Conostigmus marylandicus ( Ashmead, 1893 )

Trietsch, Carolyn, Mikó, István, Ezray, Briana & Deans, Andrew R., 2020, A Taxonomic Revision of Nearctic Conostigmus (Hymenoptera: Ceraphronoidea: Megaspilidae), Zootaxa 4792 (1), pp. 1-155 : 54

Conostigmus marylandicus ( Ashmead, 1893)

Fig. 30

Species Comments and History. Ashmead (1893) described this species from female specimens collected in Oakland, Maryland. The original description relies mostly on general coloration, microsculpture and antennal characters that are common among Conostigmus and cannot be matched to one species ( Ashmead, 1893). Although the original description indicates more than one specimen ( Ashmead, 1893), there is only one female specimen present at the USNM. The specimen is point mounted, but the abdomen and right forewing were detached and loose in the unit tray. The detached pieces were glued back onto the point. This damage was not recorded in the catalog by Masner and Muesebeck (1968) and must have occurred since then.

The sole female specimen has foveolate sculpturing on the head and mesosoma, a preoccipital furrow that ends at the anterior ocellus, and an elongate sternaulus, as well as the facial pit, postocellar carina, and axillular carinae present. This combination of features is unique and is not found in any other Nearctic Conostigmus species. Similar species include C. musettiae , C. franzinii , and C. bipunctatus , which all differ in that they lack the foveolate sculpturing. All three species also have the preoccipital furrow ending inside the ocellar triangle but not at the anterior ocellus. It is possible that these differences could be due to intraspecific variation due to size, nutrition, temperature or other factors impacting development. Because the other specimens from the original type series is missing, it is not possible to see what variation occurs between specimens in this species, and because there are no known males, the species cannot be compared to the males of other species.

We consider Conostigmus marylandicus as a species inquirenda.

Material Examined. Lectotype female: USA: Maryland: USNMENT01339742 ( USNM).

Figures

FIGURE 30. Conostigmus marylandicus (Ashmead, 1893) female lectotype (USNMENT01339742). A. Lateral view. B. Dorsal view.