Scambus albitibia ( Morley, 1914 )

2. Scambus albitibia ( Morley, 1914) View in CoL

( Fig. 46 View FIGURES 46–49 )

Epiurus albitibia Morley 1914: 87

[ holotype ♀ ( BMNH), Mexico, Guerrero, Chilpancingo, 4600 ft. (= 1400 m); ♀ ♂, Mexico, Guerrero, 2800–8000 ft. (= 855–2440 m): Amula, Omiltemi , Venta de Zopilote , Xucumanatlán ].

References. Townes & Townes 1960: 77 [ Scambus ( Erythroscambus) ]. Townes & Townes 1966: 10 [catalogue; Scambus ( Erythroscambus) ; Mexico]. Cave 1992: 596 [ Honduras; host, biology]. Ruíz-Cancino et al. 2002: 645 [checklist; Mexico]. Gauld et al. 2002: 33 [ El Salvador].

Material examined. MEXICO, Tamaulipas: 1 ♀ (UAT) Hidalgo, Santa Engracia , Malaise trap, 19.xi.1994, coll. C.A. Covarrubias D. & S. Hernández A . 1 ♀ (UAT) SW of Jaumave , 23°24.08’N, 99°23.933’W, 400 m, 24.x.2008, coll. A.I. Khalaim. GoogleMaps 1 ♀ (UAT) 17 km N of Palmillas, Ejido Magdaleno Aguilar , 23°26.995’N, 99°33.440’W, 1450 m, pine forest + juniper, Malaise trap, 30.viii–12.ix.2012, coll. S. Mireles C. & A.J. Rodriguez M GoogleMaps . Nayarit: 1 ♀ ( EMEC) Maria , 27.vii.1955, coll. B. Malkin. Jalisco: 46 ♀ ( 2 ♀ in AEIC, 2 ♀ in FSCA, 2 ♀ in TAMU, 2 ♀ in UNAM, 23 ♀ in ZISP) 10 km S of Tequila, Volcán de Tequila , 20°47.4’N, 103°51’W, 2750–2850 m, 7.ii.2009, coll. A.I. Khalaim. GoogleMaps Querétaro: 1 ♀ ( UNAM) Amealco, San Pedro Tenango , 20°08’12”N, 100°06’37”W, 2520 m, 24.x.2007, coll. H. Brailovsky & L. Cervantes. GoogleMaps 1 ♀ ( UAQ) Municipio Colón, Pinar del Zamorano , 29.iii.2004, coll. F. Espinosa. 4 ♀ ( UAQ) Municipio Colón, 6 km NE of Los Trigos, Cerro El Zamorano Mt. , 24.ii.1997, coll. M. Gálvez et al. Guanajuato: 1 ♀ ( AEIC) San Miguel de Allende , 5.vii.1972, coll. B. & C. Dasch. Michoacán: 1 ♀ ( AEIC) Tancítaro , 6586 ft. (= 2010 m), 17.vii.1940, coll. Hoo [illegibly] Knight , “ Homotype det. H.K. Townes” . Puebla: 1 ♀ (TAMU) 4.4 mi. SW of Acatepec , 9.vii.1981, coll. Bogar, Schaffner & Friedlander. Veracruz: 1 ♀ ( AEIC) Orizaba , 14.xi.1972, coll. B. & C. Dasch. Morelos: 1 ♀ ( AEIC) Tepoztlán , 20.viii.1956, coll. R. & K. Dreisbach, “ Homotype det. H.K. Townes” . 1 ♀ ( CIUM) ESE of Cuautla, Amilcingo , 17.xi.1991, coll. J. Flores . 3 ♀ ( 2 ♀ in CIUM, 1 ♀ in UAT) Yautepec, Rancho Coatlán Grande , 26.ix.1991, coll. G. Peña. 1 ♂ ( CIUM) Cuernavaca—Mexicapa , 2100 m, 24.[illegibly].1991, coll. G. Peña. 1 ♀ (TAMU) 4.4 mi. E of Cuernavaca, Malaise trap, 27–29.vii.1976, coll. Peigler et al. Chiapas: 1 ♀ (UAT) San Cristóbal, Reserva Cerro El Huitepec , 16°46’06”N, 92°41’04”W, 7900 ft. (= 2410 m), Malaise trap, 20.ix.1995, coll. O. Gómez & M. Girón. GoogleMaps HONDURAS: 1 ♀, 1 ♂ ( FSCA) Francisco Morazán, Cerro Uyuca , 2000 m, 3.xii.1989, coll. V. & S. Gupta .

Diagnosis. Head black. Scape and pedicel of antenna white, flagellum orange. Mesosoma reddish orange; propleuron blackish; pronotum with anterior lower part blackish, dorsoposteriorly whitish; mesepimeron whitish. Tegula white. Pterostigma pale brown. Fore and mid legs predominantly whitish (especially coxae, trochanters and trochantelli). Hind leg with coxa and femur orange (femur apically whitish); trochanter, trochantellus, tibia and tarsus whitish; tibia slightly infuscate apically. Metasoma reddish brown, darkened posteriorly. Malar space very short, about 0.1× as long as basal mandibular width. Submetapleural carina as a short tubercle anteriorly. Nervellus intercepted in lower 0.3–0.35. Tergites 1–5 distinctly transverse, strongly and densely punctate, with hind margins not reduced; tergite 6 with hind margin weakly reduced. Ovipositor weakly compressed, with nodus, with upper margin somewhat concave behind nodus; ventral teeth strongly oblique. Ovipositor sheath 0.6–0.8× as long as metasoma.

Scambus albitibia is similar to S. hirticauda (Provanvher) occurring in Canada and USA but differs from this species by the following features:

1. Ovipositor not especially thickened apically, its sheath 0.6–0.8× as long as metasoma. Mesosoma reddish orange, only propleuron and pronotum with blackish and white marks..................................... S. albitibia (Morley)

- Ovipositor apically spear-shaped, with raised nodus, its sheath 1.0–1.2× as long as metasoma. Mesosoma reddish orange with black markings on mesopleuron and propodeum. [ Canada, USA ( California, Arizona). Not recorded from Mexico.]...................................................................................... S. hirticauda (Provancher)

Variation. Female from Amilcingo in Morelos possesses hind tarsi with tarsomeres unusually short, probably abnormal.

Distribution. Mexico ( Tamaulipas, Nayarit, Jalisco, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Puebla, Veracruz, Guerrero, Morelos, Chiapas), Honduras, El Salvador.

Biology. Reared from Mocis latipes (Guenée) ( Lepidoptera : Noctuidae ) on Oryza sativa L. and Digitaria sp. (Poaceae) in Honduras ( Cave 1992). The parasitoid attacks host larva, and 1 to 24 adult parasitoids emerge from each pupa. Several cases of multiparasitism of S. albitibia and Lespesia parviteres (Aldrich & Webber) (Tachinidae) were registered. Only one adult of L. parviteres and 2 to 10 adults of S. albitibia emerged from each host ( Cave 1992).