Aleiodes gasterator (Jurine, 1807)

van Achterberg, Cornelis, Shaw, Mark R. & Quicke, Donald L. J., 2020, Revision of the western Palaearctic species of Aleiodes Wesmael (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Rogadinae). Part 2: Revision of the A. apicalis group, ZooKeys 919, pp. 1-259 : 1

Aleiodes gasterator (Jurine, 1807) Figs 343-346 , 347-359 , 360-364

Bracon gasterator Jurine, 1807: 118, pl. 8. [examined].

Rogas gasterator ; Shenefelt 1975: 1230-1231; Zaykov 1980a: 112.

Rogas (Rogas) gasterator ; Tobias 1976: 86, 1986: 81 (transl.: 133) p.p.

Aleiodes (Neorhogas) gasterator ; Papp 1991a: 91 p.p.

Aleiodes (Chelonorhogas) gasterator ; Falco et al. 1997: 60; Ghahari et al. 2011: 267; Rastegar et al. 2012: 3; Farahani et al. 2015: 243.

Aleiodes gasterator ; Bergamasco et al. 1995: 5; Zaldívar-Riverón et al. 2004: 234; Papp 2005: 176.

Bracon dimidiatus Spinola 1808: 123-124. Syn. nov.

Aleiodes dimidiatus ; Bergamasco et al. 1995: 5.

Rogas (Rogas) dimidiatus : Tobias 1976: 86; 1986: 81 (transl.: 134) p.p.

Rogas dimidiatus ; Zaykov 1980a: 112.

Aleiodes (Neorhogas) dimidiatus ; Papp 1991a: 90 p.p.

Aleiodes (Chelonorhogas) dimidiatus ; Samartsev and Belokobylskij 2013: 765; Farahani et al. 2015: 242.

Rhogas (Rhogas) dimidiatus var. turkestanicus Telenga, 1941: 184, 409; Shenefelt 1975: 1225 [examined]. Syn. nov.

Type material.

Holotype of A. gasterator , ♀ (Museum Genève), "[? Switzerland], gasterator J.", “Typus”, " Bracon gasterator Jur., Type", "Type du g. Rogas [= incorrect]", "vu par [R.D.] Shenefelt, U.S.A., 1967" (metasoma on separate card and pin). Lectotype of A. turkestanicus here designated, ♀ (ZISP), "[Turkmenistan], Transcaspia, Bajram-aly, 17.viii.1930, T. Boguj/311, i.s.", " Rhogas dimidiatus Spin. var. turkestanica [sic!] nov., N. Telenga det.".

Additional material.

Albania, Cyprus, France (including Corsica), Greece (including Crete), Italy (including Sardinia, Sicily), North Macedonia, Portugal (including Madeira), Spain (including Mallorca, Menorca, Tenerife), Tunisia, Turkey, [Iraq, Jordan, Syria]. Specimens in ZJUH, BZL, CNC, MSC, MTMA, NMS, RMNH, ZSSM. Widespread in the Mediterranean region, where it tends to replace A. ruficornis .

Molecular data.

MRS046 (France), MRS048 (France), MRS892 (Spain).

Biology.

Collected chiefly in May-July and September-November, but specimens have occurred in every month of the year. Plurivoltine; there is no indication of a unique overwintering mode in the material seen. Reared from low-feeding Noctuidae : Agrotis segetum (Denis & Schiffermüller) (6 [6 ZJUH], Spain), Agrotis sp. (1 [ZJUH], Cyprus; W.R. Ingram), mixed Agrotis and Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) (1 [ZJUH], Cyprus; W.R. Ingram). The two mummies seen are rather different (Figs 345 , 346 ), though it may be that neither overwintered; a small, pale and relatively slender one from Agrotis sp. produced a small male, while a more normal sized individual emerged from the larger, dark and stout mummy whose host was (even) less certain. Even in the latter case, the mummy is less keeled, less lined with silk and much more in relation to the size of the emerging adult than is the situation with the overwintering mummies of the A. grassator / carbonarius / carbonaroides / ruficornis complex. The appearance of both mummies suggest that they would normally form below ground.

Diagnosis.

