Doryctobracon fluminensis ( Lima, 1938 )

Doryctobracon fluminensis ( Lima, 1938) View in CoL

Opius fluminensis Lima, 1938:69 .

( Figs 1–3 View FIGURES 1–4 , 5–10 View FIGURES 5–22 , 24–32 View FIGURES 24–33 )

Redescription. Body length, 6 mm; antenna with 58 flagellomeres; dorsal head wide (1.5 mm), almost twice the height, polished, and covered with relatively long, pale setae (0.5 mm) ( Figs 7a View FIGURES 5–22 , 28a View FIGURES 24–33 ); vertex straight and elevated in ocellar region ( Figs 24, 27 View FIGURES 24–33 ). Eye almost circular ( Figs 6 View FIGURES 5–22 , 27 View FIGURES 24–33 ); temple almost as wide as anteroposterior width of eye ( Figs 6 View FIGURES 5–22 , 27 View FIGURES 24–33 ); center of face with strong carina that arises immediately above clypeus and ends shortly after torulus ( Fig. 26a View FIGURES 24–33 ). Ventral clypeus weakly sinuous, with median lobe slightly protruding and distinctly angular on sides; malar space slightly longer than width of base of mandible; mesosome with few setae, absent on mesoscutum ( Figs 8 View FIGURES 5–22 , 30 View FIGURES 24–33 ) and mesopleuron ( Figs 6 View FIGURES 5–22 , 27 View FIGURES 24–33 ), but abundant on propodeum ( Figs 9 View FIGURES 5–22 , 31 View FIGURES 24–33 ); notaulices complete, smooth and deep ( Figs 8 View FIGURES 5–22 , 30 View FIGURES 24–33 ); mesopleuron with smooth depression ( Figs 6 View FIGURES 5–22 , 27 View FIGURES 24–33 ); propodeum with short anterior mid-longitudinal carina, and complete posterior areola, pentagonal, elongated, and relatively narrow from middle, reaching lower edge of propodeum. Anterior end of areola angular, where long straight anterior transverse carina begins and reaches strong lateral longitudinal carina ( Figs 9 View FIGURES 5–22 , 31 View FIGURES 24–33 ). Transverse carina arises from upper edge of propodeum, and runs downward and outward, bifurcating inferiorly before reaching posterior edge of propodeum. Center of areola smooth, metapleuron setose ( Figs 9 View FIGURES 5–22 , 31 View FIGURES 24–33 ); metasoma completely smooth and polished ( Figs 10 View FIGURES 5–22 , 29 View FIGURES 24–33 ). Ovipositor approximately 6 mm long.

Wings. Fore wing with stigma 4.2× longer than wide; with vein r projecting from its midpoint; (RS+M)a sinuous anteriorly and 1.2× longer than 3RSa; 2RS 0.9× longer than 3RSa, 1.2× longer than 1m-cu, and 2.2× longer than r-m; 1m-cu directly in line with 2RS; 3RSa 2.2× longer than r vein; 2M 1.6× longer than 3Rsa ( Figs 3 View FIGURES 1–4 , 32 View FIGURES 24–33 ). Hind wing with m-cu, distinctly pigmented ( Fig. 32 View FIGURES 24–33 ).

Color. Distinctly reddish orange, but black on head [antenna ( Figs 5 View FIGURES 5–22 , 24, 25 View FIGURES 24–33 ), apex of mandible ( Fig. 26 View FIGURES 24–33 ), and vertex (ocellar triangle) ( Figs 7b View FIGURES 5–22 , 28b View FIGURES 24–33 )], on mesosoma [wide area of median and lateral lobes of mesoscutum ( Figs 8 View FIGURES 5–22 , 30 View FIGURES 24–33 ), anterior region of mesopleuron ( Figs 6a View FIGURES 5–22 , 27 View FIGURES 24–33 ), mesosternum ( Fig. 26b View FIGURES 24–33 ), and posterior leg except apical half of femur and last segment of anterior and middle tarsi ( Figs 5 View FIGURES 5–22 , 24 View FIGURES 24–33 )]; metasoma with black bands from segments T4 to T7 ( Figs 10 View FIGURES 5–22 , 29 View FIGURES 24–33 ) and on ovipositor sheath ( Fig. 5 View FIGURES 5–22 ). Fore wing darkened (infumate), veins and stigma dark brown ( Figs 5 View FIGURES 5–22 , 25, 32 View FIGURES 24–33 ).

Distribution. Guaratiba, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.

Fruit fly and associated plant. Lima (1938) mentioned that D. fluminensis was described from specimens obtained from Anastrepha fraterculus ; however, in the Fiocruz file and on the holotype and allotype labels, the host is given as A. pseudoparallela ( Figs 2, 4 View FIGURES 1–4 , 33 View FIGURES 24–33 ). Lima (1948) recorded D. fluminensis as a parasitoid of A. parallela in his compilation of South American entomophagous insects, but he did not mention his own record ( Lima 1938) nor that of Gonçalves (1938) (see discussion section for additional information on host records).

Specimens examined. Holotype (female) ( CEIOC 77185 ) , Allotype (male) ( CEIOC 3159 ) .

