Leptophion maculipennis ( Cameron, 1905 )

Shimizu, So, Watanabe, Kyohei & Maeto, Kaoru, 2016, Revision of the Taiwanese species of the genus Leptophion Cameron, 1901 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ophioninae), with a discussion of their phenology and distribution, Zootaxa 4144 (1), pp. 71-88 : 76-78

Leptophion maculipennis ( Cameron, 1905)

( Figs 5 , 8–15 , 32 )

Spilophion maculipennis Cameron, 1905: 125 . Lectotype: female, Sri Lanka (British Museum of Natural History, London), designated by Gauld (1977: 34).

Stauropodoctonus orientalis Morley, 1912: 18 . Unnecessary replacement name for Spilophion maculipennis Cameron, 1905 ( Gauld 1977; Gauld & Mitchell 1981).

Spilophion sigiriya Fernando, 1956: 666 . HT: female, Sri Lanka (Fernando collection unknown). Synonymized by Gauld & Mitchell (1981: 77).

Specimens examined. 1 female, Taiwan: Lushan-wenchuan , Nantou County, 16–17. viii. 1983, I. Kanazawa leg. (LT) ( NIAES) ; 1 female, Taiwan: Tamaho , 11. vii. 1925, T. Uchida, H. Kono & Y. Miwa leg. ( SEHU) ; 1 female, Taiwan: Shinten (=Sindian), 10. i. 1927, S. Isshiki leg. ( SEHU) ; 3 females, Taiwan: Shinten (=Sindian), 20. xii. 1927, K. Shibata leg. ( TARI) ( Fig. 15 B) ; 1 female, Taiwan: Taito , 25. ii–27. iii. 1919, S. Inamura, J. Sonan & M. Yoshino leg. ( TARI) ( Fig. 15 C) ; 1 female, Taiwan: Taito , 8–14. iii. 1971, collector is not noted (MT) ( TARI) ; 1 female, Taiwan: Makazayazaya , Pingtung, 7. x. 1926, J. Sonan leg. ( TARI) ; 2 females, Taiwan: Tungpu , Nantou County (1200m alt.), x. 1985, K.S. Slin leg. (MT) ( TARI) ; 1 female, Taiwan: Nanshanxi, Ren’ai Township , Nantou County (24° 1' 33.6" N 121° 5' 2.4" E; ca. 850 m alt.), 2. v. 2015, S. Fujie leg. ( TARI) ( Fig. 15 A) ; 2 males, Taiwan: Tansui , 5. xii. 1920, J. Sonan leg. ( TARI) ; 1 male, Taiwan: Heichin (=Puhsin), 16. iii. 1930, J. Sonan leg. ( TARI). Redescription based on Taiwanese specimens. Female (n=12).

Head ( Figs 8–10 ) with FI=0.5–0.7. Face 0.8–0.9 times as wide as high, polished, entirely covered with punctures and hairs, with a longitudinal ridge on upper central area ( Fig. 8 ). Clypeus 0.5 times as long as wide, strongly polished with sparse punctures and fine hairs, strongly convex in lateral profile ( Fig. 10 ) and nearly straight in frontal view ( Fig. 8 ). Malar space 0.3–0.4 times as long as basal width of mandible. Mandible weakly tapered, its outer surface with a swelling and an oblique groove ( Figs 8, 10 ). Upper tooth of mandible more or less longer than lower one. Frons, vertex and gena strongly polished with fine punctures and hairs. Posterior ocellus adjacent to eye ( Figs 8–10 ). Antennae with 66–69 flagellomeres. First flagellomere 7.0–8.4 times as long as wide and 2.1–3.1 times as long as second flagellomere.

Mesosoma ( Figs 11, 12 ) moderately or strongly polished, entirely covered with hairs. Pronotum strongly polished with fine punctures and hairs. Mesoscutum 1.4–1.5 times as long as wide and evenly covered with fine punctures and hairs, without notauli ( Fig. 11 ). Scutellum with lateral longitudinal carinae developed on anterior 0.8–0.9 ( Fig. 11 ). Epicnemium with punctures or diagonal striae ( Fig. 11 ). Epicnemial carina present, its upper end not reaching anterior margin of mesopleuron ( Fig. 11 ). Mesopleuron and metapleuron smooth with sparse hairs. Submetapleural carina present. Propodeum in lateral profile rounded ( Fig. 11 ), with median longitudinal carinae and some irregular rugae ( Fig. 12 ). Anterior transverse carina on propodeum complete, its outer end joined to pleural carina ( Figs 11, 12 )

Wings ( Figs 13 , 32 ). Fore wing 15.0–17.0 mm with AI=1.0–1.4; CI=0.2–0.4; DI=0.5–0.6; ICI=0.7–0.9; SDI=0.7–0.9 ( Fig. 32 ). 1m-cu of fore wing strongly sinuous ( Fig. 32 ). Proximal 0.4 of Rs+2r of fore wing broadened and weakly curved, distal 0.6 simple and straight ( Fig. 32 ). Discosubmarginal cell of fore wing with a glabrous area below pterostigma. Postero-distal corner of second discal cell of fore wing 90–95° ( Fig. 32 ). Hind wing with NI=1.1–1.2. Rs of hind wing strongly abruptly curved ( Fig. 32 ). Marginal cell of hind wing entirely setose, its proximal part with an area with isolated dense hairs enclosed by glabrous area. Proximal corner of marginal cell of hind wing about 95° ( Fig. 32 ). R1 of hind wing with 5–6 non-uniform hamuli and its penultimate hamulus significantly elongated ( Fig. 13 ).

