24 ) with mostly weak sculpture on vertex and most of face.

Antenna ( Fig. 21 ) long and slender, with radicle a little more than 0.2x length of scape, remainder of scape 4.5–4.6x as long as wide, a little wider medially than basally or apically, longitudinally striate; pedicel usually at least slightly shorter than F1; all funicle segments much longer than wide, F1–F5 subequal in length, F6–F8 a little shorter, mps on F4 (usually 2, occasionally 0 or 1), F5 (2), F6 (usually 2, rarely 0 or 1), F7 (2), F8 (2) [note that Hincks (1952), who had only dry-mounted specimens available to him, incorrectly stated (p. 155) in his redescription of O. insignis that “… sensory ridges confined to [the antennal] segments 9, 10 and club”]; clava 3.0–3.5x as long as wide, almost as long as scape plus radicle, longer than combined length of F6–F8 and about as long or a little longer than combined length of F1–F3, with 8 mps.

Mesosoma ( Figs 22 , 27 ) with pronotum weakly sculptured; mesoscutum and scutellum with strong reticulate sculpture (the cells a little smaller and less reticulate on anterior scutellum); metanotum smooth, with posterior margin broadly rounded; propodeum ( Fig. 23 ) mostly smooth, with median carina much shorter than median areole; lateral carinae subparallel, extending to anterior margin of propodeum.

Forewing ( Fig. 25 ) 2.8–3.0x as long as wide [2.7–2.8x as long as wide according to Hincks (1952) who measured dry-mounted, rather than slide-mounted, specimens; Donev (1990a) indicated forewing length:width ratio for O. isotomus as 2.2–2.9:1]; disc with a slight brownish tinge throughout (more so as a short, narrow strip along anterior margin just beyond apex of venation and also as a sinuate, narrow, brownish strip behind venation, also extending beyond venation along posterior margin to a little more than half length of wing), densely setose but bare behind base of submarginal vein, truncate apically; longest marginal seta 0.15–0.16x greatest width of wing. Hind wing ( Fig. 26 ) 15–16x as long as wide; disc with a slight brownish tinge and densely setose throughout except for sparser setae or sometimes a small bare area just behind apex of venation; longest marginal seta 1.8–2.0x greatest width of wing.

Pro- and mesocoxae smooth, metacoxa with weak reticulate sculpture.

Gaster either about as long as mesosoma or a little longer; petiole 3.4–4.0x as long as wide, wider apically than basally, smooth, 1.1–1.4x as long as metacoxa; ovipositor occupying about 0.9x length of gaster, barely exserted beyond apex of gaster (by significantly less than 0.1x own length), 1.0–1.2x length of metatibia.

MALE (secondary types of the synonyms and non-type specimens). Body length 1250–1600 µm. Similar to female except for the normal sexually dimorphic features and the following. Antenna ( Fig. 28 ) very long, longer than body, with scape plus radicle 5.0–5.2x as long as wide, entire flagellum dark brown; mesosoma as in Fig. 29 ; forewing ( Fig. 31 ) 2.8–2.9x as long as wide; gaster shorter than in female (usually markedly shorter than mesosoma), genitalia as in Fig. 30 .

Diagnosis. Ooctonus insignis is characterized by presence of 8 mps on the clava of the female antenna. It is very similar to O. lokomotiv sp. n., the only other described Palaearctic species which has this feature but the latter bears a mps on F3 of at least one of the female antennae (usually on both).

The Nearctic species O. occidentalis Whittaker , described from Hollyburn, West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada ( Whittaker 1931), is superficially indistinguishable from O. insignis , but I refrain from proposing its formal synonymy under the latter name until a good-quality slide-mounted female specimen of O. occidentalis becomes available to check the number of mps on the clava.

Distribution. PALAEARCTIC: Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy *, Russia *, Sweden, Switzerland *, UK ( England, Wales *); unconfirmed records (no material has been examined): Bulgaria ( Donev 1983 [as O. isotomus ]), Ireland ( Walker 1846), Czech Republic, Netherlands, Northern Ireland ( UK), Slovakia ( Noyes 2003), Finland, France, Norway ( Hellén 1974), and Romania ( Pricop 2008) [as O. isotomus ]. NEARCTIC*: USA * (Alaska).

Hosts. Unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 27. Ooctonus insignis ♀ (Whiteford Burrows National Nature Reserve, Wales): mesosoma (scanning electron micrograph).

FIGURES 21–26. Ooctonus insignis ♀ (Ham, Surrey, England): 21, antenna; 22, mesosoma; 23, posterior scutellum, metanotum, and propodeum; 24, head (frontal view); 25, forewing; 26, hind wing.

FIGURES 28–31. Ooctonus insignis ♂ (Abergele Coed y Gopa, Denbigh, Wales): 28, antenna; 29, mesosoma; 30, genitalia; 31, forewing.