Thyreodon grandis Cresson, 1973

FERNÁNDEZ-TRIANA, JOSÉ L., 2005, The taxonomy and biogeography of Cuban Ophioninae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Zootaxa 1007 (1), pp. 1-60 : 25-26

10. Thyreodon grandis Cresson

Thyreodon grandis Cresson, 1865: 45 . Lectotype ♀, Cuba (PANS), designated by Cresson , 1916: 34.

A Cuban and Jamaican species ( Townes & Townes, 1966; Gauld, 1988). Cresson (1865) described the species from Cuba (2 female and one male housed at PANS). Porter (1984) gave a comprehensive redescription based in the same material, and included within the species two Jamaican specimens from the BMNH, although he did it with some hesitation.

T. grandis superficially resembles T. alayoi , T, gabrieli and T. ultor , and that is the rea­ son why they have been confused or thought to be one species (but see Table 2). T. grandis has the lower face broader and coarser puncturae than the other species, almost forming a reticulate pattern.

Alayo (1973) cited the species in three Eastern Cuba localities: Gran Piedra and Siboney (SC) and Guantánamo (GT). I have examined that material, and all specimens belong to different species: T. ultor (Gran Piedra specimens), T. alayoi sp. nov. (Siboney specimen) and T. gabrieli sp. nov. (Guantánamo specimen).

Because of misidentifications, it is really difficult to be sure about distribution of the species in Cuba, especially without the study of specimens housed at USA and UK. Gundlach (1886) stated he had collected the species troughtout the all country. Townes & Townes (1966) mentioned three Cuban localities for T. grandis : Nueva Gerona (WC, IJ), Santiago de Cuba (EC, SC) and Guantánamo (EC, GT). Porter (1989) studied the lectotype and two other Cuban specimens at PANS, but he did not provided information about localities. I have only seen one authenticated specimen of T. grandis in Cuban collections, from Western Cuba, but for any reason Alayo did not mention it on his Catalogue.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: WC. MT: Playa Larga, Ciénaga de Zapata , V­1965, Zayas­ Valdés (1 ♂, IES) .