Bracon (Lucobracon) larvicida Wesmael 1838
Creators: name: Papp, Jenő
name: Xviii, Budapest
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Braconidae
Bracon
Bracon larvicida

description: Bracon (Lucobracon) larvicida Wesmael, 1838
Fig. 16 A-K
Braco larvicida Wesmael, 1838: 41 ♀ (type material: 7 ♀♀, seen 4 ♀♀), type locality: “environs de Bruxelles ” (Belgium), ♀ lectotype (and three ♀ paralectotypes, present designations) in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels; examined. - Szépligeti 1901: 265 (in key, in Hungarian); 1904 (1901): 177 (in key, in German).
Bracon crassiusculus Szépligeti, 1901: 265 (in key) and 272 (description) (in Hungarian); 1904 (1901): 178 (in key) and 182 (description) (in German), ♀, type locality: “Pápa” (Hungary), ♀ lectotype in Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum, Budapest; syn. nov. examined.
Bracon larvicida – Szépligeti 1901: 265 (in key, in Hungarian); 1904 (1901): 177 (in key, in German). Bracon (Orthobracon) larvicida – Telenga 1936: 175 (♀), 179 (♁) (in key), 291 (redescription) (in Russian) and 377 (♀), 382 (♁) (in key, in German). — Shenefelt 1978: 1638 (literature up to 1974).
Bracon (Glabrobracon) larvicida – Tobias 1986: 136 (in key, in Russian). — Tobias & Belokobylskij 2000: 149 as B. plugarui Tobias, 1986 “(larvicida sensu Tobias)”.
Bracon (Lucobracon) larvicida – Papp 1969: 322 (in key) and 327 (taxonomy, distribution); 2008: 1787 (taxonomy, synonymy).
Bracon crassiusculus – Telenga 1936: as valid species assigned to section Orthobracon, 172 (in key), 278 (redescription) (in Russian) and 374 (in key, in German). — Shenefelt 1978: 1619 (as synonym of B. grandiceps Thomson after Papp 1969a: 325, literature up to 1974). — Papp 2004: 173 (lectotype designation, jun. syn. of B. larvicida); 2008: 1787 (synonymization).
Designation of the ♀ lectotype of Bracon larvicida
(First label, handwritten) “9. Juin Linth.”, (second label, printed) “ Coll. Wesmael ”, (third label, printed) “2054”, (fourth label) “ Braco ♀ / larvicida mihi” (handwritten) “dét. C. Wesmael ” (printed), (fifth label, printed red) “ Type ”, (sixth label with my handwriting) “ Belgique / Bruxelles / leg. Wesmael ”, seventh label is the lectotype card. Lectotype is in good condition: (1) specimen micropinned, (2) flagelli deficient, right flagellum with four and left flagellum with 21 flagellomeres.
Designation of the three ♀ paralectotypes of Bracon larvicida: their labels 2-6 are identical to those of the lectotype, seventh labels are the paralectotype cards. Two ♀ paralectotype are in poor condition: (1) micropinned; (2) flagelli deficient, left hind leg (except coxa) of one ♀ missing. One ♀ paralectotype is in very poor condition: (1) micropinned; (2) flagelli damaged; (3) legs partly to almost entirely deficient; (4) left pair of wings missing.
Remarks
1) Wesmael (l.c.) described his species B. larvicida on the basis of seven ♀ specimens of which I studied four ♀ specimens serving for the present designations of the lectotype and paralectotypes.
2) The two ♁ paralectotypes of B. indubius var. 1. Szépligeti, 1901 are identical with B. larvicida. Designation of the ♀ lectotype of Bracon crassiusculus: (first label, printed) “Pápa / Wachsmann”; second label is the lectotype card; third label is with the inventory number “1399”; fourth label is with the actula name B. larvicida given by me. Lectotype is in good condition: flagelli apically deficient.
Material examined
13 ♀♀ + 11 ♁♁ from nine countries: GERMANY: 1 ♀. SWEDEN: 1 ♀. HUNGARY: 5 ♀♀ + 7 ♁♁ from ten localities. ROMANIA (Transsylvania): 1 ♀. SERBIA: 1 ♀ + 1 ♁ from two localities. CROATIA: 1 ♀ + 1 ♁ from one locality. BULGARIA: 1 ♀ + 1 ♁ from two localities. GREECE: 1 ♁. NORTH ITALY: 2 ♀♀ from one locality.
Redescription of the ♀ lectotype of Bracon larvicida (Fig. 16 A-I)
LENGTH. Body 3.2 mm long.
ANTENNAE. (according to the original description) As long as three-quarters of body and with 20-25 antennomeres of the seven syntypes. First flagellomere 1.7 times and 21st flagellomere 1.5 times as long as broad.
HEAD. In dorsal view less transverse (Fig. 16A), 1.7 times as broad as long, eye 1.5 times longer than temple, temple rounded, occiput excavated. Oral opening fairly large (a feature of subgenus Lucobracon), its horizontal diameter 1.7 times as long as shortest distance between opening and compound eye (Fig. 16B). Head polished, face above and laterally with very fine granulation.
MESOSOMA. In lateral view 1.6 times as long as high. Propodeum polished, around lunule with rugulae, medially uneven (Figs 16C).
