Bracon (Lucobracon) roberti Wesmael, 1838

Fig. 44 A-L

Braco roberti Wesmael, 1838: 37 ♀ (type material: 1 ♀) type locality: “environs de Liège” (Belgium), ♀ holotype (“La seule femelle...” Wesmael l.c., present designation) in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels; examined.

Bracon roberti – Szépligeti 1901: 266 (in key, in Hungarian); 1904 (1901): 180 (in key, in German) ♀ ♁. Bracon (Orthobracon) roberti – Fahringer 1927: 270 (♀), 279 (♁) (in key) and 417 (redescription), assigned to “Section Orthobracon ”. — Telenga 1936: 175 (♀), 178´(♁) (in key), 294 (redescription, in Russian) and 378 (♀), 381 (♁) (in key, in German). — Papp 1974: 434 (additional features, distribution). — Shenefelt 1978: 1647 (literature up to 1974).

Designation of the ♀ holotype of Bracon roberti

(First label, printed) “ Coll. Wesmael ”; (second small label, printed) “2051”; (third label) “ Braco roberti mihi ♀ ” (handwritten) / “dét. C. Wesmael ” (printed); (fourth label, printed red) “Type”; (fifth label, with my handwriting) “ Belgique / Bruxelles / leg. M. Robert ” (after Wesmael l.c.); sixth label is the holotype card (labels 5-6 were attached by me). - Holotype is in good condition: (1) micropinned (through mesoscutum / mesosternum); (2) left flagellum deficient: with 26 flagellomeres; (3) left hind wing missing.

Material examined

8 ♀♀ + 1 ♁ from six countries: ENGLAND: 1 ♀. FRANCE: 1 ♀. GERMANY: 3 ♀♀ from three localities. HUNGARY: 1 ♀ + 1 ♁ from two localities. ROMANIA (Transsylvania): 1 ♀. BULGARIA: 1 ♀.

Redescription of the ♀ holotype of Bracon roberti (Fig. 44 A-H)

LENGTH. Body 4.8 mm long.

ANTENNAE. About as long as body and with 34 antennomeres. First flagellomere 1.5 times, further flagellomeres attenuating so that penultimate flagellomere 1.7 times as long as broad (cf. Fig. 67A).

HEAD. In dorsal view transverse (Fig. 44A), 1.75 times as broad as long, eye somewhat protruding and 1.4 times longer than temple, temple receded, occiput excavated. Oral opening fairly large, its horizontal diameter 1.6 times longer than shortest distance between opening and compound eye (Fig. 44B). Head polished, face finely granulose, cheek granulose.

MESOSOMA. In lateral view 1.5 times as long as high, polished. Notaulix indistinct. Propodeum polished, above lunule and its hind margin with rugae (Fig. 44C).

LEGS. Hind femur 3.1 times as long as broad distally (Fig. 44D). Claw moderately downcurved, its basal lobe pointed (Fig. 44E).

WINGS. Forewing as long as body. Pterostigma (Fig. 44F) less wide, 2.8 times as long as wide and issuing r just proximally from its middle, r 0.7 times as long as width of pterostigma. Second submarginal cell less long, 3-SR slightly longer than 2-SR, SR1 straight to curved distally, 1.7 times longer than 3-SR and approaching tip of wing. First discal cell fairly high, 1-M 1.8 times length of m-cu, 1-SR-M almost 1.3 times as long as 1-M (Fig. 44G).

TERGITES. First tergite (Fig. 44H) 1.2 times as long as broad behind, beyond pair of spiracles weakly broadening, scutum posteriorly with fairly long rugae and short rugulae, lateral part of tergite rugulose, otherwise tergite smooth and shiny. Second tergite transverse, nearly three times broader behind than long, slightly longer than third tergite; suture between tergites 2-3 deep, subcrenulate and almost straight. Second tergite almost entirely rugo-rugulose, third tergite antero-posteriorly subrugulose to uneven (Fig. 44H), further tergites polished. Ovipositor sheath long, as long as hind tibia + tarsomeres 1-2 combined.

