Conostigmus californicus ( Ashmead, 1893 )

Trietsch, Carolyn, Mikó, István, Ezray, Briana & Deans, Andrew R., 2020, A Taxonomic Revision of Nearctic Conostigmus (Hymenoptera: Ceraphronoidea: Megaspilidae), Zootaxa 4792 (1), pp. 1-155 : 32-33

Conostigmus californicus ( Ashmead, 1893)

Figs. 16 , 17

Species Comments and History. Ashmead (1893) described Megaspilus californicus from a single male specimen, relying mostly on characters related to color, microsculpture and antennal ratios. Kieffer transferred the species from Megaspilus to Conostigmus (1909) , then redescribed the species and keyed it out with other males from the Nearctic, again relying mainly on coloration, microsculpture and antennal characters (1914).

The male lectotype present at the USNM is in good condition, and bears the following characteristics: wings present and macropterous, postocellar furrow present, preoccipital furrow present, anterior end of the preoccipital furrow ending at the postocellar furrow, facial pit present, median process on the intertorular carina present and acute, rugose region on upper face present, and sternaulus present and elongate (exceeding 3/4 of mesopleuron length at the level of the sternaulus).

This species has a similar habitus to C. abdominalis or C. pulchellus , and it shares the elongate sternaulus, but it lacks the facial sulcus found in both of these species. While C. longiharpes also resembles this species and lacks the facial sulcus, C. longiharpes also lacks an elongate sternaulus and postocellar carina, both of which are present in C. californicus .

Though C. californicus does not appear to be the same as any other Nearctic Conostigmus species that we are aware of, male genitalia characters would help to confirm whether this is a different species or just an odd specimen. Unfortunately, we were unable to dissect out the male genitalia of the type specimen or locate any other specimens for dissection. We consider Conostigmus californicus as a species inquirenda.

Material Examined. Lectotype male: USA: California: USNMENT01339748 ( USNM).

Figures

FIGURE 16. Conostigmus californicus (Ashmead, 1893) male lectotype (USNMENT01339748), lateral habitus.

FIGURE 17. Conostigmus californicus (Ashmead, 1893) male lectotype (USNMENT01339748). A. Dorsal view. B. Dorsal view of the frons. C. Lateral view.