Crassomicrodus melanopleurus (Ashmead, 1894)

Figueroa, Jose Isaac, Sharkey, Michael Joseph, Napoles, Jesus Romero, Garcia, Jose Antonio Sanchez, Martinez, Ana Mabel, Lopez-Martinez, Victor & Pineda, Samuel, 2011, Revision of the new world genus Crassomicrodus Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Agathidinae), with an identification key to species, ZooKeys 142, pp. 27-75 : 44-45

Crassomicrodus melanopleurus (Ashmead, 1894) Fig. 8 a–e

Microdus melanopleurus Ashmead 1894: 125 [Examined]. Syn. n.

Holotype male.

San Jose del Cabo. Cat. No. 223 (CAS)

Description female.

Body. Length. 6.10-7.75 mm. Color (Fig. 8e).Integument yellowish orange except ocelli translucent yellow reddish; antenna brown or black; eye, apical area of mandible and sometimes apical area of hind tibia and tarsomeres blackish; sometimes head and propleuron black; wing veins dark brown; forewing infumate with a hyaline spot on the first submarginal cell that is bigger than parastigma, sometimes forewing slightly infumate without distinguished the hyaline spot. Head (Fig. 8ab). Transverse in frontal view; face without longitudinal ridge dorsomedially; eye height/width = 1.38-1.39; eye height 0.67 –0.69× inter-ocular distance; area between antennal sockets with a median pyramidal-shaped elevation and two weakly defined tubercles; frons excavated with a pair of microfoveolate grooves that diverge towards the ocellar area; posterior area of antennal sockets smooth; groove between lateral ocelli smooth; median ocellus separated from lateral ocellus by smooth groove; gena bulging; malar space 0.48 –0.57× as long as eye height; clypeus 2.40 –2.55× wider than high; length of ventrolateral margin of clypeus similar to diameter of tentorial pit; antenna with 35-38 flagellomeres; setae at base of mandible distinctly longer than setae on rest of body surface. Mesosoma (Fig. 8cde). Pronotum smooth; lateral pronotal margins with weakly crenulate groove; notauli impressed; anterolateral edges of scutellum lacking small acute projection; scutellar disc convex with sparse setae from 0.09 to 0.11 mm in length; scutellar disc sloped posteriorly and rounded; lateral scutellar depression smooth with punctures on the ventral margin; carinae of central metanotal area forming a triangular cell; propodeum reticulate rugulose, sometimes rugose; subalar lobe separated from mesopleuron by narrow rugulose groove, width distinctly shor ter than the subalar lobe; ventral three-fourths of metapleuron reticulate rugulose, remainder with punctures. Legs. Inner spur of middle tibia 0.77 –0.86× length of basitarsus; inner spur of hind tibia 0.60 –0.72× length of basitarsus; metabasitarsus 1.11 –1.19× length of tarsomeres III, IV, and V combined; hind tibia 2.17 –2.38× longer than basitarsus; hind femur length 3.50 –3.85× its maximum width. Wings. Forewing length/width = 2.72-2.76; stigma 3.43 –3.55× longer than maximum width; forewing vein R1 0.61 –0.67× as long as vein RS; vein RS not sinuate; vein r arising before middle of stigma; second submarginal cell triangular, with petiole 0.07-0.15 mm long; vein M+CU distinctly pigmented throughout; hind wing length/width = 3.60-4.10; hind wing vein 1M 1.55 –1.85× longer than 1r-m; hind wing with 5-8 hamuli. Metasoma. Apical width of petiole (tergum 1) 3.00 –3.70× wider than basal width; minimum width of petiole 0.54 –0.56× apical width; length of ovipositor sheath 0.20-0.33 mm.

Male.

Similar to female except color as follows: head, propleuron, mesopleuron, metapleuron, propodeum, coxa and trochanters black; sometimes coloration similar to female.

Host.

Unknown.

Distribution.

Mexico and USA.

Diagnosis.

