Eupelmus pulchriceps (Cameron)

Gibson, Gary A. P., 2016, Revision of the Neotropical genus Macreupelmus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eupelmidae), Zootaxa 4161 (1), pp. 81-115 : 112-113

Eupelmus pulchriceps (Cameron) n. comb.

Figs 116–119

Macreupelmus pulchriceps Cameron, 1905: 64 –65. Lectotype ♀ ( BMNH), here designated. Published type data: Nicaragua, collected by C.F. Baker.

Cerambycobius cushmani Crawford, 1908: 158 . Syntypes, female ( BMNH and USNM, examined). Published type data: USA, Texas, Victoria ; reared from Anthonomus grandis Boh. N. syn.

Cerambycobius townsendi Crawford, 1912: 166 −167. Holotype, female ( USNM, examined). Published type data: Peru: Department of Piura; reared from? Anthonomus vestitus . Synonymy with E. cushmani by Gahan , 1951: 172. N. syn.

Eupelmus cyaniceps amicus Girault, 1916: 244 . Syntypes, female ( USNM, examined). Published type data: USA, New Mexico, Las Cruces ; reared from Bruchus amicus Horn. Synonymy with E. cushmani by Gibson, 2011: 33. N. syn.

Type material. A single female in the BMNH type collection is labelled: Type [red-bordered circular label] / San Marcos | Nicaragua | Coll. Baker [printed] / 1439 [written] / Cameron Coll. | 1904—313 [printed] / Macreupelmus | pulchriceps Cam. | Type | Nicaragua / B.M. TYPE | HYM | 5.965 | NHMUK 0 10198544. There is also a single female in the USNM general collection labelled: San Marcos | Nicaragua | Coll. Baker [printed] / 1409 [written] / Macreupelmus | pulchriceps | Cameron [black-bordered rectangular label, handwritten].

The BMNH female is contorted ( Fig. 116 ); it lacks its gaster, both antennae beyond the scapes, the left set of wings, and all the legs except for the right profemur and (glued to the card) the protibia and tarsus ( Figs 116, 117 ). The USNM female is uncontorted, but is missing the following: head and antennae, both front legs, left fore and hind wings, right fore wing beyond basal part of costal and basal cells, and ovipositor sheaths.

Cameron (1905) did not state the number of females on which he based his species and only gave a single length measurement rather than a range in length. However, because of their similar labels I consider both the BMNH and USNM female as part of the type series of Macreupelmus pulchriceps . Although the BMNH female lacks its gaster it retains both scapes, which are yellowish-orange ( Figs 116–118 ) similar to the original description statement of rufo-testaceous. Because female scape color is an important feature for differentiating species of E. ( Eupelmus ) Dalman ( Gibson 2011; Gibson & Fusu 2016), I hereby designate the BMNH female as lectotype and the USNM female as paralectotype of Macreupelmus pulchriceps Cameron , and have labelled the specimens accordingly.

Remarks. I hereby transfer Macreupelmus pulchriceps Cameron to Eupelmus Dalman as E. (Eupelmus) pulchriceps (Cameron) n. comb. based on several features exhibited by one or both females, including: fore wing hyaline ( Fig. 116 ) and with a linea calva; mandibles at least indistinctly tridentate ( Figs 118, 119 ); propodeum with U-shaped plical region exposed behind dorsellum; mesobasitarsomere with pegs arranged into double row apically; and syntergum omega-like emarginate. Although neither female has remaining ovipositor sheaths, the original description states that these were strongly exserted with a dark-white-dark color pattern, which is another characteristic feature of most E. ( Eupelmus ) females. Using the key to females of E. ( Eupelmus ) in North America north of Mexico by Gibson (2011), the two E. pulchriceps females key to E. cushmani (Crawford) , partly because of scape color but also because of a comparatively sparsely setose prepectus ( Fig. 119 ) and propodeal callar region ( Fig. 116 ). The USNM female also has the middle legs entirely pale beyond the coxae except for the mesotibial and tarsal pegs. Crawford (1908) described E. cushmani from Texas, USA, but Gahan (1951) synonymized under it E. townsendi (Crawford) , which Crawford (1912) described from Peru . Gibson (2011) recorded E. cushmani from as far north as Ontario, Canada, south through the USA into Central and South America. Based on the features exhibited by the two E. pulchriceps females I consider them to be conspecific with E. cushmani . I therefore newly synonymize E. cushmani and its two junior synonyms, E. townsendi and E. cyaniceps amicus Girault , under E. pulchriceps , n. combs.

Figures

FIGURES 116 – 119. E. (Eupelmus) pulchriceps (Cameron) (lectotype). 116 & 117, head and mesosoma: 116, lateral; 117, dorsal. 118, face. 119, prepectus and lower face, frontolateral.