Cleptes semiauratus (LINNAEUS, 1761)

Rosa, Paolo, 2019, Cleptes pallipes var. androgyna DU BUYSSON, 1896 is a gynandromorph oI Cleptes semiauratus (LƗNNAEUS, 1761) (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 51 (1), pp. 391-396 : 392-394

Description of the gynander of Cleptes semiauratus (LINNAEUS, 1761)

D i a g n o s i s. The gynander is predominantly male-like. The head is largely femalelike, with golden red colour and typical shortened flagellomeres, lighter scape, pedicel and first flagellomeres (vs. elongate and black flagellomeres in the male); the left side of the head shows anyway some male characters. Mesosoma male-like, blue coloured, with unusual sculpture of mesopleuron; slightly darkened and banded wings; hind-femora dorsally light brown are more coloured as female. Metasoma male-like, with five visible terga.

Body length: 5.7 mm.

Head. Appearance female-like ( Figs. 1A , 2A, 2C ). Head colour golden-red, on occiput purple-red. Face with a mix of male and female characters: right side female-like, with red colour and a median black spot, as typical for females; left side mostly male-like, largely blue, with shortened malar space, deforming the clypeus shape. Head without clear sexual dimorphic evidences in punctation: moderately punctate, with even punctures and interstices between punctures 1-2 PD wide and polished. Mandible brownish, proximally metallic. Antennae female-like, with scape, pedicel, first and second flagellomeres yellowish, the third one brownish, and the followings brown; flagellomeres shortened and broadened, first flagellomere 1.0 MOD, second and third about 0.5 MOD (vs. elongate and black male flagellum, with first flagellomere almost 2.0 MOD, second and third slightly more than 1.0 MOD).

Mesosoma. Male-like, except for: unusual sculpture of mesopleuron, latero-ventrally with large and elongate foveae and postero-ventrally still with elongate foveae and striae; wings slightly banded as in the female; mid- and hind-femora dorsally light brown, not dark brown and without metallic reflections. Pronotum posteriorly with row of few large, yet shallow, foveae; mesonotum sparsely punctate with polished interstices 2̅3 PD wide. Propodeum dorsally with irregular rugose carinae. Lateral propodeal teeth acute and divergent, outwards directed. Pubescence on mesosoma yellowish. Femora dorsally brown, ventrally bluish, tibiae and tarsi light brown.

Metasoma. Male-like, with five visible terga; first three terga orange-brown; the last two entirely metallic blue. First tergum proximally polished, with sparse puncture on posterior half; second and third tergum with small, scattered punctures with interstices 1̅ 3 PD wide; fourth tergum with denser and deeper punctures. All metasomal segments with a large impunctate stripe along posterior margin. Pubescence yellowish. Genital capsule not examined for risk of damaging the specimen.

Figures

Fig. 1 A-B. Cleptes pallipes var. androgyna DU BUYSSON, A. Habitus, dorsal view; B. Habitus, lateral view. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

Fig. 2 A-D. Cleptes pallipes var. androgyna DU BUYSSON, A. Head and pronotum, dorsal view; B. Head, frontal view; C. Metasoma, dorso-lateral view; D. Mesopleuron, lateral view. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.