Aleiodes diversus ( Szepligeti , 1903)

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 diversus ( Szepligeti, 1903) Figs 264-265 , 266-277 , 278-288

Rhogas diversus Szépligeti, 1903: 114; Papp 2004: 216 (as synonym of A. dissector ) [examined].

Rogas dissector var. diversus ; Shenefelt 1975: 1226 (lectotype designation).

Aleiodes (Neorhogas) diversus ; Papp 1977a: 110-112 (re-instated), 1985: 145, 1991a: 81.

Aleiodes diversus ; Belokobylskij et al., 2003: 398 (as synonym of A. dissector ); Papp 2005: 176; Merz and Pasche 2012: 244; van Achterberg 2014: 209.

Type material.

Lectotype, ♀ (MTMA), " Croatia, Buccari [= Bakar], 1893, Pavel", "Lectotypus, ♀", Rogas (s. str.) diversus Szépligeti, 1906 [sic!], Papp, 1968", "Hym. Typ. No. 1011, Mus. Budapest".

Additional material.

Austria, British Isles (England: V.C.s 8, 25, 70), Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy (Sicily), Norway, Switzerland. Specimens in ZJUH, BZL, CMIM, MHNG, MRC, MTMA, NMS, RMNH, SDEI, ZSSM. The most recent of the five English specimens seen is dated 1931, and it seems likely that this rather large and showy insect is extinct in Britain.

Molecular data.

None.

Biology.

Unknown. Female specimens have been collected in (May-)June, and also September, suggesting that it may be plurivoltine. This is reinforced by the date of capture of the two available males (which would not have hibernated as an adult) in Sicily on 30.iv.1965 (ZJUH) and 1.v.1994 (RMNH). There is no indication of habitat on data labels and we have not seen reared material.

Diagnosis.

Maximum width of hypoclypeal depression 0.5-0.6 × minimum width of face (Fig. 273 ); OOL of ♀ coarsely punctate and 1.0-1.2 × diameter of posterior ocellus; ventral margin of clypeus (rather) obtuse apically and clypeus not protruding outwards (Fig. 275 ), but sometimes intermediate; length of eye 1.0-1.2 × temple in dorsal view; lobes of mesoscutum densely finely punctate, with interspaces approx. equal to diameter of punctures, shiny and smooth; precoxal area with some rugae medially; vein cu-a of fore wing vertical; surroundings of veins M+CU1 and 1-+2-CU1 largely glabrous; vein 1-CU1 of fore wing 0.7-1.1 × vein 2-CU1 and approx. as long as vein m-cu (Fig. 266 ), rarely shorter; hind femur 3.0-3.3 × longer than wide; hind tarsal claws with medium-sized dark brownish pecten up to apical tooth (Fig. 272 ); 1st tergite widened apically and moderately wide basally (Fig. 269 ); 2nd tergite 0.7-0.8 × as long as wide (Fig. 269 ) and black; 4th-7th tergites of males flat and with long yellowish setae (Figs 279 , 282 ); head black; vein 1-M of fore wing brownish; wing membrane subhyaline.

Description.

Lectotype, ♀, length of fore wing 7.0 mm, of body 10.0 mm.

Head. Antennal segments of ♀ 56, antenna as long as fore wing, its subapical segments robust; frons largely smooth behind antennal sockets; OOL 1.2 × diameter of posterior ocellus, and coarsely punctate, interspaces less than diameter of puncture; vertex coarsely punctate; clypeus rugose; ventral margin of clypeus thick and not protruding forwards (Fig. 275 ); width of hypoclypeal depression 0.6 × minimum width of face (Fig. 273 ); length of eye 1.2 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 274 ); vertex behind stemmaticum superficially punctate-rugose; clypeus near lower level of eyes; length of malar space 0.3 × length of eye in lateral view.

Mesosoma. Mesoscutal lobes densely and finely punctate, interspaces largely smooth, shiny; precoxal area of mesopleuron coarsely punctate and without rugae medially, mesopleuron coarsely punctate anteriorly and posteriorly; metapleuron moderately punctate; scutellum remotely punctate; propodeum rather convex and coarsely rugose.

