Miscogaster lucens Delucchi (Pteromalidae), 1953

Baur, Hannes, 2001, The Hymenoptera (Chalcidoidea, Ichneumonoidea, Platygastroidea) described by Vittorio Delucchi: an annotated catalogue, Journal of Natural History 35 (1), pp. 55-125 : 95-96

Miscogaster lucens Delucchi (Pteromalidae)

Miscogaster lucens Delucchi, 1953a: 215 . Holotype m,? Sweden (NMW [examined]).

Material. HOLOTYPE m (cp, antennae except right clava, left fore wing, and left metatarsus lacking, head and right clava glued beside rest of body) labelled`Swed.? 17. 20.X.48; TYPE [red]; MISCOGASTER lucens n. V. Delucchi det.’ (petiole illustrated, Delucchi, 1955a: 55, ®gure 73). One slide (sc) labelled`13; MISCOGASTER [black underlined] lucens [red underlined] antenna m; M. lucens n. sp. antenna DIS [pasted over by former label]’ presumably with left antenna (1955a: 55, ®gure 72) and one slide (sc) labelled`14; M. lucens n. sp. ala DIS’ with left fore wing (1953a: 209, ®gure 4; 1955a: 55, ®gures 70, 71) of holotype.

Remarks. Delucchi described the female and stated`Type im Nat. Museum in Wien.’ but did not specify the number of specimens he had. The head of the holotype has retained only the radicula of the right antenna. But judging from the shape of the scape I am convinced that the slide mounted antenna which lacks the radicula is the left one. There is little doubt that this antenna originates from the holotype, since its clava matches very well the clava which is glued to the card point. Furthermore, Delucchi most probably had only one specimen. Interestingly, Delucchi’s ®gure (see above) shows the antenna with radicula. Since the antenna ®ts the illustration in every other respect very well, I suppose that Delucchi completed the scape with a ®ctitious radicula.

Graham (1969: 231) suggested that lucens might be close to Miscogaster hortensis Walker. Examination of the relevant name-bearing types together with many specimens from Northern and Central Europe, France, and Hungary ( BMNH, MG, NMBE, VD) led to the conclusion that the holotype of lucens actually is an unusually large specimen of hortensis . The main feature given by Delucchi (1955a: 56) for separating lucens from the other species of Miscogaster , i.e. the peculiar shape of the petiole, is likely to consist of a deformation only. Its outer shape is quite strongly asymmetric with a tooth-like extension in the middle of the right hand side. A similar though less conspicuous asymmetry is sometimes present in the petiole of hortensis , too. Otherwise lucens ®ts the diagnosis of the former in every respect and is therefore considered as belonging to the same species.

Status. Junior synonym of Miscogaster hortensis Walker syn. n.