Pleurotroppopsis japonica

Pleurotroppopsis japonica (Kamijo, 1977)

(Figs 7, 8)

Cotterellia japonica Kamijo, 1977: 257–258. Holotype ♀, HUMJ (examined).

Pleurotroppopsis japonica (Kamijo, 1977), Bouček, 1988: 710.

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Scape white with apical 1/4 to 2/5 infuscate. Fore wing disc weakly to distinctly infuscate below MV, with small speculum. Tibiae blackish brown, sometimes paler apically. Frontovertex with a median groove extending from anterior ocellus to frontal carina (Fig. 8a). Face between frontal carina and toruli hardly depressed; frontal carina straight. Ocelli in a nearly right-angled triangle. Collar of pronotum piliferous and depressed in anterior 1/2, smooth in posterior 1/2. MLM with engraved transverse reticulation, with a median groove reduced and only distinct posteriorly. Scutellum with a row of small punctures along sublateral grooves and without posterior groove. Axilla smooth and with one seta. Dorsellum polished. Propodeum with submedian areas and spiracular areas smooth and shiny; spiracular areas bare (Fig. 8b). Gaster slender, 1.5–1.7× as long as broad, weakly to distinctly acute apically (Figs 7a, 8c). Metafemur without teeth along ventral margin.

MALE. Differs from female in the following characters. Scape dark brown and swollen, and flagellomeres stalked apically and with long, erect setae (Fig. 7f). Wings hyaline. Tibiae entirely white or brown, occasionally white with an infuscate line on dorsal surface. Gastral tergites piliferous but not punctate.

Material examined. Type material. Holotype ♀, Kozagawa, Wakayama-Ken, Honshu, ex. Aristae sp. On Aster sp., 5.X.1973, em. Spring of 1974, coll. T. Kumata (HUMJ). Paratypes: 1♀, Sapporo Hokkaido, 17.VIII.1959, S. Nomoi, with an identification label “ Cotterellia japonica Kamijo ” (HUMJ); 1♀, Kii-Osima, em. 15.VI.1964, Honshu, T. Kumata, ex. Lithocolletis eyoniae Kumata, with an identification label “ Cotterellia japonica Kamijo ” (HUMJ); 1♀, Morioka Honshu, 12.V.1967, T. Uiiie, ex. Lithocolletis ringoniella Mat., with an identification label “ Cotterellia japonica Kamijo ” (HUMJ); 1♂, Futagoyama Shikawa. Ken Honshu, 3-3, 3hrs, 27 July 1975, coll. I. Togashi (HUMJ); 1♂, Morioka Honshu Japan, 11.V.1972, T. Ujiye, ex. Lithocolletis ringoniella Maisumura (HUMJ); 1♂, Zyozankei Hokkaido, 19.IX.1958, T. Kumata, ex. Lithocolletis tiliae Kumata (HUMJ).

Other material examined. 1♀ 1♂, China, Hunan, Changsha, ex. larva of Gracilariidae attacking Ziziphus jujuba Mill. Var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H. F. Chow, 28.VII.1979, coll. Xinwang Tong (IZCAS); 6♀ 4♂, China, Hunan, Changsha, ex. larva of Gracilariidae attacking Ziziphus jujuba Mill. Var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H. F. Chow, 10.VIII.1979, coll. Xinwang Tong (IZCAS); 1♀, China, Sichuan, Qingchengshan, 20.X.1983, coll. Changfang Li (IZCAS); 2♀, Philippines, Davao del Sur Digos, Nov. 1974 ex. Lep, det. Bouček 1985 (NHMUK).

Biology. Pleurotroppopsis japonica has mainly been recorded attacking lepidopteran leafminers, especially Gracillariidae, and has occasionally been recorded from the weevil Rhynchaenus takabayashii Kôno (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and dipteran leafminers (Kamijo 1977; Kamijo 1990). Two females were reared from the larva-pupa of a species of Lyonetiidae (Lepidoptera) attacking Sophora japonica Linn. (Papilionaceae) in China.

Distribution. China (new distribution record); Japan; Korea; Philippines (new distribution record).

Remarks. Pleurotroppopsis japonica, along with P. maculatipennis, P. nitifrons and P. lankensis, has all tarsomeres white except for brown or blackish claws. Moreover, P. japonica, P. maculatipennis and P. nitifrons cluster together to form a branch with relatively high bootstrap support near P. lankensis (Fig. 19). The result of the parsimony analysis indicates a possible close relationship between P. nitifrons and the other two species, but this requires confirmation. Pleurotroppopsis nitifrons is readily distinguished from P. japonica and P. maculatipennis by the axilla being sculptured in its posterior dull part (see also remarks under P. nitifrons). However, P. japonica and P. maculatipennis are so similar that they share the same character states in the matrix used for the phylogenetic analysis; the branch including these two species is characterized by having the MLM almost smooth along its posterior margin and the axilla polished with only one seta (Figs 8b, 19, Table 2). In addition, these two species are characterized by the submedian areas of the propodeum being polished, although those of P. nitifrons can be considered as smooth but with very weak sculpture (but listed as smooth in the matrix, see Table 2). The holotype of P. japonica is differentiated from that of P. maculatipennis by the following characters: body bright bluish with green tinge (metallic blue-green in P. maculatipennis); antenna more slender (e.g. pedicel distinctly more than 2× as long as broad in P. japonica, vs distinctly less than 2× in P. maculatipennis); tibiae blackish brown without whitish apex (with whitish apex in P. maculatipennis); gaster more slender, about 2× as long as broad (about 1.8× in P. maculatipennis), and more acute, with Gt 6 converging in an angle of about 65° apically (about 75° in P. maculatipennis); Gt 1 eye-like patches whitish (brown in P. maculatipennis). However, the paratype series of P. japonica and Chinese specimens of P. cf. japonica show more variation in the above characters than originally described by Kamijo (1977), and the holotype of P. maculatipennis falls within what is interpreted as intraspecific variation of P. japonica. Because P. maculatipennis is only known from the holotype, the validity of P. japonica is uncertain based on morphology. However, until molecular data for material from Japan, Australia and other zoological regions is available, we treat P. japonica and P. maculatipennis as separate species and determine the Chinese specimens as P. japonica.