Sussaba erema Momoi, 1973

Klopfstein, Seraina, 2011, A review of the Diplazontinae of Mongolia (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Zootaxa 2790, pp. 35-53 : 38

Sussaba erema Momoi, 1973

( Figs. 2 C, 4)

The holotype of this species could unambiguously be identified and was accordingly labelled. The description of this species provided by Momoi is very accurate; I here only report diagnostic features which distinguish it from other Palaearctic species of the genus.

Type material. Holotype: Mongolia, Bajan-Ölgij aimak, in the valley of the river Chavca-lyn gol, 25 km from Somon Cagannuur, 1850m, 0 3.07.1968 (1Ψ). Labelling of the holotype: MONGOLIA: Bajan-Ölgij aimak; im Tal des Flusses Chavea-; lyn gol, 25 km O von Somon; Cagannuur, 1850 m; Exp.Dr.Z.KASZAB,1968 // Nr.1056; 3.VII.1968 // Sussaba ; eremnus; Momoi; Det. S. MOMOI,`71 // (‘eremnus’ obviously by mistake) // Holotypus; Sussaba Ψ; erema Momoi ; label: S.Klopfstein 0 6. Paratypes: 2ɗ from the same locality (all HNHM).

Diagnosis. Sussaba erema is probably most closely related to S. flavipes (Lucas, 1849) , S. aciculata (Ruthe, 1859) and S. montana Manukyan, 1988 , but also has some features in common with S. erigator (Fabricius, 1793) . The male possesses oval, uniformly brown tyloids on flagellomeres 6–9 (10) which distinguishes it from male S. mongolica n. sp., S. dorsalis (Holmgren, 1858) , S. hinzi Diller, 1982 and S. pulchella (Holmgren, 1858) that possess two-coloured tyloids ( Fig. 3 ). Moreover, the face of the male S. erema is all black which is unique in the genus. The best characteristic to separate female S. erema from other species of the genus is the sculpturation of the first and second tergites which are smooth and polished with distinct punctuation, while being rugulous, striated or coriaceous in all other species. Moreover, the first tergite is as long as wide in the female ( Fig. 4) and only 1.2 times longer than wide in the males which is matched only by the very distinctive S. erigator . The face of the female is broader than in the two other Mongolian species of the genus, bearing a shallow groove between the clypeus and compound eye ( Fig. 2 C). In coloration, S. erema is very close to S. mongolica n. sp. (see description) and superficially resembles Diplazon annulatus and Tymmophorus obscuripes (Holmgren, 1858) which also have extensively darkened metasoma and femora. The expansion of dark colour elements might represent an adaptation to cool environments, as it was suggested for ichneumonids from the alpine region ( Schwarz, 2002).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Faces of Sussaba species from Mongolia. A. Sussaba mongolica sp. nov. B. Sussaba pulchella. C. Sussaba erema.

FIGURE 3. Two-coloured tyloids found in A. Sussaba mongolica sp. nov. and B. Sussaba pulchella.