Spalangia simplex Perkins, 1910

Gibson, Gary A. P., 2009, 2259, Zootaxa 2259, pp. 1-159 : 141-144

27. Spalangia simplex Perkins, 1910

(Figs 407–422)

Spalangia simplex Perkins, 1910: 657 ; ♀, ♁ syntypes (BPBM, examined). Type data: Oahu, Honolulu.

Spalangia parasitica Girault, 1915: 346 ; ♀ syntypes (QMBA, not examined). Type data: Australia, Queensland, Ingham, sweeping in vicinity of canefields, Herbert River, April 2, 1914, A.P. Dodd. Tentative synonymy by Bouček (1963: 496) confirmed by Bouček (1988a: 342).

Description. Female. Length = 1.4–2.0 mm. Legs dark with knees and apex of tibiae narrowly, but variably distinctly yellowish and basal 4 tarsal segments yellow. Head in anterior view (Fig. 408) about 1.1–1.2x as high as wide; in dorsal view about 1.7–1.8x as wide as long; in lateral view (Fig. 409) with malar space about 0.8x eye height and about 1.4x eye width. Head capsule (Figs 408–410) smooth and shiny as follows: with complete median sulcus extending ventrally to elongate-triangular scrobal depression, the sulcus terminated ventrally by a deeper puncture (Fig. 408), otherwise upper face, parascrobal region, inclined surface of scrobal depression, gena and temples with scattered setae originating from at most tiny pinprick-like punctures; scrobal depression with linear, punctate scrobes on either side of smooth and shiny interantennal region; gena usually with linear malar sulcus, but the sulcus sometimes obliterate medially. Antenna (Fig. 417) with scape about 6.4–8.0x as long as greatest width, the inner (Fig. 418) and outer (Fig. 419) surfaces finely, longitudinally strigose, but outer surface uniformly setose and inner surface bare or at least more sparsely setose mediolongitudinally; pedicel about 2.1–2.3x as long as apical width or fu 1; funicle with fu 1 slightly longer than wide and subsequent segments quadrate or slightly transverse basally to increasingly conspicuously transverse apically; clava about 2.1–2.5x as long as wide.

Pronotal collar in lateral view low convex behind neck and with circumpronotal band anterolaterally, but anteriorly smoothly rounded to neck; with distinct crenulate cross-line posteriorly but otherwise smooth and shiny except for scattered setae over at least anterior half, the setae usually originating from tiny bumps. Mesoscutal median lobe (Figs 412, 413) with anterior convex region and internotaular region smooth and shiny except for a single median puncture posterior to a transverse row of setiferous punctures. Axillae (Figs 412, 413) smooth and shiny except for a few setae originating from pinprick-like setiferous punctures. Scutellum (Figs 412, 413) smooth and shiny except for a few setae originating from pinprick-like setiferous punctures laterally; frenum (Figs 412, 413) differentiated by complete, uniformly developed, crenulate frenal line. Mesopleuron (Fig. 414) smooth and shiny except as follows: pectal region bare except for 1 posteroventral seta; acropleuron variably distinctly longitudinally carinate, the carinae extending posteriorly onto alar shelf; subalar scrobe a vertical, longitudinally crenulate furrow; episternal scrobe a subcircular to oval depression only sometimes connected to subalar scrobe by a fine line but not to precoxal scrobe; upper and lower mesepisternum differentiated by punctate-crenulate transepisternal line and adjacent line of setae. Fore wing hyaline; mediocubital fold with 2–4 setae and basal cell with additional setae. Propodeum (Figs 413, 416) with distinct postspiracular sulcus; callus reticulate-rugose or smoother posteriorly anterior to metacoxal flange; plical region with very narrowly V- like paramedian crenulate furrows delineating median carina, and with anterior-most cell often longer but not distinctly differentiated from more posterior cells; supracoxal band a single crenulate row extending to nucha but posteriorly separated from paramedian crenulate furrows; propodeal panels smooth and shiny.

Petiole (Fig. 413) about 1.8–2x as long as medial width; variably distinctly microreticulate between longitudinal carinae; with 2–5 long setae laterally. Gaster with tergites smooth and shiny.

Male. Length = 1.2–1.6 mm. Antenna (Fig. 420) with scape about 5.6–6.7x as long as wide, the inner (Fig. 421) and outer (Fig. 422) surfaces quite shiny but finely longitudinally strigose to almost smooth, and ventrally with line of several conspicuously long but only slightly curved setae; pedicel subglobular, at most about 1.4x as long as apical width; flagellum with setae much shorter than respective segment; funicle with fu 1 about 1.7–2.5x as long as wide and about 1.3–1.9x as long as pedicel, and subsequent funicular segments all at

Figs 408–416. Spalangia simplex Perkins. 408–410, head: 408, anterior view ♀, 409, lateral view ♀, 410, lateral view ♁; 411, ♀ pronotum, frontolateral view; 412, ♁ pronotum and mesonotum, dorsal view; 413, ♀ mesosoma and petiole, posterodorsal view; 414, ♀ mesopleuron; 415, ♀ petiole, dorsolateral view; 416, ♁ propodeum and petiole, dorsal view.

Figs 417–422. Spalangia simplex Perkins. 417, ♀ antenna; 418 & 419, ♀ scape: 418, inner view, 419, outer view; 420, ♁ antenna; 421 & 422, ♁ scape: 421, inner view, 422, outer view.

least slightly and usually about 1.2–1.3x as long as wide. Otherwise similar to female except as follows. Head in anterior view about 0.9–1.0x as wide as high; in lateral view (Fig. 410) with malar space about 0.6–0.7x eye height and about 0.7–0.9x eye width. Fore wing much more conspicuously setose than female, with line of several setae on mediocubital fold and in basal cell. Petiole (Fig. 416) about 2.5–2.9x as long as medial width.

