Bracon (Lucobracon) roberti Wesmael, 1838

Papp, Jenő & Xviii, Budapest, 2012, A revision of the Bracon Fabricius species in Wesmael’s collection deposited in Brussels (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Braconinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 21, pp. 1-154 : 91-94

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2012.21
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3858851
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F8008D0E-FFDF-FFAC-0522-4D84FA9CFB0C
treatment provided by	Valdenar
scientific name	Bracon (Lucobracon) roberti Wesmael, 1838
status

Treatment

Bracon (Lucobracon) roberti Wesmael, 1838 View in CoL

Fig. 44 View Fig A-L

Braco roberti Wesmael, 1838: 37 ♀ (type material: 1 ♀) type locality: “environs de Liège” ( Belgium), ♀ holotype (“La seule femelle...” Wesmael l.c., present designation) in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels; examined.

Bracon roberti View in CoL – Szépligeti 1901: 266 (in key, in Hungarian); 1904 (1901): 180 (in key, in German) ♀ ♁. Bracon (Orthobracon) roberti View in CoL – Fahringer 1927: 270 (♀), 279 (♁) (in key) and 417 (redescription), assigned to “Section Orthobracon ”. — Telenga 1936: 175 (♀), 178´(♁) (in key), 294 (redescription, in Russian) and 378 (♀), 381 (♁) (in key, in German). — Papp 1974: 434 (additional features, distribution). — Shenefelt 1978: 1647 (literature up to 1974).

Designation of the ♀ holotype of Bracon roberti View in CoL

(First label, printed) “ Coll. Wesmael ”; (second small label, printed) “2051”; (third label) “ Braco roberti mihi ♀ ” (handwritten) / “dét. C. Wesmael ” (printed); (fourth label, printed red) “Type”; (fifth label, with my handwriting) “ Belgique / Bruxelles / leg. M. Robert ” (after Wesmael l.c.); sixth label is the holotype card (labels 5-6 were attached by me). - Holotype is in good condition: (1) micropinned (through mesoscutum / mesosternum); (2) left flagellum deficient: with 26 flagellomeres; (3) left hind wing missing.

Material examined

8 ♀♀ + 1 ♁ from six countries: ENGLAND: 1 ♀. FRANCE: 1 ♀. GERMANY: 3 ♀♀ from three localities. HUNGARY: 1 ♀ + 1 ♁ from two localities. ROMANIA (Transsylvania): 1 ♀. BULGARIA: 1 ♀.

Redescription of the ♀ holotype of Bracon roberti ( Fig. 44 View Fig A-H)

LENGTH. Body 4.8 mm long.

ANTENNAE. About as long as body and with 34 antennomeres. First flagellomere 1.5 times, further flagellomeres attenuating so that penultimate flagellomere 1.7 times as long as broad (cf. Fig. 67A View Fig ).

HEAD. In dorsal view transverse ( Fig. 44A View Fig ), 1.75 times as broad as long, eye somewhat protruding and 1.4 times longer than temple, temple receded, occiput excavated. Oral opening fairly large, its horizontal diameter 1.6 times longer than shortest distance between opening and compound eye ( Fig. 44B View Fig ). Head polished, face finely granulose, cheek granulose.

MESOSOMA. In lateral view 1.5 times as long as high, polished. Notaulix indistinct. Propodeum polished, above lunule and its hind margin with rugae ( Fig. 44C View Fig ).

LEGS. Hind femur 3.1 times as long as broad distally ( Fig. 44D View Fig ). Claw moderately downcurved, its basal lobe pointed ( Fig. 44E View Fig ).

WINGS. Forewing as long as body. Pterostigma ( Fig. 44F View Fig ) less wide, 2.8 times as long as wide and issuing r just proximally from its middle, r 0.7 times as long as width of pterostigma. Second submarginal cell less long, 3-SR slightly longer than 2-SR, SR1 straight to curved distally, 1.7 times longer than 3-SR and approaching tip of wing. First discal cell fairly high, 1-M 1.8 times length of m-cu, 1-SR-M almost 1.3 times as long as 1-M ( Fig. 44G View Fig ).

TERGITES. First tergite ( Fig. 44H View Fig ) 1.2 times as long as broad behind, beyond pair of spiracles weakly broadening, scutum posteriorly with fairly long rugae and short rugulae, lateral part of tergite rugulose, otherwise tergite smooth and shiny. Second tergite transverse, nearly three times broader behind than long, slightly longer than third tergite; suture between tergites 2-3 deep, subcrenulate and almost straight. Second tergite almost entirely rugo-rugulose, third tergite antero-posteriorly subrugulose to uneven ( Fig. 44H View Fig ), further tergites polished. Ovipositor sheath long, as long as hind tibia + tarsomeres 1-2 combined.

