Megalommum pistacivorae, van Achterberg, C. & Mehrnejad, M. R., 2011

van Achterberg, C. & Mehrnejad, M. R., 2011, A new species of Megalommum Szepligeti (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Braconinae); a parasitoid of the pistachio longhorn beetle (Calchaenesthes pistacivora Holzschuh; Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) in Iran, ZooKeys 112, pp. 21-38 : 24-26

Megalommum pistacivorae sp. n. Figs 1 –316–2074– 76

Type material.

Holotype, ♀ (RMNH), "Iran, Sirjan, ex Calchaenesthes pistacivora (Ceramb.) on Pistacia vera , em. 14.iv.2007, M.R. Mehrnejad, RMNH’08”. Paratypes (3 ♀ + 4 ♂; RMNH): 1 ♂ topotypical and from same host, but emerged 12.xi.2007; 2 ♀ "Iran, Sirjan, 14.v.2009, at light, M.R. Mehrnejad, RMNH’09”; 1 ♀ + 1 ♂, id., but 17.v.2009; 2 ♂, id., but 30.iv.2009.

Diagnosis.

Body yellowish- or orange-brown; hind femur and coxa dark brown (Figs 1, 20); pterostigma medially (near vein r) partly yellow (Figs 2, 74, 75); OOL of ♀ slightly longer (Fig. 16); vein CU1b of fore wing triangular, strongly widened basally and weakly reclivous (Figs 2, 74, 75); vein 3-CU1 of fore wing 2-3 times as long as vein CU1b; vein 1-M of fore wing 1.4-2.2 times as long as vein 1-CU1 (Figs 2, 74, 75); vein 2-1A distinctly bent (Fig. 2); hind femur rather slender (Fig. 20); medio-basal area of second metasomal tergite smooth and slightly longer than half length of tergite (Figs 2, 18, 19); ovipositor sheath 0.25 times as long as fore wing and half as long as metasoma.

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of body 7.6 mm, of fore wing 7.3 mm.

Head. Antenna about as long as fore wing, with 61 segments; apical antennal segment with distinct spine and slender, scapus robust and distinctly protruding apically, its inner aspect with minute double margin apically; third, fourth and penultimate segments 1.2, 0.9 and 1.6 times their maximum width, respectively; length of maxillary palp 0.9 times height of head; eye distinctly emarginate (Fig. 3); face narrow and irregularly rugulose; clypeus flat, partly smooth and with some microsculpture, dorsally with angled carina and ventral margin thin and lamelliform, with 5 long setae ventrally; hypoclypeal depression 0.7 times as wide as minimum width of face (Fig. 3); frons moderately concave behind antennal sockets, smooth, without median carina (Fig. 16); vertex slightly convex, smooth, sparsely setose and stemmaticum protruding and surrounded by a groove; OOL:diameter of posterior ocellus:POL = 5:10:4; in dorsal view length of eye 5.2 times temple; temples directly narrowed behind eyes and smooth (Fig 16); malar suture absent, eye almost touching base of mandible; mandible strongly twisted and unidentate.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.6 times its height; side of pronotum and propleuron smooth, except for some indistinct fine crenulae anteriorly and some punctulation posteriorly; pronotum vertical anteriorly and with a shallow groove and no antescutal depression; mesopleuron smooth, setose, except for a medial glabrous area; mesosternal sulcus smooth and narrow; metapleuron punctulate, convex; mesoscutum nearly completely sparsely punctulate and setose; notauli only present anteriorly and shallowly impressed; scutellar sulcus present and with distinct fine crenulae; scutellum weakly convex and sparsely punctulate; side of scutellum smooth; metanotum medio-anteriorly with carina, posteriorly evenly convex and smooth; propodeum smooth, setose and evenly convex.

Wings. Fore wing (Figs 1, 2): 1-M 1.8 times as long as 1-CU1; m-cu widened and 1.1 times as long as 1-M; first subdiscal cell with narrow and glabrous sclerome; 3-SR and SR1 weakly curved; r:3-SR:SR1 = 2:5:13; 2-SR:3-SR:r-m = 18:25:19; r-m largely unsclerotised; wide ring around dark patch of first subdiscal cell glabrous, but posteriorly setose; CU1b triangular and strongly widened basally. Hind wing: SR sinuate and marginal cell somewhat widened apically; subbasal cell setose; 1r-m weakly curved; M+CU:1-M:1r-m = 6:18:5.

Legs. Tarsal claws simple and with bristly setae ventrally; hind femur slender (Fig. 20) compared to Megalommum jacobsoni ; length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 3.9, 10.0 and 4.7 times their maximum width, respectively; hind tibia with dense adpressed setae; hind tibial spurs 0.5 and 0.6 times as long as hind basitarsus; inner side of hind tibia and tarsus with dense long whitish setae.

Metasoma. Length of first tergite 1.1 times its apical width, parallel-sided, dorso-lateral carinae strong behind spiracles and medial area longitudinally rugose; second tergite smooth except for crenulae near distinct triangular medio-basal area, area surrounded by crenulate groove and tergite antero-laterally with small triangular smooth areas (Fig. 18); second suture distinct and weakly sinuate and finely crenulate; medial length of second tergite 1.2 times median length of third tergite; third and following tergites smooth; ovipositor depressed, without notch or nodus dorsally and without ventral teeth, apically narrowed (Fig. 76); ovipositor straight, its sheath 0.25 times as long as fore wing.

Colour. Yellowish-brown; antenna, hind femur dorsally, hind tibia and tarsus and ovipositor sheath, black; fore and middle femora, tibiae and tarsi, and remainder of hind leg more or less dark brown; most veins of basal half of wing, sclerome of first subdiscal cell and apical 0.6 of pterostigma largely dark brown (Fig. 2), vein 1-R1 of fore wing yellowish and remainder of veins brown; wing membrane moderately infuscate, below parastigma and patch in first subdiscal cell dark brown.

Variation. Length of body of ♀ 6.7-8.7 mm (of ♂ 5.2-7.3 mm), and of fore wing of ♀ 6.7-8.1 mm (of ♂ 4.3-6.4 mm); antenna of ♀ with 54 (1), 61 (1) or 65 (1) segments, of ♂ with 44 (1), 47 (1), 51 (1) or 52 (1) segments; vein 1-M of fore wing 1.4-2.2 times as long as vein 1-CU1; vein 3-SR of fore wing 1.4-1.7 times vein 2-SR; body completely reddish-, orange or yellowish-brown; basal 0.4 of pterostigma largely yellowish or darkened and only with yellowish basal patch; hind coxa and femur largely dark brown to largely brown; length of first tergite 1.1-1.3 times its apical width; second metasomal suture weakly to strongly crenulate; second, third and base of fourth metasomal tergites of ♂ finely rugulose, but sometimes only superficially so and partly smooth; length of ovipositor sheath 0.25-0.26 times fore wing.

Distribution.

South Palaearctic (Iran).

Biology.

Solitary and possibly endoparasitoid of Calchaenesthes pistacivora Holzschuh ( Coleoptera : Cerambycidae ) on Pistacia vera Linnaeus, Pistacia atlantica subsp. mutica (Fischer & C.A. Meyer) and Pistacia khinjuk Stocks.

Etymology.

Named after the specific name of its host.