Aleiodes nigricornis Wesmael, 1838

van Achterberg, Cornelis & Shaw, Mark R., 2016, Revision of the western Palaearctic species of Aleiodes Wesmael (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Rogadinae). Part 1: Introduction, key to species groups, outlying distinctive species, and revisionary notes on some further species, ZooKeys 639, pp. 1-164 : 90-92

Aleiodes nigricornis Wesmael, 1838 Figs 243-244, 245-256

Aleiodes nigricornis Wesmael, 1838: 105 ; Shenefelt 1975: 1178; Papp 1991: 112, 1985: 160 (lectotype designation); Belokobylskij et al. 2003: 398.

Type material.

Lectotype, ♀ (KBIN) from Belgium examined.

Additional material.

*Austria, Belgium, British Isles (England: V.C.s 2, 3, 7, 11, 16, 17, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31, 34, 38, 57, 58, 59, 60, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 69; Wales: V.C.s 35, 44, 48, 52; Scotland: V.C.s 72, 75, 78, 79, 83, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 101, 102, 105, 107, 108, 111; Ireland: V.C.s H21, H28, H29, “Westport”), Czech Republic, *Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands (GE: Ede; Nunspeet; Heerde; Otterlo, Velp, LI: Grubbenvorst, NB: Geertruidenberg; Helvoirt; Bergen op Zoom; Etten-Leur, NH: Overveen; Muiderberg, ZH: Den Haag; Meijendel; Oegstgeest; Voorschoten; Asperen; Waarder), *Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland. Specimens in NMS, BMNH, RMNH, BZL, MTMA, NRS, SDEI, CC, FMNH, ZSSM, OUM, NMI, CMIM, Sheffield Museum, SMNS, ZISP, SYKE, ZMUO, USNM, CNC, UWIM, M. Riedel collection, JLC, MSC, AAC, WAE, I. Kakko collection, H. Haraldseide collection.

Molecular data.

MRS216 (Scotland EU979585, CO1 + AJ784934, 28S), MRS373 (Sweden KU682258, CO1), MRS790 (Scotland KU682254, CO1), MRS794 (England KU682255, CO1).

Biology.

A plurivoltine parasitoid of Noctuidae , using Apamea species in which to overwinter, and (possibly exclusively) Orthosia gothica (Linnaeus) in early summer. The mummy is moderately dark brown, rather elongate (Fig. 244) and often found in exposed positions. Specimens of the overwintering generation reared from noctuids identified as Apamea crenata (Hufnagel) (2 ZSSM, 1 NMS, 1 NRS; E. Haeselbarth, R.I. Lorimer), Apamea epomidion (Haworth) (2 ZSSM, 1 OUM; E. Haeselbarth), Apamea? monoglypha (Hufnagel) (1 NMS; M.R. Britton), Apamea? remissa ( Huebner) (1 H. Haraldseide/Norway) and? Apamea sp. (11, hosts unidentified or misidentified but with preserved mummies that are consistent with Apamea species (det. M.R. Shaw), having at least moderately large shining warts and a well-developed prothoracic plate: 7 (2 as Xestia xanthographa (Denis & Schiffermueller)) NMS, 4 (as Polia spp.) OUM, 1 (as Noctua fimbriata (Schreber)) RMNH , 1 AAC). Specimens of the summer generation reared from Orthosia gothica (3 NMS; R.I. Lorimer, M.R. Shaw), and unidentified noctuid mummies compatible with Orthosia gothica (8 NMS, 1 ZMUO, 1 ZSSM, 2 H. Haraldseide collection). Other specimens (both generations) with a host recorded ( Mythimna ferrago (Fabricius) in ZSSM, Epirrita autumnata (Borkhausen) in CC) have not been accompanied by mummies and we regard the records as dubious. Experimental results from female ex Apamea? monoglypha ; with 2nd instar hosts: Orthosia gothica 1:9\9\\6\3, Orthosia cerasi (Fabricius) 1:10\ 0\\-, Orthosia incerta (Hufnagel) 1:4\0\\-; with 3rd instar hosts Orthosia gothica 1:8\8\\0\8. The single female trialed with hosts undertook considerable non-destructive concurrent host feeding on Orthosia gothica . Adult flight time approximately May to August, with females persisting until October.

Diagnosis.

