Heterospilus hemipterus (Thomson)

Belokobylskij, Sergey A. & Kula, Robert R., 2012, Review of the brachypterous, micropterous, and apterous Braconidae of the cyclostome lineage (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) from the Palearctic Region 3240, Zootaxa 3240 (1), pp. 1-62 : 8-10

Heterospilus hemipterus (Thomson)

( Fig. 110 )

Eurybolus hemipterus Thomson, 1892: 1856 [original description].

Synodus hemipterus: Marshall 1897: 104 [revised combination].

Dendrosoter hemipterus: Dalla Torre 1898: 231 [revised combination].

Caenophanes hemipterus: Kokoujev 1900: 566 [revised combination].

Heterospilus hemipterus: Szépligeti 1904: 56 [revised combination]; Fischer 1960: 50 [designation of neotype].

Lituania brachyptera Jakimavicius, 1968: 904 [original description]. New synonym.

Heterospilus brachypterus: Belokobylskij 1983: 174 [revised combination].

Examined material. Bulgaria: 1 female, “ 17.4.1967, Trakija, Pesnopoi Pd., leg. A. Germanov ” ( NHMW) . France: 1 male, “ France , Corse, Porto Vecchio, 7.90, Boucek” ( BMNH) ; 1 male, “ France, Corse, Ft dom du Fango, 24.6.90, Boucek” ( BMNH) . Lithuania: 1 female, “ Lithuanian SSR, Rokishskiy r-n, Bagdonishkis , 8.VII.[19] 67 g., Yakimavicius A.” (holotype of Lituania brachyptera Jakimavicius ) ( ZISP) . Mongolia: 1 male, “ Mongolia: Central aimak, 11 km OSO von Somon Bajanzogt, 1600-1700 m ,, Exp. Dr. Z. Kaszab , 1968”, “ Nr 1150, 26.VII.1968 ” ( HNHM) . Slovenia: 1 male (neotype), “Tolmein”, “ Heterospilus hemipterus Thoms. , det. Dr. Fahringer, m” ( NHMW) .

Description. Female. Body length 2.50 mm; fore wing length 0.90 mm.

Head not depressed, width 1.45 times median length, 1.40 times width of mesoscutum. Head behind eyes (dorsal view) evenly roundly narrowed. Transverse diameter of eye 1.40 – 1.50 times longer than temple (dorsal view). Ocelli small, in almost equilateral triangle. POL 1.60 times Od, 0.35 times OOL. Diameter of antennal socket almost equal to distance between sockets, almost twice distance between socket and eye. Eye with very short and sparse setae, with very shallow emargination opposite antennal socket, 1.20 times as high as broad. Malar space height 0.70 times eye height, 1.30 times basal width of mandible. Face convex, width 1.20 times eye height and 1.35 times height of face and clypeus combined. Malar suture absent. Clypeus with narrow lower flange. Hypoclypeal depression small, oval, width 0.60 times distance from edge of depression to eye, 0.35 times face width. Occipital carina complete dorsally and ventrally, distinctly joining hypostomal carina above base of mandible. Postgenal bridge narrow. Head below eyes (front view) distinctly and almost linearly narrowed. Hypostomal flange narrow.

Antennae thick, filiform, with 20 flagellomeres, almost as long as body. Scape short and thick, 1.50 times longer than maximum width, about twice as long as enlarged pedicel. First flagellomere almost straight, subcylindrical, 3.80 times longer than apical width, 1.10 times longer than second flagellomere. Penultimate flagellomere about 2.50 times longer than wide, 0.60 times as long as first flagellomere, 0.90 times as long as apical flagellomere.

Mesosoma neither depressed nor reduced in size, length almost twice height. Pronotum elongate, dorsally weakly convex, submedially with distinct pronotal carina; lateral portion with shallow, narrow, weakly curved, and crenulate submedian furrow. Mesoscutum distinctly and gradually roundly elevated above pronotum, maximum width of mesoscutum (dorsal view) 1.40 times median length. Median lobe of mesoscutum weakly protruding forward, convex anteriorly (dorsal view), without median furrow, anterolateral lobes of mesoscutum indistinct and obtuse. Notauli shallow, narrow, complete, crenulate. Prescutellar depression deep, with distinct median carina, smooth but with two fine and incomplete lateral wrinkles, 0.40 times as long as maximum width, 0.40 times as long as scutellum. Scutellum weakly convex, with lateral carinae. Precoxal sulcus deep, oblique, almost straight, densely rugose-crenulate, running along anterior 0.60 of lower part of mesopleuron, but becoming shallow and narrow to middle coxa. Metanotal tooth very short, wide and weakly pointed. Metapleural lobe long, wide, rounded apically. Propodeum (lateral view) evenly and roundly curved from base to apex, without lateral tubercles; propodeal spiracle small.

