Bruchophagus lecomtei Delvare, 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 : 42-49

Bruchophagus lecomtei Delvare sp. n.

( Figs 19 , 20 A–D, 21A–H; Tab. 4 , 5 )

Type material. Holotype ♀ [GDEL1544]: FRANCE: Pyrénées-Orientales, Banyuls-sur-Mer, San Miguel , 37 m, 42.47944°N 3.11092°E, ex seed of A. fistulosus , 06.vi.2011, adult emergence on 28.iv.2012 (J. Lecomte) (in BMNH) . Paratypes. Same data as holotype but adult emergence 24–28.iv.2012 (vouchers GDEL1622 ♀, GDEL1623 ♀, GDEL1624 ♂, in CIRAD; 18 ♀ 19 ♂, in BMNH, MNHN and GDPC,) ; same locality but females collected on flowers of the asphodel, 27.iv.2014 (G. Delvare) (vouchers GDEL1625 ♀, and GDEL1626 ♀, in CIRAD) ; same locality but females emerged on 23–27.iv.2014 (J. Lecomte) (5 ♀, in GDPC) ; Hérault, Mireval, 10 m, 43.51222°N 3.80372°E, adults collected on flowers of A. fistulosus , 05.v.2012 (G. Delvare) (vouchers GDEL1619 ♀, GDEL1620 ♀, GDEL1621 ♂, in CIRAD; 22 ♀ 13 ♂, in GDPC) ; same locality but ex seeds of A. fistulosus , 29.iv.2014 (G. Delvare) (1 ♀ 5 ♂, in GDPC) .

Other material. MOROCCO: Asilah, 35.2906°N 6.0130°W, sweeping herbaceous layer 04.v.1997 (G. Delvare) (1 ♀, in GDPC) . SPAIN: Alicante, Calpe, 39.71678°N 5.25167°W, sweeping herbaceous layer, 28–31.v.1991 (H. Tussac) (14 ♀, in GDPC) ; Castellón, Vinaròs , 10 m, 40.49368°N 0.20821°E, ex seeds A. fistulosus , 07–08.vi.2012 (A. Ribes) (3 ♀, in GDPC) ; Lleida, Alfes , 41.54843°N 0.65482°E, ex seeds A. fistulosus , 21.vi.2011 adult emerged 18.v.2012 (A. Ribes) (13 ♀ 3 ♂; in GDPC) ; La Granja d'Escarp , 90 m, 41.40481°N 0.33695°E, ex seeds A. fistulosus , 20.iii.2012 adult emerged 14.iv–03.v.2012 (A. Ribes) (14 ♀ 9 ♂, in GDPC; 6 ♀ 11 ♂, 6 in RAPC) ; Sarroca , 205 m, 41.42244°N 0.56101°E, ex seeds A. fistulosus , 30.v.2008 adult emerged 11.v.2009 (A. Ribes) (2 ♂, in GDPC) ; same locality, asphodel and collector, collected on 30.v.2008 (103 ♀ 86 ♂, in MNCN and RAPC) and 07.v.2009 (18 ♀ 20 ♂) ; Utxesa , 140 m, 41.4048°N 0.54871°E, ex seeds A. fistulosus , 27.v.2011 adult emerged 14.v.2012 (A. Ribes) (8 ♀ 3 ♂, in GDPC) ; Tarragona, Garcia , 75 m, 41.13127°N 0.65186°E, ex seeds A. fistulosus , 07–09.vi.2012 (A. Ribes) (2 ♀ 4 ♂, in GDPC; 6 ♀ 5 ♂, in MNCN and RAPC) ; Cambrils , 41.06833°N 1.05388°E, sweeping herbaceous layer, 16.v.1991 (H. Tussac) (9 ♀, in GDPC) ; Zaragoza, S Zaragoza , 41.60166°N 1.07501°W, sweeping herbaceous layer (G. Delvare) (6 ♀, in GDPC) .

