Phanerotoma leucobasis Kriechbaumer, 1894

Achterberg, Cornelis van, 2021, The tribe Phanerotomini (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Cheloninae) of the Arabian Peninsula, with special reference to the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, ZooKeys 1014, pp. 1-118 : 1

Phanerotoma leucobasis Kriechbaumer, 1894 Figs 194-198 , 199-208

Phanerotoma leucobasis Kriechbaumer, 1894: 62; Shenefelt 1973: 919; van Achterberg and Polaszek 1996: 55-56.

Phanerotoma ornatulopsis De Saeger, 1948: 164, 186-188; Shenefelt 1973: 921; van Achterberg and Polaszek 1996: 55 [examined].

Phanerotoma ornatulopsis race tshegera De Saeger, 1948: 164, 188-190; Shenefelt 1973: 921. Invalid name.

Phanerotoma caboverdensis Hedqvist, 1965: 9; Zettel 1992: 293 (as synonym of P. flavitestacea Fischer). Syn. nov.

Type material.

The holotype of P. leucobasis from Nigeria is lost; but a ♀ from the neighbour country Benin (RMNH) agrees with the original description and belongs to the rather pigmented form with distinct subbasal dark brown patch of hind tibia as in P. caboverdensis . The holotypes of P. ornatulopsis and P. caboverdensis have been examined.

Additional material.

From Saudi Arabia (Jizan, ex leaftying Pyralid on Tamarix ; Hail, ex Pyralid on Euphorbia retusa ; Al Kharj, from grapes infested by Cadra figulilella Gr.; Hakimah; Wadi Uqdah; 16 km W Badr Hunayn; Wadi Daykah, 600 m), Yemen ( Ta’izz; Mayfa’ah; Al Lahima; Al Kowd; Al Kadan; Jafa (ex Prophantis sp.); near Madinat ash Shirq (ex Prophantis smaragdina (Butler, 1875) in coffee beans); Seyun; Sana’a; Hamman’Ali) and United Arab Emirates (Fujairah; NARC near Sweihan; al-Ajban; Sharjah Desert Park; Wadi Bih dam; Sharjah x Khor Kalba; Hatta; Wadi Safad; Wadi Majdaq).

Diagnosis.

Area above eye of ♀ in lateral view 0.38-0.45 × height of eye; ocelli medium-sized (Fig. 204 ); OOL 2.8-3.0 × diameter of posterior ocellus; POL of ♀ 0.6-0.9 × diameter of posterior ocellus; posterior ocelli distinctly larger than anterior ocellus (Fig. 204 ); length of eye in dorsal view of ♀ 1.6-1.9 × temple (Fig. 204 ); anterior half of vein 1-M of fore wing dark brown, slightly paler than vein 1-CU1; subapical antennal segments of ♀ non-moniliform, somewhat longer than wide; antenna of ♀ moderately and gradually narrowed apically; head distinctly emarginate posteriorly in dorsal view; scapus, temple dorsally and frons medially sometimes brownish; length of ivory part of hind tibia usually medium-sized, in dorsal view ca. 0.45 × as long as tibia and tibia wide medially; dorsal border of third tergite in lateral view rather flat to rather convex; hind femur slightly less widened compared to P. ocularis (Fig. 203 ); hind tibia tricoloured in lateral view, but in Cabo Verdean specimens more or less bicoloured; dorsal border of third tergite in lateral view distinctly convex (Fig. 202 ); third metasomal tergite 1.6-1.7 × second tergite; malar space medium-sized; third tergite of ♀ slightly concave medio-posteriorly and tergite in dorsal view semi-circular, 0.7 × as long as its basal width (Fig. 201 ).

Specimens from Cabo Verde (including holotype of P. caboverdensis Hedqvist, 1965) and Somalia have hind tibia usually with long ivory part (0.4 × length of tibia) in dorsal view; scapus yellowish and just surpassing level of posterior ocellus, head in dorsal view 1.9-2.4 × its median length, marginal cell ca. 2.8 × as long as high, parastigma partly yellowish, length of body of ♀ 3.7-4.8 mm and vein 1-R1 of fore wing 4.5-5.0 × distance from it to wing apex, but specimens from in Somalia (♀) have vein 1-R1 of fore wing ca. 3.5 × distance from it to wing apex. The holotype of P. leucobasis from Nigeria is lost, according to the original description it belonged to the rather pigmented form with distinct subbasal dark brown patch of hind tibia as seen in the holotype of P. caboverdensis and in P. ornatulopsis (including “race” Phanerotoma tshegera ) De Saeger, 1948, from Congo and therefore, are considered synonyms. Specimens from Congo have the metasoma 1.8-1.9 × longer than wide, combined length of first and second tergites 1.2-1.3 × as long as third tergite, middle tarsus sometimes slender and ivory part of hind tibia rather short (0.3 × length tibia).

Distribution.

*Saudi Arabia, * United Arab Emirates, *Yemen, Afrotropical region.

Biology.

Parasitoid of Prophantis smaragdina (Butler) ( Crambidae ) in coffee beans (new record), Paramyelois transitella (Walker), Ectomyelois ceratoniae (Zeller), (in laboratory) Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) and Cadra calidella ( Guinée) ( Pyralidae ) and Platyedra gossypiella (Saunders) ( Gelechiidae ). The flange at the third tergite apically may be narrow to rather wide and straight or somewhat emarginate, as shown by the reared series. The shape of the third tergite (especially of males) is rather variable, from rather convex and truncate to distinctly flattened in lateral view.

Notes.

Phanerotoma leucobasis Kriechbaumer was synonymized with P. ocularis by van Achterberg and Polaszek (1996), but after examination of more West African and Arabian specimens it was possible to separate this often more pigmented taxon as a separate species because of the smaller eyes and ocelli in combination with a slenderer female antenna.

Figures

Figures 194 - 198. Phanerotoma leucobasis Kriechbaumer. ♀ (but 195 ♂), Yemen 194 habitus lateral 195 middle tibia lateral 196 hind leg lateral 197 apical half of antenna lateral 198 middle tibia lateral.

Figures 199 - 208. Phanerotoma leucobasis Kriechbaumer, ♀, Yemen 199 wings 200 mesosoma dorsal 201 first-third metasomal tergites dorsal 202 metasoma lateral 203 hind leg lateral 204 head dorsal 205 head anterior 206 head lateral 207 antenna lateral 208 apical half of antenna lateral.