Phradis Foerster , 1869

Khalaim, Andrey I. & Ruiz-Cancino, Enrique, 2018, First record of the genera Diaparsis Foerster and Phradis Foerster (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Tersilochinae) from Mexico, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 63, pp. 61-72 : 62

Genus Phradis Foerster, 1869

Type species.

Thersilochus (Phradis) brevis Brischke, 1880.

A moderately large genus with a predominantly Holarctic distribution and a few species known from the Afrotropical ( Khalaim 2007) and Neotropical regions ( Khalaim and Bordera 2012) and Australia ( Khalaim 2017). About 40 species are known to occur in the Palaearctic region ( Yu et al. 2016) and 18 species in the Nearctic region ( Horstmann 2013b). Two undescribed species of Phradis were found in material from the State of Tlaxcala in Central Mexico. This is the first record of the genus from Mexico.

Phradis is found to be extremely rare in Mexico, being represented by two species, both known from a single female, collected from the same locality at 2830-2900 m in pine-oak forest. The two Mexican species easily differ from the 18 species occurring in the USA and Canada by the very long second metasomal tergite (see the key below).

Portion of the key to North American species of Phradis

1	Second metasomal tergite, in dorsal view, very long, 2.8-3.6 times as long as anteriorly broad. Central Mexico	2
-	Second metasomal tergite, in dorsal view, transverse to moderately long, 0.8-2.0 times as long as anteriorly broad. USA and Canada	18 species (see identification key in Horstmann 2013b)
2	Second antennal flagellomere 2.5 times as long as broad (Fig. 8 ). Apical area of propodeum flat (Fig. 11 ). Second metasomal tergite 2.8 times as long as anteriorly broad (Fig. 12 ). Ovipositor with apex needle-shaped, without dorsal notch (Fig. 13 ); sheath 1.1 times as long as first tergite	P. bufalosus sp. n.
-	Second antennal flagellomere 3.5 times as long as broad (Fig. 15 ). Apical area of propodeum impressed along midline (Fig. 20 ). Second metasomal tergite 3.6 times as long as anteriorly broad. Ovipositor evenly tapered apically, with weak but distinct dorsal subapical notch (Fig. 21 ); sheath 1.4 times as long as first tergite	P. nanacamilpus sp. n.

Figures

Figures 7 - 13. Phradis bufalosus sp. n., holotype female. 7 habitus, lateral view 8 head with antenna, lateral view 9 head and mesoscutum, lateral view 10 hind legs, lateral view 11 propodeum, dorsal view 12 base of metasoma, dorsal view 13 apex of metasoma with ovipositor, lateral view.

Figures 14 - 21. Phradis nanacamilpus sp. n., holotype female. 14 habitus (without wings), lateral view 15 antenna, lateral view 16 head, front view 17 head, dorsal view 18 head, mesosoma and base of metasoma, lateral view 19 mesopleuron, postero-lateral view 20 propodeum, dorsal view 21 apex of metasoma with ovipositor, lateral view.