Macroglenes paludum (Graham)

Mitroiu, Mircea-Dan, 2010, Revision of the Palearctic species of Macroglenes Westwood (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), Zootaxa 2563, pp. 1-34 : 24

Macroglenes paludum (Graham)

(Figs 19, 29)

Pirene paludum Graham, 1969: 345 –346. Macroglenes paludum ; Hansson, 1991: 53.

Diagnosis. Body with conspicuous green metallic color; clypeal margin not incised (cf. Figs 1–2); only F5 large, with sensilla (cf. Fig. 33); mesosoma distinctly convex (cf. Fig. 10); pecten hardly developed (cf. Fig. 13); forewing with large patch of hairs on distal half of basal cell (Fig. 19) and without bare area between R and apical margin of wing; ovipositor long and hypopygium removed from tip of gaster (Fig. 29). Male with eyes normal, scape not inflated and distinct constriction between first two claval segments.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE (Ψ): U.K.: ‘ Type Hym: 1245 Pirene paludum Graham, Hope Dept. Oxford’, ‘ Scotland, MP. Killin, 7. 7. 1952 M. de V. Graham’, ‘ Pirene paludum sp. n. Holotype Ψ, M. de V. Graham det. 1968’ ( OUMNH).

Additional material. CZECH REPUBLIC: 1ɗ ‘ Bohemia: Týništĕ n. Orl. obora. Bouček / 5. 7. 59 ’ ( NMPC). SWITZERLAND: 1Ψ ‘ Pirene plaudum Grah., det. Z. Bouček 1986’, ‘ Switzerland, Neunkirch, VII–VIII. 85, ex. Phalaris midge’, ‘C.I.B.C. No 2’, ‘C.I.E.A. 17606’ ( BMNH); 4Ψ ‘ Suisse (Bern): Büren. a. Aare’, ‘ Phalaris midge, VIII. 85, CIBC’, ‘CIE 17606’ ( BMNH); 10Ψ, 13ɗ ‘ Pirene paludum Grah. , det. Z. Bouček 1986’, ‘ Suisse (SH): Neunkirch’, ‘ Phalaris midge, VIII. 85, CIBC’, ‘CIE 17606’ ( BMNH); 3ɗ ‘ Pirene paludum Grah. , det. Z. Bouček 1986’, ‘ Suisse: Basel, Phalaris midge, VII. 85, CIBC’ ( BMNH); 3ɗ idem, ‘17606 2.’ ( BMNH); 2ɗ ‘ Pirene plaudum Grah., det. Z. Bouček 1986’, ‘ Switzerland, Büren-a-Aare’, ‘VII-VIII. 85, ex wheat midge’, ‘C.I.B.C No 2; C.I.E A 17606’ ( BMNH); 4Ψ, 2ɗ ‘Suisse-Vaud, Préverenges, 24 VI 56, Cl. Besuchet’, ‘ Macroglenes paludum Grah. det. H. Baur 2009’ ( MHNG).

Comments. A rather rare or local species, apparently confined to North-Western Europe.

Distribution. Netherlands, Sweden, U.K. ( Noyes 2003); previously unrecorded from Czech Republic and Switzerland. The species was also recorded from China by Huang & Xiao (2005), but the drawing of the forewing suggests that a different species may be involved. Unfortunately, no material was available to resolve this.

Hosts. In the BMNH there are 15Ψ and 19ɗ reared from ‘ Phalaris midge’ and 2ɗ reared from ‘wheat midge’, all from Switzerland (see above). Graham (1969) stated that the holotype was ‘swept in a marshy place’ [p. 346] (hence the name paludum ). According to the Flora Europaea Database there are five species of Phalaris (Gramineae) in Europe. Of these only P. arudinacea (reed canary grass) is recorded from both Britain and Switzerland, while the non-native P. canariensis is recorded from Switzerland. Thus, it can be concluded that the host is probably a midge developing in P. arudinacea . Two midges ( Diptera : Cecidomyiidae ) attacking P. arudinacea have been described: Mayetiola phalaris Barnes, 1928 and Epicalamus phalaridis Sylven, 1997 . According to the Fauna Europaea Database the first species occurs in Britain, Czech Republic and Germany, while the latter in Sweden. Thus, it can be concluded that M. paludum most probably attacks Mayetiola phalaris on Phalaris arudinacea . The records from the ‘wheat midge’ ( Sitodiplosis mosellana or Contarinia tritici ) need to be confirmed.