Eupelmus (Eupelmus) curticinctus, Gibson. ALLOTYPE, 2011

Gibson, Gary A. P., 2011, 2951, Zootaxa 2951, pp. 1-97 : 30-33

4. Eupelmus (Eupelmus) curticinctus n. sp.

Figs 31, 41, 70, 71, 79; Map 6

Type material. HOLOTYPE (♀, USNM). [ USA] KS, [Kansas], Kansas City, Ironweed ( Vernonia ), Aug. 12, 1965, C.E. Stegmaier / Holotype Eupelmus (Eupelmus) curticinctus Gibson. ALLOTYPE (♂ USNM): same data as holotype.

PARATYPES (54♀, 22♂). USA. ARKANSAS: Clark Co., Arkadelphia [?], IX.14, C.E. Hood, Hunter No. 1479 (1♂ USNM). FLORIDA: Alachua Co., Gainesville , 31.X.56, R.A. Morse, at Bidens pilosa (1♀ FSCA). Collier Co., Collier Seminole State Park, 22-26.V.78, N.F. Johnson; swept from bushes (1♀ UCFC). Miami-Dade Co., Everglades “Hole in Donut”, 30.XII.81, I. Klein (1♀ USNM). Matheson Hammock, 8.IV.55, F.W. Mead (1♀ FSCA). Miami, 22.III.84, L.C. Chong, ex Pluchea (1♀ FSCA). Hilsborough Co., Tampa, spec. Survey 6.V.67, ex larva in flower ovary in Lantana aurora, Griswald #1756 (1♀ USNM). Sarasota Co. , I-II.44, Dr. Needham 248, ex flower heads Bidens pilosa (1♀ USNM). Seminole Co., Oviedo, 15.IX.94, S.M. Fullerton, rural yard (1♀ UCFC). KANSAS: Doniphan Co., Wathena, 11, 21, 27.VII.39, S.C. Schell, ironweed (3♀, 1♂ USNM). Geary Co., Konza Prairie Biological Station, Zolnerowhich & Kula — Watershead 2B or 20B, 39º04.332'N 96º34.637'W, 2- 12.IX.2005 (1♀), 12-21.IX.2005 (3♀, CNC Photo 2010-11), 21-30.IX.05 (3♀);Watershed 20C, 39º04.254'N 96º33.639'W, 26.VIII-2.IX.05 (1♀), 11-25.X.05 (1♀). Pottawatomie Co., Onaga, Crevecoeur (1♀ USNM). Wyandotte Co., same data as holotype (3♀, 4♂ USNM). Riley Co., Manhattan, S.C. Schell — 26.VIII.38, swept Helinanthus (1♀ USNM); 26.VIII.39, ironweed (5♀ USNM). Manhattan, R. Schwitzgebel, reared from Vernonia interior Sm. — 28.VIII.39; 1, 5, 6, 13, 20.IX.39; 9, 12, 21 ( CNCI LB-specm 2010-003), 27.VIII.40; 1, 7, 11, 16, 21, 25.IX.40 (15♀, 11♂ USNM; ♂ CNC Photo 2010-57). LOUISIANA: Natchitoches Co., 16.VIII.38, R.H. Beamer (1♀ USNM). MISSOURI: St. Louis Co., Webster Groves, 13.IV.33, issued 30.V.33, Satterthwaite, H. grosseserratis (1♂ USNM). OKLAHOMA: Latimer Co., IX.88, K. Stephan (1♀ FSCA). Marshall Co., Willis, 1 mi. W., 24.VII.72, em. 15.VIII.72, E.E. Grissell, ex flower heads of Vernonia (3♀, 4♂ TAMU). Oklahoma Co., Oklahoma City, 3.VIII.17, W.D. Pierce, Helianthus sp. (1♀ USNM). TEXAS: Brazos Co., College station near Easterwood airport, 16.IX.78, J.K. Weaver, ex Pluchea sp. (1♀ TAMU). Dallas Co., Dallas, 28.VIII.07, Cushman, cotton invol. nectary (1♀ USNM). McLennan Co., Waco, 19.VIII.49, Jess Radle exp. 2, 5 (369), P.A. Glick, coll. on cotton (1♀ USNM).

Uncertain species identity, excluded from type series. USA. Oklahoma: Marshall Co., Willis, 1 mi. W., 24.VII.72, em. 15.VIII.72, E.E. Grissell, ex flower heads of Vernonia (2♂ TAMU) .

Etymology. A noun in apposition; combination of the Latin words curtus (short) and cinctum (girdle or belt) in reference to the very short medial white band of the ovipositor sheaths.

