Oxyscelio consobrinus (Kieffer)

Burks, Roger A., Masner, Lubomir, Johnson, Norman F. & Austin, Andrew D., 2013, Systematics of the parasitic wasp genus Oxyscelio Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae s. l.), Part I: Indo-Malayan and Palearctic fauna, ZooKeys 292, pp. 1-263 : 71-75

Oxyscelio consobrinus (Kieffer) Figures 110-115Morphbank45

Camptoteleia consobrina Kieffer, 1916: 171, 173 (original description, keyed); Kieffer 1926: 380, 382 (description, keyed); Kelner-Pillault 1958: 150 (type information).

Camptoteleia bifurcata Kieffer, 1916: 64, 172 (original description, keyed); Kieffer 1926: 380, 381 (description, keyed); Muesebeck and Walkley 1956: 339 (citation of type species). syn. n.

Camptoteleia frontalis Kieffer, 1916: 171, 175 (original description, keyed); Kieffer 1926: 380, 384 (description, keyed). syn. n.

Oxyscelio consobrinus (Kieffer): Dodd 1931: 75 (generic transfer).

Oxyscelio bifurcatus (Kieffer): Dodd 1931: 74 (generic transfer).

Oxyscelio frontalis (Kieffer): Dodd 1931: 75 (generic transfer).

Description.

Female. Body length 3.4-4.1 mm (n=14).

Radicle color: darker than scape. Scape color: Yellowish. A4: broader than long. A5: broader than long. Antennal club: formed, segments compact.

Interantennal process: not elongate. Median longitudinal elevation in frontal depression: absent. Frontal depression: concave. Frontal depression sculpture: with 2 complete transverse carinae. Submedian carina: weak, shallow and rounded or formed by ledge. Submedian carina medially: without peak. Concavity across dorsal part of frontal depression: absent. Depression extending ventrally from median ocellus: absent. Upper frons: not hood-like. Malar area near antennal foramen: without carina or expansion. Malar area at mouth corner: with radiating striae. Smooth strip along posterior side of malar sulcus: absent or not consistently broad. Middle genal carina: present. Direction of middle genal carina dorsally: parallel to eye margin. Major sculpture of gena anteriorly: umbilicate-foveate. Major sculpture of gena posteriorly: rugose. Microsculpture of gena anteroventrally: absent. Microsculpture of gena posteroventrally: absent. Median carina extending posteriorly from hyperoccipital carina: absent. Hyperoccipital carina: indicated by rugae. Lateral connection between hyperoccipital and occipital carinae: absent. Area between vertex and occipital carina: umbilicate-foveate. Occipital carina medially: uniformly rounded. Lateral corners of occipital carina: sharp and protruding.

Lateral pronotal area: without bulge projecting towards anterior pit. Epomial corner: strong. Netrion surface anteriorly: not inflexed. Mesoscutum anteriorly: not steep. Mesoscutal median carina: present and complete. Longitudinal carina between median carina and notauli: present. Major sculpture of medial mesoscutum anteriorly: umbilicate-foveate. Major sculpture of medial mesoscutum posteriorly: umbilicate-punctate. Microsculpture of medial mesoscutum anteriorly: granulate. Microsculpture of medial mesoscutum posteriorly: absent. Major sculpture of mesoscutellum: umbilicate-foveate; longitudinally rugose. Microsculpture of mesoscutellum medially: absent. Microsculpture of mesoscutellum laterally: absent. Mesoscutellar apex: convex or straight. Setae along anterior limit of femoral depression: arising from rows of foveae. Number of carinae crossing speculum above femoral depression: 2. Number of carinae crossing femoral depression: 3-5. Mesepimeral sulcus pits: more than 5. Metascutellum dorsally: concave. Metascutellar sculpture dorsally: smooth or with transverse carinae. Median carina of metascutellum: absent or branched. Metascutellar setae: absent. Metascutellar apex: weakly emarginate. Metapleuron above ventral metapleural area: crossed by carinae. Metasomal depression setae: absent. Lateral propodeal carinae anteromedially: strongly diverging. Anterior areoles of metasomal depression: absent. Anterior longitudinal carinae in metasomal depression: absent. Lateral propodeal areas: separated medially. Postmarginal vein: present. Fore wing apex: reaching middle of T5.

T1 midlobe: with 5 longitudinal carinae. T1: without anterior bulge. T2: with straight longitudinal striae or rugae. T6: broader than long. Apical flange of T6: not exposed apically. Metasomal apex: rounded. Major sculpture of T6: umbilicate-punctate; longitudinally striate or rugose. Microsculpture of T6: granulate.

Male. Body length 3.3-3.6 mm (n=13). A5 tyloid: carina-like, not expanded. A11: longer than broad; as long as broad. Median tooth of frontal depression: absent. Median lobe of T1: with 3 longitudinal carinae. Metasomal apex: with acuminate lateral corners.

