Exploring insect biodiversity: the parasitic Hymenoptera, chiefly Chalcidoidea, associated with seeds of asphodels (Xanthorrhoeaceae), with the description of nine new species belonging to Eurytomidae and Torymidae Delvare, G. Escolà, A. Ribes Stojanova, A. M. Benoit, L. Lecomte, J. Askew, R. R. Zootaxa 2019 2019-05-06 4597 1 1 90 6WMJH Gijswijt, 1999 Gijswijt 1999 [151,548,869,895] Insecta Pteromalidae Pteromalus Animalia Hymenoptera 72 73 Arthropoda species tethys  ( Fig. 32)   Material examined. Type material. Paratypes(n = 4) (in ITZ).  Other material.   FRANCE:  Bouches-du-Rhône, La Ciotat,  36 m, 43.19861°N 5.63138°E, ex seeds of  A. cerasiferus,  12.vi.2010,  13.vi.2011and  28.v.2011( H. Dumas) ( 7 ♀ 11 ♂, 3 ♀ 3 ♂in RAPC);   Corse, Aléria, Vaccaja,  20 m, 42.12861°N 9.46556°E, ex seeds of  A. ramosus,  22.ix.2011, adults emerged 25.iv/  15.v.2012, ( J. Balajas) ( 51 ♀ 13 ♂, in GDPC);   Dordogne, Belvès, Forêt de la Bessède,  232 m, 44.79361°N 0.90555°E, ex seeds of A. a. albus,  24.vi,2011( R.R. Askew) ( 10 ♀ 7 ♂, 8 ♀ 3 ♂in RAPC);  La Douze, Forêt Domaniale de la Barade,  235 m, 45.03416°N 0.86028°E,  19.vi.2011, ex seed of the same asphodel and same collector, ( 73 ♀ 79 ♂, 13 ♀ 11♂in RAPC) and collected on fruits, ( 11 ♀, in RAPC);  La Jemaye,  52–131 m, 45.17°N 0.25666°E,  21.vii.2009, ex seed of the same asphodel ( D. Simpson) ( 6 ♀ 4 ♂, in RAPC);  Mouleydier, Forêt de Liorac,  127 m, 44.87778°N 0.62861°E,  17.vi.2011, ( R.R. Askew) ex seeds of same asphodel, ( 1 ♀, in RAPC);  Vergt, Le Lavadour,  212 m, 45.06111°N 0.71694°E,  25.vi.2011, same asphodel and collector, ( 7 ♀ 7 ♂, some in capsule with 34 ♀ 22 ♂labelled ‘Dordogne, seeds collected  vi.2011 R.R. Askew’);   Pyrénées Orientales, Banyuls-sur-Mer, E Col de la Créu,  240 m, 42.46278°N 3.14222°E, ex seeds of  A. ramosus,.  6.vi.2011, adult emergence  v.2012( J. Lecomte) ( 3 ♀, in GDPC);   Vienne, Châtellerault, Aire de Chagnatson A10,  131 m, 48.81778°N 0.54611°E; ex seeds of A. a.  albus( R.R. Askew),  28.vii.2007,  4.x.2007,  22.vi.2008,  26.ix.2009,  14.xi.2009,  2.vii.2010and  11.ix.2013, ( 24 ♀ 15 ♂, 4 ♀ 6 ♂in RAPC);   ITALY:  Sicilia, San Fratello, Monte Nebrodi, N Casello Volpe,  1150 m, 37.94402°N 14.62579°E, on maturing flowers of  A. ramosus( G. Delvare) ( 2 ♀, in GDPC);  Vizzini, Monte Iblei, SE Lago Dirillo, contrado Rubalé,  350 m, 37.12103°N 14.72166°E,  22.vi.2014, on maturing flowers and from seeds of the same asphodel ( G. Delvare) ( 46 ♀ 74 ♂, in GDPC); same locality, asphodel and collector,  420 m, 37.10778°N 14.72578°E( 14 ♀ 33 ♂); same locality and collector,  350 m, 37.12103°N 14.72166°E, ex seeds of  A. lutea,  19.vi.2014( 9 ♀ 12 ♂, in GDPC); same locality, asphodel and collector, SE Vizzini, Valle Paradiso,  600 m, 37.14727°N 14.80591°E,  21.vi.2014( 1 ♀ 2 ♂, in GDPC);   GREECE: Peloponnese, Haraûgi, ex seeds of  A. ramosus,  14.iv.2008( H. Schnee) ( 2 ♂);   SPAIN:  Lleida, Tunel Viella,  1390 m, 42.67278°N 0.77333°E, ex seeds of A. a delphinensis,  18.viii.2008( A. Ribes) ( 61 ♀ 42 ♂, probably in BMNH);   TURKEY:  Aegeansea Gökçe Ada Island, Şirinköy village,  62 m, 40.12944°N 25.73805°E, ex   Asphodelussp.,  8.vi.2011( A. Stojanova) ( 3 ♀ 2 ♂, in RAPC);   Muğla, Milas, Bafa Lake,  28 m, 37.47644°N 27.48282°E, ex   Asphodelussp.,  19.ix.2010( A. Stojanova) ( 3 ♀ 1 ♂, in RAPC).  