Description. FEMALE ( Fig. 41). Length about 2.1−3.5 mm. Head of small specimens sometimes dark brown with obscure metallic lusters, more commonly metallic green to bluish-green with variably extensive dark purple, black or coppery markings on interantennal region, over most of parascrobal region from near malar sulcus to inner orbit above level of scrobal depression (often more or less separated into two regions by green to coppery spot below dorsal limit of scrobal depression), mesally below and surrounding anterior ocellus to within scrobal triangle and sometimes posteriorly onto vertex, and often between posterior ocellus and inner orbit, but at least with scrobes and region along inner orbit above level of scrobal depression green, bluish-green or coppery; maxillary and labial palpi dark brown. Antenna dark brown, the scape and pedicel usually with metallic green to blue lusters under some angles of light. Mesosoma with tegula brown and often with slight metallic luster; otherwise mostly dark brown with reddish-violaceous luster to green or bluish-green similar to head, but at least convex anterior part of medial mesoscutal lobe, lateral lobe dorsolongitudinally, and often scutellum partly dark or with coppery luster. Forewing hyaline, venation yellowish, and setae either uniformly yellowish to brown or more whitish basally within basal cell. Front leg with trochanter variably dark brown; femur excluding yellowish trochantellus and extreme apex dark brown or dark with metallic luster similar to body; tibia entirely yellow to yellowish-orange or variably distinctly and extensively brown dorsally and/or ventrally; and tarsus mostly yellowish but often slightly darkened toward brown apical tarsomere. Middle leg almost completely yellowish-orange beyond coxa except knee, apex of tibia, and at least basitarsus more whitish, mesotibial apical pegs and mesotarsal pegs black, and apical tarsomere brown. Hind leg similar in color to front leg except trochanter also yellowish, femur more extensively yellowish-orange apically, tibia often brownish-orange to dark brown submesally but at least ventral margin light-colored, and tarsus with basitarsus white and apical tarsomere brown but one or more intervening tarsomeres white to brown. Gaster dark brown or at most with slight metallic green to bluish luster apically and/or basally, and with brown hairlike setae similar in color to cuticle; ovipositor sheaths sometimes entirely dark brown except for lighter brown to brownish-yellow apex, but usually with comparatively short whitish medial region at most about one-half as long as apical or basal dark regions, even excluding projecting strigose portion of inner plate of ovipositor, and with basal dark region of sheath extending more than one-third length of sheath.

Head ( Fig. 31) with frons quite distinctly meshlike (more or less isodiametric) reticulate (cf. Fig. 70), even in small specimens cells defined by low ridges, and merged into parascrobal region through at most very slight undulation; vertex, at least posteriorly, more transversely reticulate-imbricate; scrobal depression reticulate-rugulose; IOD = 0.4−0.45× head width; OOL: POL: LOL: MPOD = 0.5−0.75: 2.3−2.9: 1.4−2.0: 1.0. Antenna with combined length of pedicel + flagellum = 1.06−1.2× head width; scape 4.6−5.25× as long as wide, in outer view ventral margin almost straight and without distinct flange; pedicel in lateral view about 1.9−2.1× as long as wide; fl1 slightly transverse; fl2 about 1.66−1.75× as long as wide and about 3.0−3.2× as long as fl1; subsequent funiculars increasing in width to quadrate fl8; clava about 2.0−2.7× as long as wide, 0.65−0.9× combined length of apical three funiculars, and 0.26−0.36× length of funicle. Mesoscutum more or less uniformly meshlike reticulate except convex anterior portion of median lobe usually extensively transverse reticulate-imbricate and lateral lobe more minutely meshlike coriaceous mediolongitudinally. Scutellar-axillar complex meshlike reticulate similar to mesoscutum. Prepectus often quite broadly setose mediolongitudinally, but white setae not extending to margins so with bare dorsal and ventral band. Acropleuron finely meshlike reticulate anterior and posterior of medial microsculptured region, the cells larger posteriorly than anteriorly but with flat surfaces defined by slightly raised ridges. Forewing with linea calva but disc and basal cell otherwise uniformly setose; costal cell ventrally setose along length with 2 or 3 lines of setae medially, and dorsally with line of setae near leading margin over about apical half to three-quarters; cc: mv: pmv: stv = 4.6−5.0: 4.3−4.9: 1.2−1.4: 1.0. Mesotibia with apical row of 4−6 pegs; mesotarsus ventrally with pegs on basal four tarsomeres, basitarsus with about 11−14 pegs arranged distally in double row on either side, second tarsomere with 4−6, third tarsomere with 2, and apical tarsomere with single apical peg on either side. Propodeum with U-shaped plical depression extending to foramen; callus with white hairlike setae not obscuring cuticle or sculpture. Gaster with strigose inner plate of ovipositor sheath usually extending beyond apex for only short distance, but if sometimes for distance similar to length of basitarsus of hind leg then apparent sheath length less than half length of body excluding sheaths; ovipositor sheaths about 1.35−1.7× length of metatibia and about 1.45−1.86× length of marginal vein.

