Biodiversity Data Journal :
Taxonomic Paper
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Corresponding author:
Academic editor: Michael Sharkey
Received: 21 Jan 2016 | Accepted: 03 Mar 2016 | Published: 09 Mar 2016
© 2016 Julia Stigenberg, Kees Van Achterberg
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Stigenberg J, Van Achterberg K (2016) Review of the Palaearctic (and Oriental) Allurus (Braconidae, Euphorinae) based on material from Sweden. Biodiversity Data Journal 4: e7853. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e7853
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The tribe Centistini includes three genera, Allurus, Centistes and Centistoides (
In this paper we present a key, molecular data (standard DNA barcode, CO1) and images of the two species of Allurus occurring in the Western Palaearctic. A third Oriental species described from China (Taiwan) is also included in the key. Allurus is a Holarctic genus with three known species (A. choui, A. lituratus, A. muricatus). Our sequence data confirms that A. muricatus and A. lituratus are two distinct and separate species and this paper points out good and easy characters to separate them.
Braconidae, Euphorinae, Allurus, parasitic wasp, DNA
The genus Allurus Förster contains fairly large euphorine wasps of 3-4 mm body length. It is a Holarctic genus with extralimital species in Taiwan. In this paper we present a review of the species of Allurus based on morphological study of the types and morphological and molecular study of the material available at NHRS. The Allurus are rare, but as they parasitize on the very common coleopteran genus Sitona (Curculionidae), they probably are more common than we think.
All specimens in the collections at the Swedish Museum of Natural History were collected with Malaise Traps. Five specimens of A. lituratus were collected within the Swedish Malaise Trap Project (SMTP). Two specimens were collected by A. Ohlsson in 2011. The single specimen of A. muricatus was collected in a allotment garden by T. Malm and M. Malm in 2012. Terminology used for morphological and wing structures follow
Allurus
The genus Allurus is diagnosed by having bifurcate claws, hind coxa with more or less developed ventral denticle, first metasomal tergite sessile, broad and strongly curved ovipositor, first subdiscal cell (2Cu) open, vein 2–1A (A) on fore wing not reaching wing vein 2Cua (Cu), laterope usually hardly visible.
Allurus choui
Precoxal sulcus absent. Notauli shallow and almost smooth. Marginal cell of fore wing distinctly shortened; metacarpus 0.9 times as long as pterostigma. Propodeum without transverse carina. Frons almost entirely sculptured. Body length 2.4–4.2 mm.
Oriental (China, Taiwan).
Holotype: ♀, Taiwan, “C. Taiwan: Tsuifeng, 2300 m, Nantou Hsien, V.1984, K.S. Lin & K.C. Chou, Malaise trap” (TARI).
Leiophron (Ancylus) lituratus
Leiophron armatus var. 1
Type material: Lectotype designated by
Antenna with 30-33 segments, clypeus smoothly continuing from face, rather densely setose. Hind coxa with only slightly protruding denticle apico-ventrally, second metasomal sternite without denticles, if with denticles then on 4th sternite, metasoma ventrally dense setose, first metasomal tergite only slightly longer than its apically width.
Eastern Palaearctic, Western Palaearctic, Oriental and Nearctic.
Studied material: 1 ♀ Sweden, Sk, Klippans kommun, Skäralid, valley below northern Lierna. Rich beech forest. 11.vi–03.vii.2004. Trap ID 37, Coll ID 832. Leg. SMTP/NHRS. DNA voucher: JS10_00410. 1 ♀ Sweden, Sk, Höganäs kommun, Kullabergs naturreservat, between Hjortstugan and Ransvik, Oak forest in southern slope. 09.viii–20.ix.2005. Trap ID 1004, Coll ID 1898. Leg. SMTP/NHRS. DNA voucher: JS10_00409. GenBank accession: KJ591423. 1 ♀ Sweden, Sö, Haninge kommun, Tyresta Urskogsslingan. Flat-rock and pine forest. 20.vii–11.viii.2004. Trap ID 3, Coll ID 799. Leg. SMTP/NHRS. DNA voucher: JS10_00408. GenBank accession: KU521565. 1 ♀ Sweden, Sm, Älmhults kommun, Stenbrohult, Djäknabygds bokbacke, Heath with old beeches. 26.vi–15.vii.2003. Trap ID 24, Coll ID 816. Leg. SMTP/NHRS. DNA voucher: JS10_00407. 1 ♀ Sweden, Sm, Älmhults kommun, Stenbrohult, Djäknabygds bokbacke, Heath with old beeches. 20.vii–5.ix.2005. Trap ID 24, Coll ID 1674. Leg. SMTP/NHRS. DNA voucher: JS10_00406. GenBank accession: KU521564. 2 ♀ SWE. SK. Klippan, Söderåsens NP. Skärsån. Malaise Trap. N56°02.225', E13°14,377'. 18.vi.2011–02.vii., 35 moh. Loc023-06. Leg. A. Ohlsson. All specimens are deposited at NHRS.
Ancylus muricatus
Leiophron (Ancylus) muricatus
Leiophron armatus var. 2
var. nigra
Type specimen: Lectotype designated by
Antenna with 30 segments, clypeus distinctly differentiated from face and sparsely setose. Hind coxa with a thumb-like denticle apico-ventrally, second metasomal sternite with two distinctly protruding denticles, metasoma ventrally sparse setose, first metasomal tergite as broad apically as long.
Eastern Palaearctic and Western Palaearctic.
Studied material: 1 ♀ Sweden, Sö, Stockholm, Enskede Gårds kolonilottsförening, N59°17'19.58", E18°03'54.63" Malaisetrap, 10-25.vii.20012, leg. T. Malm & M. Malm. DNA voucher: JS10_00405. GenBank accession: KU521563. The specimen is deposited at NHRS. All photos of A. muricatus belong to this specimen (Figs
Key to the species of Allurus |
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1 | Precoxal sulcus absent Fig. |
Allurus choui |
– | Precoxal sulcus present (Figs |
2 |
2 | Hind coxae with distinct denticle apico- ventrally Fig. |
Allurus muricatus |
– | Hind coxae with less developed and only slightly protruding denticle apico- ventrally Fig. |
Allurus lituratus |
The analysis of the sequences revealed a nucleotide difference of 12.5% (82 bases differing) between the sequence of A. muricatus and the four sequences of A. lituratus. The intraspecific variation among A. lituratus was within 1.5% difference, with the specimen JS10_00409 differing from the other A. lituratus with 7-9 bases. There was no specific part of the sequences where the nucleotid disagreements between the two species were aggregated, they were spread all over the 658 nucleotide bases (Fig.
The SMTP has collected insects since 2003 through out Sweden and that the result of those trappings should be only a handful of Allurus specimens is rather strange, that is, in relation to the common occurrence of the host genus. The Sitona are rather common all over Sweden and found even in Jukkasjärvi, 200 km north of the Arctic circle (
We would like to thank the brothers Tobias and Markus Malm for the A. muricatus specimen collected in their allotment garden. For helpful comments of the manuscript we would like to thank Mattias Forshage, Tobias Malm, Michael Sharkey and Jan Hrcek. Sergey Belokobylskij kindly allowed us to use his illustration of A. choui. This work was funded by the Swedish Taxonomy Initiative (Dha 2013-145 and 2015-19 4.3) and Riksmusei Vänner.