Etymology. This species is dedicated to Jean Lecomte for his welcome during the visits of GD, his contribution to the illustration of the chalcid wasps associated with asphodels, providing photographs of live adults on flowers, and for his assistance in the sampling.

Condition of holotype. Specimen complete, glued on rectangular card, with left wings removed and glued on the same card.

Description of female holotype. Body size 2.5 mm. Body colour and setation as in B. gijswijti but setation of fore and hind wing entirely white ( Figs 19 , 21G ). Mandible brown on disc, galea and labium whitish.

Head 1.83× as wide as long in dorsal view ( Fig. 21B ). Eyes separated by 1.53× their own height; POL 2.15× as OOL and OOL 1.56× posterior ocellus diameter; temple as long as one third of eye length; anterior margin of frons somewhat convex in dorsal view; vertex laterally and mesally irregularly squamous. Head 1.34× as wide as high in frontal view, almost subcircular, with dorsal margin of vertex and lateral margin of gena evidently convex ( Fig. 21A ). Malar space 0.61× as long as height of eye and 0.56× as long as width of oral fossa. Lower edge of antennal toruli about at mid-distance between ventral margin of clypeus and anterior ocellus, clearly above lower eye margin. Mandibles both 3-toothed with lower tooth deeply separated from median one. Labrum with 4 setae. Clypeus smooth, somewhat protruding ventrally and very faintly emarginate mesally; anterior tentorial pits visible; lower face virtually flat with radiating wrinkles originating from sides of clypeus and alternating with punctures; small area of coriaceous sculpture visible below interantennal projection; setation orientated downwards on face, outwards on the punctured frons; malar sulcus fine but complete. Surface of scrobal depression virtually smooth, with squamous sculpture quite superficial.

Antenna ( Fig. 21C ). Scape linear 4.5× as long as wide. Pedicel plus flagellum taken together 0.84× as long as width of head. Pedicel 1.65× as long as wide. Funicle 5-segmented; F1 somewhat shorter than pedicel; F1 and F5 respectively 1.27× and 0.86× as long as wide; each funicular with a single row of MPS and 2 whorls of long setae. Clava effectively 2-segmented with the vestige of the suture visible between the second row of MPS and the tapering apex of clava ( Figs 20B , 21D ).

Mesosoma 1.76× as long as wide and 1.46× as long as high; its dorsal surface nearly regularly arched. Anterior outline of mesepisternum distinctly convex; propodeum strongly sloping. Pro- and mesonotum regularly, densely but superficially areolate-punctured, bearing setae somewhat longer than diameter of punctures ( Fig. 21E ); the setae subdecumbent except on mesoscutellum where they are suberect and oriented towards the median line; interspaces narrow, not sculptured. Lateral panel of pronotum reticulate squamose. Pronotum, and mesoscutum respectively 2.09× and 1.74× as wide as long; mesoscutellum 1.11× as long as wide. Notauli impressed throughout but obliterated by sculpture of mesoscutum, their inner and outer margins not step-like. Axillar groove deep and step-like with a pit at about anterior third; hind margin of mesoscutellum regularly arched. Postscutellum with transverse elevated smooth strip behind rugulose basal groove. Propodeum ( Fig. 21F ) with wide mesal reticulate surface but with short submedian ridge basally, turning outwards to delimit posteriorly a narrow basal groove that separates laterally the spiracle from the posterior margin of metanotum; propodeum with lateral surface areolate, bearing long setae orientated backwards sublaterally and outwards laterally. Lateral panel of prepectus very finely reticulate, its ventral belt rugulose reticulate. Mesepisternum with incomplete epicnemial carina; epicnemium reticulate, femoral depression more coarsely so dorsally ( Figs 19 , 20C ); mesepimeron finely reticulate ventrally, striolate squamose dorsally. Metepimeron subtriangular and with areolate sculpture.

