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Mesopolobus tibialis is a parasitoid of the family Pteromalidae. As such it parasitises many members of the gall forming family of Cynapidae such as; Andricus albopunctatus agamic, A. corruptrix sexual and agamic, A. curvator sexual, A. grossulariae agamic, A. kollari sexual, A. lignicola sexual, A. quercuscalicis sexual and agamic, Biorhiza pallida sexual, Neuroterus albipes sexual and agamic, N. anthracinus sexual, N. numismalis sexual and agamic, N. quercusbaccarum sexual and agamic, N. tricolor sexual and Trigonaspis megaptera sexual galls. The flight times of this wasp are from may through to december.
The female measures from 1.7-3.1mm with an average of 2.3mm head and body.
The large and wide head is metallic bronze tinted green and reticulated. The eyes are red brown in colour and the ocelli are small and red brown. The antennae are brown yellow and tapered with a paler club. The scape is long and yellow and pedicel is also long and yellow. There 2 rings and 6 funicular segments.
The thorax is metallic bronze tinted green. No visible notaulices and the tegulae are translucent yellow with a brown mark leading to the wings which are clear with pale yellow hairs and veins and longish stigmal and long post marginal veins. The legs are mid yellow with with veined fatter femora and the rear tibia are wide and flat with longitudinal red lines. There are 5 tarsel segments with darker claws.
The gaster (abdomen) is dark bronze green and glossy and is pointed. The ovipositor sheaths are not visable.
The male measures 1.5-2mm averaging out at 1.7mm
The wide reticulated head is metallic green, green gold or tinged with red. The eyes are large and red brown with pale red ocelli. The antennae are slender, hairy and have 2 rings and 6 funicular segments that are golden with a taper to a darker club, a long, pale yellow, banana shapped scape and a small yellow pedicel.
The thorax is metallic green gold with a faint impression of notaulices at the front. The tegulae are testaceous and lead to the wings which are clear with pale yellow hairs and veins and a long stigmal vein and a long post marginal vein. The legs mid yellow with with veined fatter femora. The middle tibia are enlarged with a black mark at the apex and the rear tibia are wide and flat with longitudinal red lines. There are 5 tarsel segments with darker claws.
The gaster is a glossy dark metallic bronze green at the base followed with a yellow fading into browny bronze. some may ahve the appearance of M. sericeus shuttle mark although it is very vague in outline and not always present.
More detailed descriptions and identification keys are available from Robin Williams at the British Plant Gall Society.
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