Meteorus longipilosus Stigenberg, 2011

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 : 60

Meteorus longipilosus Stigenberg sp. nov.

Fig. 64 , 79D , 107

Diagnosis: Meteorus longipilosus at first looks like a hybrid between M. abdominator and M. cespitator . Ovipositor length and head shape is similar to M. cespitator while the setae on the gena are long and scattered as in M. abdominator . Also the wing venation resembles M. abdominator . The face of M. longipilosus is “meaner looking” (eyes more strongly converging) and the malar space is shorter than in M. abdominator . The two M. longipilosus specimens that we studied differ in size and colour: the paratype is smaller and more brownish than the holotype.

Studied material: Holotype: 1 ♀ SE. Vb. Vindelns kommun. Kulbäckslidens försökspark. 01.viii– 18.viii.2003. (leg. SMTP), NHRS – HYME 4977 , DNA 144 . Paratype: 1 ♀ SE. Vr. Munkfors kommun. Ransäter, Rudstorp. 23.vii–12.viii.2005. (leg. SMTP), NHRS – HYME 4978 , DNA 85 .

Description: Body 3.6 mm, fore wing 3.1 mm.

Head: Length of eye 1.4 times length of temple in dorsal aspect; eyes large, convergent, not protuberant; width of face 1.6 times its height; OOL=2.5, ocelli hardly protruding; vertex smooth; clypeus almost as wide as face, distinctly divided from face, rather flat; length of malar space 0.5 times basal width of mandible; mandible stout, not twisted; number of antennal articles 25; 3rd antennal article 4.5 times longer than wide; 4th antennal article 3.6 times longer than wide; penultimate articles as wide as broad or slightly wider.

Mesosoma: Pronotum rugose all the way to the sides. Precoxal sulcus deep and narrow.

Wings: Fore wing: r/3–SR=0.7; C+SC+R/SR1=1.4; m–cu antefurcal; pterostigma brown with. Hind wing: 1– M/cu–a=1.1;

Legs: Hind coxa smooth; hind femur 5.8 times longer than wide; tarsal claws slender with a very small lobe.

Metasoma: Petiolar tergum 1.9 times longer than wide apically, 4.1 times fore wing; dorsope present; ventral borders of petiolar tergum not joined, petiolar tergum striate with no dorsal central rugosity; ovipositor long and weakly curved downward, length of ovipositor 3.1 times petiolar tergum, and 0.75 times fore wing. Propodeum strongly convex, reticulate rugose and with all carina distinct, between carina with weak reticulation.

Colour: Black except: clypeus and palpi yellow; antennae yellow basally to brown apically; petiolar tergum brown and metasoma, legs and hind coxa yellow.

Distribution: Sweden.

Biology: The specimens of Meteorus longipilosus were caught in Malaise traps in late July to August. One was caught in a 15 yrs old spruce plantation and the other was caught on a sandy railway embankment through a pasture.

Etymology: The name longipilosus refers to the long setae that this species has.

Figures

FIGURE 79. Habitus images of the seven new species described in this paper. A) Meteorus artocercus, B) M. densipilosus, C) M. eklundi, D) M. longipilosus, E) M. sibyllae, F) M. stenomastax, G) M. subtilisulcus.

FIGURES 57–64. Characters used in key to species. 57) for wing of M. alborossicus, 58) for wing of M. vexator, 59) dorsal view of the petiolar tergum of M. politutele, 60) fore wing of M. abdominator, 61) antennae of M. consimilis, 62) fore wing of M. consimilis, 63) lateral view of the metasoma of M. vexator, 64) lateral view of mesosoma and metasoma of M. longipilosus.

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