Taxonomy.  Pteromalus tethyswas described from adults collected in the field in Cyprus, Corse, Greeceand Spain( Gijswijt 1999).   FIGURE 32.  Pteromalus tethysGijswijt, ♀ ex  A. ramosus, Vizzini, Monte Iblei, Sicilia, Italy.  Recognition.  Pteromalus tethysis close to  P. vibulenus(Walker, 1839)from which it differs principally in having a relatively longer gaster, 1.7–1.9× as long as the mesosoma (1.2–1.5× in  P. vibulenus) with the last tergite rather variable in air dried material but at least 1.2×, up to about 2.0×, as long as its basal breadth. In the original description of the female of  P. tethys, the fore wing is described as at least reaching the apex of the gaster, but in specimens examined, including two paratypes, the wings when folded back do not reach the base of the ovipositor sheath; in contrast, the folded wings of most female  P. vibulenusreach or extend beyond the apex of the ovipositor sheaths.   Distribution and associated asphodels( Figs 38, 39–42).  Pteromalus tethysis locally quite plentiful, emerging from samples of fruits and seeds of  A. albus albus( France: Vienne, Dordogne),  A. albus delphinensis( Spain: Lleida),  A. cerasiferus( France: Bouches-du-Rhône and Pyrénées-Orientales),  A. ramosus( Italy: Sicilia; Greece: Peloponnese) and  Asphodelussp. ( Turkey: Muğla). It was absent from large samples of  A. cerasiferusfruits from Spain, our only Spanish records being from  A. albus delphinensishigh in the Pyrénées.   Biology( Figs 39–42). Trophic relationships. Dissection of A. a. albusseeds revealed  P. tethysto be an ectoparasitoid. Dead adult or pupal  P. tethyswere twice cut from seeds of  A. albuscontaining, respectively, the remains of a larval eurytomid and a small lepidopteran larva (probably  Cochylis epilinana).  Pteromalus tethysis itself attacked by  E. confusus(see above).  Phenology. The life cycle of  P. tethysis variable. On  A. albus albusit is bivoltine. Fresh fruits collected in early summer, when still green, produce adult  P. tethysafter a short time, ripe fruits gathered late in July may soon yield a few adult  P. tethysbut most overwinter to emerge the following May, and dry fruits collected after mid-August produce  P. tethysonly in spring of the second year. In early June a few females, probably of the first generation, have been found with ovipositors inserted into green fruits of  A. albus albus, but at the end of the month females presumed to be of the second generation occurred in numbers on the exposed seeds in brown, dehiscent seed capsules.  