#1
Hello,
I have this small Exoristinae from the Greek island of Lesvos which I am trying to identify. Using the following characters in Moschweb, it gave me only
Pachystylum as an option. However, the only known member of the genus (
P. bremii) has spiny setae on R4+5 up to almost the crossvein R-M, while my specimen has this vein bare in both wings (except for one basal bristle). What do you believe? Is it a yet undescribed species of Pachystylum, a variety of
P. bremii or I noted a character falsely and turned out in the wrong genus?
The input in Moschweb:
(1) EYE
-Eye bare or nearly bare: hairs, if present, not longer than diameter of 2 eye facets
(14) PARAFACIAL SETAE
-parafacial entirely bare below lowest frontal seta
(18) SETAE OF FACIAL RIDGE
-... with setae on approx. 1/4 of its length
(24) VENTRAL PART OF OCCIPUT
-... with a majority of black hairs but with at least a few light-coloured hairs along the postero ventral margin of head
(27) COLOUR OF ANTENNAL PEDICEL
-pedicel black or uniformly dark brown
(31) PUBESCENCE OF ARISTA
-arista apparently bare; if pubescent, then hairs at most reaching length of basal diameter of arista
(37) COLOUR OF PALPUS
-black or dark brown
(40) PROSTERNAL SETULAE
-prosternum with at least one pair of setulae on lateral margin
(49) KATEPISTERNAL SETAE
-four ...
(52) SCUTELLUM COLOUR
-scutellum entirely black
(64) WING COLOUR
-wing membrane unpatterned: hyaline, whitish or slightly darkened
(65) TEGULA COLOUR
-black or dark brown
(66) BASICOSTA COLOUR
-red to yellow
(69) VEIN R1
-R1 bare
(79) COLOUR OF LEGS
-femora and tibiae black or dark brown
#12
The single strong bristle at the base of R4+5 is normally of generic significance. Most genera have at least a few weak bristles. The exceptions with one strong bristle are not closely related to each other.
Is the first post-sutural supra-alar weak or strong?
#13
John Carr wrote:
The single strong bristle at the base of R4+5 is normally of generic significance. Most genera have at least a few weak bristles. The exceptions with one strong bristle are not closely related to each other.
Is the first post-sutural supra-alar weak or strong?
The first post-sutural supra-alar (red arrow) seems to be very strong, at least as strong as the notopleural bristles (yellow arrow).
NOTE: the left supra-alar has been broken off the specimen and the right one (the one used in the photo) has a broken apical portion.