Legs. Procoxa without depression on frontal surface. Metacoxa bare basidorsally.

Fore wing ( Fig. 21G ) 2.36× as long as wide, costal cell virtually as long as wing width; stigmal and postmarginal veins respectively 1.1× and 1.19× as long as marginal vein. Stigmal vein straight; stigma about half as wide as its distance from anterior margin of wing; parastigma with 2 sensilla placodea, uncus with 2 narrowly separated pairs of placodea. Basal cell and cubital fold sparsely setose; costal cell with 1 complete and 2–3 incomplete rows of setae and scarcely setose ventrally.

Metasoma. Petiole with small teeth, 2 laterobasal and 1 mediodorsal, bare ventrally. Gaster ovate, about as wide as and 1.22× as long as mesosoma, 1.61× as long as high. GT4 about as long as GT3 on median line. GT2–GT4 finely punctulate laterally, GT5 entirely so. GT1 with a few submedian setae anteriorly; GT2 and GT3 with few aligned setae subdorsally, GT5 with a complete line of setae. Syntergum very short and somewhat upturned.

Male identical with that of B. gijswijti except for the setation of the fore wing which in most cases is white instead of dark.

Variation. Sometimes smaller (hardly 2 mm in length) and in such specimens the head is higher, subcircular in frontal view and more globose in dorsal view; the mesosoma is relatively longer and slender, with less sloping propodeum; the sculpture of mesonotum is more irregular with coriaceous interspaces; the setation of the fore wing is often dark beyond the venation and in one specimen examined it was entirely dark.

Diagnosis. Both sexes. Body of small size (2.2–2.5 mm). Clava effectively bisegmented. Pro- and mesonotum with superficial but regular and dense setiferous puncturation and with coriaceous interspaces between the punctures. Anterior margin of mesepisternum convex. Fore wing most often with white setation.

Female. Clava effectively bisegmented (C1, C2+3), the penultimate segment being fused with the terminal one.

Recognition. Both sexes of B. lecomtei may be distinguished from B. abscedus , B. ribesi , B. insulare and B. asphodelinae by their small body size, superficial puncturation of mesonotum, mostly reticulate propodeum and convex anterior outline of mesepisternum. Males may be separated from the above four Bruchophagus species by the absence of a distinct swelling on the scape and the segmentation of the flagellum which includes a 4-segmented funicle and 3-segmented clava in B. lecomtei in contrast to the 5-segmented funicle and 2-segmented clava in the other species. Most individuals of B. lecomtei are distinguished from those of B. gijswijti by their white instead of dark setation on the fore wing and the more regular puncturation of the mesonotum, the punctures being well delimited, not mixed with the coriaceous interspaces. In addition, females of B. lecomtei are separated from B. gijswijti by their effectively bisegmented (C1, C2+3) instead of 3-segmented clava (C1, C2, C3).

Comment. The segmentation of the clava can be very difficult to establish in female B. lecomtei , where a discontinuity mimicking a suture is present in place of the true suture between C2 and C3 found in B. gijswijti . In doubtful cases it is necessary to make a slide mounting of the antenna. Fortunately most individuals of B. lecomtei exhibit an entirely white setation on the fore wing, a state quite diagnostic and confirmed by a series of slide mountings of the female antenna. A problem arises when the setation of the wing is partly dark. In such cases the wing bears dark setae only beyond the venation, and setae behind the marginal vein are white. In individuals of B. gijswijti in which the setation is only partly dark, the setae below the marginal vein are also dark.

Distribution ( Fig. 35 ). The species is known from Morocco, Spain and France but its distribution is probably the same as that of its host plant which occurs widely in the Mediterranean Basin.

Biology. Host plant. Reared only from A. fistulosus ( Fig. 43 ).

Figures

FIGURE 19. Bruchophagus lecomtei Delvare sp. n., ♀ ex A. fistulosus, Banyuls-sur-Mer, Pyrénées-Orientales, France.

