Lariophagus fragariae (Rohwer) Rohwer, 2013

Gibson, Gary A. P., 2013, Revision of the species of Jaliscoa Bouček within a review of the identity, relationships and membership of Jaliscoa, Catolaccus Thomson, Eurydinoteloides Girault, Lyrcus Walker and Trimeromicrus Gahan (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), Zootaxa 3612 (1), pp. 1-85 : 13-15

2. Lariophagus fragariae (Rohwer) n. comb.

Figs 21, 23, 25, 28 , 29, 30, 32

Catolaccus fragariae Rohwer, 1934: 44 –45. Type data (Ƥ holotype, USNM, examined): described from 5 females and 3 males from Knoxville, Tennessee, reared from Anthonomus signatus by S. Marcovitch. Heterolaccus fragariae ; Burks, 1954: 10.

Catolaccus fragariae ; Burks, 1979: 806.

Discussion. This is one of the five species that Burks (1954) included in Heterolaccus (see discussion under Jaliscoa ). It was differentiated from most of the other species included in that genus by the thoracic notum having “mixed silvery and golden flattened hairs” and “gaster as broad at base as propodeum” (Burks 1954: 9). It is also the only one Burks included in Heterolaccus that has a plesiomorphic structure of the metapleuron ( Figs 27, 28 ). Although the anterior margin is curved and very narrowly smooth and shiny, or almost so, it abuts the posterior of the mesopleuron on the same level. Furthermore, the posterolateral corner of the propodeum projects laterally into an acutely angled though small denticle ( Figs 28–30 : arrow), and two setae of each gastral cercus are much longer than the others, extending beyond the apex of the gaster in females ( Fig. 32 ). Both of these features were used by Bouček and Heydon (1997) to differentiate Lariophagus Crawford (1909) . It is because of these features that I transfer C. fragariae to Lariophagus as L. fragariae (Rohwer) n. comb. However, Oaxa Bouček is characterized by one long cercal seta (Bouček 1993, fig. 65) and I have seen females of an undescribed species of Lyrcus from Florida (CNC) whose propodeum in dorsal view has a short, laterally projecting tooth ( Fig. 197 : arrow) similar to Lariophagus species.

Burks (1954) included L. fragariae in the Catolaccus -group because it has a distinct malar depression ( Fig. 25 ), and differentiated it from the other species he included in Heterolaccus partly by the presence of a mixture of white and brownish setae on the mesonotum (cf. Fig. 22 ). However, character-state distributions suggest both of these features are prone to homoplasy and represent specific features within some genera (see generic treatments below). I saw females of what apparently is an undescribed species of Lariophagus from Arizona and California (CNC) that are similar to L. fragariae in the features discussed above (cf. Figs 21, 22 ) except that they lack a malar depression ( Fig. 26 ), sometimes (smallest females only about 1 mm in length) have only a very tiny and inconspicuous propodeal denticle, and sometimes have at least a slight brownish region on the fore wing adjacent to the parastigma (cf. Fig. 179). Most other New World species that appear to be Lariophagus based on length of the cercal setae and propodeal structure also lack a malar depression. The metapleuron can be shiny and virtually smooth, though the anterior margin is not separated from the mesopleuron. Different species also have entirely dark or, more rarely, entirely white notal setae. I therefore conclude that presence or absence of a malar depression, metapleural sculpture, mesonotal setal colour, and hyaline or partly infuscate fore wings are specific rather than generic features in Lariophagus . However, the generic limits of Lariophagus require further study, both within the New World and in other regions. Noyes (2012) listed nine world species, including L. dryorhizoxeni (Ashmead 1886) , L. texanus Crawford (1909) and L. distinguendus (Förster 1841) in the New World, and seven species in the Palaearctic region. Unlike New World species, some Old World species assigned to Lariophagus are described as having two distinct metatibial spurs (Graham 1969, Hedqvist 1978, Kamijo 1981). Further, the cosmopolitan species L. distinguendus is not only sculpturally different from other New World Lariophagus but also has quite a small and inconspicuous propodeal denticle, as do brachypterous females ( Fig. 31 : arrow) (males unknown) of the undescribed species of Lariophagus referred to in couplet 310 of Bouček and Heydon (1997). Females of this latter species also differ from other Lariophagus in having three rather than two anelli, though females of the undescribed macropterous species discussed above have only a single mps on either side of the third flagellomere ( Fig. 24 ). Because of this, an mps may appear to be lacking from the third flagellomere depending on the surface viewed, and complete absence is apparently possible for the smallest females. Some females also have the third flagellomere noticeably shorter than the subsequent flagellomeres and therefore variably distinctly anelliform. Consequently, there appears to be considerable structural variation in Lariophagus , though all included species have one or, more commonly, two cercal setae that are conspicuously longer the others ( Fig. 32 ).

3. Catolaccus grandis Burks (see Jaliscoa ).

Figures

FIGURES 21 – 28. Lariophagus spp. 21 and 22, Ƥ habitus, dorsal: 21, L. fragariae (PT) (20); 22, Lariophagus sp. (15). 23 and 24, Ƥ scape – fl 5: 23, L. fragariae (PT) (20); 24, Lariophagus sp. (14). 25 and 26, Ƥ lower face and mandibles, frontolateral: 25, L. fragariae (17); 26, Lariophagus sp. (14). 27, Lariophagus sp., Ƥ meso- and metapleuron (13). 28, L. fragariae, Ƥ metapleuron and propodeal denticle [arrow] (160). No. in parenthesis = CNC 2011 photo no.

FIGURES 29 – 32. Lariophagus spp. 29 and 30, L. fragariae, Ƥ propodeum (PT): 29, posterior (20); 30, posterolateral (161: SEM). 31, Lariophagus sp., Ƥ head and mesosoma, dorsal (40). 32, L. fragariae, Ƥ cercal setae, dorsal (PT) (16). No. in parenthesis = CNC 2011 photo no. [Arrow in Figs 29 and 31 points to propodeal denticle.]

FIGURES 190 – 197. 190 – 196, Lyrcus spp., Ƥ propodeum, posterolateral (SEM): 190, L. nigraeneus (98); 191, Lyrcus sp. (99); 192, Lyrcus sp. (102); 193, Lyrcus sp. (104); 194, L. nigroaeneus (94); 195, Lyrcus sp. (108); 196, Lyrcus sp. (107). 197, Lyrcus sp., Ƥ propodeum, posterior (30) [arrow points to denticle]. No. in parenthesis = CNC 2011 photo no.