COLOUR. Scape black, flagellum dark brown. Head and mesosoma black, palpi brown. Metasoma yellow. First tergite medially with a small brown to blackish macula. Legs blackish brown. Wings faintly brownish fumous, pterostigma and veins opaque brown.

Variable features of the ♀ (6 ♀♀) ( Fig. 44 View Fig I-L)

Body 4.5-5.1 mm long. Antenna with 32-36 antennomeres. Head in dorsal view 1.75-1.8 times as broad as long, temple somewhat less receded ( Fig. 44I View Fig ). Hind femur slightly thicker ( Fig. 44J View Fig ). Second submarginal cell long, 3- SR 1.4 times as long as 2- SR (3 ♀♀, Fig. 44K View Fig ). Second and third tergites with rather longitudinal sculpture. Posterior end of ovipositor and its sheath as in Fig. 44L View Fig .

Description of the ³ (1 ³) ( Figs 23 View Fig E-F; 44K)

Similar to the ♀. Body 4.2 mm long. Antenna with 33 antennomeres. Head in dorsal view 1.7 times as broad as long, eye somewhat less protruding, temple less receded ( Fig. 23E View Fig ). Second submarginal cell long, 3SR almost 1.3 times longer than 2SR (cf. Fig. 44K View Fig ). First tergite beyond pair of spiracles slightly broadening ( Fig. 23F View Fig ). Orbit of compound eye reddish yellow, pronotum testaceous, hind femur reddish yellow.

Hosts

LEP. Tortricidae : Cydia strobilella Linnaeus. Sesiidae : Synanthedon andrenaeformis Laspeyres.

Distribution

England, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Bulgaria.

Taxonomic position

The species B. roberti is nearest to B. (Gl.) peroculatus Wesmael (Europe) considering their receded temple and somewhat protruding eye in dorsal view, similarly downcurved claw, black head + mesosoma and yellow metasoma; the two species are distinguished by the following features:

1 (2) Second submarginal cell wide, SR1 approaching tip of wing (subgeneric difference, Fig. 44F View Fig ). First tergite 1.2 times as long as broad behind, its sculpture rougher; second tergite rugo-rugulose, laterally rugulose ( Fig. 44H View Fig ). First discal cell less high, 1-M 1.8 times as long as m-cu ( Fig. 44G View Fig ). ♀: 4.5-5.1 mm ...................................................................................... B. (L.) roberti Wesmael, 1838

2 (1) Second submarginal cell less wide, SR1 reaching tip of wing (subgeneric difference, Fig. 36E View Fig ). First tergite 1.3 times as long as broad behind, its sculpture less rough; second tergite smooth, at most anterto-medially (i.e. around lunule) subrugulose ( Fig. 36G, K View Fig ). First discal cell high, 1-M a bit more than twice as long as m-cu ( Fig. 36F View Fig ). ♀: 4.5-5 mm .................................... ..................................................................................................... B. (Gl.) peroculatus Wesmael, 1838

Within the subgenus Lucobracon the species B. roberti is related to B. erraticus Wesmael viewing their SR1 only approaching tip of wing, the two species are distinguished by the following features:

1 (2) Eye in dorsal view not protruding ( Fig. 8B View Fig ). First tergite broad: as long as broad behind or somewhat broader ( Figs 8J View Fig ; 9E View Fig ), rarely slightly longer. First discal cell less high, 1-M 1.7-1.8 times as long as m-cu ( Fig. 8I View Fig ). Hind femur 2.5-2.8 times (rarely 3.1 times) as long as broad ( Figs 8F, L View Fig ; 9A View Fig ). Metasoma variably reddish yellow to almost blackish to black. ♀ ♁: (2.5-)3.4-4.5(-5) mm ......................................................................................................... B. (Lu.) erraticus Wesmael, 1838

2 (1) Eye in dorsal view somewhat protruding ( Fig. 44A View Fig ). First tergite less broad: 1.2-1.3 times as long as broad behind ( Fig. 44H View Fig ). First discal cell high, 1-M 1.8-1.9 times as long as m-cu ( Fig. 44G View Fig ). Hind femur 3.1(-3.2) times as long as broad ( Fig. 44D, J View Fig ). Metasoma yellow, first tergite medially blackish to black. ♀: 4.5-5 mm ................................................ B. (Lu.) roberti Wesmael, 1838