Ophion areolaris Brauns, 1889

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 : 42-43

Ophion areolaris Brauns, 1889

Figs 6B , 7D , 8K , 9H , 10J

Ophion areolaris Brauns, 1889: 92–93 .

Ophion frontalis Strobl, 1904: 53–54 . Syn. nov.

Material examined

Holotype, ♀, of Ophion areolaris ( ZMHB); holotype, ♀, of Ophion frontalis ( CSA); 54 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂ ( Sweden); 5 ♀♀ ( Norway); 4 ♀♀ ( Lithuania).

Diagnosis

Fore wing length 14–16 mm. Antenna in both sexes with 41–47 flagellomeres. First flagellomere 3.5 times as long as wide. Head narrowed behind eyes. Occipital carina widely interrupted dorsally, weak laterally ( Fig. 7D ). Mandibular gape right-angled, with internal angles. Malar space about 0.1 times as long as mandibular base in female and male. Wing membrane yellowish. Mesopleuron polished and punctate. Interstices between punctures 1–2 times their diameter. Pleurosternal angles strongly obtuse, weakly defined and obviously anterior to sternal angles ( Fig. 9H ). Scutellum without lateral carinae with parallel sides ( Fig. 6B ), strongly convex in lateral view. Propodeum coriaceous with carina strongly reduced anterior to posterior transverse carina. Area superomedia often present as a central convex arch ( Fig. 10J ). Female with metasoma elongate, tergite 4–5 almost square in lateral view ( Fig. 8K ). Hind trochantellus shorter than wide in dorsal view. Spiracles placed more or less at the center of the tergites. Male with parameres short, about as long as wide and almost straight dorsally in lateral view.

Colour

Body testaceous, sometimes with irregular brownish areas on meso- and metasoma. Mandibular teeth black. Stemmaticum testaceous or brown, very rarely black or dark brown. Ovipositor sheath black, contrasting in colour with posterior metasomal segments.

DNA barcode

The DNA barcode sequences of two Swedish specimens of Ophion areolaris are available at the BOLD systems database (www.boldsystems.org, BIN. BOLD: ADF9243. Specimen codes STI-NJBC: 06–07).

Ecology

This species, as its sibling species O. ocellaris , occurs in late summer and autumn, August–September, and the hosts seem to be various species of Thyatirinae (family Drepanidae ) ( Brock 1982). It occurs mainly in boreal woodland habitats but has also been attracted to light in semi-open environments.

Distribution in Sweden

This species occurs in Southern and Central Sweden and its range doesn’t seem to extend quite as far north as O. ocellaris .

Remarks

This species is sometimes confused with O. ocellaris . It is however easily distinguished from that species by the characters given in the key and the diagnosis. For further comments see O. ocellaris below. The female holotype of O. frontalis Strobl, 1904 in CSA was studied and it is a miscoloured specimen of O. areolaris with stemmaticum, frons and left side of the dorsal part of the head black. Ophion frontalis Strobl, 1904 is therefore to be regarded as a junior synonym of Ophion areolaris Brauns, 1889 syn. nov.

Figures

Fig. 6. A–D. Scutellum, dorsal view. A. Ophion luteus (Linnaeus, 1758). B. O. areolaris Brauns, 1889. C. O. inclinans Johansson sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008667). D. O. dispar Brauns, 1895. E–H. Firsttergite, lateral view.E. O.inclinansJohanssonsp.nov.,holotype,♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008667). F. O. dispar. G. O. artemisiae Boie, 1855. H. O. luteus. I–J. Shape of male parameres, lateral view. I. Ophion sp. cf. pseudocostatus Meyer, 1935. J. O. artemisiae.

Fig. 7. A–D. Occipital carina posterior view. A. Ophion confusus Johansson sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008637). B. O. mocsaryi Brauns, 1889. C. O. ocellaris Ulbricht, 1926. D. O. areolaris Brauns, 1889. E–G. Hind trochanter and trochantellus dorsal view. E. O. slaviceki Kriechbaumer, 1892. F. O. obscuratus Fabricius, 1798. G. O. costatus Ratzeburg, 1848. H–I. Mandible ventral view. H. O. obscuratus. I. O. slaviceki. J–K. First tergite, aberration O. artemisiae Boie, 1855. J. Dorsal view. K. Lateral view. L–M. Head in posterior view showing generalized shape of occipital carina. L. O. obscuratus. M. O. variegatus Rudow, 1883. N–O. Central flagellomeres in males. N. O. obscuratus. O. O. variegatus.

Fig. 8. A–C.Apical flagellomeres in female. A. Ophion parvulusKriechbaumer, 1879. B. O. paraparvulus Johansson sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008696). C. O. tenuicornis Johansson sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008743). D–F. Apical flagellomeres in female (pilosity removed). D. O. ellenae Johansson sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008655). E. O. arenarius Johansson sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008606). F. O. inclinans Johansson sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008667). G–H. Apical hind tarsal segments dorsal view in female. G. O. parvulus. H. O. costatus Ratzeburg, 1848. I–J. Generalized punctation below antennal sockets in anterior view. I. O. confusus Johansson sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008637). J. O. mocsaryi Brauns, 1889. K–L. Posterior segments of female metasoma lateral view. K. O. areolaris Brauns, 1889. L. O. ocellaris Ulbricht, 1926. M. Central flagellomeres in female of O. brevicornis Morley, 1915. N–O. Basal flagellomeres. N. O. confusus Johansson sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008637). O. O. mocsaryi.

Fig. 9. Epicnemial carina, antero-ventral view of female. A. Ophion splendens Johansson sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008708). B. O. mocsaryi Brauns, 1889. C. O. dispar Brauns, 1895. D. O. parvulus Kriechbaumer, 1879. E. O. slaviceki Kriechbaumer, 1892. F. O. angularis Johansson & Cederberg sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (MZLU 6366:3). G. O. crassicornis Brock, 1982. H. O. areolaris Brauns, 1889. I. O. kallanderi Johansson sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (MZLU 6371:5).

Fig. 10. Generalized carination of propodeum in females, posterodorsal view. A. Ophion luteus (Linnaeus, 1758)/O. scutellaris Thomson, 1888/O. obscuratus Fabricius, 1792. B. O. costatus Ratzeburg, 1848. C. O. brocki Johansson sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008633). D. O. confusus Johansson sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008637). E. O. crassicornis Brock, 1982. F. O. artemisiae Boie, 1855. G. O. ellenae Johansson sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008655). H. O. perkinsi Brock, 1982. I. O. ocellaris Ulbricht, 1926. J. O. areolaris Brauns, 1889. K. O. dispar Brauns, 1895. L. O. tenuicornis Johansson sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008743). M. O. longigena Thomson, 1888. N. O. brevicornis Morley, 1915. O. O. forticornis Morley, 1915.