Aleiodes pulchripes Wesmael, 1838

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 pulchripes Wesmael, 1838 Figs 604-607 , 608-621 , 622-626

Aleiodes pulchripes Wesmael. 1838: 102; Čapek and Lukás 1989: 31; Papp 1991a: 73, 2005: 177; Fortier and Shaw 1999: 224; O’Connor et al. 1999: 92; Belokobylskij et al. 2003: 398 [examined].

Rogas pulchripes ; Shenefelt 1975: 1245.

Rogas (Rogas) pulchripes ; Tobias 1976: 83, 1986: 78 (transl.: 128).

Aleiodes (Neorhogas) pulchripes ; Papp 1985a: 149, 153, 161, 1991a: 73.

Aleiodes pulchricornis Kolubajiv, 1962: 27; Shenefelt 1975: 1245 (invalid emendation; not A. pulchricornis ( Szépligeti, 1902)); Papp 2005: 177 (as synonym of A. pulchripes ).

Type material.

Holotype of A. pulchripes , ♂ (KBIN), " A. pulchripes ♂ mihi", " A. pulchripes mihi, dét. C. Wesmael", "Coll. Wesmael", " Belgique, Charleroi/ teste Papp J., 1983", “Holotypus”, " Aleiodes pulchripes Wesm., 1838, ♂, Papp, 1983".

Additional material.

Austria, British Isles (England: V.C. 59; Isle of Man: V.C. 71: Ireland: V.C. H21), Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands (GE: Vierhouten; ZH: Leiden; NH: Amsterdam; Sloten), Russia, Sweden. Specimens in ZJUH, CNC, IKC, KBIN, MSC, MTMA, NMS, NRS, RMNH, USNM, UWIM, ZISP, ZSSM.

Molecular data.

MRS847 (Sweden), MRS873 (Sweden).

Biology.

Collected in (June)July and August. Univoltine, overwintering in an exposed mummy. Reared from the following arboreal acronictine Noctuidae : Acronicta aceris (Linnaeus) (2 [CNC, MSC], Austria, Germany; J. Schwarz), Acronicta psi (Linnaeus) (22 [1 NRS, 2 ZISP]; M.R. Shaw), Acronicta leporina (Linnaeus) (1 [IKC], Finland; M.J. Pellinen), Acronicta tridens (Dennis & Schiffermüller) (4:2; M.R. Shaw), Acronicta psi or tridens (2), indet. Acronictinae (1). A quantitative account of rearing this species at its only known English site, comprising old hedges rich in Sorbus aucuparia bordering a largely reclaimed peat bog, is given by Shaw (1979). Experimental rearings were unfortunately limited to unobserved exposures of multiple hosts in closed boxes; extremely hot weather marred the results, but from one box containing 15 of each of Subacronicta megacephala (Dennis & Schiffermüller) and A. tridens , the surviving 13 S. megacephala were dissected after three days of exposure and contained no hosts, while at least eight of the A. tridens contained parasitoids (two found by dissection + six mummies formed; of the other seven, one contained no parasitoid on dissection + six resulted in moths). This suggests that S. megacephala is outside the host range. Similar but less well quantified experiments also excluded the low-feeding Acronicta rumicis (Linnaeus) and the arboreal lymantriine Erebidae Euproctis similis (Fuessly). It is worth adding that the rather frequent citation of lymantriine hosts in the literature can undoubtedly be explained by misidentification of the setose and rather colourful larvae of most species of arboreal acronictine noctuids. The mummy is dark grey in colour, leaving only little evidence of the patches of bright colour that had been a feature of the host larva. It forms in the caudal part of the host, the anterior segments of which strongly contract towards the extensive point of attachment, and the cocoon occupies approx. 4th-7th abdominal segments. As mummification approaches, the host aligns itself on a narrow aerial twig to which the mummy becomes ventrally adpressed, thus leaving a weakly arched dorsal profile bearing a strong resemblance to an overwintering lateral bud (e.g., of Sorbus aucuparia : Fig. 605 ).

Diagnosis.

Maximum width of hypoclypeal depression 0.3-0.4 × minimum width of face (Fig. 616 ); OOL distinctly less than diameter of posterior ocellus, largely smooth but micro-sculptured near eyes; ventral margin of clypeus thick and not protruding in lateral view (Fig. 618 ); mesoscutal lobes coriaceous; mesopleuron (including precoxal sulcus area) nearly or completely smooth; propodeum with pair of crest-like protuberances laterally; vein 1-CU1 of fore wing much shorter than vein 2-CU1; basal half of marginal cell of hind wing parallel-sided (Fig. 609 ); tarsal claws with large dark brown pecten up to apical tooth of claw (Fig. 621 ); hind spurs dark brown; hind tibial spurs of ♂ obtuse apically (Fig. 624 ); head black; pterostigma pale yellowish or light brown; mesopleuron, mesosternum and scutellum brownish yellow; apex of hind femur yellowish or reddish; basal half of hind tibia pale yellowish.

Description.

Redescribed ♀ (RMNH) from England (Chat Moss). Length of fore wing 5.3 mm, of body 6.5 mm.