COLOUR. Scape black, flagellum dark brown. Head and mesosoma black, palpi brown. Metasoma yellow. First tergite medially with a small brown to blackish macula. Legs blackish brown. Wings faintly brownish fumous, pterostigma and veins opaque brown.

Variable features of the ♀ (6 ♀♀) (Fig. 44 I-L)

Body 4.5-5.1 mm long. Antenna with 32-36 antennomeres. Head in dorsal view 1.75-1.8 times as broad as long, temple somewhat less receded (Fig. 44I). Hind femur slightly thicker (Fig. 44J). Second submarginal cell long, 3- SR 1.4 times as long as 2- SR (3 ♀♀, Fig. 44K). Second and third tergites with rather longitudinal sculpture. Posterior end of ovipositor and its sheath as in Fig. 44L.

Description of the ³ (1 ³) (Figs 23 E-F; 44K)

Similar to the ♀. Body 4.2 mm long. Antenna with 33 antennomeres. Head in dorsal view 1.7 times as broad as long, eye somewhat less protruding, temple less receded (Fig. 23E). Second submarginal cell long, 3SR almost 1.3 times longer than 2SR (cf. Fig. 44K). First tergite beyond pair of spiracles slightly broadening (Fig. 23F). Orbit of compound eye reddish yellow, pronotum testaceous, hind femur reddish yellow.

Hosts

LEP. Tortricidae: Cydia strobilella Linnaeus. Sesiidae: Synanthedon andrenaeformis Laspeyres.

Distribution

England, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Bulgaria.

Taxonomic position

The species B. roberti is nearest to B. (Gl.) peroculatus Wesmael (Europe) considering their receded temple and somewhat protruding eye in dorsal view, similarly downcurved claw, black head + mesosoma and yellow metasoma; the two species are distinguished by the following features:

1 (2) Second submarginal cell wide, SR1 approaching tip of wing (subgeneric difference, Fig. 44F). First tergite 1.2 times as long as broad behind, its sculpture rougher; second tergite rugo-rugulose, laterally rugulose (Fig. 44H). First discal cell less high, 1-M 1.8 times as long as m-cu (Fig. 44G). ♀: 4.5-5.1 mm ...................................................................................... B. (L.) roberti Wesmael, 1838

2 (1) Second submarginal cell less wide, SR1 reaching tip of wing (subgeneric difference, Fig. 36E). First tergite 1.3 times as long as broad behind, its sculpture less rough; second tergite smooth, at most anterto-medially (i.e. around lunule) subrugulose (Fig. 36G, K). First discal cell high, 1-M a bit more than twice as long as m-cu (Fig. 36F). ♀: 4.5-5 mm .................................... ..................................................................................................... B. (Gl.) peroculatus Wesmael, 1838

Within the subgenus Lucobracon the species B. roberti is related to B. erraticus Wesmael viewing their SR1 only approaching tip of wing, the two species are distinguished by the following features:

1 (2) Eye in dorsal view not protruding (Fig. 8B). First tergite broad: as long as broad behind or somewhat broader (Figs 8J; 9E), rarely slightly longer. First discal cell less high, 1-M 1.7-1.8 times as long as m-cu (Fig. 8I). Hind femur 2.5-2.8 times (rarely 3.1 times) as long as broad (Figs 8F, L; 9A). Metasoma variably reddish yellow to almost blackish to black. ♀ ♁: (2.5-)3.4-4.5(-5) mm ......................................................................................................... B. (Lu.) erraticus Wesmael, 1838

2 (1) Eye in dorsal view somewhat protruding (Fig. 44A). First tergite less broad: 1.2-1.3 times as long as broad behind (Fig. 44H). First discal cell high, 1-M 1.8-1.9 times as long as m-cu (Fig. 44G). Hind femur 3.1(-3.2) times as long as broad (Fig. 44D, J). Metasoma yellow, first tergite medially blackish to black. ♀: 4.5-5 mm ................................................ B. (Lu.) roberti Wesmael, 1838