Opius melchioricus Fischer

Wharton, Robert, Daniels, Sophia, Shirley, Xanthe & Restuccia, Danielle, 2013, An opiine Braconidae (Hymenoptera) reared from Richardiidae (Diptera) and recognition of a new species group of Opius s. l., ZooKeys 289, pp. 65-101 : 85-86

Opius melchioricus Fischer Figs 35

Opius (Merotrachys) melchioricus Fischer, 1979a: 264-266 (key); 271-273 (description). Holotype male in AEIC (examined).

Opius (Merotrachys) melchioricus : Yu et al. 2005, 2012 (electronic catalogs).

Type locality.

Brazil, Guanabara, Reprêsa Rio Grande.

Type material.

Holotype. Male (AEIC), first label, first line: ReprêsaRioGrande second line: Guanabara, Brazil third line: January, 1968 Brazil fourth line: M. Alvarenga.

Other specimens examined.

One female, same data as holotype (TAMU).

Diagnosis.

Face finely but distinctly punctate, punctures separated by nearly 2 × their diameter, strongly shagreened adjacent eye margin, otherwise smooth between punctures. Eye in lateral view roughly 2.5 (male) and 3.0 (female) × longer than temple; temples in dorsal view not or only weakly receding. Female antenna with 53 flagellom eres, male holotype with 56-57 flagellomeres; setae on basal flagellomeres thin, pale. Mesoscutum anteriorly on nearly same plane as pronotum, without distinct anterior declivity; notaulus extending laterally towards tegula as groove bordered by distinct supramarginal carina. Propodeum coarsely carinately rugose with deep median trough anteriorly separated by carina from broad median, roughly pentagonal to elliptical areola posteriorly, areola carinately sculptured medially. Fore wing 3RSa straight, 1.3 × longer than 2RS; m-cu postfurcal. T1 sharply declivitous anteriorly, pit delimited posterior-medially; surface carinately rugose medially, rugulose laterally; dorsal carinae distinctly elevated, nearly parallel-sided throughout, weakly converging posteriorly, not sinuate, transversely carinate between dorsal carinae. T2 and T3 distinctly shagreened. Ovipositor short; ovipositor sheath about 0.3-0.4 × length of mesosoma. Head, body, hind coxa and femur orange to pale orange; tegula, posterior margins of mesonotum, metanotum, and T3-6 dark reddish brown, T6 more uniformly weakly infumate; antenna without pale subapical ring; wing infumate in male, more nearly hyaline in female.

Remarks.

Previously known only from the male holotype. Female characters are based on a specimen collected at the type locality in Brazil (TAMU). The female differs from the holotype primarily in wing venation, with 3RSa about 1.5 × longer than 2RS and the wing is more nearly hyaline. Otherwise, body coloration and sculpture are the same. This species is characterized by the dark transverse markings on the posterior margins of the meso- and metathorax. It is most similar to Opius rojam , Opius gabrieli and Opius ingenticornis . For a detailed comparison, see remarks section under Opius gabrieli .