Omphale chryseis Graham

Hansson, Christer & Shevtsova, Ekaterina, 2012, Revision of the European species of Omphale Haliday (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Eulophidae), ZooKeys 232, pp. 1-157 : 28-31

Omphale chryseis Graham Figures 178-92482507540

Omphale chryseis Graham, 1963:255. Holotype female in OUMNH, examined.

Material.

Type material.Holotype female, type no. 1294 in OUMNH. Additional material. 826♀ 248♂: France 2♀ 2♂ (BMNH, RMNH), Germany 12♀ (CH, LUZM, RMNH), Hungary 48♀ 1♂ (BMNH, CH), Netherlands 1♀ 2♂ (RMNH), Poland 1♀ 1♂ (BMNH), Romania 5♀ (BMNH, CH), Russia 2♂ (CH), Spain 1♂ (RMNH), Sweden 753♀ 238♂ (BMNH, CH, LUZM, NHRS), United Kingdom 4♀ 1♂ (BMNH).

Diagnosis.

Legs with fore- and midcoxae predominantly pale and hind coxa predominantly metallic (Fig. 78), femora predominantly brown, tibiae yellowish brown and tarsi predominantly dark brown; female with gaster elongate, 1.7 –2.1× as long as length of mesosoma, and with 7th gastral tergite 1.1 –4.2× (average= 1.6, n= 53) as long as width at base; female flagellomeres 1-4 ventrally with two sets of long setae, one attached subbasally and one attached medially or subapically (Fig. 86), male flagellomeres 1-4 each with a basal whorls of setae and with scattered setae apical to whorl (Fig. 90); male scape predominantly dark and metallic; female forewing with 5-12 (average= 7.5, n= 53) admarginal setae, male with 7-9 admarginal setae; head and thoracic dorsum usually bluish green metallic (Figs 79-82). Similar to Omphale salicis from which it can be distinguished through the colour of coxae - fore- and midcoxae pale and hind coxa dark in Omphale chryseis , all coxae dark in Omphale salicis ; Omphale chryseis on average has a shorter 7th gastral tergite in female. These species can also be separated through their WIP in forewings: Omphale chryseis apical ½ yellow and basal ½ with wide bands in magenta, blue and yellow (Fig. 84), Omphale salicis has a narrow straight yellow line from stigmal vein to hind margin of wing separating an apical blue and a basal magenta area (Fig. 114).

Description.

Female. Length of body 1.4-2.1 mm. Antenna with scape yellowish white with apical ⅓ and entire dorsal edge dark brown; pedicel and flagellum dark brown; pedicel + flagellum 1.9 × as long as distance between eyes; first flagellomere 1.1 × as long and 1.4 × as wide as second flagellomere (Fig. 86); flagellomeres 1-4 ventrally with two sets of long setae, one attached subbasally and one attached medially or subapically; longitudinal sensilla on flagellomeres as long as flagellomere attached to; clava 2-segmented. Face bluish green metallic (Fig. 81), strigose (Fig. 87); clypeus bluish green metallic, smooth or with weak reticulation, semicircular to trapezoid, 1.4 × as wide as high; gena greenish blue metallic; lower frons bluish purple to bluish green metallic, with engraved rather strong reticulation; interscrobal area with engraved weak reticulation; antennal scrobes join on frontal suture; frontal suture V-shaped; upper frons bluish green metallic with engraved weak reticulation; vertex bluish green metallic, to golden green, with engraved very weak reticulation, partly smooth outside ocellar triangle (Fig. 88). Occipital margin rounded (Fig. 88).

