Gasteruption opacum (Tournier, 1877)

Bogusch, Petr, 2021, The genus Gasteruption Latreille, 1796 (Hymenoptera: Gasteruptiidae) in the Czech Republic and Slovakia: distribution, checklist, ecology, and conservation status, Zootaxa 4935 (1), pp. 1-63 : 44-45

Gasteruption opacum (Tournier, 1877)

Figs. 179–187 .

For synonymy see van Achterberg & Talebi (2014).

Diagnosis: A smaller species, body length of both sexes is 9–13 mm. Ovipositor sheath 8.5–11.5 mm long, 4.9–7.4× as long as third tibia, with whitish apex 1.7–2.2× as long as third basitarsus. Head elongated with a well-developed semitransparent occipital carina. Propleuron elongated, similarly as long as the distance between tegulae. Mesonotum matte and finely rugose with sparse large punctures a coarse sculpture posteriorly. Third basitarsus dark brown or black.

Distribution: ( Fig. 187 ): Euro-Mediterranean species occurring in most of Europe, while actually the finds are from south and central Europe. Recorded from the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France + Corsica, Germany, Greece + Carpathos and Crete, Hungary, Italy + Sardinia and Sicily, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine ( Ferrière 1946; Šedivý 1958; Oehlke 1984; Madl 1988; 1989; Pagliano & Scaramozzino 2000; Wiśniowski 2004, 2020; Strumia & Pagliano 2014; van Achterberg & Talebi 2014; Žikić et al. 2014; van Achterberg 2019; Madl & Mitroiu 2019, Özbek 2020, and personal records). Recorded in Asia from Iran and Syria, in North Africa from Tunisia ( van Achterberg & Talebi 2014 and personal records).

Šedivý (1958; 1989) recorded this species both from the Czech Republic ( Bohemia and Moravia) and from Slovakia. From the Czech Republic it is known only from south-east parts of Moravia, and only from two old records (Brno-Řečkovice in 1950 and Pálava PLA in 1972). A record from Prague published by Schletterer (1889) and then by Šedivý (1958) is trustworthy but the specimen probably does not exist and thus there is no proof on the occurrence of this species from Bohemia. In Slovakia, it was recorded from 10 localities in the past and from seven in recent times ( Tab. 2). All localities are in the southernmost parts of the country from steppic regions and areas with xerothermic sandy sites.

Biology: Recorded from May to August. Trypoxylon figulus (Crabronidae) is the only published host record ( Magretti 1882) but further authors did not consider this record to be trustworthy ( Ferrière 1946; Šedivý 1958; Gyorfi & Bajari 1962; Oehlke 1984). Bees of the genus Hylaeus (Colletidae) or smaller Megachilidae can be likely hosts of this species. Adults visit flowers of Apiaceae .

Conservation: Rare species with northern distribution border in central Europe, recently occurring only in highly xerothermic sites. In the Czech Republic it is extinct, in Slovakia it was recorded in the warmest parts of the country both in the past and recent times. Red List Categories: RE—regionally extinct in the Czech Republic, VU—vulnerable in Slovakia ( Tab. 2).

Figures

FIGURE 187. Distribution map of Gasteruption opacum in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Full circles represent distribution after 1990 and empty circles distribution until 1990.

FIGURES 179–186. Gasteruption opacum (Tournier, 1877). 179—female, lateral habitus, 180—male, lateral habitus, 181—female, lateral head, 182—female, frontal head, 183—female, dorsal head, 184—female, lateral mesosoma, 185—female, dorsal mesosoma, 186—female, third leg. Scale bars represent 1 mm.