https://doi.org/10.25085/rsea.780401

Artículo-Article

Contribution to the knowledge of the Argentinean species of Lepídura Townes (Ichneumonidae: Mesochorinae), with description of the male of L. patagonica Araujo & Vivallo

Contribución al conocimiento de las especies argentinas del género Lepidura Townes (Ichneumonidae: Mesochorinae), con la descripción del macho de L. patagónica Araujo & Vivallo

 

ARAUJO, Rodrigo O.^1-2-*, VIVALLO, Felipe ³ & MARTINEZ, Juan J.⁴

^{1    Centro de Investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad Católica del Maule.Talca, Chile. * E-mail: araujorodrigodeoliveira@gmail.com}
2    Laboratorio de Ecología de Abejas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Químicas, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Católica del Maule. Talca, Chile.
3    HYMN Laboratório de Hymenoptera, Departamento de Entomologia, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
4    CONICET - Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina.

Received 20 - VI - 2019 | Accepted 22 - VIII - 2019 | Published 26 - XII - 2019

 

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RESUMEN. Lepidura Townes es un género con distribución andina de la subfamilia Mesochorinae, con especies presentes en Chile y Argentina. De las 14 especies descritas, los machos permanecen desconocidos en siete: L. callaina Dasch, L. improcera Dasch, L. mallecoensis Dasch, L. nigricephala Araujo & Vivallo, L. patagonica Araujo & Vivallo, L. seminitida Araujo & Vivallo y L. viridis Dasch. En base al estudio de especímenes depositados en el Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", Argentina, aquí se describe e ilustra por primera vez el macho de L. patagonica. Adicionalmente, se proporciona un nuevo registro de distribución de L. olivacea Dasch en Argentina.

PALABRAS CLAVE. América del Sur. Avispas parasitoides. Ichneumonoidea. Región Andina.

ABSTRACT. Lepidura Townes is a genus with an Andean distribution of the subfamily Mesochorinae, occurring in Chile and Argentina. Among the 14 species described, the males remain unknown in seven: L. callaina Dasch, L. improcera Dasch, L. mallecoensis Dasch, L. nigricephala Araujo & Vivallo, L. patagonica Araujo & Vivallo, L. seminitida Araujo & Vivallo and L. viridis Dasch. Based on the study of specimens deposited in the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", Argentina, the male of L. patagonica is described and illustrated for the flrst time. In addition, a new distribution record of L. olivacea Dasch in Argentina is also provided.

KEYWORDS. Andean Region. Ichneumonoidea. Parasitoid wasps. South America.

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INTRODUCTION

Mesochorinae is a moderately large species-rich group of specialized hyperparasitoids (Broad et al.,2018), with approximately 880 species (Yu et al., 2016). Mesochorines are distinguished from other ichneumonid wasps by the following synapomorphies: glymmae long and deep; male gonoforceps apically well-developed,

Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina 78(4): 1-3, 2019

resembling a long rod; female hypopygium large and triangular in lateral view; ovipositor sheath rigid; and ovipositor short and needle-like (Wahl, 1993; Araujo et al., 2018).

Lepidura Townes, 1971 is a small genus, currently including fourteen species distributed in the southern Andean biogeographic region sensu Morrone (2015) (Araujo & Vivallo, 2018). As well as in other Andean genera of the Mesochorinae, knowledge about biology and behavior of the species of Lepidura is scarce. Recently, Araujo & Vivallo (2018) provided an updated taxonomic revision for the genus and described L. nigricephala, L. patagonica and L. seminitida based on female specimens. The males of these species remain unknown.

Herein we describe the male of L. patagonica and provide a new distribution record of L. olivacea in Argentina.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

General morphological terminology is according to Gauld et al. (2002), except for the wing venation and the cuticular microsculptures which follow Sharkey & Wharton (1997) and Broad et al. (2018), respectively. The information contained in the section "Material examined" corresponds to the specimen label verbatim. To describe the adult male of L. patagonica and compare its morphology with female's characteristics, specimens deposited at the following institutions were examined (curators in parentheses): FSCA: Florida State Collection of Arthropods, Gainesville, United States (Elijah Talamas) and MACN: Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", Buenos Aires, Argentina (Arturo Roig-Alsina).

Photographs were obtained using a Zeiss Axiocam ERc5s camera attached to a Zeiss Stemi 508 stereomicroscope. All images were treated using Adobe Photoshop® (v. CS5). All measurements were rounded to the nearest 0.05. The abbreviation "T" was used for Tergite, followed by the number of the corresponding tergite.

