Aleiodes unipunctator (Thunberg, 1822)

van Achterberg, Cornelis, Shaw, Mark R. & Quicke, Donald L. J., 2020, Revision of the western Palaearctic species of Aleiodes Wesmael (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Rogadinae). Part 2: Revision of the A. apicalis group, ZooKeys 919, pp. 1-259 : 1

Aleiodes unipunctator (Thunberg, 1822) Figs 792-794 , 795-807 , 808-812

Ichneumon unipunctator Thunberg, 1822: 267 [examined].

Rogas unipunctator ; Shenefelt 1975: 1254-1255; Zaykov 1980c: 229; Jakimavicius 1974: 96.

Rogas (Rogas) unipunctator ; Tobias 1976: 84, 1986: 78 (transl.: 128).

Aleiodes (Neorhogas) unipunctator ; Papp 1985a: 151, 163, 1991a: 86, 1996: 456; Belokobylskij 1996: 18; Papp and Rezbanyai-Reser 1996: 71, 73, 95, 96; Riedel et al. 2002: 106.

Aleiodes (Chelonorhogas) unipunctator ; Belokobylskij 2000: 44, 2003: 399; Chen and He 1997: 43; He et al. 2000: 667; Rastegar et al. 2012: 3; Farahani et al. 2015: 229, 244.

Aleiodes unipunctator ; Čapek and Lukás 1989: 31; Bergamasco et al. 1995: 6; O’Connor et al. 1999: 92; Fortier and Shaw 1999: 230; Belokobylskij and Taeger 2001: 115; Marsh and Shaw 2001: 303; Belokobylskij et al. 2003: 399; Zaldívar-Riverón et al. 2004: 234; Papp 2005: 177; Lozan et al. 2010: 17.

Ichneumon ductor Thunberg, 1822: 269; Papp 1985a: 157 (not auctt.) [examined]. Syn. nov.

Aleiodes irregularis Wesmael, 1838: 101; Shenefelt 1975: 1255 (as synonym of A. unipunctator ); Papp 1985a: 163 (id.) [examined].

Rhogas unipunctator ab. nigrescens Hellén, 1927: 23; Shenefelt 1975: 1255 (excluded name).

Type material.

Holotype of A. unipunctator , ♂ (ZMUU) with holotype label by CvA. Holotype of A. ductor , ♂ (ZMUU), “α”, " Rhogas ductor Thbg", "Uppsala Univ. Zool Mus., Thunbergsaml. Nr. 25332, Ichneumon ductor Sv. Type". Holotype of A. irregularis , ♂ (KBIN), "[Belgium], 11 Juin, Brig.", " A. irregularis ♂ mihi 5", “dét. C. Wesmael", "Belgique, Bruxelles/teste Papp J., 1983", “Holotype”, " Aleiodes irregularis Wesm., 1838, ♂, Papp, 1983", " Aleiodes unipunctator Thb. ♂, det. Papp J., 1984".

Additional material.

Austria, Belgium, British Isles (England: V.C.s 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 40, 53, 55, 58, 59, 63, 64, 65, 66, 69; Wales: V.C.s 35, 52; Scotland: V.C.s 72, 75, 76, 77, 79, 80, 82, 83, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 103, 105, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112; Ireland: V.C.s H5, H19, H20, H21, H22, H28, H30), Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece (mainland, Corfu), Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, Netherlands (DR: Wijster; Borger; GE: Nunspeet; Kemperberg, NB: Bergen op Zoom, ZH: Arkel; Melissant; Oostvoorne; ZE: Oostkapelle), Norway, Romania, Russia, Sweden, [Kazakhstan, Tadzhikistan, W. Caucasus]. Specimens in AAC, ALC, ZJUH, BZL, CNC, FMNH, HHC, HSC, IKC, OUM, MMUM, MRC, MSC, MSNV, MTMA, NMI, NMS, RMNH, SDEI, UMZC, UNS, UWIM, ZMUU, ZSSM.

Molecular data.

MRS211 (UK), MRS221 (Germany), MRS354 (UK), MRS893 (UK).

Biology.

