Scambus crassicauda ( Cresson, 1874 )

Khalaim, Andrey I. & Ruíz-Cancino, Enrique, 2022, Darwin wasps of the subfamily Pimplinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) of Mexico: Ephialtes genus-group, Zootaxa 5169 (3), pp. 201-251 : 235

5. Scambus crassicauda ( Cresson, 1874)

( Figs 52, 53 )

Pimpla crassicauda Cresson 1874: 399 [♀ (ANSP), Mexico, Veracruz, Orizaba ].

Synonym:

Scambus basseyi Gauld, 1991 (syn. nov.).

References. Cameron 1886: 267 [ Pimpla ; Mexico (Veracruz)]. Cresson 1916: 26 [lectotype ♀ ( ANSP) designated; Mexico, Veracruz, Orizaba]. Townes & Townes 1960: 25 [ Scambus (Lissoscambus) ]. Townes & Townes 1966: 9 [catalogue; Scambus (Lissoscambus) ; Mexico]. Gauld 1991: 170 [ S. basseyi (description); Costa Rica]. Gauld et al. 1998: 19 [ S. basseyi ; in key; Costa Rica; host]. Ruíz-Cancino et al. 2002: 645 [checklist; Mexico]. Hernández-Aguilar et al. 2005: 470 [ S. basseyi ; Mexico (Tamaulipas)]. Ruíz-Cancino et al. 2010: 67 [ S. basseyi ; checklist; Mexico (Tamaulipas)].

Material examined. MEXICO. Nuevo León: 1 ♀ ( FSCA) Mesa de Chipinque, 17–18.viii.1984, coll. L. Stange & C. Porter. Tamaulipas: 1 ♀ ( UAT) 15 km SSW of Cd. Victoria, El Madroño, 24.xi.1984, coll. E. Ruíz-Cancino. 4 ♀ ( UAT) same locality, 8–19.xii.1984, coll. E. & J. Ruíz-Cancino. 1 ♀, 3 ♂ ( UAT) same locality, 29.i.1985, coll. J. RuízCancino. 1 ♀ ( UAT) same locality, 1400 m, 20.i.2000, coll. E. Ruíz-Cancino (compared with S. basseyi holotype). 1 ♀ ( UAT) same locality, 1200 m, 31.iii.2001, coll. J. Luhman. 1 ♀ ( UAT) Cd. Victoria, Cañón de la Libertad, 800 m, pine-oak forest, 2.ii.1988, coll. J. de León. 1 ♀ ( UAT) Ocampo, Joya de Manantiales, 13.v.1995, coll. S. Niño M. & H. Hernández-Martinez. 1 ♀ ( UAT) Gómez Farías, Altas Cimas, 900 m, Malaise trap, 16–23.ix.2000, coll. D. R. Kasparyan. 1 ♀ ( UAT) Tula, Ejido Acahuales, 1400 m, oak-forest, Malaise trap, 30.vii–12.viii.2016, coll. E. RuízCancino & J. M. Coronado-Blanco. Jalisco: 10 ♀ (4 ♀ in UAT, 6 ♀ in ZISP) 10 km S of Tequila, Volcán de Tequila, 20°47.4’N, 103°51’W, 2750–2850 m, 7.ii.2009, coll. A. I. Khalaim. 1 ♀ ( UAT) 8 km S of Tequila, Volcán de Tequila, 20°49.2’N, 103°51.6’W, 1800–2000 m, 9.ii.2009, coll. A. I. Khalaim. Veracruz: 1 ♀ ( AEIC) “Rio Blanco, V. C., Mex., 11-13-57 R.&K. Dreisbach”, “HOMOTYPE Pimpla crassicauda 1958 Cr. H. K. Townes”. 1 ♂ ( AEIC) same data, Scambus crassicauda det. Townes. 1 ♀ ( AEIC) Orizaba, 4079 ft. (= 1245 m), 27.vi.1972, coll. B. & C. Dasch. 1 ♀ ( AEIC) 4.6 mi. W of Banderilla, 6000 ft. (= 1830 m), 24.vi.1972, coll. B. & C. Dasch. Hidalgo: 1 ♀ ( UNAM) ( UAT) Huasca de Ocampo, Rancho Santa Elena, Hueyapan River, 20°06’N, 98°31’W, 2330–2535 m, Malaise trap, 25.i–23.ii.2006, coll. A. Contreras et al. Oaxaca: 1 ♀ ( AEIC) 8 mi. W of Oaxaca, 18.xi.1972, coll. B. & C. Dasch.

Remarks. Mexican specimens of this species were compared with the holotype of S. basseyi described from Costa Rica and samples of S. crassicauda in the Townes collection ( AEIC), and all these specimens were found to be conspecific. Thus, S. basseyi is considered here as a junior synonym of S. crassicauda (syn. nov.). Two homotypes (female and male) of S. crassicauda , both from Veracruz, were examined in the Townes collection ( AEIC) by the senior author. Female homotype possesses ovipositor sheath about half as long as metasoma, tergite 5 with apical smooth margin reduced, hind coxa and femur orange, and hind wing with nervellus intercepted in lower 0.3. Male homotype possesses hind coxa and femur white, and propodeum with blackish median longitudinal stripe.

Distribution. Mexico (Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Jalisco, Hidalgo, Veracruz, Oaxaca), Costa Rica.

Biology. Reared from galls of Glyphipterix sp. ( Lepidoptera : Glyphipterigidae ) on stems of Hyptis urticoides Kunth. (Lamiaceae) in Costa Rica ( Gauld et al. 1998).

Figures

FIGURES 50–53. Scambus arizonensis, ♀ (Oaxaca): 50—mesoscutum, dorso-lateral; 51—mesosoma and base of metasoma, lateral. Scambus crassicauda, ♀ (Jalisco): 52—habitus, lateral; 53—apex of metasoma, dorso-lateral.