A new western nearctic species of Calameuta Konow (Hymenoptera: Cephidae)

2005·2.3 MB·

by  David R Smith

PROC. ENTOMOL. SOC. WASH.
107(4), 2005, pp. 864-868
A NEW WESTERN NEARCTIC SPECIES OF CALAMEUTA KONOW
(HYMENOPTERA: CEPHIDAE)
David R. Smith and Nathan M. Schiff
(DRS) Systematic Entomology Laboratory, PSI, Agricultural Research Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, % National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Insti-
tution, RO. Box 37012, MRC 168, Washington, DC 20013-7012 U.S.A. (e-mail:
[email protected]); (NMS) U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Southern Research Station, Center for Bottomland Hardwood Research, P.O. Box 227,
Stoneville, MS 38776 U.S.A. (e-mail: [email protected])
—
Abstract. Calameuta middlekauffi, n. sp., is described from southern Oregon and
California. It is the second species of Calameuta in North America and is differentiated
from C. clavata (Norton) by head shape and coloration. Illustrations, descriptions, and a
key are given to separate the two species. The food plant is unknown, but Palearctic
species of Calameuta are known to feed in grass stems.
Key Words: Cephinae, grasses, California, Oregon
The genus Calameuta Konow is bestrep- tral valley and coastal ranges of southern
resented in the Palearctic Region where Oregon to southern California.
about 20 species are known. Only one spe- Food plants are not known for North
cies, C clavata (Norton 1869), is known American Calameuta. Larvae of Palearctic
from North America, and it occurs from species feed in grass stems, and for C. cla-
California to Idaho, Oregon, and Washing- vata, Middlekauff (1969) stated "unknown
ton (Ries 1937, Middlekauff 1969, Smith grasses" as the food plant but speculated
1979). For a number of years, we noted a that the grass hosts may turn out to be Bro-
few peculiar specimens masquerading un- mus laevipes Shear and/or Deschampsia
der C. clavata. These were mostly single danthomioides Trin., which have sympatric
C
specimens from scattered localities, that ap- ranges with clavata.
pear like and key to C. clavata and were Calameuta clavata has been placed in
considered variants of that species. Not un- Cephus Latreille by some North America
til NMS collected a series from the same authors (Ries 1937, Middlekauff 1969).
place could we substantiate that these un- However, we follow Benson's (1946) defi-
usual specimens represent a distinct species nition ofthe two genera and place it in Cal-
rather than an occasional aberration of C. ameuta, as was followed by Smith (1979).
clavata. The head shape and relatively con- Calameuta is distinguished from Cephus by
stant color pattern are the most distinctive the interantennal distance shorter than the
characteristics, and we here describe these antennal-tentorial distance; lower interocu-
specimens as a new species. From the few lar distance usually less than the eye height;
specimens available, it does not appear to female cerci more than half as long as the
be as common as C. clavata, and it is ap- sheath; and the eighth stemite of the male
parently restricted in distribution to the cen- without a fringe of long, modified setae. In
.
VOLUME 107, NUMBER 4 865
North America, C. clavata and the new spe- interocular distance slightly shorterthan up-
cies below can be distinguished from Ce- per interocular distance and subequal to eye
phus by the bidentate left mandible, with a height. Distances between eye and lateral
rounded shoulder on the inner side of the ocellus, between lateral ocelli, and from lat-
second tooth. In contrast, the left mandible eral ocellus to hind margin of head as 1.0:
of Cephas is tridentate. 1.0:2.2. Hind tibia with one preapical spine.
Cercus about as long as sheath. Sheath in
Calameuta middlekauffi Smith and
dorsal view of equal width and bkmtly
Schiff, new species rounded at apex, width slightly more than
— (Figs. 1-5) width of hind basitarsus; oblong plate (val-
Female. Length, 6.7-8.5 mm. Antenna vifer 2) 2—.OX longer than sheath (valvula 3).
and head black, sometimes faint yellow Male. Length, 6.5-7.0 mm. Color as
spot at center of supraclypeal area; mandi- for female except large yellow spot on su-
ble yellow with extreme base black and praclypeal area; inner surface of midcoxa
apex reddish brown. Thorax black with up- yellow; most of hind coxa yellow with
per corner of mesepisternum and spiracular black spot only at extreme base; outer sur-
sclerite yellow. Legs with coxae and tro- face of hind tibia may be yellowish. Ab-
chanters black, a small yellow spot on low- domen (Fig. 1) black with medial yellow
er posterior margin of hind coxa; femora marks on posterior halves of terga 3, 4. 6,
yellow, fore- and mid-femora with black at and usually 7; small if present on 2 and 5.