Antennal segments of female 44-49, of male 43-47; antenna dark brown or black (also scapus and pedicellus more or less infuscate or black ventrally), rarely completely yellowish brown; temples directly narrowed behind eyes; OOL about equal to diameter of posterior ocellus (Fig. 252); pale yellowish part of malar space usually not reaching clypeus (Figs 251, 253); precoxal area usually without rugae; mesosternum usually reddish or brownish; propodeum largely coriaceous medially and median carina at least anteriorly present on posterior half of propodeum and regular; mesosoma (especially mesoscutum and scutellum) black (or blackish) dorsally, but notaulic area may be brownish posteriorly; fore femur of ♀ 6.7-7.4 × as long as wide (Fig. 250) and very finely sculptured; posterior half of pterostigma of ♀ more or less yellowish, but usually apical third laterally darkened; hind femur of ♀ rather reddish-brown, but may be largely infuscate in males; vein 1-CU1 of fore wing horizontal and vein cu-a short, far postfurcal (Fig. 245); metasoma largely blackish with (pale) yellowish elliptical patch medially (Fig. 248).

Description.

Redescribed ♀ (RMNH) from Helvoirt, length of fore wing 5.6 mm, of body 6.2 mm.

Head. Antennal segments 46, length of antenna 1.2 × fore wing, its subapical segments about twice as long as wide; frons mainly granulate, posteriorly with some rugulae, rather shiny and mainly flat; OOL 0.8 × diameter of posterior ocellus and granulate-coriaceous; vertex superficially granulate-coriaceous, with satin sheen; clypeus convex, coriaceous; ventral margin of clypeus thick and depressed (Fig. 253); width of hypoclypeal depression 0.4 × minimum width of face (Fig. 251) and face coriaceous and transversely rugose, except ventrally; length of eye 2.2 × temple in dorsal view and temple directly narrowed behind eye; occiput behind stemmaticum coriaceous and occipital carina nearly complete, interrupted dorsally by somewhat less than width of ocellus (Fig. 252); clypeus above lower level of eyes (Fig. 251); length of malar space 0.25 × height of eye in lateral view; eyes moderately protruding (Figs 251-253).

Mesosoma. Mesoscutal lobes finely granulate and with satin sheen; notauli narrow, moderately deep and smooth; prepectal carina lamelliform medio-ventrally, reaching anterior border; precoxal area of mesopleuron finely granulate and with some rugulae medially (Fig. 246); mesopleuron above precoxal area (except small and nearly smooth speculum) granulate, but dorsally rugose; medially metapleuron granulate and with satin sheen; mesosternal sulcus narrow and rather deep, without carina posteriorly; mesosternum rather angulate posteriorly (Fig. 246); scutellum nearly flat, granulate and largely non-carinate laterally; propodeum rather flat and granulate but posteriorly with some rugae, median carina complete and regular, evenly convex laterally.

Wings. Fore wing: r 0.3 × 3-SR (Fig. 245); 1-CU1 horizontal, 0.5 × as long as 2-CU1; r-m 0.8 × 2-SR, and 0.4 × 3-SR; second submarginal cell rather long (Fig. 245); cu-a slightly oblique, not parallel with CU1b, straight; 1-M straight posteriorly. Hind wing: apical half of marginal cell slightly widened (Fig. 243); 2-SC+R short and longitudinal; m-cu absent, except for a faint trace; M+CU:1-M = 6:5; 1r-m 0.65 × 1-M.

Legs. Tarsal claws setose; hind coxa superficially coriaceous, with satin sheen; hind trochantellus 2.3 × longer than wide; length of fore and hind femora 6.2 and 5.0 × their width, respectively (Figs 249-250); hind femur granulate-coriaceous; inner apex of hind tibia without comb; length of inner hind spur 0.3 × hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. First tergite 1.2 × as long as wide posteriorly, flattened and latero-posteriorly lamelliform; first–second tergites and base of third tergite coriaceous and finely irregularly longitudinally rugose; second tergite rather robust (Fig. 248), with median carina and rather shiny; medio-basal area of second tergite obsolescent; second suture narrow and distinctly crenulate; remainder of metasoma largely superficially coriaceous and shiny; fourth and apical third of third tergite without sharp lateral crease; ovipositor sheath largely densely setose and apically truncate.

Colour. Black or brownish-black; antenna dark brown; palpi, tegulae, tibiae (except apically), medio-apical fifth of first tergite and medially second tergite pale yellowish (Fig. 248); malar space nearly up to eyes, orbita dorsally and posteriorly, mesopleuron (except dorsally), mesosternum, metapleuron largely, mandible and remainder of legs, more or less reddish brown; veins (but of middle third of wing mainly dark brown) and pterostigma (but posterior border somewhat darkened) yellowish brown; wing membrane subhyaline.

Variation. Antennal segments of ♀ 42(2), 43(4), 44(10), 45(44), 46(73), 47(59), 48(12), 49(5); of ♂ 42(3), 43(24), 44(20), 45(30), 46(15), 47(9), 48(1); mesosternum reddish brown or partly fuzzy dark brown; precoxal area of mesopleuron medially entirely granulate or rarely with some weak rugulae; scapus entirely dark brown or partly brown.

Notes.

The lectotype has 46 antennal segments. On average males have 1-2 fewer antennal segments than females.