Revision of the West Palaearctic species of Rhoptromeris Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Eucoilinae)
Author
Costa Baião, Guilherme
Author
Forshage, Mattias
text
Journal of Natural History
2018
J. Nat. Hist.
2018-04-13
52
17 - 20
1201
1224
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2018.1447154
journal article
10.1080/00222933.2018.1447154
1464-5262
5174636
8164332C-93E2-4E3F-A408-F5FF5DFB366E
Rhoptromeris dichromata
sp. nov.
(
Figure 3a,b
)
Diagnosis
Head and mesosoma dark brown or black, female metasoma lighter, usually with reddish or orange tinge ventrally,
1.5–1.6 mm
(
Figure 3a
), male metasoma brown. The species can be distinguished from
R. heptoma
or
R. villosa
by the long and narrow marginal cell, elongate antennae and more strongly sculptured scutellum, and from
R strobigena
or
R. koponeni
by the long and narrow marginal cell, the medial bridge on the pronotal plate and the smaller eyes. Specimens show considerable variation in size of female flagellomeres, height of scutellum and sculpture of the dorsal scutellar surface. It is possible that future molecular studies or analysis of additional material will reveal that the species as conceived here can be split into two or more distinct species.
Description
Compound eyes and ocelli small. Female antenna 0.8–0.9× body length, 13-segmented, scape, pedicel and first three flagellomeres light brown, flagellomeres 4–13 brown. Flagellomeres subequal in size. Indistinct club of 8 articles, bearing rhinaria, not much wider than pre-club flagellomeres. Male antennae approximately 1.6× body length. Flagellomeres elongate, brown, F1 and F2 sometimes lighter. F2 moderately bent, forming a weak ‘S’ shape when viewed from above. F2 from 1.5 to almost 2 times the length of F1.
Mesonotum smooth, with a few scattered setae, weakly arched. Pronotal plate with lateral bridges, foveae large and separated by a medial bridge (
Figure 2a
). Lateral aspect of pronotum with a few scattered setae. Scutellar plate drop-shaped (
Figure 6a
), sometimes more elongate, surface flat, with a large posterior glandular pit and small setal pits anteriorly, a few scattered setae. Scutellar foveae of normal size and depth, sometimes more shallow. Lateral bars sometimes with a few striae basally. Dorsal scutellar surface with ridges forming a reticulate pattern, more or less radiating from scutellar plate. Dorsal surface with a line of setae along its rim, separated from lateral surface by a carina. Lateral surface mostly smooth, with a few ridges. Scutellum rather short. Mesopleural line present as a ridge. Metapleura glabrous, except for 2 or 3 long setae on dorsal region. Anteroventral cavity present, round (
Figure 1a
), filled with hair. Posterior margin straight, with a few weak ridges running anterodorsally. Posterior incision of metapleura absent.
Propodeum pubescent laterally, with tuft of hair above metapleural ventral callus. Propodeal carinae straight, converging dorsally.
Metasoma darker on its dorsal portion, in females often much lighter ventrally, with a yellowish or reddish tinge. Hairy ring with a small dorsal opening, dense, especially in females.
Legs yellow or light brown. Metacoxae with a small posteroproximal tuft of short hair.
Wings relatively narrow, hyaline, pubescent, apex rounded, hair fringe not particularly long. Marginal cell closed or diffusely closed, narrow, elongate, 3 times as long as deep, veins Rs and 2r straight, the same size or with Rs slightly longer. Venation light brown, accessory veins sometimes very lightly indicated by colouration.
Etymology
In allusion to the often yellowish or reddish metasoma which contrasts with the black head and mesosoma.
Distribution
Europe: specimens seen from
Austria
,
Denmark
,
Finland
,
Norway
,
Slovenia
,
Sweden
.
Holotype
Female
:
SWEDEN
,
Västerbotten
,
Vindelns
kommun,
Kulbäckslidens
f.-park,
Kulbäcken
, meadow, birch wood on fine alluvial sediments, (
64.190217°N
19.605700°E
),
1–18 August 2003
,
Swedish Malaise Trap
Project (
NHRS
).
