North American species of Agrostocynips Diaz (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Eucoilinae), parasitoids of Agromyzidae (Diptera): bionomics and taxonomy
Author
Buffington, Matthew L.
Author
Scheffer, Sonja J.
text
Zootaxa
2008
1817
39
48
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.274371
49b0c40d-c5ca-4ee2-ad7e-2a83218b6363
1175-5326
274371
Agrostocynips robusta
(Ashmead)
Figure 2 A–D
Diagnosis.
Differs from
A. clavatus
by the lack of an indication of the mesoscutal keel at the anterior margin of the mesoscutum (distinctly present in all specimens examined of
A. clavatus
); from
A. diastrophi
by the smaller and posteriorly truncate scutellar plate (
Fig. 2 C
) (longer and rounded posteriorly in
A. diastrophi
,
Fig. 1 E–F
), as well as the presence of 4-6 perimeter teeth on the dorsal surface of the scutellar plate (
Fig. 2 B
) (7- 8 present in
A. diastrophi
,
Fig. 1 E
); further differentiated from
A. diastrophi
by the weak to absent orbital furrows on the inner margins of the eyes (nearly always well developed in
A. diastrophi
).
FIGURE 1.
A–F,
Agrostocynips diastrophi
(Ashmead)
. A, habitus, female; B, close-up of head and mesosoma, female; C, SEM of female head, anterior view; D, SEM of female head, posterior view; E, SEM of female mesosoma, lateral view; F, SEM of female mesosoma, dorsal view.
Redescription.
As in description of genus, with: orbital furrows poorly developed, often entirely absent; scutellar plate with 4-6 perimeter tubercals present on dorsal surface, always in pairs; posterior margin of scutellar plate shortened, truncated.
Material examined.
Holotype
. [first label]
St. Vincent
, W[est] I[ndies], H.H. Smith, [second label]
Type
No. 2336
USNM
[third label]
Chrestosem robusta
Ashm.
[in Ashmead’s hand], [fourth label]
Agrostocynips robusta
(Ahm.)
, Det. By M.L. Buffington 2003. The
holotype
is a male, in poor condition, consisting of only the metasoma and hind legs glued to a card point. Deposited in
USNM
.
Additional material
. Several specimens from the following
US
states and Canadian province (deposited in
TAMU
,
UCRC
and
USNM
):
CAN-
ADA
:
Ontario.
U.S.A.
:
Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida,
Georgia
, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachussets, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington D.C.
FIGURE 2.
A–D,
Agrostocynips robusta
(Ashmead)
. A, habitus, female; B, close-up of head and mesosoma, female; C, female mesosoma, dorsal view; D, forewing of female, ventral view. E,
A. diastrophi
(Ashmead)
, forewing of female, ventral view. F, sympatric holly leafminers on
Ilex cassine
: linear mine (l) of
Phytomyza opacae
Kulp
contrasted with two blotch mines (b) of
Phytomyza
n. sp.
1, a host of
A. robusta
.
Biology.
Reared from
Phytomyza
n. sp.
1 (
sensu
Scheffer & Wiegmann, 2000
) on
Ilex cassine
and
I. myrtifolia
(holly,
Aquifoliaceae
; SJS reared material,
Fig. 2
F); from
Phytomyza
sp. on
Solidago
(goldenrod,
Asteraceae
); from
Liriomyza trifolii
(Burgess)
on
Solanum americanum
P. Mill.
(American black nightshades,
Solanaceae
) and
L. trifolii
on
Capsicum anuum
L. (jalapeno and Cuban hots peppers,
Solanaceae
). Also recorded from an undetermined leafminer on
Symphoricarpos
(snowberry,
Caprifoliaceae
); this species has also been observed host searching on
Celtis
(hackberry,
Ulmaceae
; MLB, pers. obsv.).
Distribution.
Southwestern, Central and Eastern
United States
, South Eastern
Canada
and the Carribbean (see material examined). Specimens of this species have also been examined from Baja as well as central and Southern
Mexico
. The species is likely present throughout Central
America
.