Ormyrus cupreus Askew, 1998

Gomez, Jose F., Nieves, Maria Hernandez, Gayubo, Severiano F. & Nieves-Aldrey, Jose Luis, 2017, Terminal-instar larval systematics and biology of west European species of Ormyridae associated with insect galls (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea), ZooKeys 644, pp. 51-88 : 58

Ormyrus cupreus Askew, 1998

Material examined.

ex gall Eurytoma gallephedrae Askew on Ephedra nebrodensis , Spain, Madrid: Monte Pajares, 24.I.04, J. L. Nieves leg (n=1).

Description.

n = 1; Body length: 1.5 mm, width: 0.61 mm. Body fusiform, broader at the level of abdominal segments ABS2-ABS3 and tapering posteriorly towards ANS; ANS broader than long (Figs 3B, 5B) (Table 2); adp present from second thoracic to fifth abdominal segment, protruding conspicuously beyond the dorsal margin of body in lateral view, but only at the level of abdominal area (Fig. 5B); thoracic and abdominal segments with blister-like sculpture; thoracic setae relatively long, as long as the length of a thoracic segment. Head 1.1 broader than high (Fig. 7B); blister-like sculpture extended over the head; vertex concave in the middle; distance among vam as distance SA; am situated clearly above the antennae (Table 2). The lcs situated above cs; cs separated from lcs 2.5 as distance between cs (Fig. 9B). Lateral lobes of labrum almost fused with the medial lobe; posterior margin of medial piece of medial lobe straight. Maxilary palps indistinct. Mandibles unidentated with apex of tooth acute (Table 2).

Biology.

The larva of Ormyrus cupreus was described as a specific parasitoid of galls induced by Eurytoma gallephedrae Askew ( Chalcidoidea, Eurytomidae ) on Ephedra nebrodensis stems (Fig. 12E). Additionally, from this host, we also reared larvae and adults of Ormyrus cupreus from galls on subterranean runners of Ephedra nebrodensis (Fig. 12F), most likely induced by Eurytoma flaveola (Zerova 1796), which is a species recorded inducing galls on Ephedra roots in Asia ( Zerova 1995). Askew and Blasco-Zumeta (1998) performed detailed observations on the biology of this species and found Ormyrus cupreus is a primary, solitary idiobiont ectoparasitoid of the larva of Eurytoma gallephedrae , also attacking the adult Eurytoma at times or as a hyperparasitoid attacking larvae of the eupelmids Brasema and Eupelmus . These authors also reported cannibalistic behaviour. Because the remains of an adult Eurytoma were found jointly with a larva of Ormyrus cupreus , we confirmed the observations of Askew (Fig. 12G and H).