Wings. Size of fore wing strongly reduced, reaching end of first metasomal tergum, 5.10 times longer than maximum width, 0.70 – 1.00 times as long as mesosoma. Pterostigma present, but short or sometimes very short and narrow. Radial vein arising from middle of pterostigma, with three short sections. Radial cell small. Medial, first radiomedial, and recurrent veins present but very strongly desclerotized. Brachial cell open. Nervulus short and almost interstitial. Sometimes venation present up to basal vein only. Hind wing with apical part strongly reduced, 5.70 times longer than wide, 0.90 times as long as fore wing. First abscissa of costal vein as long as distinctly sclerotized second abscissa; second abscissa 1.50 times longer than third abscissa and 0.80 times as long as fourth abscissa. Radial vein strongly desclerotized. Medial cell narrow, length 7.30 times maximum width, 0.40 times length of wing. First abscissa of mediocubital vein 0.90 times as long as second abscissa. Recurrent vein unsclerotized, straight, strongly postfurcal.

Legs. Fore tibia with several slender spines in almost single line. Hind coxa with distinct basoventral tubercle, 1.50 times longer than maximum width. Hind femur slender, 4.10 – 4.30 times longer than maximum width. Hind tarsus 0.90 times as long as hind tibia. Basitarsus weakly thickened, without ventral keel, 0.55 times as long as second through fifth tarsomeres combined. Second tarsomere 0.70 times as long as basitarsus, 1.75 times longer than fifth tarsomere (without pretarsus).

Metasoma 0.90 times as long as head and mesosoma combined, 2.40 times longer than maximum width. First tergum with high and narrow median area, dorsope distinct, spiracular tubercles present; tergum distinctly and almost linearly widened from base to apex. Maximum width of first tergum 2.00 times minimum width; length 0.80 – 0.90 times apical width, 1.10 times length of propodeum. Median length of second tergum 0.40 times basal width, 0.75 times length of third tergum. Combined length of second and third terga almost equal to basal width of second tergum, about 0.80 times their maximum width. Groove between second and third terga shallow, weakly and regularly curved medially and with fine break in lateral 0.25. Third tergum in basal 0.30 with very shallow, wide, and densely crenulate transverse furrow. Ovipositor sheaths weakly thickened, 0.70 times as long as metasoma, 0.95 times as long as mesosoma, 0.35 times as long as body, equal to fore wing.

Sculpture and pubescence. Vertex entirely transversely strigate, sometimes partially strigate-coriaceous; frons entirely weakly transversely costulate. Face finely strigate with small reticulation, almost smooth medially; temple smooth in anterior half and finely vertically strigate in posterior half. Mesoscutum entirely densely granulate, with two distinct wrinkles converging posteriorly in median half. Scutellum densely granulate. Mesopleuron widely densely strigate, with fine granulation posteriorly, almost smooth along posterior margin. Metapleuron entirely and coarsely areolate-rugose. Propodeum with basolateral areas distinctly delineated by carinae, basolateral areas mostly granulate, remainder of propodeum coarsely areolate-rugose. Hind coxa densely transversely strigate in dorsal half, granulate-coriaceous to almost smooth in ventral half. Hind femur finely areolate-rugulose in distal half with fine additional strigulation on outer surface, finely coriaceous to almost smooth in half of inner surface. First tergum densely, distinctly, and almost linearly carinate, without additional rugulosity, dorsal carinae distinct, weakly convex medially and strongly convergent posteriorly. Second tergum densely carinate, almost smooth laterally. Third tergum in anterior 0.40 carinate, rest of tergum smooth. Fourth tergum anteriorly very shortly carinate. Terga posterior to tergum four entirely smooth. Vertex almost entirely with sparse, short, and semi-erect setae. Mesoscutum mostly glabrous, but with sparse, long, and semi-erect setae narrowly along notauli and in single row marginally. Metapleuron setiferous except glabrous area medially. Hind tibia dorsally with long, semi-erect setae; length of those setae 0.70 – 0.90 times maximum width of hind tibia.

