Alloxysta mullensis ( Cameron, 1883 )

Ferrer-Suay, Mar, Selfa, Jesús, Notton, David G. & Pujade-Villar, Juli, 2013, Revision of the types of species of Alloxysta described by Cameron and Fergusson (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Charipinae) and deposited in the Natural History Museum (London), including a key to the fauna of Great Britain, European Journal of Taxonomy 53, pp. 1-27 : 12-14

Alloxysta mullensis ( Cameron, 1883)

Fig. 4

Allotria mullensis Cameron, 1883: 366 .

Allotria (Allotria) mullensis − Dalla Torre & Kieffer 1902: 40.

Charips (Charips) mullensis − Dalla Torre & Kieffer 1910: 284.

Alloxysta mullensis − Quinlan 1974: 8.

Type material

Lectotype

♀, with the following labels: “ Holotype ” (round label with red in the margin), “mullensis” (handwritten), “ mullensis Cam ” (handwritten), “Cameron. 96–76., Mull”, “mullensis” (under label), “ Holotype ♀ of Allotria mullensis Cameron. det. J. Quinlan, 1973” (white label), “B. M. TYPE HYM. 7.125” (white label), “ Lectotype Allotria mullensis ♀ Cameron, 1883 design. Ferrer-Suay & J.P-V 2011” (red label), “ Alloxysta mullensis ( Cameron, 1883) ♀, Ferrer-Suay & J.P-V det.” (white label).

Redescription

COLORATION. Head brown, mesosoma and metasoma dark brown. Pedicel, scape and F1-F3 dark yellow; F4-F11 yellowish brown. Legs and veins yellow.

HEAD. Transversely ovate, smooth and shiny, wider than high in front view. With setae present below and between toruli. Without setae on vertex and with a lot of setae on frons. Transfacial line 1.3 x the height of compound eye. Malar space 0.5 x the height of compound eye.

ANTENNA. Female: 13-segmented, filiform. All antennomeres covered with sparse setae. F1-F3 smoother and thinner than remaining ones; F4-F11 club-shaped, with rhinaria. Pedicel 1.8 x as long as wide; F1 3.2 x as long as wide; F2 2.1 x as long as wide; F3 2.0 x as long as wide; F4 2.1 x as long as wide. Pedicel subequal to F1; F1 1.4 x as long as F2; F2 subequal to F3; F4 1.4 x as long as F3; F4-F11 subequal in length, width and shape ( Fig. 4E ). Male: as female, without any curved flagellomeres.

MESOSOMA. Pronotum covered by sparse setae except a small area of the center, few setae on distolateral corners; without carinae ( Fig. 4C ). Mesoscutum smooth and shiny, round in dorsal view with few scattered setae. Scutellum also smooth and shiny, also with sparse setae. Height of mesopleural triangle along anterior margin more or less 1.3 x height of mesopleuron. Propodeum covered by abundant pubescence; two wide propodeal carinae separated by few setae on top and forming a plate on bottom; sides sub-parallel anteriorly and very slightly curved posteriorly ( Fig. 4D ).

FORE WING. Longer than body, 1.5 x as long as mesosoma and metasoma together. Forewing covered by abundant pubescence; marginal setae present ( Fig. 4A ). Radial cell closed, 2.2 x as long as wide ( Fig. 4B ). R1 short and straight; Rs longer than R1 and curved.

METASOMA. Proximal part with an incomplete ring of setae, setae absent in the center and present laterally. Remainder of metasoma smooth and shiny, with terga clearly visible.

Remarks

The type series of Alloxysta mullensis is represented by one specimen in BMNH. It was designated as the lectotype in Ferrer-Suay et al. (2012d). This species was synonymized with A. brevis ( Thomson, 1862) by Fergusson (1986) as were A. arcuata ( Kieffer, 1902) and A. castaneiceps ( Kieffer, 1904) . This “ brevis group” is represented by very small specimens, with small closed radial cells, small flagellomeres very similar to each other and a propodeal plate in the center of the propodeum. The “ brevis group” has been tackled in a previous study ( Ferrer-Suay et al. 2012d), who concluded that A. mullensis should be considered a valid species. Alloxysta mullensis differs from A. brevis in the proportion of antennomeres: F1 subequal to pedicel in A. mullensis but shorter than pedicel in A. brevis , and F1 longer than F 2 in A. mullensis while subequal to F 2 in A. brevis . Furthermore, A. mullensis differs from A. arcuata in lacking pronotal carinae, which are present in A. arcuata .

Figures

Fig. 4. Alloxysta mullensis (Cameron, 1883). A. Fore wing. B. Fore wing radial cell. C. Pronotum. D. Propodeum. E. Antenna, ♀. F. Lateral habitus, ♀.