LEGS. Hind femur 3.2 times as long as broad medially (Fig. 16D). Claw moderately downcurved, basal lobe distinct (Fig. 16E).
WINGS. Forewing about as long as body. Pterostigma (Fig. 16F) three times as long as wide and issuing r from its middle, r 0.9 times as long as width of pterostigma; second submarginal cell less long, 3-SR 1.3 times as long as 2-SR, SR1 1.8 times as long as 3-SR, straight and reaching tip of wing; 1-R1 1.5 times as long as pterostigma. First discal cell elongate, 1-M 1.5 times as long as m-cu, 1-SR-M just bent and 1.7 times as long as 1-M (Fig. 16G).
TERGITES. First tergite (Fig. 16H) somewhat longer than broad behind, almost evenly broadening posteriorly, hind half of scutum with longitudinal rugosity, margin of scutum with crenulae, lateral part of tergite rugulose. Third tergite one-sixth longer than second tergite, suture between them straight and smooth. Second tergite 2.6 times as broad behind as long, antero-medially with longitudinal striaestriolae (Fig. 16H), otherwise together with further tergites polished. Ovipositor sheath long, as long as hind tibia + tarsomeres 1-4 combined; posterior end ovipositor as in Fig. 16I.
COLOUR. Antenna distally darkening rusty brown. Head dark rusty, ocellar field black. Mandible brownish yellow, palpi yellow. Mesosoma black, propodeum + prosternum rusty. Tegula brownish yellow. First tergite blackish, further tergites rusty and tergites 3-6 with darkening suffusion. Legs yellow, coxae 2-3 blackish, femora 2-3 brownish yellow. Wings subhyaline, pterostigma brownish, veins light brown.
Redescription of the three ♀ paralectotypes of B. larvicida
Identical with the ♀ lectotype. Antenna with 23 antennomeres (1 ♀). Propodeum medially rugose (1 ♀).
Variable features of the ♀♀ (13 ♀♀) (Fig. 16 J-K)
Body (2.8-) 3-4 mm, usually 3-3.4 mm. Antenna with (20-)23-25 antennomeres. Head in dorsal view usually 1.7 times, exceptionally 1.75-1.8 times, as broad as long. Propodeum medially rugulose (var. crassiusculus, Fig. 16J). Hind femur (2.8-)3-3.4 times, usually 3-3.2 times as long as broad medially. First tergite beyond pair of spiracles less broadening (Fig. 16K). Ovipositor sheath as long as hind tibia, somewhat longer or very long: as long as hind tibia + tarsus combined. Body more or less black (melanic form), i.e. with reduced rusty colour.
Variable features of the ³³ (11 ³³) (Fig. 16K)
Similar to the ♀♀. Body (2-) 2.5-3.8 mm, usually 2.8-3.3 mm, long. Black colour more extended (melanic form) or light colour more extended and more vivid (albanic form). Hind femur 2.8-3.2 times as long as broad. First tergite beyond pair of spiracles usually subparallel-sided (cf. Fig. 16K).
Host
Unknown.
Distribution
Europe, Kazakhstan, Mongolia.
Taxonomic position
Within the subgenus Lucobracon the species B. larvicida is nearest to B. fumigidus Szépligeti (western Palaearctic Region, Mongolia), the separation of the two species is as follows (after Papp 2005a: 210):
1 (2) Marginal cell of fore wing approaching tip of wing (Fig. 17 A-B); first discal cell relatively high, 1-M 1.8-1.9 times length of m-cu (Fig. 17 C-D). Hind femur thick, 2.5-2.6 times as long as broad medially (Fig. 17E). First tergite slightly shorter than (Fig. 17G) to as long as broad behind, beyond spiracles less broadening. Upper margin of hypopygium concave (Fig. 17H); end of ovipositor as in Fig. 17I. ♀: mesosoma reddish yellow with dark (light brown to blackish) pattern; ♁: body black with less light colour pattern. ♀ ♁: 3.6-3.8 mm .............................. B. (Lu.) fumigidus Szépligeti, 1901
2 (1) Marginal cell of fore wing reaching (Fig. 16F), rarely just approaching, tip of wing; first discal cell relatively low, 1-M 1.5 times length of m-cu (Fig. 16G). Hind femur 2.8-3.4 times as long as broad medially (Figs 16D). First tergite somewhat longer than broad behind, beyond spiracles more broadening (Fig. 16H). Upper margin of hypopygium bisinuate (Fig. 7H) ♀ ♁: mesosoma black with rusty suffusion. ♀ ♁: (2-) 2.5-4 mm ........................................ B. (Lu.) larvicida Wesmael, 1838
Taxonomic remark
Albeit B. larvicida is assigned to the subgenus Lucobracon, it is near to two species, B. titubans Wesmael and B. nigriventris Wesmael, assigned to the subgenus Glabrobracon. The distinction of the three species is presented at B. titubans.
description: Published as part of Papp, Jenő & Xviii, Budapest, 2012, A revision of the Bracon Fabricius species in Wesmael's collection deposited in Brussels (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Braconinae), pp. 1-154 in European Journal of Taxonomy 21 on pages 38-42, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2012.21, http://zenodo.org/record/3858161