2. Scambus albitibia (Morley, 1914)

(Fig. 46)

Epiurus albitibia Morley 1914: 87

[ holotype ♀ (BMNH), Mexico, Guerrero, Chilpancingo, 4600 ft. (= 1400 m); ♀ ♂, Mexico, Guerrero, 2800–8000 ft. (= 855–2440 m): Amula, Omiltemi, Venta de Zopilote, Xucumanatlán].

References. Townes & Townes 1960: 77 [ Scambus (Erythroscambus)]. Townes & Townes 1966: 10 [catalogue; Scambus (Erythroscambus); Mexico]. Cave 1992: 596 [Honduras; host, biology]. Ruíz-Cancino et al. 2002: 645 [checklist; Mexico]. Gauld et al. 2002: 33 [El Salvador].

Material examined. MEXICO, Tamaulipas: 1 ♀ (UAT) Hidalgo, Santa Engracia, Malaise trap, 19.xi.1994, coll. C.A. Covarrubias D. & S. Hernández A . 1 ♀ (UAT) SW of Jaumave, 23°24.08’N, 99°23.933’W, 400 m, 24.x.2008, coll. A.I. Khalaim. 1 ♀ (UAT) 17 km N of Palmillas, Ejido Magdaleno Aguilar, 23°26.995’N, 99°33.440’W, 1450 m, pine forest + juniper, Malaise trap, 30.viii–12.ix.2012, coll. S. Mireles C. & A.J. Rodriguez M . Nayarit: 1 ♀ (EMEC) Maria, 27.vii.1955, coll. B. Malkin. Jalisco: 46 ♀ (2 ♀ in AEIC, 2 ♀ in FSCA, 2 ♀ in TAMU, 2 ♀ in UNAM, 23 ♀ in ZISP) 10 km S of Tequila, Volcán de Tequila, 20°47.4’N, 103°51’W, 2750–2850 m, 7.ii.2009, coll. A.I. Khalaim. Querétaro: 1 ♀ (UNAM) Amealco, San Pedro Tenango, 20°08’12”N, 100°06’37”W, 2520 m, 24.x.2007, coll. H. Brailovsky & L. Cervantes. 1 ♀ (UAQ) Municipio Colón, Pinar del Zamorano, 29.iii.2004, coll. F. Espinosa. 4 ♀ (UAQ) Municipio Colón, 6 km NE of Los Trigos, Cerro El Zamorano Mt., 24.ii.1997, coll. M. Gálvez et al. Guanajuato: 1 ♀ (AEIC) San Miguel de Allende, 5.vii.1972, coll. B. & C. Dasch. Michoacán: 1 ♀ (AEIC) Tancítaro, 6586 ft. (= 2010 m), 17.vii.1940, coll. Hoo [illegibly] Knight, “ Homotype det. H.K. Townes” . Puebla: 1 ♀ (TAMU) 4.4 mi. SW of Acatepec, 9.vii.1981, coll. Bogar, Schaffner & Friedlander. Veracruz: 1 ♀ (AEIC) Orizaba, 14.xi.1972, coll. B. & C. Dasch. Morelos: 1 ♀ (AEIC) Tepoztlán, 20.viii.1956, coll. R. & K. Dreisbach, “ Homotype det. H.K. Townes” . 1 ♀ (CIUM) ESE of Cuautla, Amilcingo, 17.xi.1991, coll. J. Flores . 3 ♀ (2 ♀ in CIUM, 1 ♀ in UAT) Yautepec, Rancho Coatlán Grande, 26.ix.1991, coll. G. Peña. 1 ♂ (CIUM) Cuernavaca—Mexicapa, 2100 m, 24.[illegibly].1991, coll. G. Peña. 1 ♀ (TAMU) 4.4 mi. E of Cuernavaca, Malaise trap, 27–29.vii.1976, coll. Peigler et al. Chiapas: 1 ♀ (UAT) San Cristóbal, Reserva Cerro El Huitepec, 16°46’06”N, 92°41’04”W, 7900 ft. (= 2410 m), Malaise trap, 20.ix.1995, coll. O. Gómez & M. Girón. HONDURAS: 1 ♀, 1 ♂ (FSCA) Francisco Morazán, Cerro Uyuca, 2000 m, 3.xii.1989, coll. V. & S. Gupta .

Diagnosis. Head black. Scape and pedicel of antenna white, flagellum orange. Mesosoma reddish orange; propleuron blackish; pronotum with anterior lower part blackish, dorsoposteriorly whitish; mesepimeron whitish. Tegula white. Pterostigma pale brown. Fore and mid legs predominantly whitish (especially coxae, trochanters and trochantelli). Hind leg with coxa and femur orange (femur apically whitish); trochanter, trochantellus, tibia and tarsus whitish; tibia slightly infuscate apically. Metasoma reddish brown, darkened posteriorly. Malar space very short, about 0.1× as long as basal mandibular width. Submetapleural carina as a short tubercle anteriorly. Nervellus intercepted in lower 0.3–0.35. Tergites 1–5 distinctly transverse, strongly and densely punctate, with hind margins not reduced; tergite 6 with hind margin weakly reduced. Ovipositor weakly compressed, with nodus, with upper margin somewhat concave behind nodus; ventral teeth strongly oblique. Ovipositor sheath 0.6–0.8× as long as metasoma.

Scambus albitibia is similar to S. hirticauda (Provanvher) occurring in Canada and USA but differs from this species by the following features:

1. Ovipositor not especially thickened apically, its sheath 0.6–0.8× as long as metasoma. Mesosoma reddish orange, only propleuron and pronotum with blackish and white marks..................................... S. albitibia (Morley)

- Ovipositor apically spear-shaped, with raised nodus, its sheath 1.0–1.2× as long as metasoma. Mesosoma reddish orange with black markings on mesopleuron and propodeum. [Canada, USA (California, Arizona). Not recorded from Mexico.]...................................................................................... S. hirticauda (Provancher)

Variation. Female from Amilcingo in Morelos possesses hind tarsi with tarsomeres unusually short, probably abnormal.

Distribution. Mexico (Tamaulipas, Nayarit, Jalisco, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Puebla, Veracruz, Guerrero, Morelos, Chiapas), Honduras, El Salvador.

Biology. Reared from Mocis latipes (Guenée) ( Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Oryza sativa L. and Digitaria sp. (Poaceae) in Honduras (Cave 1992). The parasitoid attacks host larva, and 1 to 24 adult parasitoids emerge from each pupa. Several cases of multiparasitism of S. albitibia and Lespesia parviteres (Aldrich & Webber) (Tachinidae) were registered. Only one adult of L. parviteres and 2 to 10 adults of S. albitibia emerged from each host (Cave 1992).