Maximum width of hypoclypeal depression 0.4-0.5 × minimum width of face (Fig. 355 ); OOL of ♀ 1.2-1.6 × as long as diameter of posterior ocellus (Fig. 356 ) and distinctly rugose or rugulose; antennal segments of ♀ 29-39, of ♂ 36-46(-51) (usually 39-43); antenna of ♀ 0.8-0.9 × fore wing; length of malar space of ♀ 0.5-0.6 × height of eye in lateral view (Fig. 357 ); clypeus thick apically and not protruding anteriorly (Fig. 357 ); lobes of mesoscutum densely punctate, interspaces largely smooth and shiny; posterior half of notauli deep; precoxal area coarsely vermiculate-rugose medially; marginal cell of fore wing of ♀ usually ending rather removed from wing apex (Fig. 347 ); vein 1-CU1 of fore wing 0.4-0.5 × as long as vein 2-CU1 (Fig. 347 ); hind tarsal claws yellowish or brownish bristly setose; third tergite with (faint) curved or antero-medially transverse rugulae or striae (Fig. 364 ) or largely smooth (sometimes with only longitudinal striae baso-laterally), often with distinct punctures laterally; hind femur at least apico-dorsally dark brown or black; inner and/or dorsal side of hind tibia (largely) yellowish or red; tegulae usually (partly) dark brown; pale males have nearly always frons medially and stemmaticum black; palpi usually brownish or yellowish, sometimes dark brown; 3rd metasomal tergite frequently partly or completely reddish or yellowish; 4th and 5th tergites black.

Description.

Redescribed ♀ (RMNH) from France (Isle sur le Sorque). Length of fore wing 4.9 mm, of body 6.1 mm.

Head. Antennal segments of ♀ 35, length of antenna 0.9 × fore wing, its subapical segments robust (Fig. 359 ), 4th segment 1.2 × longer than wide; frons with coarse curved rugae; OOL 1.6 × diameter of posterior ocellus, and densely rugose or rugulose; vertex densely rugose, shiny; clypeus densely punctate; ventral margin of clypeus thick and not protruding forwards (Fig. 357 ); width of hypoclypeal depression 0.5 × minimum width of face (Fig. 355 ); length of eye 1.3 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 356 ); vertex behind stemmaticum punctate-rugose; clypeus just below lower level of eyes; length of malar space 0.5 × length of eye in lateral view.

Mesosoma. Mesoscutal lobes densely punctate, interspaces largely smooth with superficial granulation, shiny; precoxal area of mesopleuron evenly vermiculate-rugose medially, but only sparsely punctate posteriorly; metanotum without median carina; scutellum rather flat, sparsely punctate, but rugose laterally; propodeum coarsely vermiculate-rugose, medio-longitudinal carina nearly complete, and angulate latero-posteriorly.

Wings. Fore wing: r 0.35 × 3-SR (Fig. 347 ); marginal cell distinctly ending basad of level of apex of vein 3-M; 1-CU1 horizontal, slender, 0.5 × 2-CU1; r-m 0.6 × 3-SR; 2nd submarginal cell medium-sized (Fig. 347 ); cu-a inclivous, posteriorly curved; 1-M rather curved posteriorly; 1-SR wide; surroundings of M+CU1, 1-M and 1-CU1 largely glabrous. Hind wing: marginal cell gradually widened, but slightly basally, its apical width 2.3 × width at level of hamuli (Fig. 348 ); 2-SC+R subquadrate; m-cu largely absent; M+CU:1-M = 28:19; 1r-m 0.6 × 1-M.

Legs. Tarsal claws robust and with only bristly brownish setae (Fig. 358 ); hind coxa largely densely punctate; hind trochantellus robust; length of hind femur and basitarsus 4.2 and 5.8 × their width, respectively; length of inner hind spur 0.5 × hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. First tergite convex medially and 0.9 × as long as wide apically; 1st and 2nd tergites with medio-longitudinal carina and coarsely longitudinally rugose; medio-basal area of 2nd tergite short and rather distinct (Fig. 351 ); 2nd suture deep; subbasally 3rd tergite with faint curved striae and medially transverse (Fig. 364 ); remainder of metasoma superficially micro-sculptured; 4th and apical half of 3rd tergite without sharp lateral crease; ovipositor sheath wide, with medium-sized setae and apically oblique, dorsally longer than ventrally (Fig. 344 ).

