Gasteruption visaliae ( Bradley, 1909 )

Macedo, Antonio Carlos Cruz, 2011, A revision of Gasteruption Latreille (Hymenoptera: Gasteruptiidae) in the Neotropical Region 3030, Zootaxa 3030 (1), pp. 1-62 : 54-56

Gasteruption visaliae ( Bradley, 1909) ( Figs. 25 , 27h )

Foenus visaliae Bradley, 1909: 40 (description).

Gasteruption visaliae: Kieffer, 1912: 236 (in key), 306 (redescription); Hedicke, 1939: 34 (catalog); Carlson, 1979: 1118 (catalog); Hoebeke, 1980: 24 (holotype).

Rhydinofoenus visaliae: Townes, 1950: 130 (in key), 134–135 (redescription); Townes, 1951: 661 (catalog); Parker and Bohart, 1966: 95 (host record).

Diagnosis. Differs from G. brasiliense by the occipital carina wide dorsally and laterally ( Fig. 25b ); and the mesosoma mostly black ( Fig. 25d ). Differs from other Neotropical species by the metacoxa with well-defined striae; the propleuron longer than or as long as the pronotum; the mesoscutum punctate rugulose ( Fig. 25c ); the occipital carina wide dorsally and laterally ( Fig. 25b ); the mesepisternum ( Fig. 25d ) and the propodeum areolate; the ovipositor sheath longer than the metasoma, and dark brown, with apex yellow brown ( Fig. 25e ); and the fore wing discal cell present.

Redescription. Female ( Fig. 25e ). Length: 13.3 mm (11.7–15.1 mm) (n=10); ovipositor sheath length 0.86 (0.83–0.91) × body length.

Head. Subtrapezoidal in dorsal view, as long as wide ( Fig. 25a ), punctulate; mandible pre-apical tooth distinct; malar space short, almost separated from gena; posterior ocellus inserted at the level of upper eye margin; occipital carina relatively wide dorsally and laterally ( Fig. 25b ). Head length 1.38 (1.29–1.46) × eye length; eye length 18.32 (14.00–23.00) × malar space; distance from posterior ocellus to occipital margin 1.80 (1.57–2.20) × distance between posterior ocelli; 1 st flagellomere 1.10 (0.91–1.22) × as long as scape, 1.47 (1.25–1.67) × as long as pedicel, 0.58 (0.51–0.64) × as long as 2 nd flagellomere. Color: black.

Mesosoma. Propleuron imbricate, with irregular striae; pronotal process distinct; pronotum ventral lobe imbricate rugulose, dorsal and posterior lobes imbricate, area between lobes crenulate; mesonotum rounded in lateral view ( Fig. 25d ); mesoscutum punctate rugulose ( Fig. 25c ); mesoscutelum rugulose; mesepisternum imbricate dorsally and areolate ventrally; mesepimeron scrobiculate; metapleuron areolate, ventral region with a reduced smooth or rugulose portion; propodeum areolate, longitudinal carina indistinct or present ( Fig. 27h ); metacoxa finely striate. Mesosoma (excluding propleuron) 1.96 (1.82–2.13) × as long as high; propleuron 1.87 (1.55–2.35) × longer than its largest wide, 1.12 (1.04–1.25) × pronotum length; metacoxa 2.83 (2.36–3.25) × as long as wide; metatibia 4.77 (4.17–5.16) × as long as wide, 1.45 (1.38–1.50) × as long as femur, 3.10 (2.97–3.35) × as long as 1 st tarsomere. Fore wing discal cell subtrapezoidal or subtriangular; hind wing with 3 hamuli, not equidistant. Color: black, pronotum posterior lobe usually red brown; fore and middle legs with coxa black, trochanter, femur and tibia red brown, tibia with a yellow longitudinal stripe, tarsus yellow, with apical tarsomeres gradually darker than basal ones; hind leg with coxa, trochanter, femur and tibia dark brown, subbasal portion of tibia yellow, 1 st tarsomere yellow, with base dark brown, 2 nd –3 rd yellow, 4 th –5 th dark brown.

Metasoma. Imbricate, 3.10 (2.85–3.22) × as long as mesosoma; subgenital sternun notched, Y-shaped; ovipositor sheath 1.39 (1.29–1.48) × as long as metasoma. Color: dark brown; ovipositor sheath dark brown, with apex yellow brown.

Male. Similar to female; hind tarsus usually entirely dark brown.

Host. Hylaeus cressoni ( Parker and Bohart 1966) .

Geographic distribution: USA (Arizona, California, Oregon, Texas) ( Townes 1950); Costa Rica, Mexico (Baja California ( Townes 1950), Jalisco, Nuevo León, Quintana Roo, Sonora, Veracruz), Venezuela.

Material examined. Holotype female ( CUIC no. 2626): USA: California: Los Angeles Co., Claremont, C.F. Baker.

Other material. COSTA RICA: Alajuela: 6 mi NW Alajuela , 28.XII.1972, B. & C. Dasch, 1♀ ( AEIC) ; San José , San José, M. Valerio, 1♀ ( USNM) ; MEXICO: Jalisco: Guadalajara, Crawford, 1♀ ( USNM) ; Nuevo León: San Pedro Iturbide , 32 km W Linares, 5.X.1962, H. & M. Townes, 1♀, 1♂ ( AEIC) ; Quintana Roo: X-can, VIII.1963, E. Welling, 2♀ ( CNCI) ; Sonora: Ciudad Obregon , 17. V.1961, H. Howden & Martin, 1♀, 1♂ ( CNCI) ; Veracruz: Panuco , 26.II.1971, F. Parker & D. Miller, 1♂ ( USNM) ; VENEZUELA: Mérida: Tabay, La Mucuy, 1900 m, 18. VI –2.VIII–1989, S. & J. Peck, 1♂ ( AEIC) ; Tabay , La Mucuy, 1900 m, streamside meadow, 17. VI – 2.VIII–1989, S. & J. Peck, 5♀, 9♂ ( CNCI) .

Comments. According to Townes (1950) “this seems primarily a Mexican species that occurs also in the adjacent United States and in the far west as far north as Oregon ”.

Figures

FIGURE 25. Gasteruption visaliae. a: head in dorsal view; b: head in lateral view; c: mesonotum in dorsal view; d: mesosoma in lateral view; e. habitus. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 27. Propodeum and metacoxa in dorsal view. a: Gasteruption bertae; b: G. bispinosum; c: G. helenae; d: G. huberi; e: G: kaweahense; f: G. oliveirai; g: G. rafaeli; h: G. visaliae. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.