The Wharton Lab

Opius (Merotrachys) bicarinifer Fischer, 1979: 264–265 (key); 269–271 (description). Holotype male in AEIC (examined).
Opius (Merotrachys) bicarinifer: Yu et al. 2005, 2012 (electronic catalogs).

This species is known only from the female holotype.

Opius bicarinifer is tentatively excluded from the ingenticornis species group primarily because of the evenly curved anterior slope of T1 (Fig. 1) and the poorly developed malar sulcus. Since the antenna is broken, length cannot be used to assist in placement of this species. The temples in dorsal view are noticeably receding in O. bicarinifer, another feature not found in typical members of the ingenticornis species group.

Face (Fig. 1) polished throughout, faintly punctate, nearly smooth. Eye in lateral view (Fig. 3) 4.0–4.5 x longer than temple; temples in dorsal view distinctly receding (Fig. 4). Antenna broken; setae on basal flagellomeres thick, dark. Mesoscutum anteriorly (Fig. 3) with very weak but distinct declivity; notaulus (Fig. 5) shallowly curving laterally towards tegula, supramarginal carina weak, barely distinguishable. Propodeum (Fig. 7) largely smooth, with deep median trough from base to apex, not broadened posteriorly into distinct areola. Fore wing (Fig. 11) with 3RSa straight, 1.5–1.6 x longer than 2RS; m-cu antefurcal. T1 evenly curving into basal pit anteriorly (Fig. 8), not distinctly declivitous, pit not delimited posterior-medially; surface weakly shagreened, nearly smooth throughout; dorsal carinae (Fig. 9) weakly sinuate, parallel-sided for most of their length, weakly broadening subapically, abruptly converging near posterior margin, not transversely carinate between dorsal carinae. T2 uniformly, distinctly shagreened (Fig. 10), T3 more weakly so, especially laterally. Ovipositor short; ovipositor sheath 0.4 x length of mesosoma. Color as in Fig. 1: head, body, hind coxa and femur light orange; wing darkly infumate.

Opius bicarinifer is most similar to O. curiosicornis because of similarities in the propodeal sculpture and both have the same color pattern. They differ primarily in shape of the head and the anterior slope of T1. The fore wing m-cu is also distinctly antefurcal in O. bicarinifer.

Additionally, this species shares the following characteristics with members of the ingenticornis species group: Mandible short, broadly triangular, dorsal margin strongly angled ventrally, broadly exposing labrum. Occipital carina broadly absent dorsally, the gap in dorsal view at least as wide as distance between eyes; carina well developed laterally and ventrally, widely separated from hypostomal carina ventrally. Pronope deep, wide, posterior margin at least weakly overlapping base of mesoscutum, thus obliterating posterior transverse sulcus medially; vertical carina absent on pronotum laterally. Mesoscutum without midpit; notaulus short, curved, pit-like anteriorly, narrowing and evanescent posteriorly. Propodeum with median depression at least anteriorly, never with median longitudinal carina. Mesopleuron without sternaulus, precoxal sulcus unsculptured, absent or very faintly indicated; hind margin of mesopleuron not obviously crenulate on dorsal 0.5. Fore wing 2CUb arising from or near middle of first subdiscal cell. Hind wing with RS distinctly infumate; m-cu absent. T1 with dorsal carinae parallel or nearly so, extending from base to apex; laterope large, deep; dorsope absent.

Brazil, Rondonia, Vilhena

Labels attached to the holotype are shown in Figs 1-3.

This page was assembled largely by Bob Wharton. It is part of a revision of the Opius ingenticornis species group conducted by Sophia Daniels, Xanthe Shirley, Danielle Restuccia and Bob Wharton. We thank David Wahl (American Entomological Institute, Gainesville, FL) for loans and general assistance associated with examination of holotypes, as well as Max Fischer and Dominique Zimmermann (NHMW), Henri Goulet (CNC) and Paul Marsh (formerly USDA, Washington, D. C.) for facilitating other loans and work with material in their care. We are also sincerely grateful to Jim Woolley and Aaron Tarone for making available their imaging systems when ours crashed. Matt Yoder provided guidance on databasing issues associated with our use of mx. This work was conducted at Texas A&M University and was supported in part by NSF DEB 0949027, with REU supplement 1213790. Page last updated February, 2013.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number DEB 0949027 and associated REU supplement 1213790.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.