Opius gabriellae Wharton

Wharton, Robert & Norrbom, Allen L., 2013, New species and host records of New World, mostly Neotropical, opiine Braconidae (Hymenoptera) reared from flower-infesting, stem-galling, and stem-mining Tephritidae (Diptera), ZooKeys 349, pp. 11-72 : 38-40

Opius gabriellae Wharton sp. n. Figs 22, 51-54

Type locality.

Mexico, Mexico, 6 km West Lago de Zempoala.

Type material.

Holotype. Female (UNAM), first label, first line: MEXICO: Edo. de second line: Mexico third line: Rt. 890, Km 9 area fourth line: 6km W Lago de Zempoala fifth line: 2 –x– 1991 A. Norrbom Second label, first line: reared ex capitulum second line: Senecio iodanthus third line: Greenm. 91(M)33 fourth line: Probably ex. puparium fifth line: Paroxyna ( Tephitidae ).

Paratypes: 1 male, 1 female, same data as holotype (TAMU, USNM).

Other specimen examined

(not paratype): 1 female, Mexico: Morelos, Rt. 142, Km 48-50, 5 km N El Vigia, 28. ix– 1.x.1991, A. L. Norrbom, reared ex. capitulum Montanoa frutescens Mairet ex. DC (91M5B) (USNM).

Description.

Eyes in dorsal view not or only slightly bulging beyond temples, temples not receding. Clypeus 1.55-1.65 × wider than high, faintly punctate throughout, nearly smooth; completely concealing labrum when mandible closed, ventral margin of clypeus evenly convex, slightly overlapping dorsal margin of mandible when mandible closed. Antenna with 31-33 flagellomeres. Malar sulcus shallow, weak to indistinct, especially ventrally. Mesosoma 1.3 (male) and 1.2 (female) × longer than high. Pronotum laterally with vertical groove usually weakly crenulate dorsally, distinctly crenulate ventrally, varying from smooth to weakly wrinkled medially, not only faintly and incompletely margined anteriorly by carina. Propodeum unsculptured, with a few weak carinulae along posterior margin, especially medially. Fore wing 3RSa/2RS ratio highly variable, 1.6 (male) and 1.75-1.9 (female) × longer than sinuate 2RS; (RS+M)a varying from weakly sinuate to nearly straight. T1 2.3-2.4 (female) × wider at apex than at base, 1.1 (male) and 0.85-1.0 (female) × as long as apical width; smooth, unsculptured basally, densely and distinctly striate to strigose over apical 0.75 in female, sculpture weaker and less extensive in male; dorsal carina distinct basally, extending to apex but weaker and largely obscured by sculpture posteriorly. Ovipositor (total length) approximately 3.2-3.4 × longer than mesosoma; ovipositor sheath approximately 2.5-2.6 × longer than mesosoma. Head color as in Opius danielsae . Mesosoma nearly identical in color to Opius danielsae except with two orange spots on either side of metascutellum, an orange spot immediately dorsad midcoxa, and the subalar ridge entirely orange. T1 black; remaining terga mostly brown in male; female with most of T2+3 dark brown, T2 with anterior-lateral corner containing spiracle yellow, T3 with narrow yellow band along posterior margin; T4-6 dark brown anteriorly, yellow posteriorly, with median hyaline patch along anterior margins and narrow hyaline margin posteriorly. Fore and mid tibiae and all femora pale yellow; hind tibia anteriorly mostly yellow tending to infumate dorsal-anteriorly, basal 0.2 dark brown, and apical 0.5-0.6 posteriorly brown. Body length 2.75 mm (male), 2.9-3.0 mm (female); wing length 3.4 mm (male), 3.7-3.9 mm (female); mesosoma length 1.05 mm (male), 1.1-1.15 mm (female). Otherwise having all the characteristics described above for the baderae species group.

Diagnosis.

This species is nearly identical to Opius danielsae , but is smaller and the metasomal color pattern differs, with distinctive transverse dark and white bands in Opius gabriellae .

Biology.

The fly host reared from Senecio iodanthus Greenm. is an apparently undescribed species of Campiglossa Rondani (a senior synonym of Paroxyna Hendel). The rate of parasitism by the opiine was 15%, but many chalcidoids were also reared from this sample of flower heads and at least some of them likely attacked the tephritid. One of the opiines was reared from a segregated puparium of Campiglossa , while the remaining two were reared from flower heads. The single non-paratype specimen from Montanoa frutescens Mairet ex DC was reared from an undescribed species of Neotephritis Hendel along with 17 flies of this tephritid species. Senecio iodanthus is a member of the Asteraceae as is Montanoa frutescens .

Etymology.

This species is named for Gabriella Vasquez, daughter of the senior author.

Remarks.

The single female reared from a capitulum of Montanoa frutescens appears identical to the material reared from Senecio iodanthus except for a slightly smaller brown spot medially on the upper face. We have explicitly excluded the wasp reared from Montanoa frutescens from the paratype series because the host fly and plant differ, and thus it was not used to prepare the formal description.

Ovipositor lengths are reasonable approximations since the base of the ovipositor is evident in both females, protruding against the sternites. The second submarginal cell of the male specimen is shorter and taller than in the females, but more specimens are needed to confirm this as evidence of sexual dimorphism. In Opius gabriellae , the male is smaller than the females but in Opius danielsae , the females are smaller.