Ophion brevicornis Morley, 1915

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 : 51-52

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2019.550
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F8707194-B55E-48CA-8FE0-4CD0D023C217
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3477059
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/A270EE7E-FC4E-FFD9-F36E-AE3E3137FC75
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Ophion brevicornis Morley, 1915
status

Treatment

Ophion brevicornis Morley, 1915 View in CoL

Figs 8M View Fig , 10N View Fig , 18A, C View Fig

Ophion brevicornis Morley, 1915: 274 View in CoL .

Material examined

Holotype, ♀ ( BMNH); 102 ♀♀, 38 ♂♂ ( Sweden); 3 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂ ( Norway).

Diagnosis

Fore wing length 12–13 mm. Antenna in both sexes with 45–50 flagellomeres. First flagellomere stout, 2.5–3.0 times as long as wide. Central flagellomeres square ( Fig. 8M View Fig ) in females, about 1.2–1.3 times as long as wide in males. Temple buccate with distinct gap between ocellus and compound eye of about 0.3 times diameter of ocellus ( Fig. 18A View Fig ) in lateral view about 0.8 times as long as compound eye. Head in anterior view with face quite wide ( Fig. 18C View Fig ). Malar space about 0.5 times as long as mandibular base in female and male. Mandibular gape right-angled, with internal angles. Wing membrane clear. Ramellus often distinct but rather short, reaching about 0.2 times the distance of the submarginal cell, but sometimes shorter. Radius sinuous. Mesopleuron mostly polished with small, shallow punctures ranging to densely irregularly punctate, almost rugose. Pleurosternal angles weakly acute, well defined, slightly anterior to sternal angles. In this respect reminiscent of O. mocsaryi and O. confusus Johansson sp. nov. Scutellum strongly convex in lateral view with no trace of lateral carinae. Propodeum coriaceous or more polished and indistinctly punctate, to almost rugose in structure. Anterior and posterior transverse carina often strong, but sometimes weaker. Posterior transverse carina often interrupted centrally. Longitudinal carinae delimiting area superomedia often strong, but occasionally missing or weak. Hind trochantellus shorter than wide in dorsal view. Sclerotised part of first sternite ending slightly posterior to spiracle (as in Fig. 6G View Fig ). Inner spur of hind tibia 0.3 times as long as metatarsus.

Colour

Body testaceous. Mandibular teeth black. Inner and outer orbits very rarely paler than the face, usually concolourous with body and the rest of the head. Ovipositor sheath testaceous-brown, often slightly darker than posterior metasomal segments.

DNA barcode

The DNA barcode sequences of 13 Swedish specimens of Ophion brevicornis are available at the BOLD systems database (www.boldsystems.org, BIN. BOLD: ACR2872. Specimen codes: STI-NJBC: 113–114, 117–125, 336–337).

Ecology

This species is active in early summer from the middle of May to the beginning of July. Oosterbroek (1978) lists Cosmia trapezina ( Linnaeus, 1758) as a host.

Distribution in Sweden

Widespread but quite local in Southern Sweden.

Remarks

Ophion brevicornis is a distinct species with its strongly convex scutellum, short flagellomeres, antenna with relatively few flagellomeres and buccate temples. Males can be difficult to identify, especially when attempting to separate them from O. mocsaryi and O. confusus Johansson sp. nov., but are easily identified by the smaller number of flagellomeres, the apparent gap between compound eye and lateral ocellus and the strongly convex scutellum. Females are similar to Ophion subarcticus , but with flagellomeres stouter, gap between ocellus and eye narrower ( Fig. 18A View Fig ) and face narrower ( Fig. 18C View Fig ).