Revision of the Western Palearctic Meteorini (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), with a molecular characterization of hidden Fennoscandian species diversity 3084
Author
Stigenberg, Julia
Author
Ronquist, Fredrik
text
Zootaxa
2011
2011-10-28
3084
1
1
95
https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3084.1.1
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3084.1.1
11755334
5244448
Meteorus vexator
(Haliday)
Fig. 58, 63
,
133
Perilitus vexator
Haliday, 1935:33
.
Neotype
♀
,
Ireland
:
Co. Kd.
, R. Canal, (2),
11.vii.1943
(Stelfox) (USNM, Washington), designated by Fischer (1959:12).
Diagnosis
:
Meteorus vexator
is close to
M. affinis
but
M. affinis
has lobed claws (simple in
M. vecator
) and larger ocelli, characters that are distinct also in small specimens that are otherwise quite difficult to separate because of their weaker body sculpture and smaller number of antennal articles. Furthermore, the mesosoma of
M. affinis
sometimes has yellow markings, unlike
M. vexator
.
Studied material
: ~
100 specimens
.
Description
: Size about
2.5–4mm
. Antennae 20–24 articles, slender, all flagellar articles distinctly longer than broad. Ocelli small, OOL=2.5–3.0. Eyes large, protuberant, very strongly convergent. Malar space short, much less than basal breadth of mandible. Face about as broad as high, not protuberant, smooth, punctate. Clypeus moderately protuberant, smooth, punctate. Mandibles short, stout, moderately twisted. Pronotum laterally generally with weak rugose sculpture. Precoxal sulcus narrow, foveolate, sometimes with a small punctate patch beneath. Propodeum small, distinctly carinate, generally rather smooth between the carinae but sometimes weakly rugulose. Petiolar tergum with distinct dorsal pits. Ovipositor 2.5–3.0 times length of petiolar tergum. Legs long, slender, hind coxa generally at least slightly rugose ventro-laterally though sometimes reticulate-punctate; tarsal claws without a basal lobe. Colour brownish black. Male same as female except antennae longer, up to 27 articles; eyes less convergent and sculpture of precoxal sulcus and of hind coxa sometimes obsolete.
Distribution
: Western Palearctic. Country records:
Austria
;
Bulgaria
;
Croatia
;
Czechoslovakia
;
Denmark
;
Finland
;
Germany
;
Hungary
;
Ireland
;
Latvia
;
Netherlands
;
Russia
;
Slovenia
;
Sweden
;
Switzerland
;
United Kingdom
;
Yugoslavia
.
Biology
:
Meteorus vexator
has been recorded as a parasitoid of
Biphyllidae (Coleoptera)
(
Morley 1912
) but as Huddleston points out, this record is doubtful. We received specimens from T. Munk that were reared from
Dahlica lichinella
(
Lepidoptera
:
Psychidae
), which is more in line with expectations.
Species still classified as
nomina dubia
, the
types
lost or not found:
Perilitus (Meteorus) delator
(Haliday, 1874)
.
Type
material not found.
Perilitus dilatus
(
Ratzeburg, 1844
)
.
Type
material lost.
Meteorus effeminatus
Ruthe, 1862
. These male specimens were examined by Huddleston in 1981 and by JS in 2010 without any conclusion about their placement within
Meteorus
.
Perilitus flaviceps
(
Ratzeburg 1844
)
.
Type
material lost.
Perilitus longicornis
(
Ratzeburg 1844
)
.
Type
material lost.
Meteorus stenostigma
Thomson 1895
.
Type
material lost. The
two specimens
in Thomson’s collection above the name
stenostigma
were determined by JS as
M. ictericus
Nees, 1811
, and
M. pendulus
(Müller, 1776)
. Neither of them agrees with Thomson’s description and neither is from the
type
locality (
Huddleston 1980
).