Paratypes
(
4 females
):
SWEDEN
:
Småland
,
Nybro
kommun,
Bäckebo
,
Grytsjöns
naturreservat,
56.931407°N
16.085536°E
,
Old
moist haymaking meadow in forest edge,
27 June–2 July 2005
,
Swedish Malaise Trap
Project
(
NHRS
) (
1 female
,
NHRS
); Småland, Nybro kommun, Bäckebo, Grytsjöns naturreservat,
56.921656°N
16.101228°E
, Old aspen forest in boulder terrain,
2–12 July 2005
,
Swedish Malaise Trap
Project (
NHRS
) (
1 female
,
NHRS
);
Halland
, Halmstad kommun, Gårdshult, Buskastycket, Moist hay meadow (
56.694883° N
13.150500°E
)
1–25 April 2004
,
Swedish Malaise Trap
Project (
NHRS
) (
1 female
,
NHRS
);
Västerbotten
, Vindelns kommun, Kulbäcken meadow, birch wood on fine alluvial sediments, (
64.190217°N
19.605700°E
),
5–20 August 2004
,
Swedish Malaise Trap
Project (
NHRS
) (
1 female
,
NHRS
)
.
Additional material
AUSTRIA
:
Niederösterreich
Lunz
/
See
47.85°N
15.0333°E
,
5–14 August 2005
leg H
.
Malicky
(
1 female
,
OLML
)
,
FINLAND
:
Southern Finland
,
Mikkelin
mlk
26 June 1983
M
.
Koponen
leg (
1 female
, coll
Koponen
),
Savonia
australis,
Mikkelin
mlk 6840:507
28 July 1996
M
.
Koponen
leg (
1 male
, coll
Koponen
),
Kuusamo
,
Kuusamo
7371:609
3 July 1998
M
.
Koponen
leg (
2 males
, coll
Koponen
)
Ks
,
Kuusamo
30 June 1979
M
.
Koponen
leg (
1 male
, coll
Koponen
)
Ostrobothnia
media,
Lappajärvi
7014:327
31 July 1995
(
1 male
, coll
Koponen
)
Southern Finland
,
Ristiina
25 June 1983
M
.
Koponen
leg (
1 male
, coll
Koponen
)
;
SLOVENIA
:
Radovljica
2–13 August 1978
malaise trap
,
Phragmites
swamp
Lars Huggert
(
2 females
,
NHRS
)
;
SWEDEN
:
Småland
,
Högsby
kommun,
Hornsö
, kronopark, birch fen (
57.006550°N
16.109350°E
),
20–30 June 2004
(coll.
Event ID
340),
Swedish Malaise Trap
Project
(
NHRS
) (
1 female
,
NHRS
);
Södermanland
,
Huddinge
kommun,
Sofielunds
återvinningsanläggning, pine forest with garbage (
59.176533°N
17.993850° E
),
30 June–13 July 2004
,
Swedish Malaise Trap
Project (
NHRS
) (
1 female
,
NHRS
); Uppland, Älvkarleby kommun, Båtfors
.
Pine forest
with blueberry (
60.46065° N
17.317817°E
),
14 June–04 July 2005
,
Swedish Malaise Trap
Project
(
NHRS
) (
2 females
,
NHRS
); Uppland,
Uppsala
kommun, Ekdalens naturreservat, tall herbs and young trees mixed with old oaks (
59.971517°N
18.354983°E
),
7–21 July 2003
,
Swedish Malaise Trap
Project (
NHRS
) (
1 female
,
NHRS
);
Skåne
,
Skäralid
,
SW of Lierna
N
56° 01
ʹ
E
13° 13
ʹ
18–30 August 1994
. Leg M.
Söderlund
(
1 female
,
MZLU
);
Västerbotten
,
Hällnäs
,
18 August 1982
Leg K
.J.
Hedqvist
(
1 female
,
MZLU
);
Hälsingland
,
Älgesjön
, RN689312/152201
Leg Erik Sahlin
,
Fönsterfälla
15 May–15 June 2002
(
2 females
,
NHRS
);
Hälsingland
,
Älgesjön
, RN689312/152201
Leg Erik Sahlin
,
Fönsterfälla
24 July–11 September 2002
(
1 female
,
NHRS
)
.
Biology
Specimens were collected from the end of June to August in mostly forested habitats (both coniferous and deciduous forests, as well as forest edges towards meadows). The relatively narrow wings suggest that the species is not a very good flier and possibly
attacks hosts living on low vegetation. Probably a parasitoid of
Chloropidae (Diptera)
, like other known
Rhoptromeris
species.