Pediobius mitsukurii (Ashmead, 1904)

Cao, Huan-Xi, Salle, John La & Zhu, Chao-Dong, 2017, Chinese species of Pediobius Walker (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), Zootaxa 4240 (1), pp. 1-71 : 60-61

32. Pediobius mitsukurii (Ashmead, 1904)

( Fig. 29 )

Derostenus mitsukurii Ashmead, 1904c: 161 ; ♀. Lectotype ♀, USNM, not examined; designated by Kamijo, 1977: 20 –22. Pediobius mitsukurii (Ashmead, 1904) , Bouček & Askew, 1968: 260.

Diagnosis. Legs, except the coxae, pale brownish yellow; all coxae concolorous with body ( Figs 29 f–h). Occiput blunted, only weakly margined between eyes. Gaster truncate ovate, shorter than mesosoma and obtuse apically with Gt1 occupying more than 4/5 length of gaster in both sexes, and its median area with dense longitudinal reticulation. In female, antenna brownish yellow, except scape black with metallic blue reflections ( Fig. 29 d); dorsellum rounded apically, with two foveae enlarged that look like two submedian areas formed by two lateral "U" shaped carinae ( Fig. 29 a). In male, antenna including scape and pedicel brownish yellow ( Fig. 29 c).

Material examined. China, Anhui: 10♀, Fuyang, Si-Kui Li, ex. Parnara guttata Bremer & Grey ; 2♀, Hefei, 1983; Guizhou : 5♀, Qianxinan, Anlong , 06.VII.1982, Xue-Wei Song, ex. Parnara guttata Bremer & Grey ; 5♀, Guiyang , 30.VIII.1981, ex. Parnara guttata Bremer & Grey ; 2♀, Qiannan, Guiding , 10.X.1979, Sheng-Zhen Zhou, ex. Parnara guttata Bremer & Grey ; Hubei: 1♀, Xuan-En, 04.VIII.1989, Da-Wei Huang ; Jiangxi: 26♀, Ganzhou, Chongyi , 27.VIII.1982, Shi-Wang Liu, ex. Mycalesis gotama Moore ; 10♀ 1♂, Nanchang, Meiling , 08.IX.1978, Jin-Kun Sheng, ex. the pupae of Parnara guttata Bremer & Grey ; Shanghai : 42♀, Shanghai, 31.VIII.1930, A. Savio ; Sichuan: 5♀, Caijing , 15.IX.1980, ex. the pupae of Parnara guttata Bremer & Grey ; 5♀, Chengdu , 02.IX.1980, ex. the pupae of Parnara guttata Bremer & Grey ; 1♀, Chengdu , 30.VIII.1979, ex. the pupae of Parnara guttata Bremer & Grey ; 1♀, Yibin, Junlian , 23.VII.1980, ex. the pupae of Parnara guttata Bremer & Grey ; 3♀, E-Mei Shan, Jun-Hui Chen; 7♀, Yibin, Gongxian , 10.IX.1989, ex. the pupae of Parnara guttata Bremer & Grey ; 6♀, Guangyuan , 01.IX.1975, Ding-Xi Liao, ex. the pupae of Parnara guttata Bremer & Grey ; 5♀, Guangyuan , 03.VIII.1981, ex. the pupae of Parnara guttata Bremer & Grey ; 5♀, Guangyuan , 27.VIII.1981, ex. the pupae of Parnara guttata Bremer & Grey ; 10♀, Yibin , Jiang-An, 03.IX.1989, ex. the pupae of Parnara guttata Bremer & Grey ; 1♀, Pengshui , 11.VII.1989, Da-Wei Huang ; 1♀, Chengdu, Qingchengshan , 11.VII.1989, Da-Wei Huang ; 7♀, Wanyuan , 09.VII.1987, Jun-Hui Chen ; 5♀, Xinjin , 24.VII.1990 ; 4♀, Chengdu, Xinjin, Xingle , Zhongxing , 10.VIII.1980, Jun-Hui Chen ; 2♀, Ya-An, 29.VIII.1975, ex. the pupae of Parnara guttata Bremer & Grey ; 1♀, Ya-An, Sichuan Agricultural University, VIII.1974, ex. the pupae of Parnara guttata Bremer & Grey ; 6♀, Ya-An, 24.VIII.1975, Ding-Xi Liao, ex. the pupae of Parnara guttata Bremer & Grey ; 4♀, Youyang , 09.VIII.1981, Jun-Hui Chen ; 5♀, Ziyang , 30.VIII.1981, Jun-Hui Chen ; 2♀, Ziyang, Yanjiang, Kunlun , 12.IX.1980, Jun-Hui Chen.

Biology. Pediobius mitsukurii has been recorded as a primary parasitoid from the pupae of Parnara guttata Bremer & Grey ( Lepidoptera : Hesperiidae ) ( Kamijo 1977) and Mycalesis gotama Moore ( Lepidoptera : Satyridae ) ( Kamijo 1986a). The other host record, Phytomyza atricornis Meigen ( Diptera : Agromyzidae ) ( Ishii 1953) was thought to be incorrect ( Kamijo 1977). In China, P. mitsukurii was recorded from Pa. guttata and Melanitis leda (Linnaeus) ( Lepidoptera : Satyridae ).

Distribution in China. Anhui, Guizhou, Hubei, Jiangxi, Shanghai, Sichuan.

Remarks. Pediobius mitsukurii was originally described from Japan. To date, it has been only recorded from three Asian countries including China, Korea and Japan. This species is characterized by pale flagellum and legs, blunt occiput in female, two strikingly large lateral foveae on dorsellum and the large Gt1. Although there are some similarities between this species and P. polychrosis , we are not certain about their relationships because of many distinct differences between them (see couplet 24 of the key and also remarks under P. polychrosis ). Based on their reticulate sculpture on mesoscutum and scutellum, they possibly have a relationship with P. facialis .

Figures

FIGURE 29. Pediobius mitsukurii (Ashmead, 1904). a: female, body in dorsal view; b: male, body in dorsal view; c: male, body in lateral view; d: female, antenna; e: female, fore wing; f: female, fore leg; g: female, mid leg; h: female, hind leg. Scale bar: a – c, 0.5 mm; d, 0.1 mm; e, 0.4 mm; f – h, 0.2 mm.