Diachasmimorpha mexicana (Cameron)

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 : 46-48

Diachasmimorpha mexicana (Cameron) Figs 3438

Opius mexicanus Cameron, 1887: 409-410. Holotype male in BMNH (examined).

Desmiostoma mexicana : Fischer 1967b: 63-64 (redescription, generic transfer); Fischer 1977: 849, 872-873 (key, redescription).

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

Type locality.

Mexico, D. F., Chapultepec.

Type material.

Holotype male (BMNH), first label [round, white with red margin], first line: Type second line: H. T. Second label, first line: B. M. TYPE second line: HYM third line: 3.c.705 Third label, first line: B.C.A. Hymen. I. second line: Opius third line: mexicanus fourth line: Cam. Fourth label, first line: Opius second line: mexicanus third line: Cam. Type fourth line: BCA ii 409 Fifth label, first line: Bilimek second line: Mexico third line: 1871. fourth line: Chapul fifth line: tepek.

Diagnosis.

Holotype male. Eye in dorsal view shorter than temple, temples weakly expanded beyond eyes; eye in lateral view 0.95 × length of temple. Frons unsculptured along midline between antenna and median ocellus. Clypeus 3.4 × wider than high. Occipital carina distinct near base of mandible, short, not extending dorsally to ventral margin of eye. Antenna broken. Pronope deep, large, interrupting posterior crenulate groove middorsally. Notauli deep anteriorly, reaching margin of mesoscutum anteriorly, apparently extending about half distance from anterior-lateral margin to elongate midpit but pin obliterates midpit and surrounding area of mesonotum. Precoxal sulcus very weakly crenulate, nearly smooth, short, not extending close to anterior margin of mesopleuron. Propodeum largely smooth, with rugulose sculpture largely confined to midline, especially around apex, and along border of metapleuron. Fore wing 2RS 0.8 × 3RSa; m-cu distinctly postfurcal. T1 with dorsal carinae widely separated, short, barely extending to level of spiracle, T1 otherwise unsculptured. Head, meso- and metasoma orange, tegula black; legs black as in holotype of Diachasmimorpha hildagensis . Body length about 4.0 mm. This species has a much smaller eye (Figs 35, 37) than the similarly-colored Diachasmimorpha sanguinea (Fig. 41) and is also less heavily sculptured. Females are unknown.

Biology.

Unknown.

Remarks.

The body of the Diachasmimorpha mexicana holotype is remarkably smooth relative to that of other species in the mexicana species group. The precoxal sulcus, for example, is very weakly crenulate, the propodeum is very weakly sculptured in general but completely smooth and polished anterior-laterally, and T1 is unsculptured except for the very short dorsal carinae. Sculpture is variable to some extent in other species of this species group, and thus it would be useful to obtain additional specimens of the true Diachasmimorpha mexicana to determine the extent of sculptural variation in this species and ascertain whether reduction in sculpture is a useful diagnostic feature.

Fischer (1967b) noted that the specimen labeled as the type in BMNH is a male, but Cameron (1887) indicated in his original description that he was describing a female. The excellent figure in Cameron (1887) matches the type specimen, providing additional evidence of Cameron’s error (either misinterpretation of the male genitalia as an ovipositor or, more likely given the general quality of Cameron’s early work, a typographical error). The holotype was collected by D. Bilimek in Chapultepec and I have interpreted this as the large park that is now within Mexico City. Fischer (1967b) recorded the type label as type no. 3.c.505, but this is an inadvertent error. The type number for this specimens is 3.c.705.

See additional remarks under Diachasmimorpha hildagensis above.