Rhimphoctona melanura (Holmgren, 1860)

Varga, Oleksandr, 2017, A review of the genus Rhimphoctona Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Campopleginae) from the Ukrainian Carpathians, with a key to European species, Zootaxa 4263 (2), pp. 387-394 : 392

Rhimphoctona melanura (Holmgren, 1860)

( Figs 3 , 4 , 5 )

Material examined. No material examined from the Ukrainian Carpathians. Additional material: 1 female from ZSM collection.

Diagnosis. The female of this species is closely related to R. longicauda , but has parallel temples; more densely punctate mesopleuron ( Fig. 3. 2 ); and propodeum with narrower distally area basalis ( Fig. 4 . 7). The male generally resembles female and has yellow face, part of temples, mesopleuron ventrally, and hind trochanters.

Distribution. Western Palaearctic ( Yu et al. 2012).

Remarks. Holmgren described this species after one female without location label and some males from Sweden. One female without label (a possible lectotype) could not be found neither in Stockholm nor Lund. The female lectotype designated by J. Aubert could not be considered as a syntype due to known location. Therefore, K. Hortmann chose the lectotype from Holmgrens’ material from Lund. Additionally, this female perfectly matches Holmgren’s female without location label. This is why known R. melanura females have to be renamed (see also R. longicauda ) ( Horstmann, 1980). Only one female specimen was found in the ZSM collection with relatively long ovipositor, which is about 1.4 × the length of hind tibia ( Horstmann (1980) stated only 1.2 ×). Therefore, the ovipositor length cannot be used as a reliable character for separating R. melanura and R. megacephalus . Furthermore, in some specimens with relatively short ovipositors (approx. 1.3 ×) area superomedia are wider than area basalis, but laterally with indistinct carinae ( Fig. 4 . 11), so it is difficult so say to which species, R. megacephalus or R. melanura , these specimens belong.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Rhimphoctona spp., lateral view of mesopleuron, female. 1 — R. longicauda; 2 — R. melanura; 3 — R. megacephalus; 4 — R. pectoralis.

FIGURE 4. Rhimphoctona spp., dorsal view of propodeum, female. 1 — R. grandis; 2 — R. rufocoxalis; 3 — R. lucida; 4 — R. obscuripes; 5 — R. teredo; 6 — R. xoridiformis; 7 — R. melanura; 8 — R. longicauda; 9 — R. megacephalus; 10 — R. maiator; 11 — R.? megacephalus / melanura; 12 — R. pectoralis.

FIGURE 5. Rhimphoctona spp. 1 – 2 — dorsal view of mesoscutum, Female: 1 — R. lucida; 2 — R. teredo; 3 — R. pectoralis, lateral view of head and mesososma, male; 4 – 5 — frontal view of head, male; 4 — R. xoridiformis; 5 — R. teredo.