Loxopus australis Townes, 1970

Santos, Bernardo F. & Aguiar, Alexandre P., 2014, Review of Loxopus Townes (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae), with descriptions of six new species, Journal of Natural History 49 (31), pp. 1905-1935 : 1916-1919

Loxopus australis Townes ( Figures 1 , 2C–D , 3A, 5A, 7D, 8A)

Loxopus australis Townes, 1970: 255–256 , 470. Description, figure. Holotype ♀ (AEIC, not examined). Type data: BRAZIL: Santa Catarina, Nova Teutonia , 30 June 1946, F. Plaumann

Loxopus australis: Yu and Horstmann, 1997: 266 . Listed.

Loxopus australis: Yu et al. 2005 . Listed.

Female

Fore wing 5.20 mm long. Head. Antenna with 25 flagellomeres. CWH 1.81, CWW 1.52. MLW 1.67, MWW 0.53. MSM 0.62. Median line on supra-antennal area distinct. Mesosoma . Pronotum with weak, short transverse striae along posterior margin of collar, from laterocentral area to ventral corner. Scutellar carina in dorsolateral view distinct on the anterior 0.4–0.5 of scutellum. Subalar ridge moderately wide, elliptic; epicnemial carina restricted to ventral 0.8 of mesopleuron, its ventral 0.3 arched forwards, upwards almost straight. Transverse furrow at base of propodeum with distinct striae. Metapleuron finely punctate; juxtacoxal and pleural carinae absent. Fourth tarsomeres lateral lobe 2.8 × as long as mesal lobe. Anterior margin of propodeum medially approximately straight; SWL 1.46; posterior transverse carina complete, medially weaker and moderately arched forward, sublaterally forming distinct but weak crests. Fore wing vein 1-Rs + M straight, continuous with crossvein 1m-cu, crossvein 1m-cu uniformly curved; crossvein 1cu-a arising close, a little basad, to base of 1M + Rs; crossvein 2cu-a and 2-Cu angled; bulla of crossvein 2m-cu placed on ventral 0.5; APH 0.56; AWH 1.05. Hind wing vein 2-1A absent; HW1C 1.44. Metasoma. T1LW 2.00; T1WW 2.50; T1 approximately rounded ventrolaterally; dorsolateral carina complete but weak; ventrolateral carina absent. T2LW 0.86; T2WW 1.8; T2–8 sparsely pilose, finely punctate. OST 0.6; ovipositor slightly downcurved; dorsal valve without nodus, with distinct preapical notch; ventral valve with six oblique ridges ( Figure 5A ).

Colour. Head black and whitish; mesosoma , legs and metasoma ferruginous. Head: black; scape dorsally dark brown (105,079,055), ventrally ferruginous; pedicel with elongate white spot, remainder of pedicel and first flagellomeres brown, getting darker toward apex, apical segments black; dorsal portion of f6–9 white; supraclypeal area, clypeus, mouth parts, base of mandible and malar space, lower 0.5 of gena and orbital band on supra-antennal area and vertex, whitish (230,215,188); apex of mandible blackish. Mesosoma : ferruginous (137,116,079); propleuron, collar, short dash on dorsal margin of pronotum, tegula and subalar ridge, dorsal division of metapleuron, usually apical 0.4 of metapleuron, transverse marks over propodeal crests, whitish; postscutellum lighter than body. Legs: ferruginous, generally slightly darker towards apex; fore and mid coxae and trochanter white, mid trochanter with fore and hind black spots on base and white spot on apex; mid trochantellus and hind trochanter and trochantellus marked whitish and dark brown; apical tarsi dark brown; hind coxa with fore and hind portions white, lateral part with broad stripe which is ferruginous on base and darker towards apex and hind part. Wings hyaline, fore wing with dark spot covering apical part of cells 2 + 3M and 1 + 2R1. Metasoma: ferruginous; apical 0.2 of T1, buff lateral areas on T2–4 (larger in T3) and median dorsal areas on T7–8 white; T2–3 sometimes fuscous (221,157,113) apically; ovipositor reddish orange (110,061,031); sheaths dark brown.

Male

Similar to female, except for the following: fore wing 4.40–5.10 mm; mandible more strongly triangular; antenna with 24–25 flagellomeres; apical transverse carina of propodeum placed more apically than in female, not forming sublateral crest; flagellum without white band, apical white stripe at T1 weak or absent, and T7–8 not white dorsally. SWL 1.00–1.33; T1LW 2.78–3.11; T1WW 1.41–1.57. Variation in pattern of white marks apply as in females.

