Review of the Swedish species of Ophion (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ophioninae), with the description of 18 new species and an illustrated key to Swedish species
Author
Johansson, Niklas
Author
Cederberg, Björn
text
European Journal of Taxonomy
2019
2019-09-12
550
1
136
journal article
25284
10.5852/ejt.2019.550
dc3253d4-edc8-481b-966e-791e40856534
3476402
F8707194-B55E-48CA-8FE0-4CD0D023C217
Ophion subarcticus
Hellén, 1926
Figs 18B, D
,
42
Ophion subarcticus
Hellén, 1926: 12–13
.
Material examined
Lectotype
,
♀
, and
paralectotype
,
♀
(
MZH
);
2 ♀♀
(
Sweden
).
Diagnosis
Fore wing length
14–15 mm
. Antenna with 48–52 flagellomeres. First flagellomere about 3.5–4.0 times as long as wide. Central flagellomeres about 1.5–1.6 times as long as wide. Subapical flagellomeres approximately 1.5 times as long as wide. Temple buccate. Head in lateral view with temple 0.8 times as long as compound eye. Head in anterior view with face wide in relation to the compound eyes (
Fig. 18D
). Gap between compound eye and lateral ocellus very wide, about 0.6–0.7 times the diameter of ocellus (
Fig. 18B
). Malar space about 0.5–0.6 times as long as mandibular base. Gape between mandibles obtuse with internal angles present. Wing membrane yellowish. Ramellus distinct, 0.3 times the width of the discosubmarginal cell. Radius sinuous. Structure of mesopleuron strongly shagreened and wrinkled with distinct punctures. Interstices between punctures at most equal to their diameter, generally much less. Epicnemial carina, in antero-ventral view, with pleurosternal angles obviously anterior to sternal angles. Pleurosternal angles rounded, obtuse to right angled. Scutellum with lateral carinae present in basal 0.7. Anterior transverse carina of propodeum present and quite strong. Posterior transverse carina only present laterally, widely interrupted centrally. Structure of propodeum less polished than in
O. kevoensis
.
Petiolar carina and longitudinal carina delimiting area superomedia weak. Legs normal with hind femur about 6.5 times as long as wide. Hind trochantellus shorter than wide in dorsal view. Inner spur of hind tibia about 0.3–0.4 times as long as metatarsus. Sclerotised part of first sternite ending level to spiracle. Male unknown.
Colour
Mesosoma infuscate, probably distinctly dark brown in fresh specimens (
Fig. 42
). Mandibular teeth black. Head with antennae and inner and outer orbits weakly yellowish. Metasoma, antennae and legs testaceous. Ovipositor sheath testaceous, of same colour as posterior metasomal segments.
Ecology
Both of the Swedish specimens were collected in areas probably dominated by mature subalpine forests consisting of Scots pine
Pinus sylvestris
and spruce
Picea abies
(L.) H.Karst. Unfortunately, no information on flight period or habitat is recorded on the labels.
Fig. 42.
Ophion subarcticus
Hellén, 1926
, ♀. Scale bar = 1 mm.
Distribution in
Sweden
Judging from the known specimens, this is an exceedingly rare species. The only known specimens from
Sweden
are two females, one of which is badly damaged by dermestids, in NHRS collected at the beginning of the 20
th
century at Töfsingdalen and Tandådalen in the Province of
Dalarna
.
Remarks
Ophion subarcticus
is similar to
Ophion kevoensis
but, apart from the distinct colour pattern, is distinguished by the smaller size, the longer malar space, the more shagreened mesopleuron and the more buccate temples with a wider gap between the compound eye and ocellus in dorsal view. It also strongly resemble and is sometimes confused with
O. nigricans
, a species it is probably closely related to, but
O. subarcticus
has distinct lateral carinae on the scutellum, a feature absent in
O. nigricans
. Both the
holotype
and
paratypes
in MZH had been determined by Brock as
Ophion brevicornis
in 1997, but share none of the features defining that species, e.g., the strongly convex uncarinated scutellum, short central flagellomeres or the complete posterior transverse carina of the propodeum.