Epitranus clavatus (Fabricius, 1804)

Gadallah, Neveen S., Soliman, Ahmed M. & Dhafer, Hathal M. Al, 2020, First record of the subfamily Epitraninae from Saudi Arabia (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Chalcididae), with the description of three new species, ZooKeys 979, pp. 35-86 : 35

Epitranus clavatus (Fabricius, 1804) Figures 14 , 15 , 16

Chalcis clavata Fabricius, 1804: 162; Bouček, 1982: 594: lectotype designation.

Epitranus fulvescens Walker, 1834: 26-27; Bouček, 1982: 594: synonymy.

Epitranus lacteipennis Cameron, 1883: 187-188; Bouček, 1982: 594: synonymy.

Anacryptus insidiosus Masi, 1917: 129-130; Bouček, 1982: 594: synonymy.

Anacryptus anpingius Masi, 1933: 14-15; Bouček, 1982: 594: synonymy.

Anacryptus cawnporensis Mani & Dubey in Mani, Dubey, Kaul & Saraswat, 1973: 30-31; Bouček, 1982: 594: synonymy.

Epitranus clavatus (Fabricius): Bouček, 1982: 594.

Re-description.

Female (Figs 14 - 16 ). Body length ca. 3.75 mm. Fore wing length ca. 2.5 mm. Head and mesosoma mostly reddish, the later variously maculated with black (Fig. 14A, B ), tegula brownish testaceous (Fig. 14B ). This species is recognized by the following combination of characters: frontal lobe relatively long, its ventral margin with two submedian indentations (Fig. 15B ); subantennal distance ca. 1.7 × as long as interantennal distance, without median longitudinal carina; subtorular carina present; interantennal projection as small lamina (Fig. 15B ); post-orbital groove granulate; post-orbital carina joining genal carina at a level with ventral edge of eye (Fig. 14A ); outline of frons slightly and regularly convex in dorsal view; supra antennal surface hardly delimited laterally by very faint step-like ridge; discal area very faintly strigulate, separated from inner orbit and median ocellus by four or five rows of setiferous points (Fig. 15A ); flagellum somewhat slender (Fig. 15C ), 0.82 × as long as head width; funiculars all somewhat longer than wide; mesosoma convex, its dorsal outline evidently so (Fig. 15C ); pronotal collar rounded anteriorly on dorsum (Fig. 14A ); interspaces on mesonotum very faintly alutaceous; interspaces on mesepisternum and metepimeron coriaceous, dull (Fig. 14A ); surface of propodeum densely reticulate, median areola complete but delimited by very faint submedian carina, sublateral carinae well raised on joining lateral carinae of adpetiolar areola, the latter nearly truncate anteriorly (Fig. 15D ); pronotum, scapula (Fig. 14A, B ) and ventral face of metacoxa sparsely setose, setae distinctly fine and short especially on pronotal collum; occiput (Fig. 14B ) and propodeal prestigmatic areola (Fig. 15D ) nearly bare, with scattered short and fine setae, the former finely alutaceous beneath. Fore wing (Fig. 16A ) with sparse setae and microtrichiae on apical half of underside; STV distinctly oblique forming with the anterior margin of the wing an angle of ca. 35°. Metafemur with a stout basal tooth basoventrally, followed by eight small, widely spaced teeth (Fig. 16B ); metatibial process with oblique carina inside, isolating the tarsal scrobe on inner side of tibia, the scrobe nearly reaching the sub-basal prominence anteriorly (Fig. 16C ); prominence with three or four denticles concealed by the pubescence (when examined from behind). Metasomal petiole short, 2.7 × as long as wide, 0.7 × as long as dorsal length of Gt1, 0.5 × as long as gaster (Fig. 16D ), slightly swollen sub-basally, with two (sublateral and lateral) ridges extending along its whole length, area between sublateral ridges flat and faintly finely punctate. Gaster relatively elongate (1.5 × as long as high).

Male. Similar to female but differs in having: body with extensive black tint on different parts; flagellum longer and slenderer (1.13 × as long as head width); metasomal petiole longer (4.1 × as long as wide, ca. 0.66 × as long as dorsal length of gaster), with sides parallel and dorsum with weak median carina.

Hosts.

Small Lepidoptera such as fungus moths ( Tineidae ): Tinea antricola Meyrick, and Crypsithyris sp. ( Bouček 1982, Noyes 2019).

Material examined.

1♀&1♂, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Asir, Abha, Garf Raydah Natural Reserve [18°11'40.98"N, 42°23'45.66"E, Alt. 1861 m], sweeping net, 12.IV.2019, leg. Ahmed M. Soliman [KSMA]; 1♂, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Asir, Abha, Wadi Marabah [18°10'09.59"N, 42°22'15.12"E, 1205 m], sweeping net, 13.IV.2019, leg. Ahmed M. Soliman [KSMA].

Distribution.

This species probably originates from SE Asia and was repeatedly introduced following trading ( Bouček 1982), Iran ( Moravvej et al. 2018), Saudi Arabia (Asir region) (new record).

Figures

Figure 14. Epitranus clavatus (Fabricius) (female) A, B habitus (lateral and dorsal views respectively).

Figure 15. Epitranus clavatus (Fabricius) (female) A head (frontal view) B lower part of face showing frontal lobe (frontal view) C antennal pedicel and flagellum D propodeum and part of metasomal petiole (dorsal view).

Figure 16. Epitranus clavatus (Fabricius) (female) A fore wing (parts of wing membrane and MV and STV magnified) B, C hind leg, excluding coxa (outer and ventral views respectively) D metasoma (dorsal view).