A review of the Nearctic species of Erythmelus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), with a key and new additions to the New World fauna
Author
Triapitsyn, Serguei V.
Author
Berezovskiy, Vladimir V.
Author
Hoddle, Mark S.
Author
Morse, Joseph G.
text
Zootaxa
2007
2007-11-19
1641
1
1
64
https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.1641.1.1
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.1641.1.1
11755334
5103407
E7C7AD48-AF05-46CB-802E-DA6C6B046E23
Erythmelus
(
Erythmelus
)
vladimir
S.
Triapitsyn & Fidalgo, 2001
,
comb. n.
(
Figs 6, 7
)
Erythmelus
(
Parallelaptera
)
vladimir
S.
Triapitsyn & Fidalgo 2001: 163–165
(
holotype
female [IMLA], examined. Type locality: Viçosa,
Minas Gerais
,
Brazil
);
Triapitsyn 2003: 35
.
Diagnosis.
Erythmelus vladimir
belongs to the nominate subgenus of
Erythmelus
because it has a single seta on the forewing blade behind the base of the marginal vein (
Fig. 7
). This is one of the most easily recognizable species of the
flavovarius
species group because of its minute body size (length
310–386 µm
) and the unique funicle of the female antenna (
Fig. 6
), which is apparently 4–segmented due to an apparent loss of F3 and a complete or partial fusion of F1 and F2 (
Triapitsyn & Fidalgo 2001
). It was described in the subgenus
E. (
Parallelaptera
) by mistake because of its peculiar antenna and the forewing with subparallel margins; this feature is apparently a convergence due to the extremely small body size of this species, which parasitizes lace bug eggs of similar size as eggs of the hosts of
E. (
Parallelaptera
) species. Members of the subgenus
E. (
Parallelaptera
) are not known to occur in Central or South America except for
E. (P.) rex
, which might have been unintentionally introduced into the
Buenos Aires
area of
Argentina
. In South America, among the
Mymaridae
, their ecological niche as egg parasitoids of
Tingidae
appears to be occupied by minute members of
E. (
Erythmelus
)
such as
E. (E.) tingitiphagus
,
E. (E.) vladimir
, and
E. (E.) toreador
sp. n.
The male is unknown.
Distribution.
Brazil
(
Triapitsyn & Fidalgo 2001
)
Host.
Acanthocheila armigera
(Stål) (Tingidae)
(
Triapitsyn & Fidalgo 2001
).