Urocerus taxodii (Ashmead), 1904

John M. Leavengood, Jr. & Smith, Trevor Randall, 2013, The Siricidae (Hymenoptera: Symphyta) of Florida, Insecta Mundi 2013 (309), pp. 1-16 : 13-15

Urocerus taxodii (Ashmead), 1904

( Fig. 31-32 )

Diagnosis. Females have a black abdomen, except for the orangish cornus, a black head with a pale spot behind each eye, black legs with some white markings on the basal metatibiae and metabasitarsi, black wings and antennae which are basally black and apically white. Urocerus sah (Mocsáry) and U. gigas flavicornis (Fabricius) differ in having yellowish wings. The abdomen of U. cressoni is basally black and apically orange. Urocerus albicornis (Fabricius) is separated by its black cornus. The males have a black head with a pale spot behind each eye, black wings, antennae that are apically pale and basally black, and entirely yellowish to reddish abdomen, and the bases of the metatibiae and metabasitarsi much paler. The legs of U. cressoni are entirely black. Urocerus gigas flavicornis and U. albicornis are distinguished by their bicolored abdomens. Urocerus sah has a mostly yellow head with no discernable pale spots behind the eyes and entirely yellow antennae.

Natural history. Taxodium distichum (Linnaeus) Rich. (Taxodiaceae) , from which adults have been reared, is the only known host ( Bradley 1913; Stange 1996; Schiff et al. 2006).

Adults have been collected in April to June, August, October and November ( Bradley 1913; Smith and Schiff 2002). One FSCA specimen was collected in a frontalin and turpentine-baited Lindgren funnel trap.

Distribution. District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland (new state record), Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New York, North Carolina, Virginia and Canada ( Bradley 1913; Stange 1996; Smith and Schiff 2002; Schiff et al. 2006). In Florida specimens have been collected from Alachua, Collier and Hillsborough Counties.

Specimens. USA: Florida: Alachua County: Gainesville, NW 42nd Terrace , frontalin/ turpentine Lindgren funnel trap, 28-XI-1997, J.L. Foltz ( FSCA; 1) ; Collier County: Corkscrew Swamp , 9-IV-1958, H.V. Weems, Jr. ( FSCA; 1) ; Hillsborough County: Tampa , 8-XI-1986, J.E. Eger ( FSCA; 1) ; Maryland: Dorchester County: Hudson , 5-VIII-1965 ( FSCA; 1) .

Figures

Figures 28-32. Urocerus species. 28) Lateral habitus, female U. cressoni. 29) Dorsolateral habitus, female U. cressoni. 30) Wings of male U. cressoni. 31) Wings of male U. taxodii. 32) Dorsolateral habitus, female U. taxodii.