Omphale rubigus (Walker)

Hansson, Christer & Shevtsova, Ekaterina, 2012, Revision of the European species of Omphale Haliday (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Eulophidae), ZooKeys 232, pp. 1-157 : 101-103

Omphale rubigus (Walker) Figures 389-397531

Entedon rubigus Walker, 1839:91. Lectotype female in BMNH, examined.

Omphale rubigus (Walker), Graham (1959).

Omphale rubigus (Walker), Graham (1963).

Material.

Type material. Lectotype female, type no. 5.2036 in BMNH. Additio-nal material. 299♀: France 6♀ (RMNH), Germany 1♀ (RMNH), Hungary 20♀ (BMNH, CH), Italy 1♀ (RMNH), Netherlands 4♀ (RMNH), Russia 61♀ (BMNH, CH, LUZM), Sweden 185♀ (CH, BMNH, LUZM), United Kingdom 21♀ (BMNH).

Diagnosis.

Frons above frontal suture and vertex smooth (Figs 396, 397); frontal suture very weakly V-shaped, almost straight (Fig. 396); occipital margin with an edge (Fig. 397); antennal scrobes join at or slightly below frontal suture (Fig. 396); meso-scutum with engraved and strong reticulation and with notauli as distinct smooth deep grooves in posterior ⅔, grooves gradually widening towards posterior part (Fig. 394); forewing with row of admarginal setae with all, or most, arising from ventral part of marginal vein and radial cell bare (Fig. 392).

Description.

Female. Length of body 1.2-2.0 mm. Antenna with scape pale brown with dorsal margin dark brown, pedicel and flagellum dark brown and shiny; pedicel + flagellum 1.9 × as long as distance between eyes; first flagellomere 1.1 × as long and 1.3 × as wide as second flagellomere (Fig. 395); flagellomeres with scattered short setae, flagellomeres 1-4 ventrally also with a set of long setae attached close to base and reaching beyond apex of flagellomere attached to; longitudinal sensilla on flagellomeres as long as flagellomere attached to; clava 1-segmented. Face dark brown with green metallic tinges (Fig. 390), strigose (Fig. 396); clypeus green to blue metallic, strigose, semicircular, 1.4 × as wide as high; gena dark brown metallic; lower frons green metallic, with very weak reticulation, almost smooth; interscrobal area smooth; antennal scrobes join at or slightly below frontal suture; frontal suture very weakly V-shaped, almost straight; upper frons and vertex green to blue metallic, sometimes brightly so, smooth (Fig. 397). Occipital margin with an edge (Fig. 397).

Mesoscutum golden with green and blue metallic tinges (Fig. 391), with engraved and strong reticulation (Fig. 394), midlobe with two pairs of setae; notauli as distinct smooth and deep grooves in posterior ⅔, grooves gradually widening towards posterior part. Scutellum golden with green metallic tinges (Fig. 391), with engraved and strong reticulation (Fig. 394), some specimens with a weak median groove in anterior ¼; 1.1 × as long as wide, with anterior margin smoothly curved forwards. Axillae golden with green metallic tinges (Fig. 391). Dorsellum green metallic (Fig. 391), smooth and flat (Fig. 394), 0.5 × as long as wide, and 0.8 × as long as length of median propodeum. Entire lateral mesosoma black metallic (Fig. 389). Transepimeral sulcus weakly curved forwards. Propodeum green metallic (Fig. 391), smooth (Fig. 394); propodeal callus with two setae. Legs with coxae and femora dark brown (Fig. 389); tibiae pale brown to dark brown; foretarsus dark brown, mid- and hind tarsi yellowish brown; midleg with first tarsomere 0.3 × as long as length of tarsus. Forewing transparent, occasionally infumate, veins pale brown, setae dark brown (Fig. 392); speculum closed; admarginal setae 7-14, arising from marginal vein or from membrane just behind vein; radial cell bare; postmarginal vein 1.7 × as long as stigmal vein. Hind wing transparent, apex rounded (Fig. 392). Forewing WIP (Fig. 393) with apical ½ yellow and margined with magenta, basal ½ with wide bands in magenta, blue and yellow.

Petiole yellowish brown. Gaster with first tergite dark brown with green or blue metallic tinges, remaining tergites dark brown with metallic tinges, smooth, elongate and 1.4 –1.6× as long as length of mesosoma; 7th tergite 0.09 × as long as length of gaster.

Male. Unknown.

Hosts.

Trigonodiplosis sp. ( Diptera : Cecidomyiidae ) on Vicia cracca ( Bouček and Askew 1968). Yefremova et al. (2009) recorded Omphale rubigus as a parasitoid on Phyllonorycter emberizaepennella and Phyllonorycter pyrifoliella ( Lepidoptera : Gracillariidae ). In view of the other host record for this species, and host records for other species of Omphale , which are exclusively gall midges ( Diptera : Cecidomyiidae ), these records are dubious. Presumably the parasitoid is either misidentified, or the samples have been contaminated.

Distribution.

Austria ( Bouček and Askew 1968), Czech Republic ( Bouček and Askew 1968), France ( Gijswijt 1976), Germany ( Bouček and Askew 1968), Hungary (new record), Italy (new record), Netherlands ( Gijswijt 1976), Russia ( Yefremova 2002), Sweden ( Hansson 1991), United Kingdom ( Walker 1839) (Fig. 531).

Remarks.

Males have never been found in this species, possibly this is a species with thelytokous parthenogenesis.