Comments. The original description was based on the holotype, allotype, and paratype (male, CEIOC No. 2682; not examined). Only the type material is known. Although Lima (1938) described D. fluminensis with black spots on the lobes of the mesoscutum ( Figs 8 View FIGURES 5–22 , 30 View FIGURES 24–33 ) and the anterior region of the mesopleuron ( Figs 6 View FIGURES 5–22 , 27 View FIGURES 24–33 ), these spots were neither characterized in detail nor mentioned in the subsequent literature and taxonomic keys. These spots easily separate D. fluminensis from other species of Doryctobracon , except from D. maculatus , which shares the same characteristics, as discussed below. However, the appearance of these black spots is quite particular, and this difference can be used to separate these two species. Examination of the holotype and allotype of D. fluminensis reveals extensive black spots that completely cover the mesoscutal lobes (median and lateral), and their limits, or the intersection of these spots, almost reach the notauli ( Figs 8 View FIGURES 5–22 , 30 View FIGURES 24–33 ). In D. maculatus , the spots are pitch black, well defined, and are located at the ends of the lobes of the mesoscutum, being widely separated by the orange color of the mesosoma; on the median lobe, the spot is semi-oval, and the lateral lobes have wide black bands that reach the anterolateral region of the scutellum ( Marinho et al. 2021) ( Fig. 14 View FIGURES 5–22 ). In D. fluminensis , the anterior region of the mesopleuron, defined by Lima (1938) as “sternopleuron” ( Figs 6a View FIGURES 5–22 , 27 View FIGURES 24–33 ), and mesosternum are black ( Fig. 26b View FIGURES 24–33 ). In D. maculatus , the mesopleuron is almost completely black, mainly posteriorly, which continues, covering the mesosternum ( Fig. 12b View FIGURES 5–22 ), except for the longitudinal groove on the ventral surface of the mesothorax, which is orange (mesodiscrimen).

Other characteristics can be used to separate these species, such as the color of the head (dorsal) and the structure of the propodeum. The head in D. fluminensis is completely orange, and only the vertex (ocellar triangle) is black ( Figs 7b View FIGURES 5–22 , 28b View FIGURES 24–33 ). D. maculatus also has an orange head; however, an uninterrupted black or dark reddish brown spot or stripe occurs on the frons and vertex (ocellar triangle), ending on the occiput ( Figs 12a, 13 View FIGURES 5–22 ). In D. fluminensis , the hind coxa is black ( Fig. 6b View FIGURES 5–22 ). In D. maculatus , the hind coxa is yellow with three small dark-brown smoky spots arranged circularly ( Fig. 12c View FIGURES 5–22 ). Although both these species have an areolate propodeum, they differ in the shape of the areola and the presence of carinae within them. Doryctobracon fluminensis has a propodeum with a short anterior mid-longitudinal carina and a complete posterior areola, pentagonal, elongated, and relatively narrow from the middle, which reaches the lower edge of the propodeum ( Figs 9 View FIGURES 5–22 , 31 View FIGURES 24–33 ). The anterior end of the areola is angular, where a long straight anterior transverse carina begins and reaches a strong lateral longitudinal carina; the center of the areola is smooth, and many bristles cover the metapleuron ( Figs 9 View FIGURES 5–22 , 31 View FIGURES 24–33 ). In D. maculatus , the propodeum also has a short mid-anterior longitudinal carina, followed by a complete posterior areola ( Figs 15 View FIGURES 5–22 , 34a View FIGURE 34 ). However, the areola has anteriorly rounded edges, where two to three short carinae radiate on each side, weakening without reaching the lateral longitudinal carina ( Figs 15 View FIGURES 5–22 , 34b View FIGURE 34 ); only one, the posterior transverse carina of the areola, reaches the lateral longitudinal carina ( Figs 15 View FIGURES 5–22 , 34c View FIGURE 34 ). Within the areola are two very weak longitudinal carinae, bending posteriorly ( Fig 15 View FIGURES 5–22 , 34d View FIGURE 34 ), and another transverse carina at the base ( Figs 15 View FIGURES 5–22 , 34e View FIGURE 34 ).

Although the spots on the lobes of the mesoscutum and anterior region of the mesopleuron are described as black in D. fluminensis ( Lima, 1938) the analysis of the holotype and allotype showed a less-intense color, close to dark brown, particularly in the anterior region of the mesopleuron, mesosternum, and antenna, indicating that the color may have faded with time due to preservation issues. The black dorsal abdominal bands in females, reported by many authors ( Muesebeck 1958; Fischer 1964, 1965; Wharton & Marsh 1978) can also be found in males, as observed in the allotype ( Figs 10 View FIGURES 5–22 , 29 View FIGURES 24–33 ). Furthermore, the vertex of females was defined as lighter than that of males ( Wharton & Marsh 1978), but these differences were not observed in the type material examined (holotype and allotype), which have a black vertex (ocellar triangle) ( Figs 7b View FIGURES 5–22 , 28b View FIGURES 24–33 ).

According to the original description ( Lima, 1938), D. fluminensis was reared in A. fraterculus (Wiedemann) , collected by Aristóteles Silva, with no information on host fruit. However, on the labels of the type material, the host is A. pseudoparallela (Loew) reared in Passiflora sp. (passion fruit) ( Figs 2, 4 View FIGURES 1–4 , 33 View FIGURES 24–33 ). Information on A. pseudoparallela as host of D. fluminensis was published by Gonçalves (1938), who also reported that this record was obtained by Aristóteles Silva, who collected the specimens described by Lima (1938). Gonçalves (1938) ’s record went practically unnoticed, but Lima’s information (1938) was released by other authors (e. g., Zucchi 2000; Aguiar-Menezes & Menezes 2023).Anyway, A. pseudoparallela should be considered host of D. fluminensis and not A. fraterculus as stated in Lima (1938). Furthermore, passion fruit is the most common host of A. pseudoparallela in Brazil ( Zucchi & Moraes 2024).