extreme base and hind femur with extreme Lateral yellow marks on 1-8 separated by
apex and base black; fore- and mid-tibiae black or connected below by narrow yellow
and tarsi yellowish, apical 2 or 3 segments stripes; hypandrium mostly yellow. Ab-
of fore- and midtarsi infuscate; hind tibia dominal sternite 8 apically notched at cen-
and tarsus black, sometimes hind tibia ter, with fringe of very short setae on mar-
slightly yellowish. Abdomen (Fig. 2) black gin. —
with continuous lateral longitudinal yellow Type material. Holotype 9. labeled
stripe of about equal width, yellow on 8th "USA: California: Solano Co.. Stebbins
segment broader and extending onto pos- Cold Creek Canyon, 38°27'N 122°42'W.
terior margin of 8th sternite, 9th segment 15_IV-l-V-96. Nathan M. Schiff, Malaise
with small yellow stripe posteriorly on lat- trap." Deposited in the National Museum
eral margin; segments 4-7 with medial dor- of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.
sal yellow spots, varying in size and with Washington, DC (USNM).
faint to small spots on segments 5 and 8; Paratypes: CALIFORNIA: Same data as
apex of segments 8 and 9 with small yellow holotype (3 9, 1 c?), same data as holotype
spots. Wings hyaline; veins and stigma except 1-14-IV-96 (2 9); Solano Co., Cold
W
brown; outer surface of costa of fore- and Cyn. Res.. 11 km Winters. 12-III-l-IV-
MT
hind wing yellow. 92, S. L. Heydon, (2 9); Siskiyou Co..
Antenna 23-25 segmented. Left mandi- Hill Hungry Road. Forest Service Rd. 1
ble bidentate, inner tooth with blunt, round- May 12, 1996. Nathan M.. Schiff (I 9); El
ed shoulder on inner margin. Head (Figs. Dorado Co.. Blodgett. 38°54'N 122°42'W.
3-5) round in lateral view, in lateral view 12-V-1-VI-96. Nathan M. Schiff, Malaise
and dorsal view with frons protuberant; in trap (1 9); Mts. near Claremont. Baker (I
dorsal view head deeply emarginate behind, 9. 1 6)\ Upland. 4/17/20 (19); Corlc Ma-
depth of emargination half distance from dera Cr. IV-25-1960 ( 1 9.1 (5); Santa Cla-
posterior corner to eye. Eye oval, about ra Co.. Mount Hamilton. 2 May 1976. Lar-
W
1.3X higher than wide. Distance from an- ry Bezark (1 9 ): 1.5 mi on Mix Canyon
tennal insertion to tentorial pits 1.3X dis- Road, Solano Co.. clc. 1.000. 111-30-76. N.
tance between antennal insertions. Lower J. Smith, coir. ( 1 '? ); Crccn Vallcw Solano
—
866 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
Figs. 1-5. Calameuta middlekauffi. 1, Male abdomen, lateral view. 2, Female abdomen, lateral view. 3,
Head, front view. 4, Head, lateral view. 5, Head, dorsal view.
—
Co., III-24-1954, E. I. Schlinger, collector Etymology. The specific epithet is in
(1 9); Orchard Hills, Alameda Co., IV-14- honor Dr. Woodrow W. Middlekauff, Uni-
74, coll. R. D. Moon (1 9); Round Mt., versity of California, Berkeley, for his ex-
Shasta Col., V-23-1949, R. M. Bohart (1 cellent contributions to the knowledge of
9); Mt. San Jacinto, 4,000', VI-6-42, R. North American sawflies.
