Bruesopria aberrans ( Brues, 1916 ), 2025

Chemyreva, Vasilisa G., Yoon, Seonwoo & Ku, Deok-Seo, 2025, Revision of the genus Lepidopria Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Diapriidae, Diapriinae) of the world fauna, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 98, pp. 1107-1126 : 1107-1126

Bruesopria aberrans ( Brues, 1916) comb. nov.

Fig. 1 C, D

Lepidopria aberrans Brues, 1916: 126.

Lepidopria aberrans : Masner and Muesebeck 1968: 10.

? Bruesopria aberrans : Masner and García 2002: 73.

Material examined.

Holotype, • female: USNM no. 20474 , Hagerstown , Md., [Washington, Maryland, USA] Aug. 15, 1913, ex puparium of? Cryptomeigenia theutis (Walker) in an adult of Phyllophaga inversa (Horn) ; stored in NMNH .

The female of B. aberrans can easily be distinguished from other described Bruesopria species by its 12 - merous antennae, whereas males of all known Bruesopria species have not been described or illustrated in detail ( Wing 1951). Some details about Bruesopria male morphology are known only from the diagnosis of this genus given by Masner and García (2002).

Biology.

Bruesopria aberrans was reared from the puparium of a tachinid fly (possibly Cryptomeigenia theutis (Walker, 1849 )) , which was found inside an adult June beetle, Phyllophaga inversa (Horn, 1887) . The association of this species with Solenopsis sp. was reported by Masner and García (2002), but without indication of the date or location of the observation.

Distribution.

Recorded only from the USA.

Remarks.

Masner and Muesebeck (1968) reported on the type of Lepidopria aberrans Brues and reported that this species was doubtfully placed in this genus. Later, Huggert and Masner (1983) additionally noted that it may belong to the Nearctic genus Bruesopria Wing. This species was not mentioned again until 2002, when Masner and García wrote about it as a member of the genus Bruesopria , despite that no new combination had been suggested or justified. However, re-examination of the type specimen of this species and some other available Bruesopria specimens, as well as all known Lepidopria species, led us to the same conclusion: Lepidopria aberrans Brues should be considered a member of the genus Bruesopria , as it shares all the characters typical for Bruesopria species, as outlined in the comparative diagnosis of this genus above.

Figures

Figure 1. Bruesopria americana (A), Lepidopria masneri (B), B. aberrans, comb. nov., female, slide of holotype (C, D) and Bruesopria sp. (E, F): A, B metasoma, ventral view C base of metasoma D habitus, dorsolateral view E, F female of Bruesopria sp. in the colony of thief ant Solenopsis molesta (Say), image Alex Wild, used by permission.