Wings. Fore wing: r 0.5 × 3-SR (Fig. 266 ); 1-CU1 horizontal, 0.7 × 2-CU1; r-m 0.5 × 3-SR; 2nd submarginal cell rather long (Fig. 266 ); cu-a vertical, straight; 1-M rather curved posteriorly; surroundings of M+CU1, 1-M and 1-CU1 largely glabrous. Hind wing: marginal cell gradually widened, its apical width 2.3 × width at level of hamuli (Fig. 266 ); 2-SC+R transverse; m-cu largely absent, only as short antefurcal remnant (Fig. 266 ); M+CU:1-M = 35:23; 1r-m 0.7 × 1-M.

Legs. Tarsal claws with rather conspicuous, medium-sized dark brown pecten up to apical tooth (Fig. 272 ); hind coxa largely punctate; hind trochantellus robust; length of hind femur and basitarsus 3.1 and 4.4 × their width, respectively; length of inner hind spur 0.5 × hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. First tergite rather flattened, as long as wide apically; 1st and 2nd tergites with medio-longitudinal carina and coarsely vermiculate-rugose; medio-basal area of 2nd tergite triangular and distinct (Fig. 269 ); 2nd suture deep; 2nd tergite 0.7-0.8 × as long as wide (Fig. 269 ); 3rd tergite densely punctate and interspaces largely smooth, remainder of metasoma largely smooth; 4th and apical half of 3rd tergite without sharp lateral crease; apical third of metasoma rather compressed; ovipositor sheath wide, with rather short setae and apically truncate (Fig. 265 ).

Colour. Black; mesoscutum (except anterior third), scutellum, clypeus ventrally, mandible, tegulae and legs largely brownish red; palpi, fore coxa largely, telotarsi, hind tarsus and apex of hind tibia (excluding spurs) dark brown; pterostigma blackish brown; veins dark brown, but near wing base yellowish; wing membrane slightly infuscate.

Variation. OOL 1.0-1.2 × diameter of posterior ocellus; mesoscutum of ♀ entirely brownish red or yellowish brown, or anteriorly black; 1st tergite 1.0-1.1 × longer than wide apically; metasoma rarely partly obscurely reddish dark brown; mesopleuron may be just punctate or may have some rugae in lower half. Antennal segments ♀: 55(3), 56(3), 57(3), 58(1), 59(1); ♂ 58(1). Males have mesosoma black (Fig. 278 ), 2nd tergite 0.8-0.9 × as long as basal width of tergite (Fig. 282 ) and apical tergites type 2, setae rather long, fringe long and strong (Fig. 279 ).

Distribution.

*Austria, *British Isles (England; probably extinct), *Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, *Italy (Sicily), *Norway, *Switzerland.

Notes.

Close to A. cruentus which, however, almost always has much or all of 1st and 2nd metasomal tergites orange-red (usually wholly black or dark brown in A. diversus ). In addition to characters given in the key A. diversus is a more robust insect, and females have broader antennal segments (distinctly transverse near middle of flagellum) and on average they are fewer in number (although with overlap).

Figures

Figures 264, 265. Aleiodes diversus (Szepligeti), ♀, Italy, Sicily 264 habitus lateral 265 ovipositor sheath lateral.

Figures 266 - 277. Aleiodes diversus (Szepligeti), ♀, Italy, Sicily 266 wings 267 mesosoma lateral 268 mesosoma dorsal 269 propodeum and metasoma dorsal 270 fore femur lateral 271 hind femur lateral 272 outer hind tarsal claw 273 head anterior 274 head dorsal 275 head lateral 276 base of antenna 277 apex of antenna.

Figures 278 - 288. Aleiodes diversus (Szepligeti), ♂, Italy, Sicily 278 habitus lateral 279 3 rd- 7 th tergites lateral 280 wings 281 mesosoma lateral 282 metasoma dorsal 283 outer hind claw 284 hind tibial spurs lateral 285 head anterior 286 head dorsal 287 base of antenna 288 apex of antenna.