Aleiodes pallidicornis ( Herrich-Schaeffer , 1838)

van Achterberg, Cornelis, Shaw, Mark R. & Quicke, Donald L. J., 2020, Revision of the western Palaearctic species of Aleiodes Wesmael (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Rogadinae). Part 2: Revision of the A. apicalis group, ZooKeys 919, pp. 1-259 : 1

Aleiodes pallidicornis ( Herrich-Schaeffer, 1838) Figs 543-544 , 545-557

Rogas pallidicornis Herrich-Schäffer, 1838: 156; Shenefelt 1975: 1241; Zaykov 1980b: 87.

Rhogas pallidicornis ; Fahringer 1932: 266.

Rogas (Rogas) pallidicornis ; Tobias 1976: 84, 1986: 80 (transl.: 130).

Aleiodes (Neorhogas) pallidicornis ; Papp 1987b: 36, 1991a: 70 (as senior synonym of A. hirtus ).

Aleiodes (Chelonorhogas) pallidicornis ; Belokobylskij 2000: 42; Ku et al. 2001: 236; Belokobylskij et al. 2003: 398.

Aleiodes pallidicornis ; Papp 2005: 177.

Rhogas pallidipennis Dalla Torre, 1898: 221 [invalid emendation].

Rogas ductor auctt. p.p. [North & Central Europe, e.g., Lozan et al. 2010: 17].

Type material.

Neotype of A. pallidicornis here designated, ♀ (RMNH), "[Netherlands], [Zuid-]Holland, Asperen, 6.viii.1972, C.J. Zwakhals". The neotype designation is necessary for nomenclatorial stability, because the types of Braconidae described by Herrich-Schäffer are lost (Horn and Kahle 1935-37; no specimens could be found by the first author in ZMB), and the species has been confused with similar species in the past. The specimen is selected because it fits well the original description, Netherlands is relatively close to the probable type location in Germany and it is in excellent condition.

Additional material.

Austria, Belarus, British Isles (Scotland: V.C.?92), Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, Netherlands (ZH: Asperen; Schoonrewoerd; Waarder), Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Turkey [Iran, North Korea]. Specimens in ZJUH, BZL, MRC, MSC, MTMA, NMS, RMNH, UNS, ZSSM.

Molecular data.

MRS885 (Russia).

Biology.

Very little is known. Specimens collected in (May) June-August (September), the great majority in June-July strongly suggesting that it is at least largely univoltine. The Dutch specimens were collected in fairly humid coppice woods. The single British specimen (ZJUH; G.T. Lyle) was reared (emergence 20.vi.1926) from a “noctua” caterpillar collected by E.A. Cockayne in Aberdeenshire. The mummy is lost. At that time, the term “noctua” was used generally for Noctuidae rather than in the restricted sense of the genus of that name, and it would appear (as Cockayne was by then a distinguished amateur lepidopterist) that the host larva did not belong to an obviously identifiable species. Otherwise we have not seen reared material, and there is no indication of how the winter is passed.

Diagnosis.

Maximum width of hypoclypeal depression approx. 0.3 × minimum width of face (Fig. 552 ); OOL of ♀ approx. as long as diameter of posterior ocellus and remotely punctate with interspaces superficially granulate (Fig. 553 ); ventral margin of clypeus thick and not protruding in lateral view (Fig. 554 ); mesoscutal lobes and vertex very finely and densely granulate, with satin sheen; precoxal area smooth medially, but sometimes some rugae below it; vein 1-CU1 0.4-0.6 × vein 2-CU1 and equally slender (Fig. 545 ); tarsal claws with distinct dark brown pecten (Fig. 557 ); hind femur and basitarsus slender (Fig. 543 ); basal quarter of 3rd tergite largely finely striate; at least basal half of 4th-6th tergites of ♂ usually with long dense setosity; head and pronotum black; both tegula and humeral plate equally yellowish; base of hind tibia with narrow dark brown band; hind femur and tibia at least partly black or dark brown; 2nd tergite yellowish or reddish.

Description. Neotype, ♀, length of fore wing 5.9 mm, of body 6.6 mm.

Head. Antennal segments of ♀ 54, length of antenna 1.3 × fore wing, its subapical segments rather robust (Fig. 556 ); frons largely superficially granulate, anteriorly with some weak striae; OOL 1.4 × diameter of posterior ocellus, and punctate, interspaces granulate; vertex spaced punctate, shiny; clypeus densely and coarsely punctate, with granulate interspaces; ventral margin of clypeus thick and not protruding forwards (Fig. 554 ); width of hypoclypeal depression 0.5 × minimum width of face (Fig. 552 ); length of eye 2.1 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 553 ); vertex behind stemmaticum granulate with some transverse rugae; clypeus near lower level of eyes; length of malar space 0.4 × length of eye in lateral view.

