Eiphosoma laphygmae, Costa Lima, 1953

Fernández-Triana, José L. & Ravelo, Horacio Grillo, 2007, A taxonomic review of Cuban Eiphosoma Cresson (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), with biogeographical notes, Zootaxa 1655 (1), pp. 49-61 : 56

Eiphosoma laphygmae Costa Lima

Eiphosoma laphygmae Costa Lima 1953: 181. [Original description. Holotype ♀, BRAZIL (Laboratorio Central de Patologia Vegetal, Ministerio de Agricultura, Rio de Janeiro, not examined). Synonymized under E. vitticolle Cresson by Townes & Townes 1966: 166. Revised combination by Gauld 2000: 106]

[ Eiphosoma vitticollis Cresson of authors. Misidentifications]

Diagnosis. This species can be differentiated from all of the Neotropical species of Eiphosoma other than those belonging to the vitticolle species-group by the combination of short and deep anterior part of the submetapleural carina, hyaline forewing and presence of stout bristles on the shaft of the aedeagus. Among all Cuban species with an enclosed areolet, it is recognized by its mesopleuron conspicuously black marked with a more or less complete diagonal black line.

Comments. Townes and Townes (1966) synonymized E. laphygmae and E. vitticolle . However, Gauld (2000) resurrected E. laphygmae from synonymy primarily because of different rearing records but also based on slight morphological and colour differences. In spite of Gauld’s statement about the extremely wide distribution and abundance of E. laphygmae , including Cuba, we have seen only three specimens housed in Cuban collections that could be assigned to this species. However, in those specimens the marks are not complete diagonal black lines extending from below the subalar prominence to the mesepisternal scrobe but are rather interrupted centrally appearing as two spots with the ventral one larger than the dorsal.

Material examined. EC. PR: Viñales, xii-1961, P. Alayo (1 ♀, IES). CC. VC: Ojo de Agua , Seibabo, Manicaragua, x-1992, E. Pozo (2 ♀, BIOECO) .