Perilampus auratus (Panzer, 1798)

Mitroiu, Mircea-Dan & Koutsoukos, Evangelos, 2023, Perilampus neglectus and other neglected species: new records of Palaearctic Perilampidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea), with a key to European species of Perilampus, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 96, pp. 57-99 : 57

Perilampus auratus (Panzer, 1798)

Fig. 3

Cynips auratus Panzer, 1798: table 1.

Diagnosis.

Head and pronotum bronze gold, with slight green reflections; mesosoma blue green; metasoma green, with blue and bronze reflections; female flagellum orange, clava slightly darker. Body size: 1.75-5.00 mm. Head shape in frontal view (Fig. 3A, B ), much wider than high. Head in lateral view not unusually long, without distinct sulcus separating posterior eye margin from temples. Clypeal margin (Fig. 3A, B ) slightly emarginate to truncate. Supraclypeal area (Fig. 3A, B ) slightly transverse (less than 1.5 × as wide as high), sides not defined; in male without oval lateral impressions. Malar sulcus versus length of anterior margin of malar depression longer in female, about equal in male. Frontal keels (Fig. 3A, B ) poorly developed. Face between scrobes and eye (Fig. 3A, B ) almost smooth. Face between clypeus and eye (Fig. 3A, B ) smooth. Lateral ocellus small (OOL at least twice the largest lateral ocellus diameter). Funicular segments in female (Fig. 3A ): most segments transverse. Male scape (Fig. 3B ) slightly widened distally; ventral pores on less than half scape length. Mesosoma (Fig. 3C ) not narrow (less than 1.4 × as long as wide). Mesoscutum sculpture (Fig. 3C ) with smooth median tubercle; interspaces smaller than punctures, smooth. Scutellum hind margin (Fig. 3C ) without a double carina, with small more or less bilobed protruding projection. Prepectus (Fig. 3D ) wide, dorsal margin longer than pronotal collar; well defined anteriorly (i.e., suture with pronotum very distinct); anterior margin without punctures.

Material examined.

Romania: 2♀♀, 1♂, " Iași county, Iași city, inside apartment, 25.i.2008, M.-D. Mitroiu leg." (MICO) . Turkey: 1♀, 1♂, " Turkey: Ankara, Kavaklidere , 6.viii.1960. 2,700 ’”, "Guichard & Harvey, B.M. 1960-364", " ♀ / ♂ Perilampus Perilampus (Panz.), Z. Bouček det. 1972" (NHMUK) .

Hosts.

Associated with Crabronidae ( Hymenoptera ) and Tenthredinidae ( Hymenoptera ); presumably a hyperparasitoid.

Distribution.

Croatia, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Netherlands, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine. New species to Romania and Turkey.

Comments.

This is one of the easiest species to identify, being the only one with a median tubercle on the mesoscutum (Fig. 3C ). Moreover, the colour pattern of this species seems unique at least among the European species.

Figures

Figure 3. Perilampus auratus A female, head in frontal view B male, head in frontal view C female, head and mesosoma, dorsal view D female, prepectus.