Diachasmimorpha hildagensis (Fischer) Wharton, Robert, Ward, Lauren & Miko, Istvan, 2012

Wharton, Robert, Ward, Lauren & Miko, Istvan, 2012, New neotropical species of Opiinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) reared from fruit-infesting and leaf-mining Tephritidae (Diptera) with comments on the Diachasmimorpha mexicana species group and the genera Lorenzopius and Tubiformopius, ZooKeys 243, pp. 27-82 : 35-41

Diachasmimorpha hildagensis (Fischer) comb. n. Figs 9 –1213– 16

Opius (Biosteres) hildagensis Fischer, 1964: 12, 20-22. Holotype male in AEIC (examined).

Biosteres (Parasteres) hildagensis : Fischer 1967a: 5 (generic transfer).

Parasteres hildagensis : Fischer 1971: 33 (generic transfer); Fischer 1977: 880-883 (key, redescription).

Type locality:

Mexico, State of Mexico, Hidalgo National Park.

Type material.

Holotype male (AEIC), first label, first line: Hidalgo Natl. Pk. second line: State of Mex., Mex. third line: x.12.62 3000 m. fourth line: H. & M. Townes Second label [purple]: Holotype Third label: Opius hildagensis [male symbol] sp. n. det. Fischer Fourth label: Type No. 336

Other specimens examined: 2 females, 1 male, Mexico, Mexico, Rt 890, km 9, 6 km W Lago Zempoala, 2.x.1991, A.L. Norrbom, reared from Oedicarina latifrons infesting fruits of Solanum brachycarpum (91M14B) (TAMU, USNM).

Diagnosis.

Holotype male. Eye in dorsal view as long as temple, temples neither receding nor expanded beyond eyes; eye in lateral view 1.3 × longer than temple. Frons irregularly rugulose along midline between antenna and median ocellus. Clypeus 2.8 × wider than high. Occipital carina distinct near base of mandible, short, not extending dorsally to ventral margin of eye. Antenna with 46 flagellomeres; first flagellomere 1.25 × longer than wide. Pronope deep, large, interrupting posterior crenulate groove middorsally. Notauli deep anteriorly, reaching anterior-lateral margin of mesoscutum and extending posteriorly about 0.5 × distance to deep, elongate midpit. Precoxal sulcus distinctly crenulate throughout, nearly extending to anterior margin of mesopleuron. Propodeum rugose, areola extending over posterior 0.6 but largely obscured by sculpture. Fore wing 2RS 0.95 × length of 3RSa; m-cu distinctly postfurcal. T1 with dorsal carinae weakly converging, widely separated at posterior margin, gradually weakening posteriorly. Meso- and metasoma orange, tegula black, head dark brown to black except narrow yellow-orange band along epistomal sulcus extending to and through malar sulcus and small orange spot on vertex adjacent eye; legs black except extreme base of hind coxa irregularly orange, joint between femora and trochantelli reddish orange, mid and hind tarsi dark brown. Body length about 4.3 mm, fore wing length 4.5 mm, mesosoma length 1.8 mm.

Specimens reared from Oedicarena latifrons (Wulp) vary as follows relative to the holotype: clypeus length/height ratio 2.6-2.8; eye/temple ratio, lateral view, 1.3-1.4 (males), 1.55 (female); antenna with 46-48 flagellomeres; 2RS/3RS ratio 0.95-1.0; ovipositor sheath 2.5 times longer than the mesosoma; mesosoma length 1.85-1.9 mm (male), 2.0 mm (female); one male with T1 dorsal carinae absent over posterior 0.5 and mandible, clypeus, face, and hind coxa more extensively orange; female with outer surface of hind coxa completely pale (dark medially), mandible, clypeus and lower part of face more extensively pale than in holotype.

This species is slightly larger and has a smaller eye than both of the similarly-colored species described below, Diachasmimorpha martinalujai , sp. n. and Diachasmimorpha norrbomi , sp. n. Based on the single female reared from Diachasmimorpha latifrons , Diachasmimorpha hildagensis alsohas a much longer ovipositor than Diachasmimorpha norrbomi . The ovipositors of Diachasmimorpha hildagensis and Diachasmimorpha martinalujai are similar in length. In Diachasmimorpha hildagensis and Diachasmimorpha martinalujai , the notaulus consistently extends anteriorly to the margin of the mesoscutum whereas in Diachasmimorpha norrbomi , the notaulus usually does not. Color variation in the specimens reared from Opius latifrons is similar to that in the paratype series of Diachasmimorpha martinalujai and Diachasmimorpha norrbomi . Both Diachasmimorpha hildagensis and the two newly described speciesare similar in having the head mostly dark in contrast to the orange heads of Diachasmimorpha mexicana and Diachasmimorpha sanguinea , the other two members of this species group. The holotype of Diachasmimorpha hildagensis exhibits subsurface discoloration on the metasoma, but the tergites are all entirely orange.

Biology.

There is no biological information associated with the holotype. The non-type material listed above was reared from the tephritid Oedicarina latifrons infesting fruits of Solanum brachycarpum Correll. Collection data and host information can be found in Norrbom et al. (1988).

Remarks.

The name hildagensis is based on a misreading of the locality label on the holotype, which is correctly written as Hidalgo Nat. Park, not "Hildago Nat. Park" as given by Fischer (1964) in the original description. In the original description, hilda gensis is included in a key to the subgenus Biosteres , but the subgeneric name was not included in the heading for the species description. This species is here transferred to Diachasmimorpha , as diagnosed above, on the basis of fore and hind wing venation (Fig. 16), the morphology of the labrum, clypeus, and mandible (Fig. 12), and the well-developed notaulus and midpit (Figs 13-15). A detailed description of Diachasmimorpha is provided in Wharton (1997). Inclusion of Diachasmimorpha hildagensis in the mexicana species group is based on the greatly reduced occipital carina, sinuate anterior margin of the pronotum ventral-laterally, and the body and wing coloration.

Both Diachasmimorpha hildagensis and Diachasmimorpha mexicana were described from single male specimens collected in the state of Mexico and the Distrito Federal, respectively, and unassociated with either hosts or host plants. Both have relatively small eyes, but are readily separated from one another on the basis of head coloration. Associating the name hildagensis with the many dark-headed specimens available for study, however, has been considerably more challenging. Reared material, representing over 50 specimens kindly made available to us by Allen Norrbom, Martin Aluja, and Juan Rull, provides clear evidence of sexual dimorphism in eye size as well as variation in ovipositor length associated with different hosts and host plants. This material has been especially critical for understanding color patterns and associating males with females. Based primarily on eye size and body size, the holotype of Diachasmimorpha hildagensis is closest to the series of three specimens listed above under "other specimens examined," that emerged from puparia of Opius latifrons infesting fruits of Solanum brachycarpum . From the remaining reared material, we describe two closely similar species below.