W
Bohart (19). OREGON: 4 mi ofSelma, Remarks. Calameuta middlekauffi is
Josephine Co., May 23, 1964, Kenneth distinguished from C clavata by a solid lat-
Goeden (1 9). Deposited in the USNM, eral yellow stripe on the female abdomen,
University of California at Davis, and the small yellow markings laterally and on the
collection of N. Schiff. dorsum of segments 3, 4, 6, and usually 7
VOLUME 107, NUMBER 4 867
Figs. 6-10. Calameuta clavata. 6, Male abdomen, lateral view. 7, Female abdomen, lateral view. 8. Head,
front view. 9, Head, lateral view. 10, Head, dorsal view.
on the male abdomen, the round head in frons is more evenly rounded and less pro-
side view, more rounded eyes, protuberant tuberant in lateral and dorsal views; the
frons, and deep posterior emargination of posterior margin of the head in dorsal view
the head as seen in dorsal view. In general, is less emarginate, the depth of the emar-
the size of C. middlekaiifft is smaller than gination less than halfthe distance from the
C. clavata, with most specimens of the lat- posterior corner of the head to the eye
mm
ter being 10 or more in length. (Figs. 8-10); and the oblong plate is 1.6X
The female abdomen of C. clavata (Fig. the length of the sheath. The male usually
7) is banded yellow on segments 3, 4, and has more yellow on the supraclypeal area,
6, with medial and lateral spots on segment the coxae are yellow except at their bases,
7, segment 8 mostly black, and segment 9 and the hypandrium is mostly yellow with
black with the apical half yellow. It lacks a large round black spot at its base. Though
the solid lateral yellow stripe. The male ab- the coloration of C. clavata is variable, as
domen has similar yellow markings as the stated by Middlekauff 1969). the variation
(
female (Fig. 6). The eyes are more elongate, does not reach the extreme solid lateral
with the height 1.6X or more their width; stripe as in C. iniddlckauffi. The amount of
the head is more oval in lateral view; the yellow on segments 2, 3. and 5 and 6 of C.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
clavata varies somewhat, but segment 4 is in dorsal view with shallower posterior emar-
gination (Fig. 10) C. clavata
normally entirely black.
Calameuta middlekauffi has been found Acknowledgments
from southern Oregon south to southern We thank Steve Heydon, University of
California. Most specimens are from the California, Davis, for the loan of speci-
coastal range in central California. Cala- mens. Cathy Apgar, Systematic Entomolo-
meuta clavata has a much wider distribu- gy Laboratory, USDA, took the Auto-Mon-
tion, which encompasses that of C. middle- tage photos and arranged the plates. We ap-
kauffi and occurs from Washington and Ida- preciate the reviews of the following: S. G.
ho south to southern California (as far as Codella, Kean University, Union, NJ; N. J.
the Mexican border) in the coastal ranges Vandenberg and M. A. Solis, Systematic
and at high elevations in the Sierras. Entomology Laboratory, USDA, Washing-
We have examined a number of Palearc- ton, DC.
tic species of Calameuta and checked the Literature Cited
literature and are not aware of a Palearctic
Benson, R. B. 1946. Classification of the Cephidae
species of Calameuta similar to C. middle- (Hymenoptera Symphyta). Transactions of the
kauffi. Royal Entomological Society ofLondon 96: 89-
108.
Key TO Species of North American Middlekauff, W. W. 1969. The cephid stem borers of
California (Hymenoptera: Cephidae). Bulletin of
Calameuta
the California Insect Survey 11, 19 pp.
Norton, E. 1869. Catalogue of the described Tenthre-
1. Female abdomen with solid lateral yellow dinidae and Uroceridae ofNorth America. Trans-
stripe (Fig. 2); male abdomen with dorsal yel- actions ofthe AmericanEntomological Society2:
low spots on segments 3, 5, 6, and usually 7, 321-368.
usually not extending laterally, and lateral Ries, D. T. 1937. A revision ofthe Nearctic Cephidae
spots on segments 1-8 (Fig. 1); head round in (Hymenoptera). Transactions ofthe AmericanEn-
lateral view (Fig. 4), frons protuberant (Figs. tomological Society 63: 259-324.
4-5), and in dorsal view with deep posterior Smith, D. R. 1979. Symphyta, pp. 1-137. In Krom-
emargination (Fig. 5) C. middlekauffi bein, K. V., R D. Hurd, Jr, D. R. Smith, and B.
- Femaleandmaleabdomenwithoutsolidlateral D. Burks, eds. Catalog ofHymenoptera in Amer-
stripe, tergites 3, 4, and 6 usually solidly yel- ica North ofMexico. Vol. 1. Symphyta and Apo-
low (Figs. 6-7); head moreoval in lateral view crita (Parasitica). Smithsonian Institution Press,
(Fig. 9) frons notprotuberant (Figs. 9-10), and Washington, DC, xvi +1198 pp.