Leptophion Cameron, 1901

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 : 73-74

Genus Leptophion Cameron, 1901

Leptophion Cameron, 1901: 227 . Type species: Leptophion longiventris Cameron , by monotypy. Spilophion Cameron, 1905: 124. Type species: Spilophion maculipennis Cameron , by monotypy. Synonymized by Townes et al. (1961: 265).

Coiloneura Szépligeti, 1905: 35. Type species: Coiloneura melanostigma Szépligeti , by subsequent designation. Synonymized by Cushman (1947: 462).

Diagnosis. This genus can be distinguished from other genera of Ophioninae by the following combination of character states: (1) mandible not twisted, barely tapered, with symmetric teeth or upper tooth slightly longer than lower one, usually with a swelling and oblique groove on its basal surface ( Figs 1 , 8, 10 , 16, 18 , 25, 27 ); (2) in lateral view, clypeus strongly convex, its lower part abruptly strongly curved backward ( Figs 10 , 18 , 27 ) and in frontal profile its lower margin nearly straight ( Figs 1 , 8 , 16 , 25 ); (3) occipital carina complete except for lower end absent and not joined to hypostomal carina and base of mandible ( Figs 9, 10 , 17, 18 , 26, 27 ); (4) ocelli large and posterior ones adjacent with eyes ( Figs 1 , 8–10 , 16–18 , 25–27 ); (5) posterior transverse carina on mesosternum complete, rarely interrupted in a few Australasian species (i.e., L. anici Gauld, 1977 , and L. antennatus (Morley, 1912)) ; (6) notauli faintly present as vestiges or completely absent ( Figs 11 , 19 , 28 ); (7) epicnemial carina on mesopleuron present and its upper end reaching above level of lower margin of pronotum ( Figs 11 , 19 , 28 ); (8) anterior transverse carina on propodeum developed but in a few species its outer end absent ( Figs 11, 12 , 19, 20 , 28, 29 ); (9) posterior transverse carina on propodeum virtually absent but often with vestiges laterally ( Figs 11, 12 , 19, 20 , 28, 29 ); (10) fore wing with a glabrous area on anterior corner of discosubmarginal cell, and virtually all species without sclerites there, except for a Filipino species, L. pterospilus Gauld & Mitchell, 1981 , which has a distinct sclerite; (11) 1m-cu on fore wing sinuous or curved, usually without ramellus ( Figs 2 , 32–34 ); (12) hind wing usually with an apparently elongated penultimate hamulus on R1 ( Fig. 13 ), while occasionally with uniform hamuli ( Figs 21 , 30 ); (13) tibial spur of fore leg without a membranous flange; (14) mid and hind trochanters simple; and (15) distal pecten of hind tarsal claw developed and significantly longer than true apex of claw ( Figs 14 , 22 , 31 ).

Distribution. Australasian, Oceanic, Oriental, and Palaearctic regions ( Gauld 1977; Gauld & Mitchell 1981; Shimizu & Watanabe 2015a).

Bionomics. Host is unknown. Adult wasps are often collected in LT in rainforests.

Remarks. Most Leptophion species are known from the Australasian region while only a few species are distributed in the Oceanic and Oriental regions and the southeastern part of the Palaearctic region.

In Taiwan, three species (i.e., L. maculipennis of the maculipennis species-complex, and L. radiatus and L. giganteus Shimizu & Watanabe , sp. nov., both of which belong to the radiatus species-complex) are found ( Gauld & Mitchell 1981; Shimizu & Watanabe 2015a, b) and they can easily be distinguished from each other by the following key.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Measurement characters of Leptophion. 1, face in frontal view; 2, fore wing; 3, hind wing; 4, basal segments of metasoma in lateral view. Indices: FI = A / B, C = facial height, D = facial width, E = clypeal height, F = clypeal width, AI = I / G, CI = M / L, DI = J / K, ICI = G / H, SDI = K / N, NI = O / P, DMI = U / V, PI = Q / R.

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 16 – 22. Partial views of a PT (female) of L. giganteus Shimizu & Watanabe, sp. nov. 16 – 18, head in frontal (16), dorsal (17), and lateral (18) views; 19, mesosoma in lateral view; 20, propodeum in dorsal view (omitted surface sculptures on anterior area and right side); 21, hamuli on R 1; 22, outer tarsal claw of hind leg.

FIGURES 25 – 31. Partial views of female L. radiatus (Uchida, 1958). 25 – 31, head in frontal (25), dorsal (26), and lateral (27) views; 28, mesosoma in lateral view; 29, propodeum in dorsal view (omitted surface sculptures on anterior area and right side); 30, hamuli on R 1; 31, 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.