Distinguished from other Crassomicrodus species by the following combination of characters: area between antennal sockets with a median pyramidal-shaped elevation, head transverse in frontal view, gena bulging, inner spur of middle tibia 0.77 –0.86× length of basitarsus; inner spur of hind tibia 0.60 –0.72× length of basitarsus, and body mostly yellowish orange with wings infumate.

Remarks.

This species is difficult to circumscribe, the head shape and general coloration have a wide range of variation. We found some specimens with the head triangular in frontal view but they have the forewing infumate with a hyaline spot on the first submarginal cell, that occupies most of the space of the cell. Muesebeck (1927) suggested that the species could represent males of Crassomicrodus fulvescens . However the type of Microdus melanopleurus does not correspond to the characters of Crassomicrodus fulvescens , therefore we consider it to be a valid species. Crassomicrodus melanopleurus is very similar to Crassomicrodus fulvescens , but differs in that Crassomicrodus fulvescens has the gena distinctly bulging; frons deeply excavated; lateral scutellar depression rugose and foveolate; carinae of central metanotal defining an almost circular cell; inner spur of middle tibia 0.54 –0.58× length of basitarsus; inner spur of hind tibia 0.48 –0.54× length of basitarsus; and metapleuron completely reticulate-rugose.

Material examined.

Holotype ♂: MEXICO, San José del Cabo (CAS). Other specimens examined .- MEXICO, San Luis Potosí: K398, 25 miles N Tamazuncha, 1 ♂ 21/VIII/1960, Howden H. (CNC). USA, California: 15 miles E Baker, Cronese Wash, San Bernardino Co., 1 ♀ 3 ♂ 17/IV/1981, Pulawski W.J. (CAS); 15 miles W Baker, San Bernardino Co., 7 ♀ y 7 ♂ 17/IV/1981, Bohart R.M. (UCDC). Banning, Riverside Co., 2 ♂ 2/VII/1952, Grigarick A.A.; 1 ♂ 2/VII/1952, Mathis H.L.; 2 ♀ 27/VI/1952, Evans E.M.; 1 ♀ 27/VII/1952, Barcus D.E.; 1 ♀ 27/VI/1952, Miyagawa S.; 1 ♂ 28/VI/1952, Miyagawa S. (UCDC); 1 ♂ 28/VI/1952, Nakata J.H.; 1 ♂ 16/VII/1950, Adelson B. (USNM). Cronese Valley, San Bernardino Co., 1 ♂ 3/IV/1953, MacSwain J.W. (EMEC); 3 ♀ 4 ♂ 25/IV/1978, Smith N.J. (UCDC); 1 ♂ 25/IV/1978, Smith N.J. (USNM). Del Puerto Cyn, Stanislaus Co., 1 ♂ 12/VI/1978, Bohart R.M. (UCDC). Palm Springs Sta. Riverside Co., 5 ♂ 22/VII/1952, Menn J.J.; 1 ♀ y 3 ♂ 21/VII/1952, MacSwain J.W.; 1 ♂ 6/VII/1975, Linsley E.G. & J.M. Linsley (EMEC); 1 ♂ 22/VII/1952, Menn J.J. (HIC); 1 ♂ 19/V/1941, Knull D.J. & J.N. Knull (OSU); 4 ♀ 22/VII/1952, Barcus D.E. (UCDC); 1 ♀ y 2 ♂ 22/VII/1952, Menn J.J.; 1 ♂ 21/VII/1952, Thompson D.S.; 1 ♂ 22/VII/1952, Barcus D.E. (USNM). Tanbark Flat, Los Angeles Co., 2 ♀ 26/VI/1952, Anderson R.L.; Tanbark Flat, Los Angeles Co., 1 ♂ 12/VII/1952, Grigarick A.A. (UCDC); 1 ♂ 23/VII/1952, Evans E.M. (USNM). Tracy, San Joaquin Co., 1 ♂ 27/VII/1950, MacSwain J.W. (EMEC).