Variation

Fore wing 3.92–5.32 mm long. Antenna with 23–25 flagellomeres; pedicel sometimes without dorsal white spot; f10–11 and apical half of f5 and f12 sometimes white; first flagellomere ranging from light to dark brown; pronotum posteriorly sometimes with sparse blackish areas; scutellum whitish on some specimens; propodeum sometimes with sparse blackish marks. Tones of ferruginous of the body vary from very light, yellowish, to dark, brownish; this might be at least partially related to specimen conservation and age. Mesopleuron sometimes with pale to distinct whitish mark; whitish mark on metapleuron varying from white and distinct to almost indistinct, sometimes represented by a buff, slightly paler area ( Figure 7D ). Postscutellum sometimes completely white. Specimens from southern Brazil usually with more evident whitish spots on mesopleuron and metapleuron. Darker specimens with more extensive dark spots on hind coxa and sometimes with sparse blackish spots on mesoscutum and T2.

Comments

Readily recognizable by having all tergites of the metasoma mostly ferruginous, with lateral whitish marks, and sometimes with sparse blackish areas. Further isolated from all other species of the genus by the following combination of characters: supraclypeal area whitish, without blackish spots; lower 0.5 of gena whitish; postscutellum whitish; fourth tarsomeres lateral lobe 2.8 × as long as mesal lobe; dorsal valve of ovipositor without distinct nodus; ventral valve with six distinct teeth. Loxopus australis seems to be by far the commonest species of the genus, and possibly for that reason also the most variable in colour pattern.