Legs ( Fig. 14 ). Hind coxa rounded and 1.9–2.0 times as long as wide. Hind femur 0.7–0.8 times as long as tibia. Hind basitarsus 1.8–2.0 times as long as second tarsomere. Distal pecten of hind tarsal claw developed and significantly longer than true apex of claw ( Fig. 14 ).

Metasoma polished with hairs and PI=2.1–2.5; DMI=1.1–1.3.

Male (n=3). Very similar to female.

Colouration ( Figs 5 , 15 , 32 ). Pale amber or yellowish brown except for the apex of mandible and mesosoma as below. Apex of mandible brown to black. Pronotum, mesopleuron, metapleuron, and propodeum black or amber, the extent of black areas varying ( Fig. 15 ). Mesoscutum with three longitudinal vittae, both lateral vittae brown, middle vitta pale brown. Ovipositor brownish amber and its sheath dark brown. Venation of wings dark brown except for white part of pterostigma ( Fig. 32 ). Wings entirely hyaline except for proximal area of marginal cell of fore wing with an infumate area ( Fig. 32 ).

Variation. In spite of morphological uniformity, a wide colour variation is recognized ( Fig. 15 ).

Distribution. Australasian region ( Australia and Papua New Guinea) and Oriental region ( China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan) ( Yu et al. 2012). Taiwan (Chiayi County, Kaohsiung City, Nantou County, New Taipei City, Pingtung County, and Taitung County) ( Fig. 35 )

Bionomics. Host is unknown. The specimens were collected in LT and MT in forests.

Remarks. Yu et al. (2012) accept the specific name, “ orientalis ”, but we adopt “ maculipennis ”, because the specific name “ orientalis ” was provided unnecessarily by Morley (1912) as a new name for “ maculipennis ” and Gauld (1977) and Gauld & Mitchell (1981) have accepted “ maculipennis ”.

This species belongs to the maculipennis species-complex of the maculipennis species-group, characterized by having the distal pecten of the hind tarsal claw developed and significantly longer than the true apex of the claw and the penultimate hamulus significantly elongated ( Gauld 1985). This species is one of the most widely distributed Leptophion species across the Australasian and Oriental regions ( Gauld & Mitchell 1981; Gauld 1985). There are many synonyms due to the wide range of colour variation, while Gauld & Mitchell (1981) suggested that it is a morphologically uniform species, only showing some variation in the extent of black areas of the mesosoma and metasoma ( Fig. 15 ).

This species can easily be distinguished from other species of Leptophion by the following combination of character states: (1) distal pecten of hind tarsal claw developed and significantly longer than the true claw apex ( Fig. 14 ); (2) hind wing with an elongate penultimate hamulus on R1 ( Fig. 13 ); (3) marginal cell of hind wing entirely setose, its proximal part with an area with isolated dense hairs enclosed by a glabrous area; (4) 1m-cu of fore wing strongly sinuous ( Fig. 32 ); (5) proximal part of marginal cell of fore wing with an infumate area but postero-proximal part of second subdiscal cell of fore wing hyaline without an infumate area ( Fig. 32 ); (6) proximal corner of marginal cell of hind wing about 95° ( Fig. 32 ); and (7) lateral carinae on scutellum developed on anterior 0.8–0.9 ( Fig. 11 ).

Figures

FIGURE 15. Colour variations in Taiwanese female specimens of L. maculipennis. See collection data of A-C in Specimens examined in the text.

FIGURE 35. Distribution of Leptophion in Taiwan.

FIGURES 5 – 7. Lateral habitus of Leptophion occurring in Taiwan. 5, L. maculipennis; 6, L. giganteus Shimizu & Watanabe, sp. nov. (HT); 7, L. radiatus. Scale bar: 5.0 mm.

FIGURES 8 – 14. Partial views of female L. maculipennis (Cameron, 1905). 8 – 10, head in frontal (8), dorsal (9), and lateral (10) views; 11, mesosoma in lateral view; 12, propodeum in dorsal view (omitted surface sculptures on anterior area and right side); 13, hamuli on R 1; 14, outer tarsal claw of hind leg.

FIGURES 32 – 34. Wings of female Leptophion from Taiwan. 32, L. maculipennis; 33, L. giganteus Shimizu & Watanabe, sp. nov. (PT); 34, L. radiatus. Scale bar: 3.0 mm.