Color. Head mostly dark reddish brown, around eye and malar space reddish brown to yellowish brown. Mesosoma black, partially dark reddish brown, sometimes prothorax and mesonotum light reddish brown. Metasoma black, but medially reddish brown or light reddish brown. Antenna mostly reddish brown to black, scape, flagellum and two basal flagellomeres yellow to brownish yellow. Palpi yellow. Legs brownish yellow except hind coxa light reddish brown. Ovipositor sheaths mostly black, dark brown basally. Wing hyaline. Pterostigma yellow.

Male. Body length 2.40 – 2.70 mm; fore wing length 1.05 mm. Head width 1.50 times median length, 1.35 times width of mesoscutum. Transverse diameter of eye 1.30 – 1.40 times longer than temple (dorsal view). POL 1.40 times Od, 0.30 times OOL. Eye 1.30 times as high as broad. Face width 1.40 times height of eye and 1.40 times height of face and clypeus combined. Hypoclypeal depression width 0.65 times distance from edge of depression to eye, 0.40 times width of face. Mesosoma length 1.80 times height. Mesoscutum weakly elevated above pronotum. Notauli shallow, wide. Scutellum distinctly convex. Wings. Fore wing reaching middle of third metasomal tergum, 4.80 times longer than maximum width, 1.10 times longer than mesosoma. Radial vein arising behind middle of pterostigma, with two short sections. Radial cell small. First radiomedial vein rather distinctly sclerotized. Recurrent vein unsclerotized and antefurcal. Medial vein distinct and straight. Brachial cell open. Nervulus short and postfurcal. Hind wing with large and wide stigmalike enlargement, 0.60 times as long as hind wing. Other veins absent except for distal part of costal vein. Hind femur 3.90 times longer than wide. Hind tarsus as long as hind tibia. Basitarsus 0.45 times as long as second through fifth tarsomeres combined. Metasoma as long as head and mesosoma combined, 2.10 times longer than maximum width. Maximum width of first tergum 2.50 times minimum width. Median length of second tergum 0.55 – 0.65 times basal width, 0.90 times length of third tergum. Groove between second and third terga without lateral breaks. Third tergum in basal 0.30 with deep and very wide densely crenulate transverse furrow.

Sculpture. Vertex entirely transversely strigate, mostly with additional very fine granulation. Temple mostly smooth, partly finely rugulose-strigate in posterior 0.30. Mesoscutum without two wrinkles in medioposterior half. Scutellum widely medially smooth or almost smooth, finely granulate marginally. Propodeum with small, granulate and partly rugose basolateral areas, with long and narrow areola distinctly delineated by carinae, basal carina very short. Hind femur distinctly and densely granulate. First tergum distinctly and rather sparsely carinate and medially with fine additional rugulosity. Third tergum distinctly carinate in basal half. Fourth tergum in basal 0.20 and fifth tergum basally densely carinate. Color. Body mostly reddish brown, prothorax, mesoscutum, scutellum, and most part of second and third terga yellowish brown; sometimes body brownish yellow, partly light reddish brown, propodeum and medioanterior half of first tergum distinctly infuscate. Pterostigma light brown. Hind wing stigmalike enlargement dark brown. Otherwise similar to female.

Distribution. Austria, Bulgaria (new record), France (new record), Germany, Lithuania, Mongolia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Sweden ( Yu et al. 2005).

Remarks. Comparison of the primary types of Eurybolus hemipterus Thomson, 1892 and Lituania brachyptera Jakimavicius, 1968 with the specimens from Bulgaria, France, and Mongolia revealed that all are conspecific. Thus, we consider the latter a synonym of the former. Both sexes of this species exhibit brachyptery.

Figures

FIGURES 108–116. Habitus photos of brachypterous, micropterous, and apterous cyclostome braconids (108–111, 115–116 [dorsal view]; 112–114 [lateral view]). 108–109. Achaiabracon aenigmatus Belokobylskij (108 – female, holotype; 109 – male, paratype). 110. Heterospilus hemipterus (Thomson) (male). 111. Nipponecphylus matsumurai Belokobylskij & Konishi (male, paratype). 112. Rhaconotus hispanicus Belokobylskij (female, holotype). 113. Spathius maderi Fahringer (female). 114. Spathius pedestris Wesmael (female). 115. Chremylus algecirasus sp. n. (female, holotype). 116. Chremylus pomonellae (Atanasov) (female, paratype).