Material examined

116 ♀♀, 14 ♂♂. Paratype: 1 ♂ from BRAZIL, Santa Catarina, Nova Teutônia, 5 December 1948, F. Plaumann ( AEIC). Other specimens: TRINIDAD: 1 ♀ from 8 km Arima Simla Reserve Station, 260 m, lower montane rainforest, 24 June–8 July 1993, Malaise trap, S. Peck & J. Peck, 93–56 ( CNCI). BRAZIL: Piauí: 2 ♀♀ from Ribeirão Gonçalves, Estação Ecológica Uruçuí Una, 17–23 June 1984, V. Graf ( DZUP). Mato Grosso: 1 ♀ from Chapada dos Guimarães, 18–20 November 1983, Polonoroeste, Malaise trasp, Departamento de Zoologia UFPR ( DZUP). Minas Gerais: 1 ♂ Minas Gerais, Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, Trilha do Vinhático 2, Mata secundária alta, 24 October 2002, Malaise, J.C.R. Fontenelle leg. ( UFES). Espírito Santo: 4 ♀♀ from Anchieta, Eucalipto-Macega [ Eucalyptus and pasture], Pt. 1, 28–29 July 2008, yellow pan traps, A.P. Aguiar et al.; 1 ♀, same data except Pt. 2; 3 ♀♀, same data except Mata: afloramento rochoso [forest in rocky outcrop], Pt. 2, 28–29 July 2008; 2 ♀♀, same data except Pt. 3; 2 ♀♀, same data except Pt. 2, 29–30 July 2008; 1 ♀, same data except Pt. 4; 5 ♀♀, same data except Pt. 5; 6 ♀♀ 1 ♂, same data except Mata Estágio Avançado de regenetação [forest in advanced state regeneration], Pt. 01, 28–29 July 2008; 10 ♀♀, same data except Pt. 02; 2 ♀♀, same data except Pt. 3; 3 ♀♀, same data except Pt. 4; 4 ♀♀, same data except Pt. 5. 1 ♀ from Cariacica, Reserva Biológica de Duas Bocas, 26–27 April 2005, Pt. 1, yellow pan traps, A.P. Aguiar et al.; 1 ♀, same data except 27–28 April 2005; 1 ♀, same data except Pt. 5, 29–30 April 2005; 1 ♀, same data except Pt. 10, 30 April–1 April 2005; 1 ♀, Pt. 1, same data except 2–3 May 2005; 2 ♀♀, same data except 16–17 September 2006, Malaise trap, R. Kawada; 1 ♀, same data except Pau Amarelo, 22–24 October 2005, yellow pan traps, Pt. 11. 1 ♀ from Guarapari, Parque Estadual Paulo César Vinha, 20°36 ′ S, 40°25 ′ W, 4 m, Pt. 14, 8–15 May 2006, yellow pan traps, R. Kawada et al.; 1 ♀, same data except Pt. 16; 1 ♀, same data except Pt. 21; 1 ♀, same data except Pt. 95; 1 ♀, same data except Pt. 96; 1 ♀, same data except Pt. 8, 2–9 November 2006, Malaise trap, B. Araújo & M. Santos; 1 ♀, same data except Pt. 2, 9–16 November 2006; 1 ♀, same data except Pt. 5, 2–10 December 2006. 1 ♀ from Santa Maria Jetibá, Fazenda Clarindo Kruger, 20°04 ′ 27.9 ″ S 40°44 ′ 51.3 ″ W, 29 November–6 December 2002, Malaise T6, M. Tavares et al. 2 ♀♀ from Santa Teresa, Estação Biológica Santa Lúcia, 9 May 2006 YPT, MTavares, C. Azevedo et al.; 3 ♀♀, same data except 9–13 May 2006 ( UFES). Rio de Janeiro : 1 ♀ from Guanabara [currently state of Rio da Janeiro ], Represa do Rio Grande , June 1966, M. Alvarenga ( AEIC). São Paulo: 1 ♀ from São Roque, Alto da Serra, 12 February 1991, yellow pan traps, M.T. Tavares ( UFES). Paraná: 1 ♀ from Antonina, 20 July 2987, Malaise trap, Profaupar. 1 ♀ from Guarapuava, Estação de Águas Santa Clara, 11 August 1986; 1 ♂, same data except 8 September 1986; 1 ♂, same data except 15 September 1986; 2 ♂♂, same data except 6 October 1986; 1 ♀, same data except 13 October 1986; 1 ♀, same data except 20 October 1986; 1 ♂, same data except 5 January 1987; 1 ♀, same data except 6 April 1987; 1 ♀ from Guaratuba, 23– 30 October 1976, [trap unknown] Bernadete. 1 ♂ from Ilha do Mel, Praia Grande, 15 January 1989, R. Dutra. 2 ♀♀ from Jundiaí do Sul, Fazenda Monte Verde, 11 August 1986, Malaise trap, Profaupar; 1 ♀, same data except 22 September 1986; 3 ♀♀, same data except 13 October 1986; 1 ♀ same data except 20 October 1986; 1 ♂, same data except 3 November 1986; 1 ♀, same data except 24 November 1986. 1 ♀ from Ponta Grossa (Vila Velha), Reserva IAPAR Br376, 4 October 1986, lamp; 1 ♀, same data except 6 October 1986, Malaise trap; 1 ♀, same data except 2 March 1987. 1 ♀ from Telêmaco Borba, Reserva Samuel Klabin, 11 August 1986 ( DZUP). Santa Catarina: 1 ♂ from Nova Teutônia, 300–500 m, 4 October 1938, F. Plaumann, B. M.1938-682; 1 ♀, same data except 9 December 1938, B.M.1938-312 ( BMNH); 1 ♀, same data except 15 July 1948; 1 ♀, same data except 6 August 1948; 1 ♀, same data except 30 August 1948; 1 ♂, same data except 1 September 1948; 1 ♀, same data except 5 November 1958; 1 ♀, same data except February 1966; 2 ♀♀, same data except July 1967 ( CNCI); 1 ♀, same data except September 1967; 3 ♀♀, same data except October 1967; 2 ♀♀, same data except December 1967 ( DZUP); 1 ♀, same data except February 1968; 2 ♀♀, same data except November 1968; 3 ♀♀ 2 ♂♂, same data except December 1968; 2 ♀♀, same data except March 1969; 1 ♀, same data except April 1969; 1 ♀, same data except November 1958 – February 1966 ( CNCI).

Distribution

Trinidad and Brazil (PI, MT, ES, SP, PR, SC) ( Figure 8A). The vast majority of the records are from the rainforests of southern and south-eastern Brazil, but this might be merely a consequence of more intense sampling effort in those areas.

Figures

Figure 1. Loxopus australis, habitus.

Figure 2. Diagnostic features for the genus. (A,B) clypeus; (A) L. multicolor; (B) L. dodecius. (C,D) L. australis; (C) wings; (D) hind t4.

Figure 5. Ovipositor apex. (A) L. australis; (B) L. dodecius; (C) L. duckei; (D) L. exius.

Figure 7. (A,B) Head, frontal view. (A) L. dodecius; (B) L. ichilus (C-E, G) Mesosoma, lateral view. (C) L. duckei; (D) L. australis; (E) L. ichilus; (F) L. docedius male, propodeum; (G) L. exius; (H) L. multicolor, metasoma.