Aleiodes ungularis (Thomson, 1892)

van Achterberg, Cornelis & Shaw, Mark R., 2016, Revision of the western Palaearctic species of Aleiodes Wesmael (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Rogadinae). Part 1: Introduction, key to species groups, outlying distinctive species, and revisionary notes on some further species, ZooKeys 639, pp. 1-164 : 121

Aleiodes ungularis (Thomson, 1892) Figs 353-354, 355-365

Rogas (Aleiodes) ungularis Thomson, 1892: 1677 (examined).

Aleiodes ungularis ; Shenefelt 1975: 1184; Papp 1991: 98, 1985: 163 (lectotype designation).

Type material.

Lectotype ♀ (ZIL) from Sweden ( “Pål”, " ungularis ", "Funnen vid Pålsjo I Skåne, Sverige, teste Papp, 1983").

Additional material.

British Isles (*England: V.C. 18; *Wales: V.C. 49; *Ireland: V.C. H19) *Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, *Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland. Specimens in NMS, BMNH, RMNH, FMNH, Doncaster Museum, MTMA, ZSSM, JLC.

Molecular data.

MRS604 (France JF962867, CO1 + KU682268, 28S).

Biology.

A probably monophagous and at least partly plurivoltine parasitoid of Pseudopis prasinana (Linnaeus) ( Nolidae : Chloephorinae ), overwintering as a mummy. The mummy is cylindrical and dark brown (Fig. 354). This is evidently a rare species because its common host is quite often collected in the larval stage, yet we have seen little material. Reared specimens seen from Pseudoips prasinana (5:2; M.R. Shaw/France, T. Weber/Germany). From four host larvae collected in late July (France: Haute-Marne, Fayl Billot) mummification took place over the next few days and all adults emerged in August. Only incomplete observations of its performance with its host in culture could be made, but there was no period of post-oviposition association in the otherwise normal oviposition sequences observed. Two mummies resulted in September from ovipositions obtained in August, the adults emerging the following May and June.

Diagnosis.

Maximum width of hypoclypeal depression 0.4 × minimum width of face (Fig. 361); OOL 0.6 × diameter of posterior ocellus; mesopleuron largely (and often strongly) shiny; mesosoma (except propodeum and metapleuron) largely yellowish (or orange); precoxal area impressed medially and crenulate (Fig. 356); inner side of hind tibia with whitish comb apically; metasoma dark brown or blackish medially and largely pale yellow laterally (Fig. 357). A distinctive species because of the combination of the shiny mesopleuron with the presence of the hind tibial comb.

Description.

Redescribed ♀ (NMS) from Ardscull Moat (Ireland), length of fore wing 5.5 mm, of body 5.5 mm.

Head. Antennal segments of ♀ 46, with medium-sized setae, length of antenna 1.2 × fore wing, its subapical segments distinctly longer than wide (Fig. 365); frons weakly depressed and with coarse oblique rugae; OOL 0.6 × diameter of posterior ocellus and superficially granulate; vertex granulate, rather dull; clypeus convex, finely granulate and punctate; ventral margin of clypeus thick and not protruding forwards (Fig. 362); width of hypoclypeal depression 0.4 × minimum width of face (Fig. 361); length of eye 3.2 × temple in dorsal view and temple directly narrowed behind eye (Fig. 363); occiput behind stemmaticum superficially granulate, narrow; clypeus largely above lower level of eyes; length of malar space 0.25 × length of eye in lateral view (Fig. 362); occipital carina nearly complete medio-dorsally, complete and strong ventrally.

Mesosoma. Mesoscutal lobes finely and densely granulate and with fine punctation, matt; prepectal carina strongly developed, lamelliform, not reaching anterior border of mesopleuron; precoxal area of mesopleuron medially impressed and crenulate, remainder of mesopleuron (except dorsal rugose area) superficially granulate, shiny and with some superficial punctures (but in other specimens largely smooth); metapleuron granulate-punctate; scutellum finely granulate and rather flat, only antero-laterally with distinct carina; propodeum convex, rather short, distinctly rugose and its median carina complete, without tubercles.

Wings. Fore wing: r 0.5 × 3-SR (Fig. 355); 1-CU1 horizontal, 0.45 × 2-CU1; r-m 0.7 × 3-SR; second submarginal cell rather large (Fig. 355); cu-a slightly inclivous, straight; 1-M nearly straight posteriorly. Hind wing: marginal cell subparallel-sided, its apical width 1.6 × width at level of hamuli (Fig. 355); 2-SC+R shortly longitudinal; m-cu obsolescent; M+CU:1-M = 10:7; 1r-m long (Fig. 355) and nearly as long as 1-M.

Legs. Tarsal claws yellowish setose; telotarsi 1.5 × wider than fourth tarsal segment in dorsal view; hind coxa superficially granulate; hind trochantellus 1.8 × longer ventrally than wide; length of fore femur, hind femur and basitarsus 5.5, 5.1 and 6.8 × their width, respectively (Figs 358-359); length of inner hind spur 0.4 × hind basitarsus, as long as outer spur; inner apex of hind tibia with whitish comb.

Metasoma. First tergite robust; first and second tergites and basal half of third tergite finely and densely rugose, with distinct median carina; medio-basal area of second tergite minute; second suture narrow and rather shallow; third tergite nearly as long as second tergite; remainder of metasoma micro-sculptured, depressed; fourth and apical half of third tergite without sharp lateral crease; ovipositor sheath shiny, setose and apically truncate.

Colour. Yellowish brown; head (except orbita dorsally and part of malar space), metapleuron, propodeum and metasoma dorsally (except lateral margins) blackish; antenna, pterostigma, most veins, tibiae (except narrow pale basal ring), hind coxa largely, apical half of middle and hind femora largely, narrowly base of tibiae and telotarsi dark brown; palpi and tegulae yellowish brown; wing membrane subhyaline.

Variation. Antennal segments of ♀ 44(1), 45(1), 46(4), 47(2); of ♂ 41(1), 42(2), 43(5), 44(2); head mainly blackish or dark brown; metapleuron blackish or largely yellowish brown; hind coxa and tarsi nearly entirely dark brown or largely (except telotarsus) yellowish brown. In males the metasoma is sometimes entirely dark (without a paler lateral margin) and the hind coxae are dark brown.

Note.

Males have about three fewer antennal segments than females. In MTMA is a ♀ from Korea with 43 antennal segments and the apical half of hind coxa, hind and middle femora and tibiae dark brown, similar to males from Switzerland.