Eurytoma genale Askew & Stojanova, 2019

Delvare, G., Escolà, A. Ribes, Stojanova, A. M., Benoit, L., Lecomte, J. & Askew, R. R., 2019, Exploring insect biodiversity: the parasitic Hymenoptera, chiefly Chalcidoidea, associated with seeds of asphodels (Xanthorrhoeaceae), with the description of nine new species belonging to Eurytomidae and Torymidae, Zootaxa 4597 (1), pp. 1-90 : 56-59

Eurytoma genale Askew & Stojanova sp. n.

( Figs 24 , 25 A–E; Tab. 4 , 5 )

Type material. Holotype ♀: BULGARIA: Rhodope Mountains , 5km south of Ognyanovo, ex seed-case of Asphodeline lutea , collected 25.vi.2001 (A. Stojanova) (in BMNH) . Allotype ♂: BULGARIA: Rhodope Mountains , 5km north of Isperihovo, ex seed-case of A. lutea , collected 18.vi.2000 (A. Stojanova) (in BMNH) . Paratypes. Same data as holotype (5 ♀ 2 ♂, in ASPC) ; same data as allotype (1 ♀ 1 ♂, in ASPC) ; BULGARIA: Black Sea coast, Arkutino , ex fruits of A. lutea , collected 4.vi.2000 (A. Stojanova) (4 ♀ 1 ♂, in ASPC) , same data but fruits collected on 5.vi.2001 (1 ♀ 2 ♂, in ASPC) ; Rhodope Mountains , 2km south of Novo selo, ex fruits of A. lutea , collected 27.vi.2010 (A. Stojanova) (1 ♀ 2 ♂, in ASPC) . Other material. ITALY: Sicilia, Vizzini, Monte Iblei , SE Lago Dirillo , contrado Rubalé, 350 m, 37.12103°N 14.72166°E, ex seeds of Asphodeline lutea , 22.vi.2014 adults emerged 07–15.iv.2015 (G. Delvare) (vouchers GDEL1720 ♀, GDEL1721 ♀, GDEL1722 ♀, GDEL1723 ♀, GDEL1724 ♀, GDEL1725 ♀, GDEL1726 ♀, in CIRAD; 10 ♀ 2 ♂, in GDPC) ; same locality, host plant and collector, Valle Paradiso , 600 m, 37.14727°N 14.80591°E, ex seeds of Asphodeline lutea , 21.vi.2014, adults emerged 07–15.iv.2015 (G. Delvare) (7 ♀, in GDPC) .

Etymology. Named for the characteristic sculpture on the genae.

Condition of female holotype. Specimen almost complete but left proleg missing 4 th tarsomere and pretarsus, detached below procoxa and glued separately beside rest of the body which is glued by right side to a card point pinned above a card rectangle.

Description of female from Bulgarian type material ( Fig. 24 , female from Sicilia). Length 3.7 mm. Body black with 2 indistinct pale spots on anterior face of pronotum, pilosity white; scape blackish with ventral surface brownish; legs with coxae black; profemur brown-black, its apex and distal one-third of anterior face yellowish testaceous, meso- and metafemora black with apices yellowish testaceous; protibia yellowish with a brown streak on outer face, meso- and metatibia black with bases and apices yellowish; protarsus brownish, other tarsi yellowish with last segments and claws darker; wings clear, venation brownish, pilosity pale; ovipositor sheath black with apex somewhat paler.

Head in dorsal view 2.0× as broad as long; temples about 0.4× eye length; POL 2.3–2.5× as OOL, OOL 1.9× as posterior ocellus diameter. Head in front view 1.4× as broad as high; height of eye 1.7–1.9× malar space ( Fig. 25A ); mouth 1.5× as broad as malar space; toruli equidistant from anterior ocellus and anterior margin of clypeus; clypeus with anterior margin almost straight with a small median depression, strong radiating carinulae extend on face to level of toruli; gena buccate with strong genal carina, a broad band of fine reticulation behind malar sulcus extends below eye in front of the sulcus as a small triangular patch, this band with only a few large punctures which generally lack setae ( Fig. 25B ).

Antenna 11152 with two terminal segments of clava fused ( Fig. 25C ); scape just reaching anterior ocellus; length of pedicel plus flagellum 0.8× breadth of head; F1 plus anellus almost 2× as long as broad, F1 stouter than pedicel and about 1.6× as long as broad, F2–F4 subquadrate, F5 weakly transverse; clava 2.45× as long as broad, not or hardly broader than F5; sensilla arranged in 2 overlapping transverse rows on F1 and in a single irregular row on following funicle and claval segments.

