Fidiobia rugosifrons Crawford, 1916

Popovici, Ovidiu Alin, Masner, Lubomir, Lahey, Zachary & Talamas, Elijah, 2022, Revision of the Palearctic species of Fidiobia Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 92, pp. 23-144 : 23

21. Fidiobia rugosifrons Crawford, 1916

Figs 195-201 , 202-214 , 286 , 287 , 318

Fidiobia rugosifrons : Crawford 1916: 141; Fouts 1924: 8; Kieffer 1926: 700, 701; Masner and Muesebeck 1968: 76; Fabritius 1974: 294; Kozlov 1978: 656; Kozlov 1987: 1199; Masner and Huggert 1989: 69; Buhl 1999a: 18; Evans and Peña 2005: 62; Popovici and Buhl 2010: 1157.

Fidiobia tatrae : Szelényi 1941: 167; Jansson 1956: 89; Szabó 1958: 462; Masner and Huggert 1989: 69.

Rosneta phryne : Debauche 1947: 280; Jansson 1956: 88; Masner and Huggert 1989: 69.

Fidiobia phryne : Ghesquière 1948: 45; Masner and Huggert 1989: 69.

Description.

Female. Body length: 0.7-1.0 mm. Colour of body: melanic (Figs 195-198 ).

Head. Colour of head: black. Sculpture of head: areolate-rugulose. Sculpture of occiput: areolate-rugulose. Ocellar prominence: absent. Preocellar depression: absent. Paraocellar depressions: absent. OOL / ocellar diameter: OOL equal with ocellar diameter. Orientation of lower half of inner orbits: visibly divergent. Sculpture of frons immediately anterior to ocellus: areolate-rugulose. Sculpture of frons immediately dorsal to toruli: areolate-rugulose. Epitorular carina: absent. Distance between toruli: toruli touch each other. Setation of clypeus: two setae. Malar sulcus: absent. Antenna (Fig. 199 ). Colour of A1: light brown. Colour of clava: striking different from the rest of the antenna (clava brown, rest of antenna yellow). Number of antennomeres: nine. Shape of A1: more or less cylindrical. Ventral (inner) lamella on A1: present as a trace in the apical part of A1. Length of A3 of female: distinctly shorter than A2. Sensillar formula (A7:A8:A9): 2:2:1.

Mesosoma. Colour of mesosoma: black. Mesosoma: weakly compressed dorsoventrally. Pronotum in dorsal view: narrow, collarlike. Transverse pronotal sulcus: present as a narrow groove along anterior rim of pronotum. Posteroventral end of transverse pronotal sulcus: not dilated. Lateral pronotal area: entirely sculptured. Antero-admedian line: present. Mesoscutum: weakly convex. Parapsidal lines: absent. Sculpture of internotaular area: reticulate rugose. Notauli: present, incised. Shape of notauli: dilated posteriorly and acute anteriorly. Outer edge of notauli: almost collinear with axillular carina. Orientation of inner edge of notauli: converging posteriorly. Length of notauli: half of length of mesoscutum, measured along midline. Length of notaulus / maximum width of notaulus: 2.0-2.9 times as long as wide. Distance between notauli: greater than the broadest part of notaulus. Transscutal articulation: complete. Scuto-scutellar sulcus: absent. Fovea on scuto-scutellar sulcus: NA. Mesoscutellum: weakly convex. Shape of mesoscutellum: subrectangular. Axillular carina: posterior apex of axillular carinae abutting the posterior edge of mesoscutellum. Axilloaxillular carina: present. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: absent. Posterior mesoscutellar sulcus: absent. Metascutellum: visible, partially covered by mesoscutellum. Metascutellar carina: present. Width of metasomal depression: greater than the length of lateral propodeal carina. Median carina between lateral propodeal carinae: absent. Transverse carina between lateral propodeal carinae: present. Foamy structure on transverse carina between lateral propodeal carinae: present. Foamy structure on metasomal depression: absent. Lateral propodeal carinae: parallel. Foamy structure on lateral propodeal carina: present only on the posterior half of the vertical part. Plica: visible. Posterior end of plica: fused with metapleural carina. Foamy structure on plica: present, fused with foamy structure from metapleural carinae. Foamy structure on metapleural carina: present, only posteriorly. Foamy structure on ventral metapleural area: absent. Setation of dorsal metapleural area: dense, long hairs on posterodorsal half. Setation of ventral metapleural area: dense, long hairs on posteroventral half. Longitudinal striation on dorsal mesopleuron: present. Transepisternal line: visible as a ridge on the anteroventral mesopleuron connected with a pit. Mesopleural carina: present. Metapleural sulcus: present, complete. Wings (Fig. 201a, b ): macropterous, brachypterous. Apex of fore wing: rounded. Colour of fore wing: transparent. Transverse brown band on fore wing: absent. Submarginal vein in fore wing: present. Length of submarginal vein in fore wing: not surpassing basal 1/4 of fore wing. Spectral veins on fore wing: absent. Marginal setae of fore wing: faintly indicated. Disc of fore wing: with spinulose microtrichia. Legs. Colour of fore tibia: yellow. Colour of fore tarsus: yellow. Colour of middle femora: yellow. Colour of middle tibiae: yellow. Colour of middle tarsus: yellow. Colour of hind femora: yellow. Colour of hind tibiae: yellow. Colour of hind tarsus: yellow.