Colour. Black; face (except medio-dorsally), malar space, dorsal half of temple, frons largely laterally, notauli, mesoscutum laterally, scutellum, pronotum postero-dorsally, mesopleuron dorsally and posteriorly, metapleuron largely, 1st and 2nd metasomal tergites and base of 3rd tergite orange brown; palpi and humeral plate and veins of hind wing yellowish brown; tegula rather dark brownish; ventral half of temple largely, dorso-apical patch of hind femur, pterostigma and veins of fore wing dark brown; fore wing membrane slightly infuscate, of hind wing subhyaline.

Variation. A very colour-variable species; head and mesoscutum of female may be largely black (nominate form) or reddish (= " A. dimidiatus / var. turkestanicus ", but especially the mesoscutum may be intermediate). Especially males may have the hind coxa black and most of hind tibia dark brown, sometimes the entire leg is nearly completely black or dark brown. Antennal segments: ♀ 29(1), 31(2), 32(3), 33(13), 34(13), 35(15), 36(9), 37(9), 38(3), 39(2); ♂ 36(2), 37(3), 38(4), 39(8), 40(13), 41(9), 42(5), 43(11), 44(7), 45(2), 46(2). Additionally, an exceptionally large male with 50 segmented antennae from Cyprus (ZJUH) appears to belong to this species, as does a female from Spain (RMNH) with 41 antennal segments, basal half of 3rd tergite largely obliquely rugose and blackish scapus. On average males have ca 7 more antennal segments than females. Males are very similar with apical tergites type 1-2, setae rather sparse and with evident but short fringe (Fig. 360 ), hind tibial spurs often blunt apically and 3rd tergite remotely punctate basally.

Distribution.

*Albania, *Cyprus, France (including Corsica), Greece (including Crete), *Iraq, Italy (including Sardinia, Sicily), *Jordan, *North Macedonia, *Portugal (including Madeira), Spain (including Mallorca, Menorca and Tenerife), *Syria, *Tunisia, *Turkmenistan, Turkey.

New synonymy.

The new synonymy of Rhogas dimidiatus var. turkestanicus Telenga, 1941, is based on direct comparison of the types of both taxa. The identity of Bracon dimidiatus Spinola, 1808, is problematic because the holotype from Italy (Genoa) is lost and the original description is far too incomplete for an easy identification. Its colour pattern (head completely yellowish, hind tibia and 3rd tergite reddish) does not fit with A. ruficornis ( Herrich-Schäffer); if the head is largely reddish brown then the temple ventrally and malar space remain blackish. This pattern agrees better with that of pale specimens of A. gasterator (named as A. dimidiatus var. turkestanicus Telenga, 1941). Aleiodes ruficornis occurs also in Italy, but its females have the head partly black ventrally, the apex of the hind tibia dark brown and most of the 3rd metasomal tergite black. Therefore, we synonymise Bracon dimidiatus with A. gasterator (syn. nov.). The holotype of Bracon gasterator Jurine, 1807, has the 3rd metasomal tergite finely curved (nearly circular) aciculate or striate basally, palpi (as far as present) pale brownish, maximum with of hypoclypeal depression 0.45 × minimum width of face, vein 1-CU1 of fore wing half as long as vein 2-CU1 and 4th antennal segment 1.3 × as long as wide. Aleiodes arnoldii sensu Farahani et al. (2015) concerns a species closely related to A. gasterator (Jurine) having basal half of 3rd tergite coarsely longitudinally rugose, antenna of ♀ with 30-35 segments (of ♂ 36), head linearly narrowed ventrally in anterior view and subbasal antennal segments of ♀ slightly slenderer.

Figures

Figures 343 - 346. Aleiodes gasterator (Jurine), ♀, France, Les Constants, but 345 and 346 from Cyprus 343 habitus lateral 344 ovipositor sheath lateral 345 mummy of Agrotis sp. 346 mummy of Agrotis sp. or Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval).

Figures 347 - 359. Aleiodes gasterator (Jurine), ♀, France, Les Constants 347 fore wing 348 hind wing 349 mesosoma lateral 350 mesosoma dorsal 351 metasoma dorsal 352 fore femur lateral 353 hind femur lateral 354 base of antenna 355 head anterior 356 head dorsal 357 head lateral 358 outer hind tarsal claw 359 apex of antenna.

Figures 360 - 364. Aleiodes gasterator (Jurine), ♂, Italy, Livorno, but 364 of ♀, France 360 habitus lateral 361 antenna 362 base of antenna 363 apex of antenna 364 3 rd metasomal tergite dorsal.