Erythmelus (Erythmelus) brachialis Ogloblin, 1934

Triapitsyn, Serguei V., Berezovskiy, Vladimir V., Hoddle, Mark S. & Morse, Joseph G., 2007, A review of the Nearctic species of Erythmelus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), with a key and new additions to the New World fauna, Zootaxa 1641 (1), pp. 1-64 : 29-31

Erythmelus (Erythmelus) brachialis Ogloblin, 1934

( Figs 36–41 )

Eurythmelus brachialis Ogloblin 1934: 255–256 , plates XXII, XXIV (holotype female [MLPA], labeled: 1. “ Eurythme- lus brachialis [in pencil] brevicaudatus [an earlier manuscript name] A. O. female Loreto, 10.i.1934 Misiones A. O Typus!”; 2. “ Erythmelus brachialis 5132/1”, examined. Type locality: Loreto, Misiones, Argentina).

Erythmelus brachialis Ogloblin : De Santis 1967: 108 (catalog).

Eurythmelus dentatus Ogloblin 1934: 258–260 , plates XXII, XXIV (holotype female [MLPA], labeled: 1. “ Eurythmelus dentatus A. O. female 23.iv.1932 Loreto , Misiones A. A. O. Typus. ”; 2. “3902/1”, examined. Type locality: Loreto, Misiones, Argentina). Syn. n.

Erythmelus dentatus Ogloblin : De Santis 1967: 108 (catalog).

Material examined. ARGENTINA. BUENOS AIRES, Tigre , 34°23’50’’S 58°34’32’’W, 5 m, 20.v.2006, G. Logarzo [1 female, UCRC] . MISIONES: Loreto , 25.x.1936, A.A. Ogloblin [1 female, MLPA]. San Ignacio, Chacra Yabebirí, 3.iii.1950, A.A. Ogloblin [1 female, MLPA] . SALTA, La Candelaria , 11–12.i.2007, E. Luft Albarracin [1 female, IMLA] .

Redescription. FEMALE (holotype of E. (E.) brachialis ). Body mostly dark brown except base of gaster yellow to light brown; midlobe of mesoscutum with a lighter (light brown) transverse submedian stripe; borders of axilla light brown. Appendages light brown to brown.

Antenna ( Fig. 36 ) with short setae. Scape more than 2 x longer than pedicel; pedicel much longer than F1; F1–F3 and F5 each about as long as wide, F4 and F6 notably longer than wide and subequal; F1–F3 very short and subequal in length (F1 the shortest funicular segment), slightly shorter than F5 and much shorter than F4 or F6; F1–F3 and F5 without longitudinal sensilla, F4 and F6 each with 2 longitudinal sensilla; clava 3.6 x as long as wide, with 5 longitudinal sensilla.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 37 ). Mesoscutum wider than long, its midlobe with 1 pair of setae. Scutellum about as long as mesoscutum. Dorsellum broadly angulate posteriorly.

Wings. Forewing ( Fig. 38 ) 3.8–3.9 x as long as wide; blade slightly infumate behind venation but otherwise hyaline, more or less densely setose in the distal half or so; longest marginal cilia 1.3 x greatest width of wing. Hind wing 14 x as long as wide, almost as long as forewing; blade slightly infumate at apex; longest marginal cilia 3.5 x greatest wing width.

Metasoma ( Fig. 37 ). Petiole about 4 x as wide as long. Gaster a little longer than mesosoma; ovipositor (poorly visible as the specimen is uncleared) apparently about 3/5 length of gaster, barely exserted beyond apical gastral tergum.

Measurements (in µm) of holotype of E. (E.) brachialis . Body 652; head 91; mesosoma 273; gaster 288. Antenna: scape (including radicle) 97; pedicel 42; F1 12; F2 15; F3 15; F4 36; F5 20; F6 36; clava 112. Forewing 430:112; longest marginal cilia 142. Hind wing 424:30; longest marginal cilia 106.

MALE. Unknown.

Diagnosis. Member of the flavovarius species group. Erythmelus (E.) brachialis is characterized by having a short funicle ( Figs 36 , 39 ) (funicle length: clava length ratio 1.2–1.3:1); the apical half of the forewing blade is densely setose ( Figs 38 , 41 ), and F4 bears 2 longitudinal sensilla and is subequal to F 6 in length.

Distribution. Argentina.

Hosts. Unknown.

Comments. The minor differences between the holotypes of E. (E.) brachialis and E. (E.) dentatus , spec- ified by Ogloblin’s (1934) key and descriptions, are mainly due to the way they had been slide-mounted ( Figs 37 , 40 ). The pronotum and propleura in species of Erythmelus are easily detached from the rest of the body, thus it is almost impossible to compare proportions of the pronotum in different specimens correctly. Other than relatively slightly shorter funicle of the female antenna (funicle length: clava length ratio 1.2:1) and longer marginal cilia of the forewing (1.3 x greatest width of wing) of E. (E.) brachialis compared with those of E. (E.) dentatus (funicle length: clava length ratio 1.3:1 and 1.2 x greatest width of wing, respectively), both species are almost identical, hence the proposed synonymy.

Figures

FIGURES 36–38. Erythmelus (E.) brachialis (female, holotype). 36. Antenna. 37. Body. 38. Forewing.

FIGURES 39–41. Erythmelus (E.) brachialis (female, holotype of E. dentatus). 39. Antenna. 40. Body. 41. Wings.