Eurytoma genale Askew & Stojanova, 2019

Eurytoma genale Askew & Stojanova sp. n.

( Figs 24 View FIGURE 24 , 25 View FIGURES 25 A–E; Tab. 4 View TABLE 4 , 5 View TABLE 5 )

Type material. Holotype ♀: BULGARIA: Rhodope Mountains , 5km south of Ognyanovo, ex seed-case of Asphodeline lutea , collected 25.vi.2001 ( A. Stojanova) (in BMNH) . Allotype ♂: BULGARIA: Rhodope Mountains , 5km north of Isperihovo, ex seed-case of A. lutea , collected 18.vi.2000 ( A. Stojanova) (in BMNH) . Paratypes. Same data as holotype ( 5 ♀ 2 ♂, in ASPC) ; same data as allotype ( 1 ♀ 1 ♂, in ASPC) ; BULGARIA: Black Sea coast, Arkutino , ex fruits of A. lutea , collected 4.vi.2000 ( A. Stojanova) ( 4 ♀ 1 ♂, in ASPC) , same data but fruits collected on 5.vi.2001 ( 1 ♀ 2 ♂, in ASPC) ; Rhodope Mountains , 2km south of Novo selo, ex fruits of A. lutea , collected 27.vi.2010 ( A. Stojanova) ( 1 ♀ 2 ♂, in ASPC) . Other material. ITALY: Sicilia, Vizzini, Monte Iblei , SE Lago Dirillo , contrado Rubalé, 350 m, 37.12103°N 14.72166°E, ex seeds of Asphodeline lutea , 22.vi.2014 adults emerged 07–15.iv.2015 ( G. Delvare) (vouchers GDEL1720 ♀, GDEL1721 ♀, GDEL1722 ♀, GDEL1723 ♀, GDEL1724 ♀, GDEL1725 ♀, GDEL1726 ♀, in CIRAD; 10 ♀ 2 ♂, in GDPC) GoogleMaps ; same locality, host plant and collector, Valle Paradiso , 600 m, 37.14727°N 14.80591°E, ex seeds of Asphodeline lutea , 21.vi.2014, adults emerged 07–15.iv.2015 ( G. Delvare) ( 7 ♀, in GDPC) GoogleMaps .

Etymology. Named for the characteristic sculpture on the genae.

Condition of female holotype. Specimen almost complete but left proleg missing 4 th tarsomere and pretarsus, detached below procoxa and glued separately beside rest of the body which is glued by right side to a card point pinned above a card rectangle.

Description of female from Bulgarian type material ( Fig. 24 View FIGURE 24 , female from Sicilia). Length 3.7 mm. Body black with 2 indistinct pale spots on anterior face of pronotum, pilosity white; scape blackish with ventral surface brownish; legs with coxae black; profemur brown-black, its apex and distal one-third of anterior face yellowish testaceous, meso- and metafemora black with apices yellowish testaceous; protibia yellowish with a brown streak on outer face, meso- and metatibia black with bases and apices yellowish; protarsus brownish, other tarsi yellowish with last segments and claws darker; wings clear, venation brownish, pilosity pale; ovipositor sheath black with apex somewhat paler.

Head in dorsal view 2.0× as broad as long; temples about 0.4× eye length; POL 2.3–2.5× as OOL, OOL 1.9× as posterior ocellus diameter. Head in front view 1.4× as broad as high; height of eye 1.7–1.9× malar space ( Fig. 25A View FIGURES 25 ); mouth 1.5× as broad as malar space; toruli equidistant from anterior ocellus and anterior margin of clypeus; clypeus with anterior margin almost straight with a small median depression, strong radiating carinulae extend on face to level of toruli; gena buccate with strong genal carina, a broad band of fine reticulation behind malar sulcus extends below eye in front of the sulcus as a small triangular patch, this band with only a few large punctures which generally lack setae ( Fig. 25B View FIGURES 25 ).

