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
Author
Wharton, Robert
Author
Ward, Lauren
Author
Miko, Istvan
text
ZooKeys
2012
243
27
82
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.243.3990
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.243.3990
1313-2970-243-27
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
x
longer than temple. Frons irregularly rugulose along midline between antenna and median ocellus. Clypeus 2.8
x
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
x
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
x
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
x
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.
Figures 9-12.
Diachasmimorpha hildagensis
(Fischer), holotype male. 9 habitus 10 head and base of notaulus, lateral view 11 head, pronope, and base of notaulus, dorsal view 12 face.
Figures 13-16.
Diachasmimorpha hildagensis
(Fischer), holotype male. 13 mesosoma, lateral view, arrow showing anterior declivity of mesoscutum, bracket showing mesoscutal disc 14 head and mesonotum, dorsal view 15 propodeal sculpture 16 left fore and hind wings illustrating wing vein terminology.