Omphale melina Yefremova & Kriskovich

Hansson, Christer & Shevtsova, Ekaterina, 2012, Revision of the European species of Omphale Haliday (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Eulophidae), ZooKeys 232, pp. 1-157 : 117-118

Omphale melina Yefremova & Kriskovich Figures 468-472537

Omphale melinum Yefremova & Kriskovich, 1994:247. Holotype female in ZISP, not examined.

Material.

Type material. Paratype female in ZISP.

Diagnosis.

Yellow non-metallic species with an enlarged stigmal vein and with area around stigmal vein infuscate (Figs 468-471).

Description.

Female. Length of body 1.5 mm. Antenna with scape yellowish with dorsal edge dark brown (Fig. 469); remaining parts of antenna missing in single examined specimen. Entire head yellowish white (Figs 468, 469). Face strigose; clypeus yellow (Fig. 469), strigose, semicircular, 1.3 × as wide as high; lower frons with raised reticulation, subtorular area smooth; interscrobal area reticulate; antennal scrobes join on frontal suture; upper frons and vertex reticulate. Occipital margin rounded.

Mesosoma yellow with setae on thoracic dorsum black (Fig. 470). Mesoscutum with engraved weak reticulation, midlobe with two pairs of setae (Fig. 470); notauli as indistinct impressions. Scutellum with engraved weak reticulation; 1.2 × as long as wide, with anterior margin weakly curved forwards. Dorsellum smooth and slightly convex, 0.4 × as long as wide, and 0.8 × as long as length of median propodeum. Propodeum smooth; propodeal callus with two setae. Lateral mesosoma yellowish white (Fig. 468); transepimeral sulcus curved forwards. Legs yellowish white (Fig. 468); midleg with first tarsomere 0.4 × as long as length of tarsus. Forewing transparent with infuscate areas around stigmal vein and below base of marginal vein (Fig. 471), veins yellowish white and setae dark brown; speculum closed; admarginal setae 5, arising from marginal vein; radial cell bare; postmarginal vein 1.0 × as long as stigmal vein; stigmal vein enlarged and circular. Hind wings missing in single examined specimen. Forewing WIP (Fig. 472) unicoloured purple with a small round area just below stigmal vein in blue and yellow.

Petiole yellow. Gaster pale brown with five yellow cross bands, 7th tergite and apical parts of ovipositor sheaths black metallic; elongate (Fig. 468) and 1.7 × as long as length of mesosoma; 7th tergite 0.1 × as long as length of gaster.

Male. Unknown.

Hosts.

Unknown.

Distribution.

Russia ( Yefremova and Kriskovich 1994) (Fig. 537).

Remarks.

The examined paratype specimen is damaged. It lacks the entire right antenna and of the left antenna only the scape remains; both hind wings are missing; the gaster has been gnawed upon and parts of the left hand side are gone. In spite of this the species is easy to recognize through its non-metallic body and enlarged stigmal vein. The species is difficult to assign to a specific group, when males are found these may hold morphological clues as to its placement.