Meteorus eadyi Huddleston, 1980

Stigenberg, Julia & Ronquist, Fredrik, 2011, Revision of the Western Palearctic Meteorini (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), with a molecular characterization of hidden Fennoscandian species diversity 3084, Zootaxa 3084 (1), pp. 1-95 : 53

Meteorus eadyi Huddleston

Fig. 41 , 96

Meteorus eadyi Huddleston, 1980:29 . Holotype ♀ Great Britain: Northhamptonshire , Spratton, x.1975 (Gauld) (BMNH, London)—examined.

Paraytpes. Bulgaria: 1 ♀, Rhodopi , Markovo, 13.viii.1977 (Zaykov) ( PZ, Plavodiv). Great Britain: 17 ♀ s, 1 ♂, England, Northhamptonshire, Spratton, v.-x.1975 (Gauld) 1 female, E., oxfordshire, Waterferry Common, 5.viii.1969 (Brock) ( BMNH) ; 1 ♀, Greater London , Kew, 22.vii.1979 (Eastop) ( BMNH) . Germany: 1 ♀, Bonn , Waldhauhohenweg, 18.xi.1960 (Schmidt) ( CNC, Ottawa) . Netherlands: 6 females, Wijster (opp, biol. station); 3, 13–26.viii.1973; 1, 7–14.vii.1974; 10–17.ix.1976; 1. 16–23.vi.1978 (van Achterberg) ( RNH, Leiden); 7 ♀ s, Waarder ( ZH) , Oosteinde ; 1, 1–15.ix.1973; 1, 17–22.vi.1974; 1, 1–5.viii.1974;2, 1–6.ix.1974; 1, 15–22.vi.1975; 1, 21–31.x.1975 (van Achterberg) ( RNH, Leiden); 1 ♀, Ede, 15.ix.1970 (Zwakhals) ( RNH, Leiden) . Yugoslavia: 1 ♀, Plitvice , 4–10.vii.1955 (Coie) ( BMNH) .

Diagnosis: Meteorus eadyi is close to M. filator but can be distinguished by its smaller, less convergent eyes, and by the shape of the clypeus being narrow and protruding, not wide and flat as in M. filator . The antennae (26–27 articles) are long and slender in M. eadyi , while M. filator has stouter antennae with about 21–25 articles. The ovipositor is 1.5 times petiolar tergum in M. eady and 2.0 times petiolar tergum in M. filator .

Studied material: ~ 20 specimens.

Description: Size 4–5mm. Antennae 26–27 articles, all articles longer than broad. Head rounded behind eyes. Ocelli small, OOL=2.5–3.0. Eyes small, protuberant and not strongly convergent. Face about 1.5 times as broad as high. Clypeus not strongly protuberant. Mandibles not twisted, the upper tooth rather long. Precoxal sulcus foveolate. Propodeum carinated with three longitudinal and two transverse carinae. Petiolar tergum long, slender, about twice as long as apically broad; no dorsal pits; ventral borders of petiolar tergum conjoined. Ovipositor short, about 1.5 times as long as petiolar tergum, down-curved. Legs slender, hind coxae partly rugose; tarsal claws without a basal lobe. Colour black with yellow parts, basal antennal articles usually slightly lighter than the rest. Male same as female except that the eyes are smaller and less convergent.

Distribution: Western Palearctic and Mongolia. Country records: Armenia; Bulgaria; Czechoslovakia; France; Germany; Hungary; Korea; Lithuania; Mongolia; Netherlands; Romania; Russia; Sweden; Switzerland; United Kingdom; Yugoslavia.

Biology: Meteorus eadyi is attracted to light ( Yu et al. 2005). It flies during June to September and the host is unknown.

Remarks: M. eadyi is here reported as new for Sweden. In the material from MZLU we found 1 ♀ from Skåne.

Figures

FIGURES 41–48. Characters used in key to species. 41) antennae of M. eadyi, 42) fore wing of M. cinctellus, 43) fore wing of M. tenellus, 44) antennae of M. cinctellus, 45) antennae of M. tenellus, 46) habitus of M. stenomastax sp. nov., 47) metasoma of M. tenellus, 48) metasoma of M. artocercus sp. nov.

FIGURES 80–133. Anterior view of the head of Meteorus species (except for M. politutele, which is depicted in lateral view).