P. tethysdeveloping in fruits of  A. albus delphinensisin the Spanish Pyrénées have a rather different phenology. A total of 49 adult  P. tethysemerged in the first year from a sample of fruits collected in mid-August, 43 emerged the following May having overwintered once, 10 emerged in the third year and one in the fourth. This temporal spread of  P. tethysemergence has been recorded only from  A. albus delphinensis. Three males were collected on this plant on 6.vii.2007.   Sex ratio. Of a total of 363  Pteromalus tethysreared from all sources, 195 (54%) were females. 2237851326 seeds of A. cerasiferus 2010-06-12 2011-06-13 2010-06-12 RAPC H. Dumas France 36 43.19861 La Ciotat 1 5.63138 Bouches-du-Rhone 72 73 24 10 14 2237851423 seeds of A. ramosus 2011-09-22 2012-05-15 2011-09-22 GDPC J. Balajas France 20 42.12861 Vaccaja 1 9.46556 Aleria 72 73 64 51 13 2237851294 seeds of A. a. albus 2011-06-24 RAPC R. R. Askew France Dordogne 232 44.79361 Foret de la Bessede 1 0.90555 Belves 72 73 28 18 10 2237851297 seeds of A. a. albus 2011-06-19 RAPC La Douze France Dordogne 235 45.03416 Foret Domaniale de la Barade 1 0.86028 La Douze 72 73 176 86 90 2237851339 [326,789,1228,1253] seeds of A. a. albus 2011-06-19 RAPC La Douze France Dordogne 235 45.03416 Foret Domaniale de la Barade 1 0.86028 La Douze 72 73 11 11 2237851351 seeds of A. a. albus 2009-07-21 RAPC D. Simpson France Dordogne 92 45.17 La Jemaye 555 0.25666 La Douze 72 73 10 6 4 2237851311 seeds of A. a. albus 2011-06-17 RAPC R. R. Askew France Dordogne 127 44.87778 Foret de Liorac 1 0.62861 Mouleydier 72 73 1 1 2237851358 seeds of A. a. albus 2011-06 2011-06-25 2011-06 RAPC R. R. Askew' France Vergt 212 45.06111 Le Lavadour 1 0.71694 Le Lavadour 72 73 70 41 29 2237851377 seeds of A. ramosus 2011-06-06 2012-05 2011-06-06 GDPC J. Lecomte France Pyrenees Orientales 240 42.46278 Col de la Creu 1 3.14222 Banyuls-sur-Mer 72 73 3 3 2237851296 seeds of A. a. albus 2007-07-28 2013-09-11 2007-07-28 RAPC R. R. Askew France Vienne 131 48.81778 Aire de Chagnats 1 0.54611 Chatellerault 72 73 49 28 21 2237851290 maturing flowers of A. ramosus GDPC G. Delvare Italy San Fratello 1150 37.94402 Casello Volpe 1 14.62579 Monte Nebrodi 72 73 2 2 Sicilia 2237851334 2014-06-22 GDPC G. Delvare Italy Vizzini 350 37.12103 Lago Dirillo 1 14.72166 Monte Iblei 72 73 120 46 74 2382609738 2014-06-19 GDPC G. Delvare Italy Vizzini 420 37.12103 Lago Dirillo 1 14.72166 Monte Iblei 72 73 47 14 33 2382609707 seeds of A. lutea 2014-06-19 GDPC G. Delvare Italy Vizzini 350 37.12103 Lago Dirillo 1 14.72166 Monte Iblei 72 73 21 9 12 2237851355 seeds of A. lutea 2014-06-21 GDPC SE Vizzini Italy Vizzini 600 37.14727 Valle Paradiso 1 14.80591 SE Vizzini 72 73 3 1 2 2237851288 seeds of A. lutea 2008-04-14 GDPC H. Schnee Greece Vizzini 600 37.14727 Haraugi 1 14.80591 SE Vizzini 72 73 2 2 Peloponnese 2237851361 seeds of A. a delphinensis 2008-08-18 BMNH A. Ribes Spain 1390 42.67278 Tunel Viella 1 0.77333 Lleida 72 73 103 61 42 2237851379 Asphodelus 2011-06-08 RAPC A. Stojanova Turkey Aegean 62 40.12944 Sirinkoy village 1 25.73805 Gokce Ada Island 72 73 5 3 2 2237851300 Asphodelus 2010-09-19 RAPC A. Stojanova Turkey 28 37.47644 Bafa Lake 1 27.48282 Milas 72 73 4 3 1 Mugla