Polysphincta longa Kasparyan, 1976

Fritzen, Niclas R. & Shaw, Mark R., 2014, On the spider parasitoids Polysphincta longa Kasparyan and P. boops Tschek (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae), with the first host records of P. longa, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 39, pp. 71-82 : 73

Polysphincta longa Kasparyan, 1976

Figures 1 -3 , 8

Material examined.

AZERBAIJAN: Paratype ♀ (ZISP) Kalaybugurt forest 22.vii.1971 (Kuslicky); POLAND: Białowieża, west of the village: 1♂ (NRF) 52.7128°N; 23.7151°E, old forest with Quercus , Betula , Fraxinus and sparse spruce trees ( Picea abies ), beaten from spruce branches, ex Araneus angulatus , coll. 9.vii.2010, coc. 12.vii.2010, em. 20.vii.2010 (N. R. Fritzén) (Figure 8 ); 1♀ (NRF) 52.7190°N; 23.7871°E, old mixed forest with Picea abies , Quercus , Betula and Populus , beaten from spruce branches, ex Araneus angulatus , coll. 10.vii.2010, coc. 15.vii.2010, em. 24.vii.2010 (N. R. Fritzén) (Figure 1 ); 1♂ (NMS) Krotoszyn, yellow pan trap in Quercus canopy, vi.2009 (J. Hilszczanski); GERMANY: 1♀ (BMNH) labelled "59.101 Germany", " P. eximia ", "Ruthe coll. 59.101", and " Polysphincta boops Tschek ♀, J. F. Perkins det ix-1934" (det. N. R. Fritzén 2013); WALES: 1♀ (BMNH) Denbighshire SJ365548, Horsley Hall, beech log, 20.ix.2010 (J. B. Formstone) (det. G. R. Broad 2014, not examined by us).

Distribution.

Azerbaijan, Armenia, Primorsky Krai, Poland, Germany, Bulgaria ( Kasparyan 1976, Kasparyan and Khalaim 2007, Horstmann and Floren 2008, Walter 1991, Ivanov 2002) and United Kingdom (the present paper).

Biological notes.

Koinobiont ectoparasitoid of Araneus angulatus Clerck, 1757. Both reared specimens were on juvenile hosts. Based on the collecting and rearing data the species is at least bivoltine, with one generation in June and a second one from late July. The larva is positioned in the typical Polysphincta manner, transversely at the anterior apex of the spider´s opisthosoma just above the pedicel, with the anterior end moving laterally towards the posterior part of the opisthosoma while growing. Before their death the spiders did not spin any "death chamber" (see discussion) or any other distinctly modified web construction for the larva to cocoon in. Only some additional droplets and threads of silk were attached to the wall of the rearing vial onto which the larva attached when making its cocoon. The cocoon (Figure 8 ) is diaphanous, fulvous, and fusiform with an open and springy construction of irregular silk, and with a size of 11.8 × 6.3 mm for the reared larger female. The species is arboreal, perhaps in long established forests.

Figures

Figure 1. Polysphincta longa, habitus in lateral view.

Figure 8. Cocoon of Polysphincta longa. Scale bar 1 mm.

Figures 2 - 5. Head in anterior view (2, 4) and anterior part of mesosoma in dorsolateral view (3, 5) of Polysphincta longa (2 - 3) and P. boops (4 - 5). Scale bars 0.2 mm.