Stephanodes giraulti ( Perkins, 1912 ) Perkins, 1912

Aquino, Daniel A., Triapitsyn, Serguei V. & Huber, John T., 2016, Nomenclatural changes in Mymaridae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea), Zootaxa 4205 (6), pp. 581-592 : 585-587

Stephanodes giraulti ( Perkins, 1912) , comb. n.

( Figs 3a–e )

Polynema giraulti Perkins, 1912: 24 –25. Type locality: Mexico, Distrito Federal, Mexico City, Chapultepec [Park]. Polynema giraulti: De Santis, 1979: 376 (catalog); Yoshimoto, 1990: 83 (list); Triapitsyn et al., 2004: 746 (list).

Type material examined. Lectotype ♀ [ BPBM], here designated to avoid confusion about the status of the type specimens of this species, on slide ( Fig. 3d ) with the single original label: “ Polynema giraulti . Type. [underlined in red pencil] coll. by sweeping grass 23.xi.07 Chapultepec, A.K. [Albert Koebele] Mexico [collecting data all in pencil] 247 [?an incomplete A. Koebele’s number] 5705”. The lectotype (the leftmost female, circled in black ink) is almost complete ( Fig. 3a ) although lacking an apical part of one fore wing, otherwise it is in a relatively good condition, mounted laterally . Paralectotypes: 2 females and 1 male on the same slide and under the same coverslip with the lectotype. All the original syntypes were slide-mounted rather poorly.

Additional material examined. Mexico: DISTRITO FEDERAL, 12 mi. W of Texcoco , 2300 m, 28.x.1982, J.T. Huber [2 ♀♀, UCRC] . PUEBLA, 3.7 mi. S. Zacapoaxtla, 23.vii.1985, J.B. Woolley, G. Zolnerowich [1 ♂, CNC] .

Diagnosis. Stephanodes giraulti is similar to S. polynemoides (Yoshimoto) , recorded from Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Central Mexico, Panama, and Venezuela ( Yoshimoto 1990; Huber & Fidalgo 1997), but differs from the latter in having relatively much smaller apical dark spots on the fore wing disc in both sexes, particularly the one that is close to the posterior margin of the wing, which is notably smaller than the spot that is close to the anterior margin, unlike in S. polynemoides . Huber & Fidalgo (1997) mentioned that the two female specimens of Stephanodes from Guatemala, also collected at high altitudes, have very small apical dark spots on the fore wing disc but considered this to be intraspecific variation within S. polynemoides . Although that might be the case, these specimens, as well as the unlisted material from Central Mexico mentioned by Huber & Fidalgo (1997) under S. polynemoides , most likely belong to S. giraulti . In the latter, F1 is 2.0–2.2× length of pedicel, F2 is 1.1–1.2× length of F1, and the clava bears at most 7 mps, whereas in the non-type specimens of S. polynemoides from Costa Rica and Panama, examined by S.V. Triapitsyn (material in UCRC), F1 is 1.4–1.6× length of pedicel, F2 is 1.3×1.5× length of F1, and the clava bears 9 mps. Thus, at least for the present, we consider the specimens to represent two separate species.

Redescription. Female (lectotype, paralectotypes, and non-type specimens). Body length 990–1100. Head, mesosoma and gaster shining dark brown, petiole light brown, antenna brown to dark brown except pedicel and F1 a little lighter (light brown to brown), legs mostly light brown ( Fig. 3a ).

Antenna ( Fig. 3b ). Scape plus radicle 2.0–2.1× as long as wide, pedicel much shorter than F1 (F1 2.0–2.2× length of pedicel); F2 the longest funicular segment and 1.1–1.2× length of F1; F1–F5 without mps; F6 the widest of funicular segments and at least sometimes with 1 mps (very difficult to see); clava 2.8–2.9× as long as wide, at least a little longer than combined length of F5 and F6, with at least 6 mps but apparently with 7.

Fore wing ( Fig. 3c ) 2.8–2.9× as long as wide; disc densely setose beyond venation, with a narrow, transverse, brown band beyond venation and two apical brown spots, the anterior spot more or less circular and larger than the posterior spot; longest marginal seta 0.35–0.39× greatest width of disc. Hind wing 33–34× as long as wide; longest marginal seta about 5.8× greatest width of disc.

Metasoma. Ovipositor occupying about 0.7× length of gaster, not or at most barely exserted beyond gastral apex; ovipositor 0.8–0.9× length of metatibia.

Lectotype measurements. Body, 1100: mesosoma, 450; petiole, 210; gaster, 437; ovipositor, 320. Antenna: scape, 88; pedicel, 45; F1, 97; F2, 109; F3, 79; F4, 67; F5, 68; F6, 62; clava, 152. Fore wing, 1408:492; longest marginal seta, 173. Hind wing, 1015:30; longest marginal seta, 175.

MALE (paralectotype). Body length 1095. Similar to female except for normal sexually dimorphic features of antenna and genitalia and the following. Scape and pedicel light brown to brown, flagellum dark brown ( Fig. 3e ). Fore wing about 2.9× as long as wide.

Distribution. Nearctic region: Mexico (Distrito Federal and Puebla), and possibly Guatemala (Neotropical region).

Remarks. Apparently by mistake, Perkins (1912, p. 25) indicated that this species was collected by A. Koebele (one of the pioneers of biological control) “amongst grass in cane-fields” in Mexico, without mentioning the locality. However, from the label data on the original syntype slide ( Fig. 3d ) that is highly unlikely because almost certainly there were no sugar cane fields in Chapultepec Park (= Bosque de Chapultepec) in Mexico City, which is well outside the cane-growing areas of the country. It is far more likely for the fields to be corn fields.

Figures

FIGURES 3 a – e. Stephanodes giraulti: a, ♀ habitus (lectotype), lateral view; b, ♀ antenna (lectotype); c, ♂ fore wing (paralectotype); d, lectotype slide; e, ♂ antenna (paralectotype).