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 heptoma
(Hartig, 1840)
(
Figure 5a,b
)
Diagnosis
Common species easily identified by the enlarged femora in the fore and middle legs and by antennal characters.
Redescription
Compound eyes relatively small. Male antennae dark, flagellomeres stout, F2 strongly enlarged and clearly longer than F1. Female antennae with F1 subequal to F2 and F3 subequal to F4, the first pair longer than the second. Pre club flagellomeres yellow or light brown, club distinct, 7-segmented, flagellomeres dark. Pronotal fovea separated by a medial bridge. Scutellar dorsal surface weakly sculptured. Anteroventral cavity of metapleura present, posterior incision of metapleura absent. Legs rather short, femora of fore and middle legs expanded. Wings relatively narrow.
Distribution
Very widespread species. Records listed here follow Fauna Europaea,
Nordlander (1978)
and
Quinlan (1986)
(African records), with additions by the authors. AFRICA:
Democratic Republic of Congo
,
South Africa
. ASIA:
China
. EUROPE:
Austria
, British Islands,
Croatia
,
Czech Republic
,
Denmark
,
Estonia
,
Finland
,
France
,
Germany
,
Hungary
,
Italy
(including
Sardinia
),
Lithuania
,
Norway
,
Poland
,
Romania
,
Russia
(uncertain: ‘USSR’ records),
Slovakia
,
Slovenia
,
Spain
,
Sweden
,
Switzerland
,
The Netherlands
,
Ukraine
.
Biology
Rhoptromeris heptoma
is one of the main parasitoids of the agricultural pest
Oscinella frit
(Linnaeus, 1758)
. Details about the interaction of
R. heptoma
with its host are given by
Nordlander (1978)
. The species is readily collected in grassy areas (
Nordlander 1978
).