FIGURES 20A–D. Bruchophagus lecomtei, ♀ [SEM photographs]. A, head in posterior view. B, clava. C, mesosoma in ventral view. D, petiole in lateral view. Specimen from Calpe, Alicante, Spain.

FIGURES 21A–H. Bruchophagus lecomtei. A–G, ♀. H, ♂. A, head in frontal view. B, same in dorsal view, C, pedicel and flagellum. D, antenna mounted on slide. E, mesonotum. F, propodeum. G, fore wing. H, pedicel and flagellum. A, C & G, ex A. fistulosus, Banyuls-sur-Mer, Pyrénées-Orientales, France. B & F, ex A. fistulosus, Sarroca, Lleida, Spain. E & H, collected on a flower spike of A. fistulosus, Mireval, Hérault, France.

FIGURE 35. Distribution map of Bruchophagus insulare, B. lecomtei and B. ribesi.

FIGURE 43. Trophic web of A. fistulosus. 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.

Tables

TABLE 4. Some measurements (in µm) on females of the newly described eurytomid species.

Species	Bruchophagus lecomtei holotype ♀	Bruchophagus gijswijti ♀ GDEL1633	Bruchophagus abscedus ♀	Bruchophagus ribesi ♀	Bruchophagus insulare holotype ♀	Bruchophagus asphodelinae ♀	Eurytoma genale ♀	Aximopsis balajasi holotype ♀ GDEL1610
Origin	Banyuls-sur-Mer, Pyrénées Orientales, France	Vinaros, Castellon, Spain	Banyuls-sur-Mer, Pyrénées Orientales, France	Lapanouse-de- Cernon, Aveyron, France	Vizzini, Sicilia, Italy	Vizzini, Sicilia, Italy	Vizzini, Sicilia, Italy	Aléria, Corse, France
Asphodel	Asphodelus fistulosus	Asphodelus fistulosus	Asphodelus ramosus	Asphodelus cerasiferus	Asphodelus ramosus	Asphodeline lutea	Asphodeline lutea	Asphodelus ramosus
Body length	2496	2036	3133	4262	2800	3739		3200
head width	694	563	866	1095	877	1145	942	803
head length	380	303	442	541	460	578	502	450
head height	517	435	663	595	659	807	717	632
frontovertex width = FVX	441	381	590	721	580	753	596	460
distance between lateral ocelli = OOL	89	68	117	153	117	202	112	63
ocular - lateral ocellus distance = POL	191	170	233	293	239	242	262	207
lateral ocellus diameter = LOD	57	57	73	90	77	54	76	70
distance lower edge antennal toruli - ventral margin of clypeus = TCL	217	170	228	301	277	319	332	225
distance lower edge antennal toruli - lower edge of anterior ocellus = TAO	228	208	277	380	305	367	381	269
eye length	253	197	263	333	295	359	303	307
temple length	78	70	120	99	86	130	108	63
eye height	289	233	339	428	359	428	381	371
malar sulcus length = MSP	177	157	259	331	239	325	309	243
oral fossa width = OFW	318	266	388	446	341	500	413	331
combined length of pedicel + flagellum = PDFL	584	378	680	789	688	848	830	815
scape length	218		263	352	254	315	309
scape width	48		70	92	70	91	73	66
pedicel length	91	78	102	105	88	108	108	99
pedicel width	55	53	59	66	62	59	65	46
2nd flagellomere (= F1) length	75	58	86	98	99	132	101	110
2nd flagellomere width	59	60	59	59	67	86	81	66
6th flagellomere (= F5) length	66	56	62	52	72	89	86	106
6th flagellomere width	77	75	86	93	86	108	90	53
clava length	164	151	153	216	190	221	203	199

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TABLE 5. Some ratios calculated from the measurements figured in Table 4.

