Opius baeblus Wharton

Wharton, Robert & Norrbom, Allen L., 2013, New species and host records of New World, mostly Neotropical, opiine Braconidae (Hymenoptera) reared from flower-infesting, stem-galling, and stem-mining Tephritidae (Diptera), ZooKeys 349, pp. 11-72 : 30-32

Opius baeblus Wharton sp. n. Figs 18, 37-40

Type locality.

Mexico, Morelos, Route 142, Km 48-50, 5 km N El Vigia.

Type material.

Holotype. Male (UNAM), first label, first line: MEXICO: Morelos, Rt. second line: 142, Km 48-50, 5 km N third line: El Vigia, 28. ix– 1.x.1991 fourth line: A. L. Norrbom # 51 Second label, first line: reared ex. spherical stem second line: gall, Ageratina mairetiana third line: (DC) K & R. (91M27) Third label, first line: host is Eutreta sp. second line: apicata Hering or n. sp. third line Tephritidae ) Fourth label, first line: reared ex. pupae second line: ex. galls 91M27 third line: emg. 1.vii.1992.

Description.

Male. Eyes in dorsal view slightly bulging beyond temples, temples weakly receding. Clypeus 1.6 × wider than high, weakly rugulose dorsal-medially adjacent epistomal sulcus, weakly punctate elsewhere; completely concealing labrum when mandible closed, ventral margin of clypeus evenly convex, slightly overlapping dorsal margin of mandible when mandible closed. Antennae broken, right antenna with 36 flagellomeres remaining. Malar sulcus broad, weak, deeper adjacent eye, becoming shallower towards mandible. Mesosoma 1.35 × longer than high. Pronotum laterally with complete vertical carina, carina weaker medially, distinctly crenulate along posterior margin of carina in ventral 0.3, smooth medially, weakly crenulate dorsally. Propodeum largely unsculptured, with a few weak carinulae along posterior margin. Fore wing 3RSa 1.75 × longer than strongly sinuate 2RS; (RS+M)a very weakly sinuate. T1 2.1 × wider at apex than at base, 0.9 × as long as apical width; strigose over apical 0.7, smooth basally; dorsal carina arising at 45 degree angle alongside basal depression, absent over apical 0.7. Head entirely black to dark red-brown above, ventral 0.7 of clypeus, nearly entire malar space, base of mandible, and all remaining mouthparts white. Mesosoma almost completely yellow-orange except pronotum laterally with dark spot medially and propodeum dark medially and anteriorly. Metasomal terga dark brown to black; T3-T6 with narrow white or hyaline margin posteriorly, band broader on T7; T4-T6 also with narrow median white band anteriorly. Fore and mid tibiae and all femora white; hind tibia brown dorsally and posteriorly over apical 0.3, variegated brown over basal 0.25, white medially. Body length 5.15 mm; wing length 5.1 mm; mesosoma length 1.7 mm. Otherwise having all the characteristics described above for the baderae species group.

Diagnosis.

This species is most readily recognized by the pale mesosoma (Fig. 18). All other members of the baderae species group treated here have the mesosoma extensively dark, at least laterally (Figs 17, 19, 20). Opius baeblus is most similar to Opius baderae based on the color pattern of the head, most notably the gena, face and clypeus, and differs primarily in body color, larger body size, and in having the anal vein of the fore wing more distant from the wing margin.

Biology.

Nine tephritids emerged from these stem galls within two months of their collection. Seven of these tephritids are Eutreta apicata and two represent an undescribed species of Eutreta Loew. The wasp overwintered in the laboratory and emerged the following summer. For this sample, the rate of parasitism on Eutreta spp. by opiine braconids was 10%. The host plant, Ageratina mairetiana (DC.) R.M. King & H. Rob., is a member of the Asteraceae .

Etymology.

The species name is an arbitrary combination of letters.

Remarks.

Despite the fact that this species is known from a single male, it is described here to emphasize the diversity of color patterns and host relationships of the members of this distinctive species group of tephritid parasitoids. 3RSa is longer in the right wing than in the left wing.