Antenna 11152 with two terminal segments of clava fused ( Fig. 25C View FIGURES 25 ); scape just reaching anterior ocellus; length of pedicel plus flagellum 0.8× breadth of head; F1 plus anellus almost 2× as long as broad, F1 stouter than pedicel and about 1.6× as long as broad, F2–F4 subquadrate, F5 weakly transverse; clava 2.45× as long as broad, not or hardly broader than F5; sensilla arranged in 2 overlapping transverse rows on F1 and in a single irregular row on following funicle and claval segments.

Mesosoma in dorsal view 1.5× as long as broad, narrower than head (25:28); mesoscutellum with a relatively broad base, the anterior ends of axillar grooves only very slightly internal to posterior ends of notauli and separated by 0.65× median length of mesoscutum, base of mesoscutellum longer than axillar groove as seen in dorsal view ( Fig. 25D View FIGURES 25 ). Mesosoma in profile 1.2× as long as deep, the mesoscutellum strongly arched; propodeum sloping at an angle of just over 90° to the scutello-mesoscutal plane, coarsely reticulate laterally with a broad median depression which is finely reticulate with irregular longitudinal carinulae ( Fig. 24 View FIGURE 24 ).

Fore wing lengths of costal cell: marginal vein; stigmal vein; postmarginal vein as 56:12:11:14 ( Fig. 24 View FIGURE 24 ); stigmal vein slightly curved, expanding gradually into an elongated stigma; basal vein pilose, basal cell closed below in distal half with scattered hairs on uppersurface.

Metasoma. Gaster 1.2× as long as rest of body; laterally compressed, in dorsal view 3.4× as long as broad and two-thirds the breadth of mesoscutum; in lateral view 1.6× as long (including ovipositor) as deep, 1.1× as deep as mesosoma at mesosternal shelf ( Fig. 24 View FIGURE 24 ); petiole transverse; GT4 usually distinctly longer than GT3; tergites ventrally with fine, linear punctures and engraved reticulation (as in allied species); syntergum upturned, in dorsal view 1.4× as long as basal breadth; length of syntergum dorsally plus exposed ovipositor sheath half that of metatibia, ovipositor sheath extending beyond apex of syntergum by about 0.8× dorsal length of syntergum.

Male. Length 2.8 mm.

Antenna 11152 ( Fig. 25E View FIGURES 25 ); scape 3.0× as long as broad, widening into a ventral boss that reaches maximum breadth at about three-quarters length of scape, thereafter narrowing abruptly to an apical neck; pedicel plus flagellum 1.2× breadth of head; flagellum tapering, F1 about 1.4× and clava about 1.1× as deep as pedicel; funicle segments petiolate, the bodies of F1 1.6×, F2 1.2× and F5 1.4× as long as deep; clava 3.6× as long as broad with C1 occupying over half of total length; setae arranged in 4 irregular whorls on F1 and in 2 whorls on other funicle segments, the longest setae not quite 2× the depth of their segments.

Metasoma. Gaster (air dried) including petiole 0.8× length of head plus mesosoma; body of gaster in profile very strongly peaked, depth at apex of GT2 equalling length in lateral view; petiole occupying 0.35× total length of gaster with apex well beyond apex of metacoxa, its dorsal surface about 4× as long as broad, almost flat, matt and very finely reticulate with a slightly raised, arcuate anterior lamina.

Distribution ( Fig. 36 View FIGURE 36 ). This species was recovered in sites where seeds of Asphodeline lutea were collected ( Italy: Sicilia and Bulgaria). It is therefore possible that its distribution follows that of this asphodel. It is the species reared from Asphodeline lutea fruits mentioned under the name ‘ Eurytoma asphodeli’ by Stojanova (2002) and Boyadzhiev & Stojanova (2008) in Bulgaria, and by Zerova (1995, 2010) and Zerova & Seryogina (2006) in Ukraine ( Crimea).

Recognition. Eurytoma genale is allied to E. asphodeli from which it differs in its broader scutellar base and genal sculpturation.

Biology. Trophic relationships. E. genale is a parasitoid in fruits of Asphodeline lutea , presumably attacking B. asphodelinae (described above) in the seeds ( Fig. 44 View FIGURE 44 ). Boyadzhiev & Stojanova (2008) illustrated the larval mandibles (under E. asphodeli ) and compare them with those of B. asphodelinae (under Eurytoma sp., rosae group).