Illidops planiscapus ( Tobias, 1976 )

Höcherl, Amelie, 2025, Revision of Holarctic Illidops Mason (Hymenoptera, Braconidae): A first step towards resolving a dark taxon and descriptions of three new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 1031, pp. 1-121 : 67-68

Illidops planiscapus ( Tobias, 1976)

Apanteles planiscapus Tobias, 1976: 248–249 .

Species concept

Our species concept is based on the information available in Tobias (1976), Tobias & Kotenko (1986) and Papp (1988). → *.

Ecology / host information

Tentative information provided in the original description, check remarks for more details.

Distribution

PAL: Russia (DA).

Molecular data

No molecular data available.

Remarks

Holotype female, ZIN. Country of type locality: Russia. Type depository inferred from Tobias & Kotenko (1986) by Fernandez-Triana et al. (2020). Tobias provided a tentative host identification for the holotype of I. planiscapus ( Tobias, 1976) , although he placed a question mark in front of it, so it is rather uncertain. Tobias’ (1976) putative host of this species is Talis quercella ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), a Crambidae , collected from a Poaceae grass in the Caucasus region. This species was transferred to Illidops by Papp (1988), but he already stated that his placement of this species is rather provisional, as he only knew it from its original description. Tobias & Kotenko (1986) did not consider it part of the butalidis group, but rather proposed a new planiscapus group. We consider that the morphology potentially does not match the set of characters diagnostic of the butalidis and suevus groups in the past, and our more current concept of Illidops . The species has a much less angled radial vein (r) and it is not “slanting outwards” ( Mason 1981) as it does in most species of Illidops (illustrated in Fig. 242; Tobias & Kotenko 1986: 751, drawing 2). We cannot verify this and we do not have specimens available resembling this species, or access to the holotype. We are not satisfied with the placement of this species in Illidops . However, similar to Papp (1988), we cannot transfer this species to any genus as we have not seen any material and the original description is not sufficient to place it with certainty in any other genus. The species is partially illustrated in Tobias & Kotenko (1986: 751).

Original description sensu Tobias (1976) (translated from Russian and with updated morphological terminology)

Female. 3.5 mm. Malar distance equal to basal width of mandible; face in upper part with shining tubercle, face height 1.5× its width; distance between tentorial pits 3× distance between tentorial pit to eye margin. Scape strongly compressed from sides so that its length is about same as its width frontally but looking 3× as long when seen laterally; length of F14 and F15 1.3 × their width. Fore wing veins C+SC+R thickened; fore wing vein 1cu-a arising from around basal third of 1st discal cell. Length of metafemur 4.5× its width. T1 more or less barrel-shaped, with its anterior (strongly) and posterior (slightly) narrowed, T1 length equal to T1 greatest width (centrally); T1 and T2 with central impression on its posterior half; ovipositor sheaths slightly longer than half of metatibia.

Sculpture. Head mildly punctured, slightly shining, antennal sockets smooth; mesoscutum roughly punctured, without granular microsculpture, shining between punctures, especially on sides; scutellum slightly punctured, shining; mesopleura anteriorly punctured, posteriorly smooth; mesonotum punctured; propodeum roughly wrinkly-punctured, T1 and T2 densely wrinkly-punctured, T3 with soft granular punctures, shining, other tergites slightly rough, shining. Anteromesoscutum with sparse setae, thickened before scutellum and on anterolateral corners of scutellum.

Coloration. Femora, except for base and apex of profemur, apex of mesofemur, metafemur medially, tibiae and tarsi of all legs, except brown apex of metatibia, yellowish-brown; veins C+SC+R and pterostigma, except for its brown margins, yellow. The male is unknown.

Holotype: female, Dagestan, Makhachkala , steppe grass moth (? Talis quercella Schiff. ) on wild grasses, 4 VIII 1972 (Krasova).