Material examined. Nearctic (13♀, 3♁). USA: Florida, Dade Co. — Everglades N. Pk., Long Pine Key, VIII-XII.86 (3♀), 31.VIII-9.XII.86 (7♀), S. & J. Peck, pineland for.; Homestead, T.R.E.C. T15, 20.III.87, V. Gupta (1♀); S Miami, Deering Estate, Pk. for., SW 107 St. & SW 72 Ave., 21.II-I.VI.86, young hammock, S. & J. Peck (1♁). De Soto Co., Arcadia, Desoto Pk., 19.I.06, K Hubbard, reared from damaged Citrus containing Drosophila & Zaprionus (1♁ FSCA). Monroe Co. — Big Pine Key, Watson̓s Hammock, 3.VI-27.VII.86, S. & J. Peck, hardwood hammock (1♀); No Name Key, 4.V-4.VIII.85, S. & J. Peck (1♀).

Neotropical (26♀, 32♁). BRAZIL: Espírito, Santo Linhares, IX.72, M. Alvarenga (1♀, 1♁). RJ [Rio de Janeiro], Teresópolis, Sítío Davi , 22º26'S 42º55'W, V.05, ALBG Peronti & eq. (2♀, 2♁ UFES) . COSTA RICA: Limón, Los Diamantes, Guápilas , 200 m. , 20.V.88, P. Hanson (2♀ MZCR). Santo Domingo, INBIO, 6-7.III.96, L. Masner (1♁). San Jose, Cuidad Colón , 800 m. , III-IV.90, L. Fournier (1♁ MZCR) . CUBA: Santiago Prov. — 16 km. NE Caney, 13.XII. 95, 200 m. , L. Masner (1♀, 9♁); Carretera Gran Piedra , km. 4, 150 m. , 7.XII.95, L. Masner (1♁); Gran Piedra, Meteo Station, 1100 m., 4-17.XII.95, L. Masner (2♁). DOMI- NICA: St. Mark Parish — Scott ̓s Headpoint, 2.XII.94, L. Masner, grassland (1♀); 1.5 km. E Soufrière, 25.XI.94, L. Masner, pasture (2♀, 3♁). St. Paul Parish, Springfield Estate , 505 m. , 20-27.XII.94, L. Masner (1♁). DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Barahona — 4 km. N Paraiso, 150 m. , 22.III.91, L. Masner (10♀, 3♁); 7 km. NW Paraiso , 200 m. , 27.XI.91 (2♀), 27.XI-4.XII.91 (2♀, 2♁), L. Masner & S. Peck. Duarte, 20 km. NE San Francisco de Macoris , Loma Quita Espuela , 300 m. , 18.III.91 (1♀). La Vega Pr., PN.A. Bermudez, Cienaga , 120 m. , 19.VII-2.VIII.95, S. & J. Peck, trop. evergreen for. (1♀). JAMAICA: Portland Parish, Paradise, 3.IV.75, E. Grissell, sweeping oranges (2♁ FSCA) . ST. KITTS: Wingfield Mt. , 1-30.XI.85, L.O. Coote (1♀) . ST. LUCIA: 2 km. E Mon Repos, 27.II.00, L. Masner (2♁) . VENEZUELA: Aragua, Parc Nac. H. Pittier, La Trilla, 200 m. , 11-14.IV.94, L. Masner (3♁).

Distribution. Noyes (2003) lists S. simplex from the Australasian, Afrotropical and Oriental regions, but all the New World records (Fig. 407) are new. I saw specimens from North America (Florida), Central America ( Costa Rica), West Indies ( Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, St. Kitts, St. Lucia) and South America ( Brazil, Venezuela).

Biology. Hosts for S. simplex have not previously been reported but apparently include fruit flies. There is one New World record indicating Drosophilidae ( Drosophila Fallén and/or Zaprionus Coquillett ) and I have seen two females (USNM) from Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, that are labelled as a parasite of Dacus dorsalis Hendel (Tephritidae) on carambola, Averrhoa carambola L. ( Oxalidaceae ). Another female (USNM) from Australia, Queensland, Cairns, is labelled as ex Dacus sp.

Recognition. Spalangia simplex is distinguished by a combination of three features. The scutellum has a complete, uniformly developed crenulate frenal line (Figs 412, 413), the pronotum lacks sculpture except for a distinct crenulate cross-line posteriorly (Figs 411, 412), and the mesoscutal median lobe has a unique sculpture pattern consisting of a single median puncture posterior to a transverse row of punctures (Fig. 412). Some males of S. cameroni have an abnormally smooth pronotal collar (Fig. 69) that resembles that of S. simplex (Fig. 411), but the mesoscutal median lobe of S. cameroni has quite a different sculpture pattern (Fig. 69). Males of S. simplex are also characterized by having a comb-like row of very long setae along the ventral margin of the scape (Figs 421, 422). Bouček (1963: 496) tentatively synonymized S. grotiusi Girault (1913) under S. simplex , but later ( Bouček 1988a: 342) treated the name as valid based on two non-type specimens allegedly identified by Girault as S. grotiusi , which Bouček stated probably belong to S. endius . Study of the fragmentary holotype of S. grotiusi ( Dahms 1986: 669) is necessary to resolve the synonymy.