Diagnosis. Both sexes: Middle genal carina subparallel with eye margin. Hyperoccipital carina indicated by rugae. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with very weak sculpture, giving them a melted appearance. Metascutellum concave dorsally, smooth aside from some transverse carinae. Female: A4, A5 not longer than broad. Antennal club very large. T1 midlobe with 5 longitudinal carinae. T6 rounded api cally. Male: A11 slightly longer than broad. T1 midlobe with 3 longitudinal carinae. T7 with short, sharp and protruding posterolateral corners. Oxyscelio consobrinus is very similar to Oxyscelio crebritas , but differs in having much weaker sculpture on the mesoscutum and mesoscutellum.

Link to distribution map.

[http://hol.osu.edu/map-full.html?id=5012]

Material examined.

Holotype, female, Camptoteleia consobrina : PHILIPPINES: Mindanao Isl., Butuan Chartered City, no date, Baker, Museum Paris EY0000003995 (deposited in MNHN). Neotype, female, Oxyscelio bifurcatus : PHILIPPINES: Negros Oriental Prov., 7km W Valencia, Cuernos de Negros Mountain, 700m, 17. V– 25.V.1987, D. C. Darling, OSUC 369051 (deposited in CNCI). Neotype, male, Oxyscelio frontalis : PHILIPPINES: Negros Oriental Prov., 7km W Valencia, 1° forest edge, ROM 873068, Cuernos de Negros Mountain, 09°17'N, 123°15'E, 700m, 22.VIII-31.VIII.1987, malaise trap/pan trap, D. C. Darling & E. Mayordo, ROMEnt Spec. No. 112696 (deposited in ROME). Other material: PHILIPPINES: 13 females, 19 males, OSUC 448562 (BMNH); OSUC 369050 (CNCI); OSUC 228722, 251435, ROMEnt Spec. No. 112211, ROMEnt Spec. No. 112213, ROMEnt Spec. No. 112215, ROMEnt Spec. No. 112221, ROMEnt Spec. No. 112222, ROMEnt Spec. No. 112223, ROMEnt Spec. No. 112224, ROMEnt Spec. No. 112226, ROMEnt Spec. No. 112231, ROMEnt Spec. No. 112232, ROMEnt Spec. No. 112680, ROMEnt Spec. No. 112689, ROMEnt Spec. No. 112691, ROMEnt Spec. No. 112693, ROMEnt Spec. No. 112695 (ROME); OSUC 268225-268226, 268230, 268233, 268237, 268242-268244, 268250, 268254-268255, 268265, 268273 (USNM).

Comments.

The weak sculpture of Oxyscelio consobrinus , which can resemble melted plastic, is a distinctive trait common to many Philippine species. Recently collected specimens of this species have indicated that this was not an artefact of any unusual collecting or preservation methods.

The type material of Camptoteleia bifurcata Kieffer, collected from Mindanao (Butuan) in the Philippines, could not be found after an extensive search of collections known to house Kieffer type material. The neotype of Camptoteleia bifurcata is presently designated to clarify the taxonomic status of the species. It was selected because of its collection locality, and because it resembles Kieffer’s (1916) description in having a shiny mesosoma. In assigning a neotype for Camptoteleia bifurcata , we presumed that Kieffer (1916) was mistaken in his description of the fore wing venation. The "forked submarginal vein" seems to refer to the strongly tilted venation in which only the postmarginal vein closely approaches the anterior wing margin (the marginal vein is distant from the wing margin). This state is variable in many species of Oxyscelio , and therefore likely only indicates that a postmarginal vein is present. Females of Oxyscelio consobrinus can have a variably emarginate metascutellum, with extreme cases seeming bifurcate. This, and the description of the thorax as shiny, leads us to conclude that the lost type series of Camptoteleia bifurcata represented specimens of Oxyscelio consobrinus corresponding to the above criteria, which proved to fit within intraspecifc variation.

Camptoteleia frontalis Kieffer was described from the same locality as Oxyscelio consobrinus . Kieffer (1916) did mention a male specimen of Oxyscelio bifurcatus , but he did not discuss its mesoscutal surface sculpture. The type material of Camptoteleia frontalis could not be found after an extensive search of collections known to house Kieffer type material. The neotype of Camptoteleia frontalis is presently designated to clarify the taxonomic status of the species. It was selected because of its collection locality, and the relatively rough sculpture of the specimen (relative to other Philippine specimens, which are not roughly sculptured compared with most mainland Asian specimens). Mesoscutal surface sculpture in male Oxyscelio consobrinus is variable. Kieffer also described the metascutellum of Oxyscelio frontalis as bilobed, and therefore in assigning a neotype we conclude that Oxyscelio frontalis was a male Oxyscelio consobrinus with relatively rough surface sculpture, a broad metascutellum having an emarginate apex, and with the marginal vein in close contact with the anterior wing margin.