Metasoma. Tergites posterior to T2 may be retracted under T2. Shape of T1: trapezoidal. Colour of T1: dark brown. Lateral setae of T1: 3 pairs. Colour of T2: dark brown. Shape of T2: longer than wide. Anterior pits of T2: distinctly separated. Sculpture of T2, lateral to anterior pits of T2: absent. Colour of T3-T6: the same as T2.

Male. similar to the female, but differs in the structure of the antenna (Fig. 200 ).

Material examined.

29♀ and 3♂. USA: Holotype of F. rugosifrons Crawford (Figs 202-205 ): ♀, Montoursville , Pennsylvania, 15.iv.1916 (USNM).

Belgium: Holotype of Rosneta phryne Debauche (Figs 209-211 ): 1♀, Heverlé, 1.vi.1941 . Paratypes of Rosneta phryne Debauche (Figs 212-214 ): 3♀ the same data as the holotype; 1♀, Heverlé, 9.vii.1942 ; 1♀, Kessel-Loo, 27.viii.1945.

Hungary: Type of F. tatrae Szelényi (Figs 206-208 ): ♀ Magas Tátra, 22.viii.1934 (HNHM) .

Non-type material.

Hungary: 2♀, Örseg, Nemzeti Park, Lugosy Valley, 46.9°N, 16.45°E, 28.vi.2010, leg. Noyes JS. (SS) (OPPC0582, 0583); 7♀, Vas Co, Köseg, 47.36633°N, 16.52173°E, 26.vi.2010, leg. Hansson C. (SS) (OPPC0707, 0700, 0698, 0708, 0701, 0702, 0699); 1♀, Vas Co, Köseg, 47.36633°N, 16.52173°E, 26.vi.2010, leg. Popovici O. (SN) (OPPC0703); 1♀, Vas Co, Bárkás Lake, 46.86982°N, 16.42605°E, 28.vi.2010, leg. Hansson C. (SS) (OPPC0706).

Estonia: 1♀, 1.5 km NE Sööru, 58.66111°N, 26.88531°E, 21.iv-11.v.2011, leg. Soon V. (SN) (OPPC0590).

France: 1♂, Puy de Dôme, Gergovie Plant., 45.71°N, 3.01°E, 16.vii.1977, leg. de V. Graham MWR (BMNH).

Germany: 2♀, Kiel, leg. Boness M. (BMNH).

Romania: 1♀, Iași, Breazu, 47.2187°N, 27.5270°E, 30.vi.2002, leg. Popovici O. (SN) (OPPC0695); 1♀, Suceava, Todirescu, 47.4455°N, 25.6138°E, 24.vii.2004, leg. Popovici O. and Fusu L. (SN) (OPPC0803); 1♀, Tulcea, Măcin, 45.2358°N, 28.1995°E, 10.vii.2004, leg. Mitroiu M. (SN) (OPPC0694); 1♂, Botoșani, Roma, 1.v.2005, 47.8362°N, 26.5806°E, leg. Popovici M. (SN) (OPPC0691); 1♀, Iași, Botanical Garden, 47.1859°N, 27.5511°E, 21.vi.2005, leg. Popovici O. (SN) (OPPC0812); 1♀, Iași, Bârnova, 46.9938°N, 27.5906°E, 8.vii.2008, leg. Popovici M. (SN) (OPPC0697); 1♀, Iași, Bârnova, 46.9863°N, 27.5855°E, 11.vii.2009, leg. Popovici O. and Popovici M. (SN) (OPPC0490); 1♀, Bacău, Comănești, 46.4288°N, 26.4368°E, 26-31.iv.2013, leg. Pintilioaie A. (SN) (OPPC0576); 1♀, Suceava, Gura Humorului, 47.5563°N, 25.8588°E, 12.v.2013, leg. Bârsan I, (MT) (OPPC0005); 1♀, Tulcea, Periprava, 46.99897°N, 25.94753°E, 8.vii.2015, leg. Popovici O. (SS) (OPPC0829); 1♀ (brachypterous specimen), Suceava, Neagra Șarului, 47.26056°N, 25.35278°E, 3.vii.2011, leg. Noyes JS. (SS) (OPPC0474); 1♀, Iași, Bârnova, 46.9865°N, 27.5839°E, 26.vi.2016, leg. Popovici O. (SS) (OPPC0006); 2♀, Botoșani, Popeni, 47.836832°N, 26.495561°E, 29.vii.2016 leg. Popovici O. (SS) (OPPC007, 0566); 1♂ and 1♀, Harghita, Sovata, 46.569175°N, 25.081698°E, 27.v.2018, leg. Popovici O. (SS) (OPPC0002 and OPPC0003).

Distribution.

