Bracon (Glabrobracon) caudiger Nees, 1834

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 : 108-112

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2012.21
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:993FCC8B-F8B1-42DD-B776-CA8435E08112
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3858853
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F8008D0E-FFEE-FF9E-0522-4E9AFBEBFBC9
treatment provided by	Valdenar
scientific name	Bracon (Glabrobracon) caudiger Nees, 1834
status

Treatment

Bracon (Glabrobracon) caudiger Nees, 1834 View in CoL

Figs 52 View Fig A-K; 53E

Bracon caudiger Nees, 1834: 77 View in CoL and 103 (described twice, the two descriptions are identical) ♀ (type material: one ♀, destroyed), type locality: “Silesiae quercu...prope Skarsin” ( Poland).

Bracon (Lucobracon) scythus Greese, 1928: 155 View in CoL ♀ (one ♀ syntype), type locality: “Mirgorod” ( Ukraine), ♀ syntype in?Saint Petersburg (Zoological Institute), in? Kiev (Zoological Institute) or in?; supposed synonymy considering its original description.

Braco caudiger – Wesmael 1838: 47 (first reviser), one ♀ (neotype: “J’ai pris une seule femelle de cette espèce,...” Wesmael l.c.), neotype locality: “environs de Bruxelles ” ( Belgique), ♀ neotype (present designation) in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels; examined.

Bracon caudiger View in CoL – Szépligeti 1901: 267 (in key, in Hungarian); 1904 (1901): 186 (in key, in German) ♀. Bracon (Glabrobracon) caudiger View in CoL – Fahringer 1927: (♀) 286, 287, (♁) 301 (in key), 1928: 443 (redescription), assigned to “Section Glabrobracon ”. — Telenga 1936: 149 (♀), 156 (♁) (in key), 205 (redescription) (in Russian) and 351 (♀), 358 (♁) (in key, in German). — Shenefelt l978: 1560 (literature up to 1970).

Designation of the ♀ neotype of Bracon caudiger View in CoL

(First label, printed) “ Coll. Wesmael ”; (second label, printed) “2061”; (third label) “ Braco caudiger Nees ♀ ” (handwritten) “dét. Wesmael ” (printed); fourth label with the inventory number “3.317”; (fifth label, with my handwriting) “ Belgique / Bruxelles / VIII, leg. Wesmael ” (above on label) “teste J. Papp 1987” (reverse on label); sixth label is the neotype card attached by me. Neotype is in good condition: (1) pinned by mesosoma (mesoscutum / prosternum); (2) right antenna damaged, with 27 antennomeres; (3) right hind leg (except coxa + trochanters) missing; (4) pair of ovipositor sheath damaged, present its proximal half.

Material examined

5 ♀♀ + 9 ♁♁ from six countries: FRANCE: 1 ♀. GERMANY: 1 ♀ + 1 ♁ from one localty. AUSTRIA: 1 ♁. ITALY: 1 ♀ + 1 ♁ from one locality. HUNGARY: 6 ♁♁ from two localities. TURKEY: 1 ♀.

Description of the ♀ neotype of Bracon caudiger ( Fig. 52 View Fig A-G)

LENGTH. Body 3.9 mm long.

ANTENNAE. Left antenna as long as body and with 31 antennomeres. First flagellomere 1.7 times, second flagellomere 1.6 times and penultimate flagellomere 1.3 times as long as broad.

HEAD. In dorsal view ( Fig. 52A View Fig ) subcubic, 1.6 times as broad as long, eye slightly longer than temple, temple moderately rounded, occiput excavated. OOL twice longer than POL. Oral opening: its horizontal diameter 1.5 times longer than shortest distance between opening and compound eye ( Fig. 52B View Fig ). Head polished, face below antennal socket finely granulose.

MESOSOMA. Elongated, in lateral view 1.5 times as long as high, polished. Notaulix weak.

LEGS. Hind femur 3.1 times as long as broad medially ( Fig. 52C View Fig ). Hind claw downcurved and with fairly short basal lobe ( Fig. 52D View Fig ).

WINGS. Forewing as long as body. Pterostigma ( Fig. 52E View Fig ) 2.8 times as long as wide and issuing r proximally from its middle; r almost 0.8 times as long as width of pterostigma; second submarginal cell fairly long, 3-SR almost 1.6 times as long as 2-SR, SR1 straight, 1.5 times as long as 3-SR and reaching tip of wing. First discal cell fairly high, 1-M 1.75 times as long as m-cu, 1-SR-M weakly bent and 1.25 times as long as 1-M ( Fig. 52F View Fig ).

TERGITES. First tergite ( Fig. 52G View Fig ) 1.25 times as long as broad behind, beyond pair of spiracles parallelsided; margin of scutum finely crenulated, lateral part of tergite narrow, together with further tergites polished. Second tergite transverse, 3.5 times as broad behind as long laterally; suture between tergites 2-3 bisinuate, deep, smooth; tergites 2-3 of equal length. Hypopygium pointed, ovipositor sheath long, as long as meta- and mesosoma combined (after Wesmael l.c.).