Mesoscutum bluish green metallic (Fig. 79) with or without purple metallic tinges, with engraved reticulation (Fig. 85), midlobe with two pairs of setae; notauli as indistinct impressions in posterior ½. Scutellum bluish green metallic (Fig. 79), with engraved reticulation (Fig. 85); 1.2 × as long as wide, with anterior margin smoothly curved forwards. Axillae bluish green metallic (Fig. 79). Dorsellum golden green (Fig. 79), smooth and convex (Fig. 85), 0.2 × as long as wide, and 0.6 × as long as length of median propodeum. Lateral pronotum and propleuron bluish purple to bluish green metallic (Fig. 78); prepectus dark brown with bluish green metallic tinges; acropleuron and mesepisternum pale brown and shiny; mesepimeron golden green with blue metallic tinges; transepimeral sulcus curved forwards. Propodeum bluish green metallic (Fig. 79), smooth (Fig. 85); propodeal callus with two setae. Fore- and midcoxae yellowish white with base pale brown (Fig. 78), hind coxa predominantly bluish green metal lic with purple tinges with apical part yellowish brown; femora predominantly pale brown to dark brown with apical part yellowish brown; tibiae yellowish brown; tarsi predominantly dark brown, mid- and hind tarsi with first tarsomere paler; midleg with first tarsomere 0.4 × as long as length of tarsus. Forewing transparent, veins pale brown and setae dark brown (Fig. 83); speculum closed; admarginal setae 6-11, arising from marginal vein; radial cell bare and long, 2.2 × as long as length of postmarginal vein; postmarginal vein 0.9 × as long as stigmal vein; stigmal vein long and slightly enlarged. Hind wing transparent, apex rounded (Fig. 83). Forewing WIP (Fig. 84) with apical ½ yellow and basal ½ with wide bands in magenta, blue and yellow.

Petiole dark brown. Gaster dark brown, tergites 1 and 6 with bluish green metallic tinges, 2-5 with golden purple tinges, 7 with golden green tinges, smooth, elongate and 1.7 –2.1× as long as length of mesosoma; 7th tergite 0.2 –0.3× as long as length of gaster.

Male. Length of body 1.2-1.5 mm. Features as in female except as follows. Antenna with scape dark brown with blue or green metallic tinges, with basal ⅓ –¼ yellowish white; pedicel + flagellum 2.8 × as long as distance between eyes; flagellomeres with scattered setae (Fig. 90); clava 1-segmented. Face bluish green to green metallic (Fig. 82); clypeus bluish green to green metallic, smooth, trapezoid (Fig. 91), 1.6 × as wide as high; gena golden red to golden green; lower frons golden green to bluish green metallic, with engraved and strong reticulation; interscrobal area with weak reticulation; upper frons golden green to bluish green metallic; vertex golden green with red metallic tinges, with engraved weak reticulation (Fig. 92).

Axillae golden green (Fig. 80). Dorsellum bluish green metallic (Fig. 80), smooth or with weak reticulation and convex (Fig. 89), 0.3 × as long as wide, and 0.4 × as long as length of median propodeum. Lateral pronotum and propleuron bluish green metallic; prepectus bluish green metallic; acropleuron and mesepisternum pale brown with metallic tinges; mesepimeron golden green. Midleg with first tarsomere 0.3 × as long as length of tarsus. Forewing admarginal setae 7-9.

Petiole dark brown. Gaster with first tergite bluish green metallic, remaining tergites dark brown to black with golden and green metallic tinges, smooth, 1.1 –1.4× as long as length of mesosoma. Phallobase and aedeagus as in Fig. 482.

Host.

Contarinia medicaginis ( Diptera : Cecidomyiidae ) ( Bouček and Askew 1968) - endoparasite of larvae ( Královič 1964).

Distribution.

Czech Republic ( Bouček and Askew 1968), France ( Bouček and Askew 1968), Germany ( Gijswijt 1976), Hungary (new record), Netherlands (new record), Poland (new record), Romania (new record), Russia (St. Petersburg area) (new record), Spain (new record), Sweden ( Bouček and Askew 1968), United Kingdom ( Graham 1963) (Fig. 507).

Remarks.

The description of Omphale chryseis was based on three female specimens and it is possible that these represent two different species. Graham (1963) described the colour of coxae as "green, pale at apex, or fore- and midcoxae pale testaceous and dark at base only". We have only examined the holotype, not the paratypes, and the holotype has pale fore- and midcoxae, and a dark hind coxa, and this is how we interpret Omphale chryseis , of which we have examined over a thousand specimens - this species is easily collected when sweeping Medicago . The specimen(s) in the type series with all coxae green is probably Omphale salicis with a short gaster. Graham distinguished Omphale chryseis from Omphale salicis mainly in the length of the female gaster (the male of Omphale chryseis was unknown to Graham). As shown above, the length of female gaster in these two species is highly variable and cannot be trusted to separate them.