Ophion pravinervis Kokujev, 1906

Johansson, Niklas, Ameri, Ali, Riedel, Matthias, Talebi, Ali Asghar & Ebrahimi, Ebrahim, 2021, Contribution to the Ophioninae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) of Iran with the description of 16 new species and an illustrated key to the Eremotylus of the Western Palaearctic, Zootaxa 5023 (2), pp. 151-206 : 182-184

Ophion pravinervis Kokujev, 1906

Figs 15A‒E

Ophion pravinervis Kokujev, 1906: 166 . Type from Georgia, lost.

Material examined: IRAN: 1♀, Kohkiloyeh-va-Boyerahmad Province , Yasuj area, 10 km SE Sepidar, 5‒6 May 2007, A. Klimenko leg. ( MR) .

Redescription female: Fore wing length 11 mm. Body length 13.5 mm.Antenna with 49 flagellomeres. Temple in lateral view narrow 0.5 × as long as compound eye in female (15E). Space between compound eye and lateral ocellus narrow, about 0.1 × the diameter of ocellus. Face narrow ( Fig. 15D ). Occipital carina centrally flattened. Face below antennal sockets polished with very distinct and dense punctures. Punctures often merging. Clypeus with larger, slightly scarcer punctures. Malar space very narrow about 0.05 × as long as mandibular base. Mandibular gape acute, mandibles in the examined specimen without internal angles. First flagellomere 3.5 × as long as wide. Central flagellomeres quite stout, about 1.5‒1.6 × as long as wide. Apical flagellomeres approximately 1.7 × as long as wide. Mesoscutum polished with distinct punctures, space between punctures about three × their diameter. Mesopleuron shagreened with quite small dense punctures that often merge ( Fig. 15B ). Epicnemial carina, in anteroventral view, with pleurosternal angles right angled and distinct, anterior to sternal angles. Scutellum without lateral carinae. Propodeum with quite coarse rugulose sculpture, centrally with two almost parallel carinae which are joined anteriorly by a very short transverse carina that is completely absent laterally ( Fig. 15C ). The parallel carinae does not extend onto the petiolar area. Posterior transverse carina distinct laterally, widely interrupted centrally. Hind femur about 6.0 × as long as wide. Inner spur of hind tibia long, about 0.3 × as long as hind metatarsus, about two × as long as outer spur. Wing membrane clear. Ramellus quite short, reaching 0.2 × the width of the discosubmarginal cell. Radius weakly sinuous, its inner part before junction with pterostigma conspicuously bent ( Fig. 15A ). Nervellus broken distinctly below the middle by the discoidella. Male unknown.

Colouration: Body brownish reddish, quite dark compared to other Ophion species. Inner and outer eye margins whitish, the outer widely, the inner narrow. Mandibular teeth black. Subalar prominence with a whitish spot. Scutellum and postscutellum whitish. Scutellum with a brownish spot centrally at the anterior margin. Posterior metasomal segments infuscate ventrally. Ovipositor sheath concolorous with posterior metasomal segments.

DNA Barcode: The DNA barcode sequences of one specimen of Ophion pravinervis is available at the BOLD systems database: sample id. NJP745, sequence id. LNU2581-21.

Remarks: Ophion pravinervis is previously only known from the now lost type material collected in Georgia (Kokujev 1906). Proposed as a senior synonym of Ophion cortesi Ceballos, 1938 in Rey del Castillo and Izquierdo Moya, based on communication with Pier-Luigi Scaramozzino (1990). This is clearly erroneous as O. cortesi is a valid species of different constitution.

Figures

FIGURE 15. A–E: Ophion pravinervis Kokujev ♀ (MR). A) Fore wing; B) mesosoma, lateral view; C) scutellum and propodeum dorsal view; D) head, anterior view; E) head, lateral view. F–G: Ophion turcomanicus Szépligeti, ♀ (MR). F) Head, anterior view; G) hind tarsal claws. Photos: Niklas Johansson.