Meteorus sulcatus Szépligeti, 1896

Stigenberg, Julia & Ronquist, Fredrik, 2011, Revision of the Western Palearctic Meteorini (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), with a molecular characterization of hidden Fennoscandian species diversity 3084, Zootaxa 3084 (1), pp. 1-95 : 72

Meteorus sulcatus Szépligeti

Fig. 78 , 129

Meteorus sulcatus Szépligeti, 1896:310 . Holotype ♀, Yugoslavia: Croatia, Grehovica , 10.v.1885 (published as 1882) (Biró) (HNHM, Budapest).

Meteorus insignis Muesebeck, 1939:83 . Holotype ♀, Great Britain: England, Herefordshire, Brickett Wood, 17.vi.1936 (Benson) (BMNH, London) synonymized by Fischer, 1966:395 —examined.

Meteorus molorchi Fischer, 1966:391 . Holotype ♀, Austria: ‘ Österreich, Wien XIII, ob. Tirolergarten, ex Molorchus umbellatarum , vi.1964 (Holzschuh)’ (NHM, Vienna) synonymized by Huddleston, 1980:49.

Diagnosis: Meteorus sulcatus is closely related to M. corax and M. nixoni . All are large and dark species with a wide face. However, M. sulcatus is the smallest amongst these with a length of about 4 mm, M. corax and M. nixoni both are about 10 mm. The petiolar tergum of the former is almost parallel whilst on both the latter species it is distinctly widening apically.

Studied material: ~ 5 specimens.

Description: Size about 4 mm. Antennae 31–36 articles. Clypeus flat, punctuate. Mandibles stout and twisted. OOL=1.5–2.0. Propodeum depressed, rugose. Petiolar tergum broad, reticulate dorsally. Petiolar tergum longitudinally striate, with distinct thyridia. Ovipositor long, 3.0–3.5 times petiolar tergum. Tarsal claws without basal lobe but swollen at the base. Second submarginal cell much higher than wide.

Distribution: Western and Eastern Palearctic. Country records: Austria; Croatia; Czechoslovakia; France; Germany; Hungary; Japan; Netherlands; Russia; Slovakia; United Kingdom.

Biology: Meteorus sulcatus is recorded as a parasitoid of Coleoptera : Buprestidae , Cerambycidae , and Chrysomelidae ( Yu et al. 2005) .

Figures

FIGURES 73–78. Characters used in key to species. 73) lateral view of the head of M. abscissus, 74) lateral view of the head of M. ictericus, 75) lateral view of the head of M. limbatus, 76) dorsal view of the head of M. nixoni, 76) dorsal view of the head of M. corax, 78) dorsal view of the petiolar tergum of M. sulcatus.

FIGURES 80–133. Anterior view of the head of Meteorus species (except for M. politutele, which is depicted in lateral view).