Diachasmimorpha sanguinea (Ashmead)

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 : 48-50

Diachasmimorpha sanguinea (Ashmead) Figs 41839-41

Phaedrotoma (?) sanguinea Ashmead, 1889: 655. Holotype female in USNM (examined). Marshall 1891: 47 (relationship to a European species of Opius ).

Opius sanguineus : Gahan 1915: 69, 74 (key, synonymy, expanded distribution and host); Muesebeck and Walkley 1951: 157 (synonymy, new distribution and host); Muesebeck 1967: 54 (catalog).

Opius (Biosteres) sanguineus : Fischer 1965: 116, 138-139 (key, redescription).

Biosteres sanguineus : Fischer 1971: 30 (catalog, change in rank); Wharton and Marsh 1978: 152, 156 (key, diagnosis, distribution, biology); Marsh 1979: 201 (catalog).

Biosteres (Chilotrichia) sanguineus : Fischer 1977: 804, 819-821 (key, redescription).

Diachasmimorpha sanguinea : Wharton 1997: 14 (generic transfer).

Type locality.

USA, Washington, D. C.

Type material.

Syntype female (USNM), first label, first line: 3737x second line: Oct. 3. 85 Second label (red with black print), first line: Type second line: No2989 third line: U.S.N.M. Third label, first line: Phaedrotoma second line: sanguinea third line: Ashm ms. Syntype male, with same label data as syntype female except Third label = first line: Opius second line: sanguineus third line: Gahan Ashm Syntype male with first label, first line: 3737x second line: Aug. 5. 86 Second label: same as other two syntypes, no third label.

Other specimens examined. USA, Texas, 1 female, 1 male, Brazos Co., Yancey, xi.2010, emerged 9.iv & 3.v.2011, L. Ward, reared from Zonosemata vittigera infesting fruits of Solanum eleagnifolium (TAMU); 1 female, Hidalgo Co., Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park, 10.?.1978, C. Porter (TAMU); 5 females, 1 male, Hidalgo Co., Donna, J. W. Monk, reared from Zonosemata vittigera ; 5 females, 1 male, Jeff Davis Co., 14 mi. S. Ft. Davis, 16-19.viii.1985, L. E. Carroll, reared from Zonosemata infesting fruits of Solanum ; 5 males, Jeff Davis Co., Davis Mts. State Park, 12.vii.1995, R. Wharton; 1 female, Swisher Co., Happy, 17.viii.1977, W. F. Chamberlin.

Diagnosis.

Male. Eye in dorsal view 1.1-1.3 × longer than temple, temples not expanded beyond eyes; eye in lateral view 1.3-1.5 × longer than temple. Frons between short, low, bifurcating ridges varying from unsculptured to irregularly strigose, frons otherwise smooth, polished. Clypeus 2.5-2.8 × wider than high. Occipital carina distinct near base of mandible, short, not extending dorsally to ventral margin of eye. Antenna with 38-48 flagellomeres. Pronope deep, large, interrupting posterior crenulate groove middorsally. Notauli deep anteriorly, reaching margin of mesoscutum anteriorly, extending about half distance from anterior-lateral margin to elongate midpit. Precoxal sulcus heavily sculptured, crenulate to foveolate, usually extending to or nearly to anterior margin of mesopleuron. Propodeum rugose, areola, when partially visible, extending over posterior 0.6-0.7 but frequently completely obscured by sculpture. Fore wing 2RS 0.9-1.05 × length of 3RSa; m-cu distinctly postfurcal. T1 with dorsal carinae weakly converging, widely separated at posterior margin, gradually weakening posteriorly, T1 smooth to strigose between carinae. Head, meso- and metasoma orange; tegula orange to brown, legs varying from black except hind coxa mottled black and orange to more extensively orange. Female about as in male except eye in lateral view 1.2-1.6 × longer than temple. Ovipositor sheath 1.6-1.75 × longer than mesosoma. Body length 3.6-5.3 mm, fore wing length 3.3-4.6 mm, mesosoma length 1.2-1.9 mm. This species has a larger eye than the similarly-colored Diachasmimorpha mexicana and is generally more heavily sculptured.

Biology.

This species was originally described from several specimens reared from a tephritid infesting fruits of Solanum carolinense L. ( Ashmead 1889). The tephritid host was later identified as Zonosemata electa (Say) ( Gahan 1915). Muesebeck and Walkley (1951) added Zonosemata vittigera (Coquillett) as a host and Cazier (1962) published on the biology of Zonosemata vittigera with notes on parasitization by Diachasmimorpha sanguinea . The only known host of Zonosemata vittigera is Solanum eleagnifolium Cav. ( Foote et al. 1993) and this is the host plant from which we have reared Diachasmimorpha sanguinea in central and western Texas. Adult Diachasmimorpha sanguinea are active in summer and fall in Texas, overwinter in the host puparium, and emerge the following year, over a period of several months.

Remarks.

The diagnosis is based on the material from Texas listed in the other material examined section. Ashmead (1889) described this species from a single series of reared material, without designation of a type. The specimen in the type collection of the USNM is therefore a syntype, as are the remaining two specimens from this series in the general collection. There is no compelling reason to designate a lectotype, and we have therefore not done so. The original series is currently represented by 2 males and 1 female in the USNM collection. The syntypes agree in all essential details with the material from Texas, though the eye/temple ratio is at the smaller end of the range given above.

The sculpture is somewhat variable in this species, with smaller individuals having a tendency towards rugulose rather than rugose sculpture on the propodeum. The precoxal sulcus is always heavily sculptured, however, never approaching the reduction in sculpture seen in the holotype of Diachasmimorpha mexicana (Fig. 39 vs. Fig. 38). The syntypes from Washington, D. C. are as variable in sculpture of the propodeum and T1 as are the specimens from Texas. Specimens from Texas, even within the same reared series, are exceptionally variable in leg coloration. The syntypes from Washington, D. C. have black legs with mostly orange hind coxa. Some specimens from Jeff Davis Co., Texas also have this pattern while in others only the tarsi are dark with the remaining parts orange. Similarly, the tegula is usually orange, but varies from orange to brown even within the same reared series.

Diachasmimorpha sanguinea is nearly identical to Diachasmimorpha mexicana and additional material from the type locality of the latter is needed for a better understanding of the relationship between these two nominal species.