Mesosoma in dorsal view 1.5× as long as broad, narrower than head (25:28); mesoscutellum with a relatively broad base, the anterior ends of axillar grooves only very slightly internal to posterior ends of notauli and separated by 0.65× median length of mesoscutum, base of mesoscutellum longer than axillar groove as seen in dorsal view ( Fig. 25D ). Mesosoma in profile 1.2× as long as deep, the mesoscutellum strongly arched; propodeum sloping at an angle of just over 90° to the scutello-mesoscutal plane, coarsely reticulate laterally with a broad median depression which is finely reticulate with irregular longitudinal carinulae ( Fig. 24 ).

Fore wing lengths of costal cell: marginal vein; stigmal vein; postmarginal vein as 56:12:11:14 ( Fig. 24 ); stigmal vein slightly curved, expanding gradually into an elongated stigma; basal vein pilose, basal cell closed below in distal half with scattered hairs on uppersurface.

Metasoma. Gaster 1.2× as long as rest of body; laterally compressed, in dorsal view 3.4× as long as broad and two-thirds the breadth of mesoscutum; in lateral view 1.6× as long (including ovipositor) as deep, 1.1× as deep as mesosoma at mesosternal shelf ( Fig. 24 ); petiole transverse; GT4 usually distinctly longer than GT3; tergites ventrally with fine, linear punctures and engraved reticulation (as in allied species); syntergum upturned, in dorsal view 1.4× as long as basal breadth; length of syntergum dorsally plus exposed ovipositor sheath half that of metatibia, ovipositor sheath extending beyond apex of syntergum by about 0.8× dorsal length of syntergum.

Male. Length 2.8 mm.

Antenna 11152 ( Fig. 25E ); scape 3.0× as long as broad, widening into a ventral boss that reaches maximum breadth at about three-quarters length of scape, thereafter narrowing abruptly to an apical neck; pedicel plus flagellum 1.2× breadth of head; flagellum tapering, F1 about 1.4× and clava about 1.1× as deep as pedicel; funicle segments petiolate, the bodies of F1 1.6×, F2 1.2× and F5 1.4× as long as deep; clava 3.6× as long as broad with C1 occupying over half of total length; setae arranged in 4 irregular whorls on F1 and in 2 whorls on other funicle segments, the longest setae not quite 2× the depth of their segments.

Metasoma. Gaster (air dried) including petiole 0.8× length of head plus mesosoma; body of gaster in profile very strongly peaked, depth at apex of GT2 equalling length in lateral view; petiole occupying 0.35× total length of gaster with apex well beyond apex of metacoxa, its dorsal surface about 4× as long as broad, almost flat, matt and very finely reticulate with a slightly raised, arcuate anterior lamina.

Distribution ( Fig. 36 ). This species was recovered in sites where seeds of Asphodeline lutea were collected ( Italy: Sicilia and Bulgaria). It is therefore possible that its distribution follows that of this asphodel. It is the species reared from Asphodeline lutea fruits mentioned under the name ‘ Eurytoma asphodeli’ by Stojanova (2002) and Boyadzhiev & Stojanova (2008) in Bulgaria, and by Zerova (1995, 2010) and Zerova & Seryogina (2006) in Ukraine (Crimea).

Recognition. Eurytoma genale is allied to E. asphodeli from which it differs in its broader scutellar base and genal sculpturation.

Biology. Trophic relationships. E. genale is a parasitoid in fruits of Asphodeline lutea , presumably attacking B. asphodelinae (described above) in the seeds ( Fig. 44 ). Boyadzhiev & Stojanova (2008) illustrated the larval mandibles (under E. asphodeli ) and compare them with those of B. asphodelinae (under Eurytoma sp., rosae group).

Figures

FIGURE 24. Eurytoma genale Askew & Stojanova sp. n., ♀ ex Asphodeline lutea, Vizzini, Monte Iblei, Sicilia, Italy.

FIGURES 25A–G. A–E, Eurytoma genale. A–D, ♀; E, ♂. A, head in frontal view. B, same in lateral view. C, antenna. D, pro- and mesonotum. E, antenna. F–G. Eurytoma pistaciae Rondani, ♀. F, antenna. G, hind leg and metasoma. All specimens from Vizzini, Monte Iblei, Sicilia, Italy; E. genale ex A. lutea, E. pistaciae from A. ramosus.

FIGURE 36. Distribution map of Eurytoma asphodeli, E. genale and E. pistaciae (only reared from asphodels)

FIGURE 44. Trophic web of Asphodeline lutea. Horizontal scale bars proportional to the numbers of reared specimens examined that are indicated in the bars. Arrows pointing out the direction of the trophic relationships: from phytophagous Bruchophagus spp. to the asphodel and from parasitoids to chalcid hosts.