Univoltine, flying from May to August. Reared from the noctuids Apamea unanimis ( Hübner) (23 [1 ZJUH, 1 FMNH, 1 NRS, 1 MTMA]; M.R. Shaw), Apamea crenata (Hufnagel) (2:1, ZJUH; G.T. Lyle), Apamea? sordens (Hufnagel) (3:1; K.P. Bland), and from mummies compatible with Apamea spp. (8). These closely related hosts all live in the shoots or leaf sheaths of Poaceae . The large number reared from A. unanimis may be at least partly the result of a sampling bias, as the larvae of that species are so readily detected and collected when feeding on Phalaris . The winter is passed in the relatively slender brown mummy, which is nearly cylindrical and only weakly keeled laterally (Fig. 794 ). It probably usually forms at or below soil level and is rather weakly contracted at the head end (which is bent sideways in a high proportion of cases), with the thinly silken cocoon occupying abdominal segments (2-)3-8. This species is widespread and often abundant, especially in rank or damp grassland habitats, in the northern part of its range.

Diagnosis.

Maximum width of hypoclypeal depression 0.5-0.6 × minimum width of face (Fig. 802 ); OOL of ♀ approx. 0.8 × as long as diameter of posterior ocellus and mainly granulate mixed with some punctures (Fig. 803 ); ventral margin of clypeus thick, not protruding in lateral view (Fig. 804 ); mesoscutal lobes finely granulate-punctulate and matt; precoxal area comparatively narrow and moderately rugose medially; marginal cell of fore wing of ♀ ending rather close to wing apex (Fig. 795 ); vein 1-CU1 of fore wing 0.4-0.5 × as long as vein 2-CU1 (Fig. 795 ); hind tarsal claws rather robust and only brownish setose (Fig. 807 ); 1st tergite rather slender basally (Fig. 798 ); whole 4th and part of 3rd metasomal tergite smooth and very glossy (Fig. 798 ); labial palp yellowish brown or brown; basal half of hind tibia pale yellowish or ivory, at least inner side contrasting with reddish or dark brown colour of basal half of hind femur (usually less pronounced in ♂), and its apex dark brown or black; 4th and 5th tergites black; wings rather slender and their membrane subhyaline.

Description.

Redescribed ♀ (RMNH) from Sweden (Storbacken). Length of fore wing 5.8 mm, of body 5.7 mm.

Head. Antennal segments of ♀ 50, length of antenna 1.2 × fore wing, its subapical segments rather robust; frons largely smooth anteriorly (except some fine sculpture) and densely rugulose posteriorly; OOL 0.8 × diameter of posterior ocellus, granulate with some punctures and matt; vertex granulate with some rugulosity and rather dull; clypeus coarsely punctate; ventral margin of clypeus thick and not protruding forwards (Fig. 804 ); width of hypoclypeal depression 0.6 × minimum width of face (Fig. 802 ); length of eye 1.7 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 803 ); vertex behind stemmaticum rugulose-granulate; clypeus near lower level of eyes; length of malar space 0.25 × length of eye in lateral view.

Mesosoma. Mesoscutal lobes moderately punctate and interspaces distinctly granulate, with satin sheen; precoxal area of mesopleuron moderately rugose medially, sparsely punctulate posteriorly as surroundings of precoxal area; scutellum rather sparsely punctate, but medio-posteriorly rugulose, shiny; propodeum rather convex and moderately rugose, medio-longitudinal carina complete, and no protruding carinae laterally.

Wings. Fore wing: r 0.3 × 3-SR (Fig. 795 ); 1-CU1 narrow and horizontal, 0.4 × 2-CU1; r-m 0.5 × 3-SR; 2nd submarginal cell medium-sized and 1st subdiscal cell slender (Fig. 795 ); cu-a nearly vertical, straight; 1-M slightly curved posteriorly; 1-SR narrow posteriorly and widened anteriorly; surroundings of M+CU1, 1-M and 1-CU1 largely setose. Hind wing: basal half of marginal cell slightly wider and its apical half distinctly gradually widened, its apical width 2.2 × width at level of hamuli (Fig. 795 ); 2-SC+R short longitudinal; m-cu indistinct; M+CU:1-M = 4:3; 1r-m 0.7 × 1-M.