MALE. Length about 1.9−2.6 mm. Head dark metallic green to bluish-green or with limited purple luster; maxillary and labial palpi dark brown or apex of apical palpomeres at most yellowish-brown. Antenna dark brown except often scape and pedicel with metallic luster similar to head capsule. Mesosoma mostly metallic green to bluish-green and sometimes with some purple luster similar to head, the tegula at least dark brown and often also variably distinctly metallic. Front leg with trochanter, trochantellus and femur, except sometimes narrowly apically, brown to dark with at least slight metallic luster similar to mesosoma; tibia dark at least dorso- and ventrolongitudinally and then anterior and often posterior surfaces lighter colored, yellowish to yellowish-brown, longitudinally, but sometimes more uniformly dark basally with only about apical half distinctly light-colored; tarsus yellow to brownish-yellow or with apical 1 or 2 tarsomeres more distinctly brown. Middle leg color pattern rarely similar to front leg, but usually tibia uniformly brown except distinctly lighter-colored basally and apically, and basal 1−4 tarsomeres white. Hind leg, including tibia, dark except tarsus with basal 1−3 tarsomeres white. Forewing hyaline. Gaster with basal tergum sometimes metallic green to bluish-green basally, but remainder brown.

Head (Fig. 70) with frons reticulate; scrobal depression reticulate though scrobes over at least dorsal half of interantennal region above level of toruli; vertex rounded into occiput, reticulate to transversely reticulate-strigose but without evident transverse carina. Head with IOD about 0.5× head width: OOL: POL: LOL: MPOD = 0.5−0.7: 2.4−2.9: 1.4−1.6: 1.0; lower face with uniformly sparse and short white setae or at most with 1 or 2 obviously longer setae near malar sulcus opposite long seta below malar sulcus. Antenna with scape ovoid, about 2.8−3.0× as long as maximum width, the outer surface ventrally extensively smooth and shiny except for well separated, very fine pinprick-like micropunctures along scapular scrobe ( Fig. 79); length of pedicel + flagellum about 1.2−1.25× head width; pedicel about 1.5−1.7× as long as wide, ventrally with line of 4 or 5 distally curved setae; flagellum variably conspicuously setose and slender-clavate to robust-filiform; fl1 strongly transverse-ringlike, sometimes superficially bare but at least with single line of setae along apical margin; fl2 about 1.3−1.8× as long as wide and subsequent funiculars decreasing in length and increasing slightly in width to only slightly longer than wide to quadrate fl8; clava broadly oval with micropilose sensory region occupying entire ventral surface (usually collapsed in air-dried specimens), about 2.1−2.2× as long as wide and about 0.7−0.8× as long as apical three funiculars. Mesoscutum meshlike reticulate; axillae and scutellum similarly reticulate. Propodeum usually quite distinctly reticulate on either side of median carina (Fig. 71) or at least reticulate posteriorly and shallowed to strongly coriaceous anteriorly, and callus usually more or less reticulate or roughened laterally with sculpture obscuring setal bases. Forewing with cc: mv: pmv: stv = 3.9−4.3: 3.1−3.4: 1.0−1.2: 1.0; costal cell dorsally with line of dark setae extending over only about apical one-quarter to one-third and ventrally with dark setae continuously along length, mesally with 1 line.

Distribution. Widely distributed throughout at least the southeastern half of USA to about 100ºW and 40ºN (Map 6).

Map 6. Regional distribution of E. curticinctus (●).

Biology. Arthropod hosts unknown, but apparently associated with flower heads of species of Asteraceae ( Bidens L., Helianthus L., Pluchea Cassini , Vernonia Schreber , and possibly Eupatorium L.), Verbenaceae ( Lantana L.), and possibly Malvaceae ( Gossypium L.).

Remarks. Females of E. curticinctus are uniquely differentiated by structure and color pattern of their ovipositor sheaths in combination with sculpture of the frons. The comparatively long ovipositor sheaths are either completely dark brown or if banded then the medial light-colored region is distinctly shorter relative to the basal dark region than for most other species with long sheaths (cf. Fig. 41 with Figs 34, 36−40). The apparent sheath length and color pattern ( Fig. 41) is similar to that of E. arizonensis females ( Fig. 24), but even small, and then typically mostly dark brown E. curticinctus females, have the frons at least finely reticulate ( Fig. 31) as compared to entirely coriaceous ( Fig. 25) in E. arizonensis .

Recognition of E. curticinctus males is less certain than for females. Males of E. curticinctus are distinguished through a combination of two features. The propodeal plical region is quite obviously reticulate (Fig. 71), at least posteriorly, compared to only finely coriaceous for other urozonus -group males (e.g. Fig. 72) and the outer surface of the scape is smooth and shiny ventrally along the scapular scrobe except for widely separated, minute, pinprick like micropunctures ( Fig. 79). However, two males from Oklahoma that were reared with other males and females of E. curticinctus have the plical region finely sculptured and a scapular sculpture pattern more similar to E. cushmani males. I exclude these two males from the type series because I am uncertain whether they demonstrate that sculpture of the scape and propodeum is more variable than is described or that males of more than one species were reared.