Ophion minutus Kriechbaumer, 1879

Johansson, Niklas & Cederberg, Björn, 2019, Review of the Swedish species of Ophion (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ophioninae), with the description of 18 new species and an illustrated key to Swedish species, European Journal of Taxonomy 550, pp. 1-136 : 79-80

Ophion minutus Kriechbaumer, 1879

Fig. 12

Ophion minutus Kriechbaumer, 1879c: 105–106 .

Ophion eremotyloides Ceballos, 1962: 200 , fig. 2O.

Material examined

51 ♀♀, 47 ♂♂ ( Sweden); 11 ♀♀, 8 ♂♂ ( France); 1 ♀, 1 ♂ ( Norway).

Diagnosis

The smallest species in the genus. Fore wing length 8–11 mm. Antenna in both sexes with 40–48 flagellomeres. First flagellomere 3.5–4.0 times longer than wide. Head buccate behind eyes, temple in lateral view about 0.6–0.7 times as long as compound eye. Malar space about 0.1 times as long as mandibular base in female and male. Mandibular gape right-angled, with internal angles. Wing membrane clear. Ramellus very short or absent. Mesopleuron weakly shagreened or polished, distinctly punctate, spaces between punctures about equal to their diameter. Pleurosternal angles strongly obtuse, obviously anterior to sternal angles. Scutellum without lateral carinae. Vein Rs+2r of forewing distinctly thickened and bent near junction with pterostigma ( Fig. 12 ). Ramellus short. Propodeum coriaceous with carinae strongly reduced or absent anterior to the posterior transverse carina, which is present at least laterally.

Colour

Body testaceous. Mandibular teeth black. Head mainly yellow, in female testaceous around occipital carina and area around antennal sockets. Mesosoma in males with conspicuous yellow markings. In females often yellow markings reduced to subalar prominence, scutellum and postscutellum. Metasoma in females often with posterior segments infuscate.

DNA barcode

The DNA barcode sequences of five Swedish specimens of Ophion minutus are available at the BOLD systems database (www.boldsystems.org, BIN. BOLD: AAI1095. Specimen codes STI-NJBC: 11–13, 334–335).

Ecology

This species occurs during early summer, mainly May, in oak ( Quercus ) dominated landscapes. It has been reared from several species of Erannis Hübner, 1825 ( Lepidoptera : Geometridae ) ( Brock 1982).

Distribution in Sweden

In Sweden this is predominantly a southern species with scattered records also in central Sweden following the distribution of Quercus species and known hosts.

Remarks

A species easy to identify on the basis of its size and colour. The thickening of the radius is frequently missing.

Figures

Fig. 12. Right wings: Ophion minutus Kriechbaumer, 1879, female. Junction between Rs+2r and pterostigma arrowed.