RESULTS

Lepidura Townes, 1971

Lepidura Townes, 1971. 85. Type species: Lepidura collaris Townes, by original designation.

Diagnosis. Araujo & Vivallo (2018) provided the most recent revision of the genus, which can be identified by the combination of the following character states: ovipositor sheath stout, scale-shaped; head mostly greenish (except in L. rubicunda, L. tuberosa, L. variegata and L. nigricephala); fore wing with large rhombic areolet; hind wing vein CU/1b present, usually spectral; vein CU1a twice as long as cu-a; median longitudinal carina of propodeum present, but incomplete (except in L. improcera and L. nigricephala);

and glymma occupying 0.3 of petiole.

Distribution. Distribution restricted to the Andean biogeographic zone (sensu Morrone, 2015), with species occurring in Chile and Argentina.

Included species. L. abbreviata Dasch (Chile), L. callaina Dasch (Chile), L. collaris Townes (Argentina and Chile), L. improcera Dasch (Argentina and Chile), L. mallecoensis Dasch (Chile), L. nigricephala Araujo & Vivallo (Chile), L. olivacea Dasch (Argentina and Chile), L. patagonica Araujo & Vivallo (Argentina), L. rubicunda Dasch (Chile), L. seminitida Araujo & Vivallo (Chile), L. tenebrosa Dasch (Chile), L. tuberosa Dasch (Chile), L. variegata Dasch (Chile) and L. viridis Dasch (Argentina and Chile).

Lepidura olivacea Dash, 1974

Material examined: 1 female: RA Neuquén, S. Martin Andes, Pucará, Jan'70, Schajovskoy Coll (FSCA). 2 females and 1 male: ARGENTINA: Neuquén, Villa la Angostura, PN Arrayanes, 20.11.2007 S 40° 47' 02,4" O 71° 39' 59,6" alt. 661,9 m. J. Martinez A. Ojanguren L. Compagnucci L. Piacentini (MACN).

Previous geographic distribution: ARGENTINA: Neuquén: San Martín de Los Andes (Araujo & Vivallo, 2018). CHILE: Región de la Araucanía: Malleco (Termas Tolhuaca) (Dasch, 1974). Región de Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo: Puerto Cisnes (Dasch, 1974). Región de Bío-Bío: Las Cabras, Pichinahuel (Dasch, 1974). Región de Los Lagos: Caremalpu, Ensenada, Pucatrihue, Río Carihueico, Río Gol Gol (Dasch, 1974). Región de Los Ríos: Puerto Fuy (Dasch, 1974). Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena: Río Tres Pasos (Dasch, 1974; Lanfranco, 1974). New record: ARGENTINA: Neuquén: Villa La Angostura, Parque Nacional Arrayanes.

Lepidura patagonica Araujo & Vivallo, 2018

Material examined: 1 female: Holotype, ARGENTINA: Neuquén, Villa La Angostura, PN Arrayanes, 20.II.2007 S 40° 47' 02,4" O 71° 39' 59,6" alt. 661,9 m. J. Martinez A. Ojanguren L. Compagnucci L. Piacentini. (MACN).

5 females: Paratypes with the same label information (MACN). 3 males: ARGENTINA: Neuquén, Villa La Angostura, PN Arrayanes, 20.II.2007 S 40°47'02,4" O 71°39'59,6" alt. 661,9m. J. Martinez A. Ojanguren L. Compagnucci L. Piacentini (MACN).

Diagnosis: White pubescence covering the entire body, denser on head and most of mesosoma, sparser on metapleuron and most of metasoma. Body almost completely turquoise green, except antenna dark brown, mandible yellow with well developed, dark brown teeth; mesoscutum, mesothorax, anterior and posterior margins of T2, anterior margin of T3, posterior half of T5 and T6-9, dark brown; parameres light brown; anterior margin of femura, and anterior and posterior margins of tibiae and tarsi brown.

