Diachasmimorpha norrbomi Wharton

Wharton, Robert, Ward, Lauren & Miko, Istvan, 2012, New neotropical species of Opiinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) reared from fruit-infesting and leaf-mining Tephritidae (Diptera) with comments on the Diachasmimorpha mexicana species group and the genera Lorenzopius and Tubiformopius, ZooKeys 243, pp. 27-82 : 43-46

Diachasmimorpha norrbomi Wharton sp. n. Figs 25, 2930, 32

Type locality.

Mexico, State of Mexico, Parque Lago de Zempoala.

Type material.

Holotype. Female (UNAM), first label, first line: Mexico, Parque second line: Lag. de Zempoala, path third line: along L. Zempoala, 10-11. fourth line: VIII.1989, A.L.Norrbom Second label, first line: reared ex. Euphranta second line: mexicana ( Tephritidae ) third line: ex. fruit of Ribes fourth line: pringlei Rose (89M13)

Paratypes: 27 females, 20 males, same data as holotype, one of these with an additional ALN 31 label and a Biosteres sp. 1 det P. Marsh label (TAMU, UNAM, USNM).

Other specimens examined (not paratypes): 1 female, 1 male, Mexico, D.F., Delegacion Tlapan, Fracc. Tlapuente, 19.ix.2003, M. Aluja #50, reared from fruit of Granadilla (TAMU).

Description.

Female.Head in dorsal view 1.25-1.30 × broader than mesoscutum, 1.80-1.85 × broader than face; eye in dorsal view 1.7-2.0 × longer than temple, temples not receding, but width at eyes greater than width at temples; eye in lateral view 2.1-2.9 × longer than temple. Facial midridge ending dorsally in short, very weak bifurcation between antennae. Frons irregularly rugulose along midline near bifurcation, otherwise polished, with moderately dense patch of decumbent, laterally-directed, white setae on either side of midline; bare on either side of ocellar field; width of ocellar field 1.0-1.2 × distance from ocellar field to eye. Face 1.80-1.95 × wider than high; uniformly setose (as in Figs 30, 32), distinctly punctate, punctures separated by at least 1 × their diameter. Malar sulcus deep, complete; malar space about 0.9-1.0 × basal width of mandible, 0.30-0.35 × eye height. Clypeus 2.8-3.2 × wider than high; very weakly convex, nearly flat. Occipital carina weak but distinct near base of mandible, short, extending dorsally to ventral margin of eye and often slightly beyond, not reaching mid eye height. Hypostomal carina extending as short but distinct flange below mandible. Antenna with 41-47 flagellomeres; first flagellomere 1.05-1.2 × longer than second; 1.8-2.0 × longer than wide.

Mesosoma 1.35-1.45 × longer than high; 1.85-1.95 × longer than wide; 1.35-1.40 × higher than wide. Pronope deep, large, interrupting posterior crenulate groove middorsally; crenulae extending along dorsal 0.2 of pronotum laterally within narrow, shallow groove; groove not margined anteriorly by carina; anterior margin of pronotum laterally sinuate, not abruptly excavated. Notauli deep anteriorly, gradually weakening posteriorly, extending posteriorly to level of tegula, not reaching long, narrow midpit, anterior end usually just short of and only rarely reaching anterior-lateral margin of scutum; mesoscutum usually without supra-marginal carina between base of notaulus and tegula, rarely with short, weak trace of a carina. Scuto-scutellar sulcus nearly rectangular, a little narrower medially; 4.2-4.8 × wider than midlength; crenulate-foveolate. Propodeum rugose, areola extending over posterior 0.8 but largely obscured by sculpture. Precoxal sulcus crenulate, widely separated from anterior margin of mesopleuron.

