Meteorus rubens (Nees von Esenbeck)

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 : 67-68

Meteorus rubens (Nees von Esenbeck)

Fig. 19, 25 , 27, 29 , 121

Bracon rubens Nees von Esenbeck, 1811:22 . Syntypes ♀, Germany lost

Perilitus leviventris Wesmael, 1835:46 . Lectotype ♀, Belgium: Brussels, coll. Wesmael (IRSNB, Brussels), synonymized by Fischer, 1970b:260 —examined.

Meteorus islandicus Ruthe , 1859.317. Syntypes, Iceland: Staudinger coll. (NM, Vienna), synonymized by Roman, 1917:4 — examined.

Meteorus medianus Ruthe, 1862:53 . Lectotype ♀, Germany: Ruthe coll. (BMNH, London), synonymized with leviventris by Marshall, 1887:126 —examined.

Meteorus scutatus Costa, 1884:172 . Holotype ♀, Italy: Oristano (MZ, Naples), synonymized by Huddleston, 1980:47

Meteorus heteroneurus Thomson, 1895:2158 . Holotype ♀, Sweden:Västergötland (MZLU, Lund), synonymized by Fischer, 1970b:260 —examined.

Meteorus szechuanensis Fahringer, 1935:11 . Lectotype ♀, China: No Szechuan (NHRS, Stockholm), synonymized by Huddleston, 1980:47 —examined.

Meteorus mesopotamicus Fischer, 1957a:105 . Holotype ♀, Iraq: Mosul (NM, Vienna), synonymized by Huddleston, 1980:47 — examined.

Diagnosis: The traces of dorsopes on the petiolar tergum, the shortened marginal cell and the ovipositor are key characters for Meteorus rubens . The closest species to M. rubens is M. heliophilus , but the longer marginal cell of the latter and the more numerous antennal articles (30–32 in M. heliophilus , 24–28 in M. rubens ) are good characters to separate these species.

Studied material: ~ 100 specimens.

Description: Size about 4–5mm. Antennae short, 24–28 articles; the articles in the distal half of the flagellum often only as long as broad but sometimes longer than this. Ocelli large, OO= 1.0–1.5. Eyes only slightly convergent. Malar space slightly less than basal breadth of mandible. Face a little less than twice as wide as high, protuberant with a medial longitudinal raised area which is finely transversely rugose. Clypeus protuberant, transverse with long setae. Tentorial pits large, distinct. Mandibles long, moderately twisted, the upper tooth generally rather long. Precoxal sulcus a shallow rugose furrow. Propodeum rugose and generally with only a medial longitudinal carina. Petiolar tergum often with traces of dorsal pits. Ventral borders of petiolar tergum conjoined in the midpart of the segment. Ovipositor twice length of petiolar tergum, thick, strongly swollen at the base. Hind coxa smooth, punctuate–weak rugosity dorsally at the base. Tarsal claws never strongly bent and usually only swollen at the base. Colour varies from completely black to completely yellow with all intermediate stages represented. Male same as female except antennae longer, 26–30 articles, all flagellar articles distinctly longer than broad; the propodeum is more depressed, often less strongly rugose and with the carinae more distinct.

Distribution: Palearctic and Nearctic. Country records: Algeria; Argentina; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belgium; Bulgaria; Canada; China; Costa Rica; Croatia; Cyprus; Czechoslovakia; Denmark; Egypt; Faeroe Islands; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Greenland; Hungary; Iceland; Iran; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Japan; Kazakhstan; Korea; Latvia; Lithuania; Moldova; Mongolia; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Romania; Russia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; USA; Ukraine; United Kingdom; Yugoslavia.

Biology: We found 35 specimens within the SMTP. They were caught from July to September in both deciduous and coniferous forests. Meteorus rubens has been recorded as a parasitoid of several families of Lepidoptera , but members of the Noctuidae appear to be the primary hosts ( Yu et al. 2005).

Figures

FIGURES 18–25. Characters used in key to species. 18) dorsal view of the petiolar tergum of M. filator, 19) dorsal view of the petiolar tergum of M. rubens, 20) ventral view of the petiolar tergum of M. colon, 21) dorsal view of the petiolar tergum of M. hirsutipes, 22) ventral view of the petiolar tergum of M. pendulus, 23) dorsal view of the head of M. pulchricornis, 24) dorsal view of the head of M. filator, 25) ventral view of the petiolar tergum of M. rubens.

FIGURES 26–32. Characters used in key to species. 26) ventral view of the petiolar tergum of M. versicolor, 27) head in lateral view of M. rubens, 28) head in lateral view of M. pulchricornis, 30) fore wing of M. colon, 31) habitus of M. acerbiavorus, 32) dorsal view of the head of M. lionotus.

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