Baeus seminulum Haliday

Pintureau, B. & al-Nabhan, M., 2003, New data on the European species of three genera Scelionidae (Hymenoptera)., Zootaxa 238, pp. 1-12 : 6-8

Baeus seminulum Haliday

Material examined. Eighteen females and 3 males collected in yellow pan traps: 14 females (2 females on 6 August 1991, 1 female on 22 September 1991, 1 female on 26 September 1991, 1 female on 1 October 1991, 1 female on 16 October 1991, 2 females on 29 October 1991, 2 females on 30 October 1991, 3 females on 1 November 1991 and 1 female on 9 November 1991) and 2 males (1 male on 10 August 1991 and 1 male on 22 September 1991) at Venissieux , Rhone, France ; 1 female (3 November 1991) at Monsols , Rhone, France ; 3 females (1 female on 16 August 1993, 1 female on 28 August 1993 and 1 female on 1 September 1993) at Masseube , Gers, France ; 1 male (27 August 1991) at Remedios, Island of S. Miguel , Azores, Portugal . The latter male was misidentified as Idris sp. by Pintureau and Pintureau (1996).

The species has previously been recorded from several European countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Moldavia and Russia (Debauche 1947; Hellen 1971; Kozlov 1971, 1988; Mineo 1979; Rollard 1991; Kononova & Fursov 1999). Therefore, it is new for France and Portugal (Azores).

Its known hosts are spider eggs, especially of the families Argiopidae and Theridiidae , Rollard (1991) cited Coelotus terrestris Wid. , Dysdera erythrina Walker , Micryphantes sp., Tegenaria picta Sim. and Theridium sp.

Morphology. The female has been redescribed and well illustrated (Kozlov 1988; Kononova & Fursov 1999). On the contrary, male morphology has yet to be described and is provided here. Wings are narrow with long marginal setae (Fig. 4A, B), forewing 6.5 times as long as the maximum width with longest marginal setae almost as long as the maximum wing width, hind wing 8.5 times as long as the maximum width with longest marginal setae 1.6 times as long as the maximum wing width. Kozlov (1971, 1988) illustrated the forewing, but his drawing is erroneous: the wing is too wide (4.5 times as long as the maximum width) and has marginal setae that are too short (the longest 0.6 times as long as the maximum wing width). Antennae with 11 free segments; the 7 funicular segments are subequal and the last segment shows an indistinct suture in its middle (Fig. 4C). Abdominal T1 and T2 have numerous ridges, close to each other on T2 (Fig. 4D). Genitalia have well developed digiti (Fig. 4E). These males appear closely related to those of B. japonicus Kononova and Fursov ; that species, however, shows slightly narrower forewing(6.6 times as long as the maximum width) with longer marginal setae (longest 1.3 times as long as the maximum wing width).