Head. Antennal segments of ♀ 56, length of antenna 1.3 × fore wing, its subapical segments slender (Fig. 620 ); frons largely smooth; OOL 0.3 × diameter of posterior ocellus, and smooth near ocelli, but micro-sculptured near eye, shiny; vertex largely smooth, with few punctures, shiny; face crest-like protruding medio-dorsally; clypeus densely punctate; ventral margin of clypeus thick and not protruding forwards (Fig. 618 ); width of hypoclypeal depression 0.35 × minimum width of face (Fig. 616 ); length of eye 5.6 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 617 ); vertex behind stemmaticum mainly smooth but partly rugulose; clypeus above lower level of eyes; length of malar space 0.15 × length of eye in lateral view.

Mesosoma. Mesoscutal lobes coriaceous, rather shiny; precoxal area of mesopleuron smooth as most of mesopleuron; metanotum with medio-longitudinal carina anteriorly; scutellum finely punctate, interspaces smooth, but posteriorly coriaceous; propodeum rather flat medially and rather remote rugose, medio-longitudinal carina nearly complete, and with slightly protruding carinae laterally.

Wings. Fore wing: r 0.4 × 3-SR (Fig. 608 ); 1-CU1 slightly oblique, 0.4 × 2-CU1; r-m 0.6 × 3-SR; 2nd submarginal cell rather robust (Fig. 608 ); cu-a inclivous, straight; 1-M nearly straight posteriorly; 1-SR wide; surroundings of M+CU1, 1-M and 1-CU1 sparsely setose. Hind wing: basal half of marginal cell parallel-sided, apical half linearly widened, its apical width twice width at level of hamuli (Fig. 609 ); 2-SC+R subquadrate; m-cu absent; M+CU:1-M = 31:26; 1r-m 0.7 × 1-M and 1-M oblique.

Legs. Tarsal claws with conspicuous and robust dark brown pecten up to apical tooth of claw (Fig. 621 ); hind coxa dorsally largely smooth and remainder remotely punctate; hind trochantellus robust; length of hind femur and basitarsus 4.3 and 5.0 × their width, respectively; length of inner hind spur 0.45 × hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. First tergite evenly convex medially, 0.9 × longer than wide apically, wider than base of 2nd tergite; 1st and 2nd tergites with medio-longitudinal carina and coarsely irregularly sublongitudinally rugose; medio-basal area of 2nd tergite triangular and rather large (Fig. 612 ); 2nd suture deep and coarsely crenulate; basal half of 3rd tergite rugulose, remainder of metasoma largely smooth; 4th and apical half of 3rd tergite without sharp lateral crease; ovipositor sheath wide, with long setae and apically truncate (Fig. 606 ).

Colour. Blackish or dark brown; telotarsi, apical 0.4 of hind tibia, hind tibial spurs and hind tarsus dark brown; remainder of hind tibia and palpi yellowish; remainder of legs, pterostigma and tegulae pale brownish yellow; veins brown; mesoscutum medio-dorsally, scutellum, metanotum, mesopleuron (except partly antero-dorsally), mesosternum and metapleuron orange yellow; wing membrane subhyaline.

Variation. Scutellum largely finely punctate, coriaceous medio-posteriorly, but may be striate. Specimens from Sweden are appreciably darker than those from Britain. Vein m-cu of hind wing absent or faintly indicated. Antennal segments: ♀ 51(1), 52(2), 53(2), 54(3), 55(4), 56(6), 57(7), 58(7), 59(2), 60(1), 62(1); ♂ 49(1), 51(1), 53(2), 54(9), 55(6), 56(6), 57(2). Females have on average ca three more antennal segments than males. Males have obtuse hind tibial spurs and the tarsal pecten less developed than in females, propleuron and pronotum yellowish or blackish posteriorly; posterior half of mesoscutum largely yellowish or blackish; apical tergites type 2, somewhat sparse setose, glabrous stripe broad but with some setae directed into it and fringe rather weak (Figs 625 , 626 ).

Distribution.

*Austria, British Isles (England, Isle of Man, Ireland), Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, *Netherlands, Russia, Sweden.

Figures

Figures 604 - 607. Aleiodes pulchripes Wesmael, ♀, England, Chat Moss 604 habitus lateral 605 mummy of Acronicta psi (Linnaeus) in winter 606 ovipositor sheath lateral, 607 mummy of Acronicta psi (Linnaeus) after emergence of parasitoid.

Figures 608 - 621. Aleiodes pulchripes Wesmael, ♀, England, Chat Moss 608 fore wing 609 hind wing 610 mesosoma lateral 611 mesosoma dorsal 612 1 st- 3 rd metasomal tergites dorsal 613 fore femur lateral 614 hind femur lateral 615 hind tarsus lateral 616 head anterior 617 head dorsal 618 head lateral 619 base of antenna 620 apex of antenna 621 outer hind tarsal claw.

Figures 622 - 626. Aleiodes pulchripes Wesmael, ♂, England (ex Acronicta culture) 622 habitus lateral 623 outer hind claw lateral 624 hind tibial spurs and basitarsus lateral 625 metasoma dorsal 626 4 th- 7 th metasomal tergites lateral.