Bracon (Lucobracon) guttiger Wesmael, 1838

Figs 13 A-H, 15A-D

Braco guttiger Wesmael, 1838: 19 ♀♁ (type material: three ♀♀ + one ♁, ♁ specimen lost?, not seen), type locality: “environs de Bruxelles ” (Belgium), ♀ lectotype (and two ♀ paralectotypes, present designations) in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels; examined.

Bracon guttiger – Szépligeti 1901: 265 (in key, in Hungarian); 1904 (1901): 177 (in key, in German).

Bracon (Orthobracon) guttiger – Telenga 1936: 170 (♀), 177 (♁) (in key), 271 (redescription) (in Russian) and 373 (♀), 380 (♁) (in key, in German). — Shenefelt 1978: 1634 (literature up to 1974).

Bracon (Lucobracon) guttiger – Fahringer 1927: 252 (♀), 256 (♁) (in key) and 355 (redescription), assigned to “Section Lucobracon ”. — Tobias 1986: 145 and 2000: 159 (in keys, in Russian). — Tobias & Belokobylskij 2000: 159 (in key, in Russian).

Designation of the ♀ lectotype of Bracon guttiger

(First label with hardly legible handwriting)? “e.7. mai Icheut 2”; (second label, printed) “ Coll. Wesmael ”; (third label, printed) “2045”; (fourth label) “ Braco guttiger mihi ♁ ♀ ” (handwritten), “dét. C. Wesmael ” (printed); (fifth label printed red) “Type”; (sixth label attached by me) “ Belgique / Bruxelles / leg. Wesmael ”; seventh label is my lectotype card. Lectotype is in fairly good condition (compared to the two ♀ paralectotypes): (1) specimen micropinned; (2) both flagelli distally deficient; (3) left pair of wings missing; (4) left hind leg glued separately on the poliporus stage.

Designation of the two ♀ paralectotypes of Bracon guttiger

Labels identical to those of the lectotype except first label. The two paralectotypes are in poor condition, both are micropinned: 1 ♀ paralectotype: (1) left flagellum missing, right flagellum deficient and with ten flagellomeres, (2) left middle + hind legs (except coxae) and right hind tarsus missing; 1 ♀ paralectotype: (1) left flagellum deficient and with nine flagellomeres, (2) missing: right flagellum, left fore wing, right middle and left hind legs, metasoma.

Material examined

14 ♀♀ + 11 ♁♁ from ten countries): ENGLAND: 1 ♀ + 3 ♁♁ from three localities. DENMARK: 1 ♀. FINLAND: 1 ♀ + 1 ♁ from one locality. THE NETHERLANDS: 2 ♀♀ from one locality. GERMANY: 2 ♀♀ + 2 ♁♁ from four localities. BOHEMIA: 2 ♀♀ + 1 ♁ from three localities. HUNGARY: 3 ♀♀ + 3 ♁♁ from six localities. ITALY: 1 ♀. TURKEY: 1 ♁. ARMENIA: 1 ♀.

Redescription of the ♀ lectotype (Fig. 13 A-H)

LENGTH. Body length is 3 mm.

ANTENNAE. Deficient, right flagellum with 15 and left flagellum with 14 flagellomeres. First flagellomere 2.5 times, second flagellomere twice and 15th flagellomere 1.5 times as long as broad (Fig. 13A).

HEAD. In dorsal view less transverse (Fig. 13B), nearly 1.7 times as broad as long, eye a bit longer than temple, temple rounded, occiput less excavated. Oral opening large, its horizontal diameter 2.5 times longer than shortest distance between opening and compound eye (Fig. 13C). Head polished, face finely granulose (Fig. 13C).

MESOSOMA. In lateral view 1.4 times as long as high, polished. Notaulix faintly distinct. Propodeum above lunule with an anteriorly weakening striolae-substriolae, otherwise polished (Fig. 15A).

LEGS. Hind femur 3.8 times as long as broad slightly distally (Fig. 13D). Hind claw strongly downcurved, its basal lobe large (Fig. 13E).

WINGS. Forewing as long as body. Pterostigma (Fig. 13F) less wide, 3.3 times as long as wide, issuing r from its middle, r 0.8 times as long as width of pterostigma; second submarginal cell short, 3-SR and 2-SR equal in length, SR1 2.7 times length of 3-SR, straight and reaching tip of wing. First discal cell fairly high, 1-M 1.75 times length of m-cu, 1-SR-M bent and almost 1.3 times longer than 1-M (Fig. 13G). TERGITES. First tergite (Fig. 13H) broad, a bit broader behind than long, beyond pair of spiracles parallelsided, scutum rugo-striate, margin of scutum crenulate, rim of tergite rugose. Second tergite one-third longer than third tergite, suture between them bisinuate, deep and subcrenulated. Tergites 3-4 fused, i.e. border between them hardly distinct and 1.6 times longer than second tergite (Fig. 13H). Second tergite longitudinally rugo-rugulose, further tergites polished. Ovipositor sheath short, as long as hind tarsomeres 1-2 combined.

COLOUR. Head and tergites dark brown, mesosoma blackish. Scape brown with rusty tint, flagellum brown. Labrum (or oral opening) and clypeus yellow, palpi pale yellow. Orbit rusty. Tegula light brown. Tergites 2-4 rusty brown, second tergite latero-posteriorly with a pair of light yellow maculae. Legs yellow, hind coxa and hind femur (except apically) brown to brownish. Wings subhyaline, pterostigma and veins yellowish brown.