Mesosoma. Mesoscutal lobes finely punctate with largely granulate interspaces, with satin sheen; precoxal area of mesopleuron distinctly remotely punctate, interspaces larger than punctures; metapleuron densely punctate-granulate; metanotum with median carina; scutellum punctate-granulate; propodeum evenly convex and coarsely rugose, its medio-longitudinal carina complete.

Wings. Fore wing: r 0.4 × 3-SR (Fig. 545 ); 1-CU1 horizontal, 0.5 × 2-CU1; r-m 0.6 × 3-SR; 2nd submarginal cell medium-sized (Fig. 545 ); cu-a vertical, straight; 1-M nearly straight posteriorly; 1-SR wide; surroundings of M+CU1, 1-M and 1-CU1 evenly setose. Hind wing: marginal cell gradually widened, its apical width 2.6 × width at level of hamuli (Fig. 546 ); 2-SC+R short and longitudinal; m-cu present basally; M+CU:1-M = 15:14; 1r-m 0.6 × 1-M.

Legs. Tarsal claws with rather small dark brownish pecten, absent near apical tooth (Fig. 557 ); hind coxa largely densely and finely punctate; hind trochantellus rather robust; length of hind femur and basitarsus 5.0 and 7.5 × their width, respectively; length of inner hind spur 0.4 × hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. First tergite rather flattened, as long as wide apically; 1st and 2nd tergites with medio-longitudinal carina and coarsely irregularly rugose, but posteriorly 2nd tergite largely smooth and no median carina; medio-basal area of 2nd tergite triangular and rather large (Fig. 549 ); 2nd suture rather deep and finely crenulate; basal half of 3rd tergite smooth (except for punctuation) and shiny as remainder of metasoma; 4th and apical half of 3rd tergite without sharp lateral crease; ovipositor sheath moderately wide, with long setae and apically truncate (Fig. 544 ).

Colour. Black; hind tarsus largely infuscate, but 3rd and 4th segments paler than other segments; apices of fore and middle tibiae slightly infuscate, base of middle and hind tibiae and telotarsi dark brown; apical two-fifths of hind femur and hind tibia (except a pale yellowish band subbasally) black; remainder of legs, 1st and 2nd tergites, and 3rd tergite antero-laterally orange brown; palpi and tegulae brownish yellow; most of veins and pterostigma dark brown; wing membrane subhyaline.

Variation. Antennal segments: ♀ 49(2), 50(2), 51(2), 52(6), 53(6), 54(1), 56(1); ♂ 50(1), 51(3), 52(1), 53(2), 54(2), 55(1), 56(3). On average males have ca two more antennal segments than females. Males are similar but have a large dark brown patch on 1st tergite, hind tarsus largely dark brown and apical tergites type 3, positioned rather posteriorly, setae long and fringe not observed.

Distribution.

Austria, *Belarus, *British Isles (Scotland), Bulgaria, Hungary, *Iran, *Italy, *Montenegro, *Netherlands, North Korea, *Romania, Russia, *Slovakia, Switzerland, *Turkey.

Notes.

The type of Rogas pallidicornis Herrich-Schäffer, 1838, has been lost. Traditionally, it has been considered to belong to Aleiodes ductor (Thunberg, 1822), but the latter species is a synonym (see under A. unipunctator ). The inadequate original description indicates that the 2nd tergite has diverging rugae, which excludes part of A. ductor auctt. Female specimens with yellowish or brownish palpi, basal half of the antenna yellowish and blackish hind tibia (except its pale yellowish base) fit well the original description of A. pallidicornis .

Figures

Figures 543, 544. Aleiodes pallidicornis (Herrich-Schaeffer), ♀, neotype 543 habitus lateral 544 ovipositor sheath lateral.

Figures 545 - 557. Aleiodes pallidicornis (Herrich-Schaeffer), ♀, neotype 545 fore wing 546 hind wing 547 mesosoma lateral 548 mesosoma dorsal 549 1 st- 3 rd metasomal tergites dorsal 550 fore femur lateral 551 hind femur lateral 552 head anterior 553 head dorsal 554 head lateral 555 base of antenna 556 apex of antenna 557 inner hind tarsal claw.