Legs. Tarsal claws yellowish bristly setose, without distinct pecten (Fig. 807 ); hind coxa largely distinctly punctate; hind trochantellus robust; length of hind femur and basitarsus 4.0 and 6.3 × their width, respectively; length of inner hind spur 0.5 × hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. First tergite rather flattened, 1.2 × as long as wide apically; 1st and 2nd tergites with distinct medio-longitudinal carina and longitudinally striate; medio-basal area of 2nd tergite wide triangular and short (Fig. 798 ); 2nd suture rather deep and finely crenulate; 3rd tergite nearly entirely smooth and strongly shiny, as remainder of metasoma; 4th and apical half of 3rd tergite without sharp lateral crease; ovipositor sheath wide, with rather long setae and apically truncate (Fig. 793 ).

Colour. Black; pronotum dorso-posteriorly, telotarsi largely, hind tarsus, apical half of hind tibia, pterostigma (except paler extreme base), most veins and apical fifth of 2nd tergite dark brown; palpi brown; tegulae and basal half of hind tibia pale yellowish; apical third of 1st tergite and 2nd tergite (except apically) and remainder of legs, orange brown; wing membrane subhyaline.

Variation. Propodeum and pronotum sometimes weakly marked with orange. One male seen with vein r-m of fore wing absent. Antennal segments: ♀ 47(1), 48(7), 49(12), 50(21), 51(26), 52(40), 53(40), 54(15), 55(5), 56(3), 57(1); ♂ 47(1), 48(1), 49(1), 50(8), 51(7), 52(22), 53(27), 54(34), 55(35), 56(21), 57(6), 58(8), 59(1). On average males have ca one to two more antennal segments than females. Male is very similar with apical tergites type 2, setae rather sparse and fringe short (Figs 809 , 810 ). Melanistic females and males occur, metasoma entirely blackish or with only apex of 1st tergite narrowly and 2nd tergite medially and antero-laterally dark orange; clypeus reddish brown or blackish; apex of hind femur often somewhat infuscate.

Distribution.

Austria, British Isles (England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland), Bulgaria, Czech Republic, *Denmark, Finland, Germany, *Greece (mainland and Corfu), Hungary, Italy, *Kazakhstan, *Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, *Romania, Russia (including W. Caucasus), Sweden, *Tadzhikistan.

New synonymy.

Both male holotypes of I. unipunctator and I. ductor are preserved in the Thunberg collection, but are severely damaged. From the holotype of A. ductor only the head, fore coxa, mesoscutum and metasoma remain (Roman, 1912). The holotype of A. unipunctator has the head and the metasoma separately glued on a card and the mesosoma is still attached to the pin. Judging from these remnants (especially the mainly smooth and very shiny 3rd tergite, the wide hypoclypeal depression (0.6 × minimum width of face) and the coriaceous vertex), it is obvious that both belong to the same species. Consequently, A. ductor (Thunberg) is synonymised with A. unipunctator (Thunberg) (syn. nov.). Aleiodes ductor auctt. is divided among A. pallidicornis ( Herrich-Schäffer, 1838) (N and C European populations) and A. apicalis ( Brullé, 1832) (Mediterranean and southern C European populations).

Figures

Figures 792 - 794. Aleiodes unipunctator (Thunberg), ♀, England, Fletcher Moss 792 habitus lateral 793 ovipositor sheath lateral 794 mummy of Apamea unanimis Huebner.

Figures 795 - 807. Aleiodes unipunctator (Thunberg), ♀, England, Fletcher Moss 795 wings 796 mesosoma lateral 797 mesosoma dorsal 798 metasoma dorsal 799 fore femur lateral 800 hind femur lateral 801 antenna 802 head anterior 803 head dorsal 804 head lateral 805 base of antenna 806 apex of antenna 807 inner hind tarsal claw lateral.

Figures 808 - 812. Aleiodes unipunctator (Thunberg), ♂, Scotland, Edinburgh, but 808 Sweden, Saeroe-Hamra 808 habitus lateral 809 apex of metasoma dorsal 810 apex of metasoma lateral 811 head dorsal 812 base of antenna.