Lorenzopius van Achterberg & Salvo

Wharton, Robert, Ward, Lauren & Miko, Istvan, 2012, New neotropical species of Opiinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) reared from fruit-infesting and leaf-mining Tephritidae (Diptera) with comments on the Diachasmimorpha mexicana species group and the genera Lorenzopius and Tubiformopius, ZooKeys 243, pp. 27-82 : 59-61

Lorenzopius van Achterberg & Salvo

Lorenzopius van Achterberg & Salvo, 1997: 190-192. Type species: Lorenzopius calycomyzae van Achterberg & Salvo, 1997. Original designation.

Diagnosis.

Mandible distinctly narrowed from base to apex, without basal lobe ventrally. Labrum exposed. Clypeus relatively flat, not distinctly protruding in profile; ventral margin sharp, truncate to weakly concave. Malar sulcus a sharp, weakly curved groove. Occipital carina broadly absent dorsally, present laterally; widely separated from hypostomal carina ventrally. First flagellomere longer than second. Propleuron ventral-laterally without oblique carina; pronotum dorsally without pronope or otherwise enlarged pit, posterior margin transversely rugulose. Notauli deep, narrow, well developed anteriorly, usually extending onto disc posteriorly; midpit present. Precoxal sulcus distinctly impressed. Propodeum with large areola, posterior portion often obscured by rugose sculpture. Fore wing stigma long, narrow, parallel-sided, discrete posteriorly, r1 arising distinctly basad its midpoint but not from extreme base; m-cu entering base of second submarginal cell; second submarginal cell with 2RS shorter than 3RSb; 2CUb arising above middle of hind margin of first subdiscal cell. Dorsope and laterope of T1 absent; S1 at least 0.7 × length of T1 in females, slightly shorter in males, apparently fused to T1; T1 long and narrow throughout; T2 and following terga unsculptured. Ovipositor tapering evenly to a fine point, without dorsal nodes or ridges.

Remarks.

Lorenzopius and Tubiformopius are both characterized by having a tubular petiole with a long S1 which appears fused to T1 (Figs 6, 8). In the material available, S1 is longer in Lorenzopius than in Tubiformopius but there are more significant differences in the shape of the mandible, wing venation, and mesoscutal sculpture, as noted above in the section discussing genus group characters. Lorenzopius also shares many features with Eurytenes ( Stigmatopoea ), but the petiole is less tubular in the latter, with a distinctly shorter S1 that is clearly separated by membrane from T1 (Fig. 5).

The shape of the stigma has been proposed as a useful feature for assessing relationships among opiines ( Wharton 1988), and both Lorenzopius and Stigmatopoea have the stigma more or less parallel-sided or slightly expanded distally. Unfortunately, the stigma often curls as specimens dry after death, and this feature then not only becomes difficult to assess properly, but is often illustrated in the curled position giving a misleading impression of the true form. For example, the shape of the stigma is difficult to discern on the holotype of Lorenzopius calycomyzae (Fig. 62). However, the shape is more readily discernible in the holotype of Lorenzopius tubulatus (Fig. 68) and in several other specimens of Lorenzopius available for examination (from CNC and TAMU), and these clearly show a parallel-sided stigma.

We recognize two distinct species groups within Lorenzopius : the calycomyzae species group containing the orginially included species Lorenzopius calycomyzae , Lorenzopius tubulatus , and Lorenzopius sanlorenzensis and a second group typified by Lorenzopius euryteniformis (Fischer), new combination. All have same basic wing venation and petiole. The precoxal sulcus is distinctly sculptured in the calycomyzae species group (Fig. 69) but the distinctly impressed sulcus is unsculptured or nearly so in the euryteniformis species group (Fig. 66). The smallest specimens of the calycomyzae species group examined during this study are slightly larger than the largest available specimens of the euryteniformis species group and perhaps as a consequence they tend to have slightly longer notauli and more sculpture bordering the supra-marginal carina extending from the base of the notaulus to the tegula. Most of the species we have examined from the euryteniformis species group have reduced propodeal sculpture with the areola clearly visible (Figs 72, 73). In addition to holotypes of Lorenzopius tubulatus and Lorenzopius sanlorenzensis and the holotype and paratypes of Lorenzopius calycomyzae , we have seen two additional specimens from Argentina (TAMU), and one specimen each from Peru and Costa Rica (both CNC) representing the calycomyzae species group. RAW has examined 17 specimens representing the euryteniformis species group in addition to the holotype of Lorenzopius euryteniformis . The material examined includes specimens housed in TAMU and CNC collected in Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Mexico (as far north as Monterrey in Nuevo Leon).

Lengthy descriptions ( Fischer 1963, 1964, 1979, van Achterberg and Salvo 1997) and some redescriptions ( Fischer 1977) are available for the described species of Lorenzopius and van Achterberg and Salvo (1997) provide a useful key to the species of the calycomyzae species group. Species pages for Lorenzopius calycomyzae (Figs 6, 55, 58, 60-62), Lorenzopius tubulatus (Figs 3, 68, 69) and Lorenzopius euryteniformis (Figs 66, 67, 70-73) can be found at http://peet.tamu.edu/projects/8/public/site/wharton_lab/home. The described species are readily differentiated. T1 is exceptionally long and narrow in Lorenzopius tubulatus (at least 4 × longer than apical width) and this species has darker legs than the others, with most of the hind femur dark brown. T1 is about 3 × longer than apical width in the other two species of the calycomyzae species group and the hind femora are yellow. The presence of a pair of pits on T1 is thus far a unique feature of Lorenzopius calycomyzae within Lorenzopius and this species is also characterized by orange markings dorsally in the middle of the mesosoma. The metasoma is darker in Lorenzopius sanlorenzensis , with T2+3 dark brown in this species and largely yellow in the other two members of the calycomyzae species group. Lorenzopius euryteniformis lacks sculpture within the depression of the precoxal sulcus.

The type species of Lorenzopius was described from specimens reared from Calycomyza mikaniae Spencer, a leafminer in the family Agromyzidae . RAW has also seen specimens from Colombia of a species nearly identical to Lorenzopius euryteniformis that was also reared from an agromyzid leafminer. No other host records are known for this genus but given the general similarity of the habitus and the length and shape of the ovipositor, we predict that other species will also prove to be agromyzid leafminer parasitoids.