Trichomalus, Thomson, 1878

Baur, Hannes, 2001, The Hymenoptera (Chalcidoidea, Ichneumonoidea, Platygastroidea) described by Vittorio Delucchi: an annotated catalogue, Journal of Natural History 35 (1), pp. 55-125 : 118-119

Trichomalus su‚atus Delucchi ( Pteromalidae )

Trichomalus su‚atus Delucchi, 1962b: 19. Holotype m, Morocco: Gharb [Rharb], road to Tanger between KeÂnitra and Souk el Tleta ( VD [examined]).

Material. HOLOTYPE m (mp) labelled` Trichomalus su‚atus n. sp. V. Delucchi det.; GHARB 6.IV.1961 V. Delucchi leg. ; HOLOTYPE [red]’.

PARATYPES, VD: 4 mm (mp). One slide (sc) with left antenna (1962b: 21, ®gure 4) of a paratype .

Remarks. Delucchi (1962b: 20) put su‚atus in the neighbourhood of Trichomalus apertus (Walker) . However, in Graham’s key to the species of Trichomalus (1969: 713) , su‚atus runs to fulvipes (Walker). I have not examined the lectotype of the latter but the one of operosus (FoÈrster) [5 fulvipes] ( NMW), three females ( VD) identi®ed by Delucchi as operosus, and additional six females ( SV) of fulvipes reared from an Apion sp. ( Coleoptera : Apionidae ) on Trifolium pratense Linnaeus (Fabaceae) in Germany ( Vidal, 1997: 26), of which su‚atus can be distinguished by the following characters: head in dorsal view with temples about 0.33 times as long as length of eye (0.2±0.25 in fulvipes), ¯agellum stouter proximally (though still rather clavate) with hairs more outstanding, hence appearing strikingly bristly, and pilosity of fore wing rather less dense, hairs longer. With regard to these characters, su‚atus is very similar to Trichomalus helvipes (Walker) from which it is separated by having the legs bright testaceous, with only a weak dark spot at the base of the mesofemora in one specimen. As judged from the description, Trichomalus alonsoi Nieves-Aldrey and Garrido , reared from some apionids in Spain (Nieves- Aldrey and Garrido, 1994: 191), appeared to be another close species. Examination of the holotype and a female paratype of the latter revealed the following diOEerences: head and mesosoma duller and more bronze green (bright green in su‚atus), median area of propodeum slightly striate (smooth and shiny in su‚atus), 1.9±2 times as broad as long (about 1.6 in su‚atus), propodeal callus rather more densely pilose, and gaster 1.75±1.85 times as long as mesosoma (1.3±1.4 in su‚atus).

Status. Trichomalus su‚atus Delucchi.