Temelucha minuta ( Morley, 1912 )

Abu El-Ghiet, Usama M., Edmardash, Yusuf A., Alfaifi, Tawfiq, Abo-Zaid, Mabrouk A. & Gadallah, Neveen S., 2025, Parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) reared from a phycitine caterpillar (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) growing in galls on Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) (Rhamnaceae), Zootaxa 5637 (3), pp. 559-578 : 567-571

Temelucha minuta ( Morley, 1912)

Figs 7 (A, B), 8(A–D), 9(A–D)

Tarytia minuta Morley, 1912: 175 .

Material examined: Saudi Arabia: 4♀, 1♂, Jazan ( Faifa mountains ) [17⁰15‵21.3‶N, 43⁰06‵06.4‶E], reared from larvae and pupae of a phycitine moth ( Pyralidae ) developing inside the galls of Z. spina-christi , 14 Oct. 2024 .

Brief description. Female, body length: 4.0- 4.8 mm.

Body predominantly black ( Fig. 7A ), with the following parts yellow: inner and posterior margins of eyes (broadly) ( Fig. 8A–C ), face under antennal bases (separated from eyes by thin black streaks) ( Fig. 8A ), clypeus ( Fig. 8A ), mandible (except black teeth) ( Fig. 8A ), maxillary complex, middle leg entirely, hind leg with coxa, trochanter, trochantellus, ventral margin of hind femur, middle of hind tibia, all tarsi yellow (with black last tarsomere and apices of all tarsomeres), antero-lateral margins of mesoscutum, an indistinct yellow streak ( Fig. 8B ), last metasomal tergites ( Fig. 7A ), all metasomal sternites, tegula ( Fig. 9B ), lateral sides of pronotum ( Fig. 7A ). Wings hyaline, with brownish pterostigma (yellowish at upper margin) ( Fig. 9A ).

Mesoscutum densely finely punctate ( Fig. 8B, C ), sparse on scutellum ( Fig. 8C ); propodeum ( Fig. 8C ) with small costula baso-medially, median areola opened, constricted medially, punctate along its upper half, and finely transversely striated at lower half; fore wing ( Fig. 9A ) with vein M+CU1 largely spectral, marginal cell distinctly short; metasoma compressed laterally ( Fig. 7A ), T 1 long, swollen apically, with fine longitudinal striations apically ( Fig. 9C ), sides of T 1 fused with the sternite ( Fig. 9B ); T 2 distinctly shorter than T 1 ( Fig. 9C ), densely longitudinally striated throughout, finely alutaceous and shiny apically and laterally ( Fig. 9C ), rest of tergites finely alutaceous, sparsely punctate; ovipositor nearly straight, slightly sinuated apically; ovipositor sheath distinctly longer than hind tibia, 1.8× as long as hind tibia ( Figs 7A , 9C ).

Male ( Fig. 8B ): Body length: 4.0 mm.

Differs from female by the following: head entirely yellow (except ocellar triangle that extends postero-medially black); ocellus large, with OD larger than OOL; antenna with scape and pedicel yellow, F1–8 yellow apically pronotum yellow laterally, mesoscutum yellow laterally and along notauli; tegula yellow; scutellum yellow laterally at basal half; T 2 posteriorly, rest of tergites yellow laterally, last tergite entirely yellow; mesopleuron yellow and reddish, densely finely punctate, metapleuron finely rugose; flagellum with 23 flagellomeres.

Colour variation. In some female specimens, face with black more extensive (except median bulged area dark yellow); mesosoma and metasoma (except metasomal sternites yellow) entirely black ( Fig. 8D ); ovipositor reddish preapically.

Distribution. Australia ( Paull & Austin 2006), Cyprus ( Gauld 1980), India ( Gupta 1987), Madagascar ( Rousse et al. 2011), Réunion (Rosa & Villemant 2012), Seychelles ( Morley 1912 as Tarytia minuta ), Thailand ( Kerrich 1959; Gupta 1987), Saudi Arabia (Jazan) (new record).

Host records. Bilobata subsecivella (Zeller) ( Kerrich 1959; Gauld 1980) and Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) ( Gauld 1980, 1984) ( Gelechiidae ), Etiella behrii (Zeller) ( Pyralidae ) ( Townes & Townes 1973; Gauld 1980, 1984), Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) ( Paull & Austin 2006) and Pammenopsis critica (Meyrick) ( Gauld 1980) ( Tortricidae ).

Comments. Although a widespread species, it is the first record of T. minuta for the fauna of Saudi Arabia. It has been recorded as a parasitoid of the phycitine lucerne seed web moth Etiella behrii in Seychelle ( Gauld 1980). Our specimens agree with the characters of T. minuta in Rousse et al. ’s key (2011: 17, couplet 2) mainly by its small size, and having the fore wing vein M+Cu distinctly unpigmented basally. This species is highly variable in colour ( Rousse et al. 2011). It also agrees with T. minuta in Vas’ key of the Palaearctic species (2016: 74, couplet 4).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Temelucha minuta (Morley, 1912): A, lateral habitus of female; B, lateral habitus of male. Scalebar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 8. Temelucha minuta (Morley, 1912) (female):A, frontal view of head; B, C, dorsal view of head and mesoscutum; D, lateral view of head, mesosoma & metasomal petiole. Scalebar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 9. Temelucha minuta (Morley, 1912) (female):A, fore and hind wings; B, ventral view of metasoma (showing touching ventral margins of T1 hiding S1); C, D, lateral view of metasoma. Scalebar = 1 mm.