Asia: Central Altai, Kazakhstan, Central Asia ( Kozlov 1978); Mongolia (Buhl 2004); North America: Canada ( Evans and Peña 2005); USA [Pennsylvania ( Crawford 1916); Indianapolis ( Evans and Peña 2005)]; Central America: Panama ( Evans and Peña 2005); Europe: Sweden, Norway ( Buhl 1999a); Romania ( Fabritius 1974); Moldavia ( Kozlov 1978); Spain (Buhl 2000); Slovacia, Czech Republic ( Popovici and Buhl 2010). In our material we identify F. rugosifrons from: Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary and Romania (Fig. 318 ).

Biology.

reared from the eggs of Hypera punctata (F) ( Coleoptera : Curculionidae ) on Triticum sp. ( Vlug 1995). This species prefers grassland habitats, e.g., meadows and glades.

Diagnosis.

Fidiobia rugosifrons is very close to F. rugosifronsoides and F. roatai because of the general habitus and the sculpture of the head, espeacially the frons. Based on this revision, the main characteristics of F. rugosifrons are the totally sculptured internotaular area (unsculptured in F. roatai , or partially sculptured in F. rugosifronsoides ), totally sculptured lateral pronotal area (sculptured only on the dorsal half in F. rugosifronsoides and only in the dorsal third in F. roatai ) and A3 1.5 times as long as A4 (A3 1.8-2.0 times as long as A4 in F. roatai and 1.2-1.3 times in F. rugosifronsoides ).

Comments.

The sculptured internotaular area was mentioned by Crawford (1916) in the original description, "the head completely covered with sculpture as is mesonotum except for broad furrows", and also by Kozlov (1978, 1987), Buhl (1999a) and Popovici and Buhl (2010). Fouts (1924) added to the sculpture of mesonotum a new character, the ratio of A3/A4, mentioning "fourth antennal joint distinctly shorter than the third". This antennal character was used later by Kieffer (1926) and Evans and Peña (2005). Fabritius (1974) considered that in F. rugosifrons A3 is two times as long as A4, but in his drawing (p. 294, Abb. 2) A3 appears to be longer. Szelényi (1941) described his new Fidiobia tatrae and separated it from F. rugosifrons based on the shape of antennomeres, but without details concerning this difference. Regarding the sculpture of the mesoscutum from the description of Szelényi, it is clear that the type of sculpture is the same as that of F. rugosifrons , but it is not clear if the internotaular space is entirely sculptured.

We located the type of F. tatrae in HNHM, but the specimen is essentially lost. On the card remain only the right antenna, clava of the left antenna, legs on the right side, and middle and hind legs from the left side (Figs 206 , 207 ). Studying the antenna on the card and the drawing of Szelényi (1941), it can be observed that A3 is longer than A4, so we find no reason to consider F. tatrae different from F. rugosifrons . Based on this, we agree with Jansson (1956) who treated these two species as synonyms.

Debauche (1947), apparently unaware of F. rugosifrons , described a new species, Rosneta phyrine . Jansson (1956) presented informative drawings of the habitus and antenna (here can be observed the ratio between A3 and A4) in Rosneta phryne and considered it a junior synonym of F. rugosifrons . By studying the type material of Rosneta phryne stored in Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique, Bruxelles, we observed that the holotype was destroyed; on the points remain only the femora, tibiae and the tarsi from the middle and hind legs (left side), and from the middle leg (right side) and hind wing from the right side. The paratypes (some of them topotypic with the holotype) perfectly match our concept of F. rugosifrons .

Prior to this study, we believe that the name " rugosifrons " was used for a complex of species including F. rugosifrons , F. rugosifronsoides and F. roatai . Although F. rugosifrons was considered as a species with a wide distribution (Fig. 318 ), we found it only in Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary and Romania. For the first time, a specimen in the Romanian material was identified as a female with reduced wings and this reduction appears not to be a teratology, as it otherwise conforms to our concept of F. rugosifrons .

Figures

Figures 195 - 201. Fidiobia rugosifrons: 195 habitus, dorsal view (OPPC 0703) 196 habitus, lateral view 197 habitus, dorsal view (brachypterous form OPPC 0474) 198 habitus, lateral view (brachypterous form) 199 antenna (♀) (OPPC 0699) 200 antenna (♂) (OPPC 0691) 201 a wings (OPPC 0576) 201 b WIP.

Figures 202 - 214. Fidiobia rugosifrons, type specimens: 202 - 205 Holotype of F. rugosifrons Crawford 206 - 208 Holotype of F. tatrae Szelenyi 209 - 211 Holotype of Rosneta phryne Debauche 212 - 214 Paratype of Rosneta phryne Debauche.

Figures 282 - 289. SEM of Fidiobia spp.: 282 F. striatitergitis 283 F. vladlubomiri 284 F. pronotata 285 F. roatai 286, 287 F. rugosifrons 288 F. flaviabdominalis 289 F. rugosifronsoides.

Figures 316 - 318. Geographical distribution of: 316 F. pronotatoides 317 F. roatai 318 F. rugosifrons (Blue area-data from Buhl 1999 a, 2000, 2004 Kozlov 1978 Popovici and Buhl 2010. Red area-our data).