Redescription of the two ♀ paralectotypes (one ♀ missing metasoma) (Figs 13D; 15 B-D)

Similar to the ♀ lectotype. Body 3.1 mm long (1 ♀). Head in dorsal view 1.7-1.8 times as broad as long. Propodeum above lunule with a weak short keel, along it rugulose (Fig. 15C). Hind femur 3.3 times (Fig. 15D) and 3.8 times (Fig. 13D) as long as broad distally. Ptertostigma (Fig. 15B) wide, 2.7 times as long as wide, second submarginal cell less short, 3-SR one-sixth longer than than 2-SR (1 ♀). Head and mesosoma blackish, hind coxa also blackish.

Variable features of the ♀ (14 ♀♀) (Figs 1C; 5B; 7A; 9D; 11C; 44F; 48I)

Body 3-3.3 mm long. Antenna about as long as body and with 23-27 antennomeres (23: 1 ♀, 25: 6 ♀♀, 26: 4 ♀♀, 27: 1 ♀). Middle flagellomeres 1.6-1.7 times as long as broad (3 ♀♀). Head in dorsal view transverse, 1.7 (to 1.8) times as broad as long (3 ♀♀), temple somewhat receded (cf. Fig. 5B). Oral opening round, its horizontal diameter twice longer than shortest distance between opening and eye (cf. Fig. 1C). Propodeum on its upper part rugose (4 ♀♀, Fig. 7A). Pterostigma issuing r proximally from its middle, second submarginal cell fairly long: 3-SR slightly longer than 2-SR (cf. Fig. 44F). Pterostigma wide, 2.7 times longer than wide (cf. Fig. 9D); D1 less high, 1-M 1.4 times as long as m-cu (1 ♀, cf. Fig. 11C). First tergite less broad and somewhat broadening posteriorly (3 ♀♀, cf. Fig. 48I). Metasoma ochre yellow (2 ♀♀).

Variable features of the ³ (11 ³³) (Figs 1A; 38H; 49 D-E)

Body 2.8-3.1 mm long. Antenna somewhat longer than body and with 29-32 antennomeres. Middle flagellomeres 1.6-1.8 times as long as broad. Head in dorsal view 1.8 times as broad as long (2 ♁♁, cf. Fig. 1A). Propodeum, pterostigma, second submarginal cell and first discal cell with similar variabilities to those of the ♀♀. First tergite broadening (cf. Fig. 49 D-E) or narrow, 1.3 times longer than broad behind (1 ♁, cf. Fig. 38H).

Hosts

COL. Chrysomelidae: Gastroidea viridula DeGeer, Hydrothassa marginella Linnaeus, Phaedon cochleariae Fabricius, Phyllotreta nemorum Linnaeus. — LEP. Coleophoridae: Coleophora laricella Hübner, C. lutipennella Zeller.

Distribution

In Europe widely distributed.

Taxonomic position

Within the subgenus Lucobracon the species Bracon guttiger is nearest to B. grandiceps Thomson (Europe) considering their large oral opening and the less transverse to subcubic head; the two species are distinguished by the following key features:

1 (2) First tergite 1.25-1.3 times longer than broad behind; suture between tergites 2-3 less distinct; tergites 1-2 less sculptured (Fig. 14H). Second submarginal cell long, 3-SR 1.9 times as long as 2-SR, SR1 approaching tip of forewing (Fig. 14F). First discal cell less high, 1-SR-M 1.8 times as long as 1-M (Fig. 14G). Hind femur thick, 2.5 times as long as broad (Fig. 14D). Second tergite without yellow macula latero-posteriorly. ♀: 3-4 mm ................ B. (Lu.) grandiceps Thomson, 1894

2 (1) First tergite a bit broader behind than long;suture between tergites2-3distinct; tergites 1-2sculptured (Fig. 13H). Second submarginal cell short, 3-SR at most somewhat longer than 2-SR, SR1 reaching tip of forewing (Fig. 13F). First discal cell high, 1-SR-M 1.3 times as long as 1-M (Fig. 13G). Hind femur less thick, 3.3-3.5 times as long as broad (Fig. 13D). Second tergite with a pair of light yellow maculae latero-posteriorly. ♀: 3-3.1 mm .............................................. B. (Lu.) guttiger Wesmael, 1838

Bracon guttiger is near to B. sphaerocephalus Szépligeti viewing their subcubic head and dark coloured body; the two species are separated by the following features:

1 (2) First tergite a bit broader behind than long, suture between tergites 2-3 distinct, bisinuate, tergites 2-3 sculptured (Fig. 13H). Hind femur not thick, 3.3-3.8 times as long as broad (Fig. 13D). Hind claw downcurved (Fig. 13E). First discal cell high, 1-SR-M 1.3 times as long as 1-M (Fig. 13G). Oral opening large, its horizontal diameter 2.5 times shortest distance between opening and eye (Fig. 13C) or less large (Fig. 1C). Second tergite with a pair of light yellow maculae latero-posteriorly (Fig. 13H). ♀: 3-3.1 mm .................................................................... B. (Lu.) guttiger Wesmael, 1838

2 (1) First tergite somewhat longer than broad behind, suture between tergites 2-3 less distinct, faintly bent, tergites 1-2 less sculptured (Fig. 15E). Hind femur thick, 2.8-3 times as long as broad (Fig. 15F). Hind claw less downcurved (Fig. 15G). First discal cell less high, 1-SR-M 1.6 times as long as 1-M (Fig. 15H). Oral opening less large, its horizontal diameter 1.6 times shortest distance between opening and eye (Fig. 7I). Second tergite without a pair of yellow maculae (Fig. 15E). ♀: 3-4.5 mm ..................................................................... B. (Lu.) sphaerocephalus Szépligeti, 1901