Aleiodes ruficeps (Telenga, 1941)

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 ruficeps (Telenga, 1941) Figs 652-653 , 654-666

Rhogas (Rhogas) ruficeps Telenga, 1941: 179, 421, Fig. [examined].

Rogas ruficeps ; Shenefelt 1975: 1146; Zaykov 1980b: 87.

Rogas (Rogas) ruficeps ; Tobias 1976: 81, 1986: 76 (transl.: 122; lectotype designation).

Aleiodes ruficeps ; Papp 1991a: 88; Fortier and Shaw 1999: 230.

Rogas gasterator auctt. p.p.

Type material.

Lectotype of A. ruficeps , ♀ (ZISP), "[Russia: Crimea,] Eupatoria [= Eupatoriya], Tavrits, gub, 7.v.1907, V.E. Jakovlev", " Rhogas ruficeps sp. n., Telenga det.", "Lectotype Rogas ruficeps Tl., design. Tobias, 1980".

Additional material.

Bulgaria, Russia, Turkey, [Armenia, Iran]. Specimens in ZJUH, BZL, NMS, RMNH, ZISP, ZSSM.

Molecular data.

None.

Biology.

Unknown. Specimens collected in April-May; presumably univoltine, but there is nothing to suggest how it overwinters. We have not seen reared material.

Diagnosis.

Maximum width of hypoclypeal depression 0.5-0.6 × minimum width of face (Fig. 661 ); OOL ca twice diameter of posterior ocellus and moderately punctate (Fig. 662 ); 4th-10th antennal segments approx.as long as wide (Figs 652 , 664 ); ventral margin of clypeus thick to rather sharp and distinctly protruding in lateral view (Fig. 663 ); mesoscutal lobes punctate and interspaces largely smooth and shiny, lobes rather convex; scutellum sparsely punctate; precoxal sulcus coarsely vermiculate-rugose; marginal cell of fore wing of ♀ ending rather removed from wing apex (Fig. 654 ); length of vein r of fore wing 0.3 × vein 3-SR (Fig. 654 ); vein 1-CU1 of fore wing 0.3-0.5 × vein 2-CU1 (Fig. 654 ); hind tarsal claws rather slender, hardly curved and only brownish setose (Fig. 666 ); head completely or largely orange or yellowish; palp dark brown basally; hind femur apico-dorsally dark brown or black; hind tibia pale yellowish but apically darkened; 4th and 5th tergites black; wing membrane nearly entirely infuscate.

Resembles A. grassator because of the robust antennal segments and dark wings, but A. ruficeps has frons, OOL, vertex, malar space, and third tergite less sculptured, apex of hind tibia and palpi dark brown, basal antennal segments of ♀ somewhat less robust, hypoclypeal depression wider, marginal cell of fore wing slenderer and vein r of fore wing shorter. Differs from the similar A. ruficornis by having hypoclypeal depression wider, clypeus wider and lower, apical antennal segments of ♀ slenderer, OOL less sculptured and more antennal segments (♀: 45-47 vs 35-39(-41) of A. ruficornis ).

Description.

Lectotype, ♀, length of fore wing 7.3 mm, of body 8.6 mm.

Head. Antennal segments of ♀ 45, length of antenna 1.1 × fore wing, its subapical segments moderately robust (Fig. 665 ); frons with few rugae, remainder smooth; OOL 2.0 × diameter of posterior ocellus, and moderately densely punctate; vertex spaced punctate and shiny; clypeus punctate; ventral margin of clypeus thick and distinctly protruding forwards (Fig. 663 ); width of hypoclypeal depression 0.5 × minimum width of face (Fig. 661 ); length of eye 1.1 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 662 ), temples subparallel-sized behind eyes; vertex behind stemmaticum punctate; clypeus distinctly below lower level of eyes; occipital carina widely reduced ventrally (Fig. 663 ); length of malar space 0.7 × length of eye in lateral view.

Mesosoma. Mesoscutal lobes punctate and interspaces smooth, shiny; precoxal area of mesopleuron coarsely vermiculate-rugose, near precoxal area mesopleuron distinctly punctate; scutellum rather flattened, sparsely punctate; propodeum coarsely vermiculate-rugose, medio-longitudinal carina incomplete, absent posteriorly and propodeum rounded laterally.

Wings. Fore wing: r 0.3 × 3-SR (Fig. 654 ); 1-CU1 horizontal, 0.3 × 2-CU1; r-m 0.6 × 3-SR; 2nd submarginal cell rather long (Fig. 654 ); cu-a slightly inclivous, straight; 1-M slightly curved posteriorly; 1-SR slender; surroundings of M+CU1, 1-M and 1-CU1 largely setose. Hind wing: marginal cell linearly widened, its apical width 2.5 × width at level of hamuli (Fig. 655 ); 2-SC+R longitudinal; m-cu pigmented only basally; M+CU:1-M = 7:5; 1r-m 0.7 × 1-M.

Legs. Tarsal claws rather slender, hardly curved and with six brownish bristles (Fig. 666 ); hind coxa rather weakly punctate; hind trochantellus robust; hind femur distinctly punctate; fore femur 3.3 × longer than wide; length of hind femur and basitarsus 3.2 and 5.2 × their width, respectively; length of inner hind spur 0.5 × hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. First tergite rather flattened, 0.9 × as long as wide apically; 1st and 2nd tergites with medio-longitudinal carina and regularly longitudinally rugose; medio-basal area of 2nd tergite triangular and short (Fig. 658 ); 2nd suture rather deep and finely crenulate; basal half of 3rd tergite finely striate, remainder of metasoma smooth; 4th and apical half of 3rd tergite without sharp lateral crease; ovipositor sheath wide, with medium-sized setae and apically truncate (Fig. 653 ).

Colour. Orange brown; antenna, palpi, apices of femora, telotarsi, bases of fore and middle coxae, pterostigma, and veins (but 1-SR much paler than 1-M) dark brown; mesosoma (except for mesoscutum and scutellum), ovipositor sheath, 3rd tergite (except basally) and subsequent tergites black or blackish; apex of hind tibia only narrowly dark brown; wing membrane nearly entirely infuscate.

Variation. Vein 1-CU1 of fore wing 0.3-0.5 × vein 2-CU1. Females may have the flagellum extensively pale basally, or entirely dark. Antennal segments: ♀ 45(1), 46(1), 47(1); ♂ 56(1), 58(1). Males appear to have ca ten more antennal segments than females. Male has apical tergites type 1, setae rather long and sparse, and fringe not observed.

Distribution.

*Armenia, Bulgaria, *Iran, Russia, *Turkey.

Figures

Figures 652, 653. Aleiodes ruficeps (Telenga), ♀, Turkey, Konya 652 habitus lateral 653 ovipositor sheath lateral.

Figures 654 - 666. Aleiodes ruficeps (Telenga), ♀, Turkey, Konya 654 fore wing 655 hind wing 656 mesosoma lateral 657 mesosoma dorsal 658 1 st - 3 rd metasomal tergites dorsal 659 fore femur lateral 660 hind femur lateral 661 head anterior 662 head dorsal 663 head lateral 664 base of antenna 665 apex of antenna 666 inner hind tarsal claw.