Wings. Fore wing stigma short, broad, discrete distally, 3.15-3.30 × longer than wide; r1 arising from midlength of stigma; 1RS (excluding parastigma) 0.30-0.35 × length of 1M; m-cu postfurcal by 0.2-0.3 × length of m-cu; second submarginal cell distinctly converging distally; 2RS 1.0-1.2 × longer than 3RSa; 2CUa 1.6-1.8 × longer than 2cu-a; 1cu-a distad 1M by about 1.0 × its length.

Metasoma not distinctly petiolate; head 1.6-1.9 × wider than apex of T1. T1 0.95-1.05 × as long as apical width; strongly diverging apically, with apex 2.0-2.5 × wider than base; surface smooth to weakly strigose posterior-medially, almost completed smooth laterally; dorsal carinae weakly converging, widely separated at posterior margin, strongly elevated over anterior 0.5, gradually weakening posteriorly; lateral carina weaker, extending distinctly ventrad spiracle, rounded and barely distinguishable posteriorad spiracle; spiracle at midlength of T1; dorsope absent but lateral and dorsal carinae elevated at junction, giving appearance of a slight depression; laterope deep; S1 very short, extending posteriorad to level of dorsal tendon attachment. T2 unsculptured, with sharp lateral margins. Ovipositor sheath 1.7-1.8 × longer than mesosoma, setal pattern about as in Diachasmimorpha martinalujai , with slightly greater density basally.

Color (Fig. 25). Very similar to Diachasmimorpha hildagensis . Meso- and metasoma orange, except tegula black; head dorsally dark brown to black except for small orange spot on vertex adjacent eye, lower occiput mostly yellow-orange, similar in color to broad band extending through epistomal sulcus, clypeus, lower gena (often), and mandibles; clypeus usually with narrow, transverse brown band, mandible with apical teeth dark, rarely with entire mandible brownish; legs black except extreme base and most or all of dorsal side of hind coxa orange, joint between femora and trochantelli reddish orange.

Male as in female except head in dorsal view 1.3-1.4 × broader than mesoscutum, 1.70-1.75 × broader than face; eye slightly smaller, in dorsal view eye 1.45-1.60 × longer than temple, in lateral view 1.9-2.4 × longer than temple; antenna with 41-43 flagellomeres, first flagellomere 0.95-1.2 × longer than second. Mesosoma slightly narrower, 1.95-2.05 × longer than wide; 1.4-1.5 × higher than wide; scuto-scutellar sulcus somewhat more variable in size, 4.0-5.5 × wider than midlength. Fore wing stigma 3.1-3.4 × longer than wide. T1 slightly smaller, head 1.9-2.2 × wider than apex of T1, T1 1.75-1.90 × wider at apex than at base.

Body length 3.3-4.3 mm, fore wing length 3.5-4.1 mm, mesosoma length 1.15-1.65 mm.

Diagnosis.

This species is similar in coloration to Diachasmimorpha hildagensis and Diachasmimorpha martinalujai but the ovipositor (with sheath 1.7-1.8 × longer than mesosoma) is slightly but distinctly shorter and the notaulus only rarely extends all the way to the anterior margin. The notaulus always reaches the anterior margin in the other two species. Diachasmimorpha norrbomi is smaller and has a larger eye than Diachasmimorpha hildagensis , and 2RS tends to be longer (relative to 3Ra) in Diachasmimorpha norrbomi than in Diachasmimorpha hildagensis and Diachasmimorpha martinalujai .

Biology.

The type series of Diachasmimorpha norrbomi was reared from Euphranta mexicana Norrbom infesting fruits of Ribes pringlei Rose ( Norrbom 1993). Two additional specimens that fit within the morphological limits of this species were reared from an unknown tephritid infesting Passiflora ligularis Juss.

Etymology.

This species is named for Allen Norrbom, who reared many Opiinae from various fruit, stem, and flower-infesting tephritids in Mexico and Central America.

Remarks.

Size variation in this species is similar to that exhibited by Diachasmimorpha martinalujai , with males dominating the small end of the range.