COLOUR. Body bicoloured. Antenna dark brown. Head black, orbit and cheek testaceous, mandible yelow, palpi dark brown. Mesosoma and legs black. Metasoma yellow, first tergite brown, median streak of tergites 3-6 brown to blackish. Wings brown fumous, pterostigma and veins brown.

Variable features of the ♀ (4 ♀♀) ( Fig. 52 View Fig H-K)

Body 2.8-3.9 mm long. Antenna with 25 (1 ♀) and 30 (2 ♀♀) antennomeres. Head in dorsal view 1.65-1.75 times as broad as long ( Fig. 52H View Fig ). Hind femur 2.9-3.3 times as long as broad medially ( Fig. 52 View Fig I-J). Lateral part of first tergite (i.e. laterally from scutum) less narrow ( Fig. 52K View Fig ). Ovipositor sheath somewhat shorter to somewhat longer than body.

Description of the ³ (9 ³³)

Similar to the ♀. Body 3-3.6 mm long. Antenna with 27-30 antennomeres. Head in dorsal view 1.6-1.7 times as broad as long. Second tergite either a bit longer than third tergite or tergites 2-3 of equal length. Yellow colour of metasoma usually more extended.

Hosts

COL. Curculionidae : Rhabdorhynchus varius Herbst. — LEP. Coleophoridae : Coleophora virgaureae Stainton ; Tortricidae : Cydia amplana Hübner , C. splendana Hübner , C. strobilella Linnaeus , Pamene splendidulana ; Noctuidae : Hadena perplexa Denis et Schiffermüller.

Distribution

Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Turkey.

Taxonomic position

Bracon caudiger is nearest to B. pineti and B. xanthogaster , within the subgenus Glabrobracon the three species (completed with further two species: B. longulus Thomson and B. strobilorum Ratzeburg here not discussed, cf. Papp 1992) forming a species-group viewing their common features: long ovipositor apparatus, dark coloured body and wings; the three species are distinguished by rather subtle features:

1 (2) Scutum of first tergite relatively short, i.e. at most reaching imaginary transverse line between spiracles; tergites 2-3 equal in length, suture between them clearly bisinuate ( Fig. 53A View Fig ). Eye in dorsal view 1.6-1.7 times longer than temple, head in dorsal view 1.75-1.8 times as broad as long ( Fig. 53B View Fig ). Eye in lateral view 1.3-1.4 times wider than temple ( Fig. 53C View Fig , see arrows). Lobe of claw fairly wide as in Fig. 53D View Fig . Metasoma yellow, first tergite black, exceptionally tergites with narrow brown(ish) streak. ♀: 3.5-4 mm. (?= B. caudatus Ratzeburg, 1848 ........................ B. (Gl.) xanthogaster Nees, 1834

2 (1) Scutum of first tergite not short, i.e. more or less exceeding above imaginary transverse line between spiracles; tergites 2-3 unequal in length, suture between them bisinuate ( Figs 52G View Fig ; 53F View Fig ). Eye in dorsal view 1.2-1.3 times longer than temple, head in dorsal view 1.65-1.75 times as broad as long ( Figs 52A View Fig ; 53G View Fig ). Eye in lateral view slightly wider than temple ( Fig. 53E View Fig , see arrows).

3 (4) Temple in dorsal view somewhat more rounded ( Figs 53H View Fig ). Tergites 2-3 less transverse, i.e. second tergite 2.3-2.6 times as broad behind as long laterally; suture between them more bisinuate; first tergite 1.3-1.4 times as long as broad behind ( Fig. 53F View Fig ). Lobe of claw long ( Fig. 53I View Fig ). Metasoma yellow to brownish yellow, usually with a wide dark streak. ♀: 3.5-4 mm ............. ............................................................................................................... B. (Gl.) pineti Thomson, 1892

4 (3) Temple in dorsal view somewhat less rounded ( Fig. 52A, H View Fig ). Tergites 2-3 more transverse, i.e. second tergite 3.2-3.5 times as broad behind as long laterally; suture between them less bisinuate, first tergite 1.25-1.3 times as long as broad behind ( Fig. 52G View Fig ). Lobe of claw finger-like( Fig. 52D View Fig ). Metasoma lemon yellow, usually with narrow dark streak. ♀: 3.5-4.2 mm ......... B. (Gl.) caudiger Nees, 1834

Description of the new subgenus Palpibracon

Genus Bracon Fabricius, 1804 Subgenus Palpibracon subgen. nov. Figs 54E, H, K View Fig ; 55J View Fig ; 56B View Fig , E-F

Type species: Bracon delibator Haliday, 1833 .

Diagnosis

Nearest to the subgenus Glabrobracon (Fahringer) Tobias considering the polished tergites of the species assigned to this subgenus. Maxillary palpi are unusually long, at least as long as height of head or (usually) longer ( Figs 54E, K View Fig ; 55J View Fig ; 56F View Fig ). SR1 of fore wing more or less approaching ( Figs 54H View Fig ; 55I View Fig ; 56B, E View Fig ) (and not reaching) tip of wing. Rarely first tergite (scutum!) or, exceptionally, tergites 1-2 with weak sculpture.