Species	Bruchophagus lecomtei holotype ♀	Bruchophagus gijswijti ♀ GDEL1633	Bruchophagus abscedus ♀	Bruchophagus ribesi ♀	Bruchophagus insulare holotype ♀	Bruchophagus asphodelinae ♀	Eurytoma genale ♀	Aximopsis balajasi holotype ♀ GDEL1610
Origin of specimen	Banyuls-sur-Mer, Pyrénées Orientales, France	Vinaros, Castellon, Spain	Banyuls-sur-Mer, Pyrénées Orientales, France	Lapanouse-de- Cernon, Aveyron, France	Vizzini, Sicilia, Italy	Vizzini, Sicilia, Italy	Vizzini, Sicilia, Italy	Aléria, Corse, France
Asphodel	Asphodelus fistulosus	Asphodelus fistulosus	Asphodelus ramosus	Asphodelus cerasiferus	Asphodelus ramosus	Asphodeline lutea	Asphodeline lutea	Asphodelus ramosus
Head width: head length	1.83	1.86	1.96	2.02	1.91	1.98	1.88	1.78
Head width: head height	1.34	1.29	1.31	1.84	1.33	1.42	1.31	1.27
Eye length: eye height	1.14	1.18	1.29	1.29	1.22	1.19	1.26	1.21
FVX: eye height	1.53	1.64	1.74	1.68	1.62	1.76	1.56	1.24
OOL: LOD	1.56	1.19	1.60	1.70	1.52	3.74	1.47	0.90
POL: OOL	2.15	2.50	1.99	1.92	2.04	1.20	2.34	3.29
temple length: eye length	0.31	0.36	0.46	0.30	0.29	0.36	0.36	0.21
TCL: TAO	0.95	0.82	0.82	0.79	0.91	0.87	0.87	0.84
MSP: OFW	0.56	0.59	0.67	0.74	0.70	0.65	0.75	0.73
MSP: eye height	0.61	0.67	0.76	0.77	0.67	0.76	0.81	0.65
Scape length: scape width	4.54		3.76	3.83	3.63	3.44	4.23	0.00
Pedicel + flagellum: head width	0.84	0.67	0.79	0.72	0.78	0.74	0.88	1.01
Pedicel length: pedicel width	1.65	1.47	1.73	1.59	1.42	1.82	1.67	2.14
F1 length: F1 width	1.27	0.97	1.46	1.66	1.48	1.53	1.24	1.67
F5 length: F5 width	0.86	0.75	0.72	0.56	0.84	0.83	0.96	2.00
Mesosoma length: mesosoma width	1.76	1.96	1.77	1.58	1.76	1.53	1.70	1.70
Mesosoma length: mesosoma height	1.46	1.82	1.59	1.26	1.47	1.21	1.36	1.47
Pronotum width: pronotum length	2.09	2.39	3.08	3.18	3.28	4.35	2.98	3.26
Mesoscutum width: mesoscutum length	1.74	1.79	1.82	1.65	1.61	1.71	1.62	1.96
Mesocutellum length: mesoscutellum width	1.11	1.20	1.06	0.96	0.97	0.99	1.02	1.11
Fore wing length: fore wing width	2.36	2.12	2.31	2.25	2.24	2.23	2.27	2.28
Costal cell length: fore wing length	0.97	0.92	1.00	1.00	0.98	1.01	1.00	1.00
Stigmal vein length: marginal vein length	1.10	1.50	1.15	1.23	1.35	1.61	1.07	1.23
Postmarginal vein length: marginal vein length	1.19	1.56	1.19	1.55	1.79	2.00	1.30	1.68
Gaster length: mesosoma length	1.22	1.06	1.06	1.49	1.08	1.43	1.53	1.32
Gaster length: gaster height	1.61	2.02	1.91	1.96	1.68	1.92	1.91	1.76
GT4 length: GT3 length	1.02	0.82	0.97	1.11	1.11	1.33	1.08	1.24

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