Description: Male (Figs. 1-3). Approximate body length: 8.5 (mm). Fore wing length: 6.4 (mm); antenna

ARAUJO, R.O. et al. Genus Lepidura in Argentina

length: 8.1 (mm); number of flagellomeres: 40-42; head 1.20x as wide as high (frontal view); head punctate with sparse whitish setae (Fig. 1); distance between eye and lateral ocellus 1.00x as long as the diameter of lateral ocellus; frons smooth; clypeus 3.00x as wide as high; clypeal sulcus weakly discernible; mandible 2.85x as long as the basal width (frontal view); mandible with two well developed teeth; mandible basal width 1.70x as long as malar space; pronotum polished; epomia present; hind femur 7.00x as long as wide; hind tibia 10.90x as long as wide; hind basitarsus 13.40x as long as wide; mesosoma generally smooth, polished and finely punctate; areolet large, rhomboid, 1.70x as wide as long; hind wing with 5 distal hamuli; propodeum smooth, with isolated punctures; areola absent, but with subpentagonal area delimited by complete lateral longitudinal and posterior transverse carina and incomplete anterior transverse and median longitudinal carina (Fig. 2); area externa, lateralis, petiolaris and postero-externa discernible; T1 smooth, with isolated punctures; glymma deep; postpetiole 1.95x as long as its maximum width; T2 4.10x as long as its maximum height (lateral view); T2-T7 similarly sculptured; Parameres elongated, needle-shaped (Fig. 3).

Type material:    Holotype female:    ARGENTINA:

Neuquén, Villa La Angostura, PN Arrayanes, 20.II.2007 S 40° 47' 02,4" O 71° 39' 59,6" alt. 661,9 m. J. Martinez A. Ojanguren L. Compagnucci L. Piacentini. (MACN). 5 paratypes females with the same label information (MACN).

Type locality: ARGENTINA:    Neuquén: Villa La Angostura.

Distribution:    ARGENTINA:    Neuquén:    Villa La Angostura.

Comments: Coloration as in female except dark brown on the posterior half of T5. The male of L. patagonica is similar to L. viridis by the absence of vein CU/1b on the hind wing but it differs by the presence of the costula and the anterior transverse carina of propodeum, both absent in the latter species.

Fig. 1-3. Lepidura patagónica Araujo & Vivallo, 2018. Male. 1 Head (frontal view). 2 Propodeum (dorsal view). 3. Habitus (lateral view). Scale bars (mm): Fig. 1: 0.4; Fig. 2: 0.2; Fig. 3: 2.0.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank Arturo Roig-Alsina (MACN) for the specimens loaned and for the information provided on the specimens deposited in his collection, and to Elijah Talamas for his help. We thank the Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad Católica del Maule, for providing the necessary resources for the realization of this research. This study is part of the SIGMA project N°21565 MN/ UFRJ and the contribution number 34 from the HYMN.

LITERATURE CITED

Araujo, R.O., & Vivallo, F. (2018) Taxonomic revision of Lepidura Townes, 1971 (Hymenoptera:    Ichneumonidae:

Mesochorinae) with the description of three new species, new distribution records and a key to the all known species. Zootaxa, 4514, 215-229.

Araujo, R.O., Vivallo, F., & Santos, B.F. (2018) Ichneumonid wasps of the subfamily Mesochorinae: new replacement names, combinations and an updated key to the World genera (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Zootaxa, 4521(1), 52-60.         [ Links ]

Broad, G.R., Shaw M.R., & Fitton, M.G. (2018) Ichneumonid wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae): their classification and biology. Vol. 7. Royal Entomological Society, London.         [ Links ]

Dasch, C.E. (1974) Neotropic Mesochorinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 22, 1-509.         [ Links ]

Gauld, I.D., Sithole, R., Gomez, J.U., & Godoy, C. (2002) The Ichneumonidae of Costa Rica 4. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 66, 1-768.         [ Links ]

Lanfranco, L.D. (1974) Contribución al conocimiento de la ichneumofauna de la Región de Magallanes (Hymenoptera-Ichneumonidae). Anales del Instituto de la Patagonia, 5, 199-208.         [ Links ]

Morrone, J.J. (2015) Biogeographical regionalisation of the Andean region. Zootaxa, 3936, 207-236.         [ Links ]

Sharkey, M.J., & Wharton, R.A. (1997) Morphology and terminology. Manual of the New World Genera of the Family Braconidae (Hymenoptera) (ed. Wharton, R.A., Marsh, P.M., & Sharkey, M.J.), pp. 85-118. International Society of Hymenopterists, Washington.         [ Links ]

Townes, H.K. (1971) The genera of Ichneumonidae, Part 4. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 17, 1-372.         [ Links ]

Wahl, D.B. (1993) Cladistics of the genera of Mesochorinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Systematic Entomology, 18, 371-387.         [ Links ]

Yu, D.S., van Achterberg, C., & Horstmann, K. (2016) Taxapad 2016, Ichneumonoidea 2015. Database on flash-drive. Nepean, Ontario, Canada. Available in: http://www.taxapad.com (accessed 11 March 2019).         [ Links ]