Hepiopelmus melanogaster (GMELIN)

A. M, 2011, Illustrated key to the genera of the subtribe Amblytelina of Palaearctic (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae, Ichneumonini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 43 (1), pp. 597-711 : 634-636

Hepiopelmus melanogaster (GMELIN) (Plate 3)

Ichneumon melanogaster GMELIN 1790 - Linné: Systema Naturae …, Ed. 13 1 (5): 2678. Hepiopelmus melanogaster: HEINRICH 1974 - Ann. Zool. Wars. 31: 412.

Hepiopelmus melanogaster: RASNITSYN 1981 - Opr. Faun. SSSR 3 (3): 620.

F e m a l e

F l a g e l l u m: Bristle-shaped, with 55 segments, strongly attenuated to apex, first segment comparatively short, 2,2-2,5 times longer than width at apex, with white annulus on segments 9-16(17), practically not widened and very slightly flattened ventrally beyond white annulus; segments elongated slightly, already segment 9 square from lateral. Flagellum equal by length to front wing and 1,4 times shorter than body length.

H e a d: Head contour from front moderately narrowed downwards, only just transverse, only 1,1 times wider than height; genae from front visible to lower forth of an eye, genae length from front (malar space) 3,1 times shorter than height of eye (0,3); head contour from above transverse, 2,4 times wider than length in middle, but 1,7 times than along an external contour. Vertex from lateral linearly sloping from hind border of ocelli to occipital carina; temples long, approximately equal to longitudinal diameter of an eye at middle, parallel to hind margin of an eye, from above slightly roundly narrowed backwards behind eyes; occipital carina sharp all round, from above deeply and roundly impressed, but not reach level of eyes and hind ocelli; hypostomal carina not visible from lateral, occipital carina meeting with hypostomal carina before base of mandible; abscissula 2,5 times shorter than mandible base width, malar space equal by length to mandible base width; mandibles evenly narrowed from base to apex, with very long upper tooth and weak lower one, separated by narrow impression; clypeus slightly convex, 2,3 times wider than length, with straight front margin and rounded lateral corners, only just visible separated from face by very slight impression; clypeal foveae deep; labrum narrow roundly-triangular, only just protrude from under clypeus, with long pubescence along front margin; middle field of face distinctly elevated above lateral fields, in middle equal to lateral fields width; antennal cavities deeply impressed, merged, almost reach borders of eyes and far not reach front ocellus level, with polished surface, laterally above antennal fossae with tubercles and with smoothed interantennal tubercle; margins of antennal fossae high elevated above face surface; ocelli of normal size, strongly convex, diameter of lateral ocellus 1,2 times less than distance from ocellus to eye; ocellar triangle almost not expressed. Surface of clypeus with sparse smoothed punctures, middle field densely punctured by smoothed punctures, lateral fields with sparse smoothed punctures, frons above antennal cavities densely wrinkly-punctured, temples with only just visible punctures; surface of head without microsculpture, shining.

T h o r a x: Collar of pronotum from above rather short with rounded front margin; transverse furrow of pronotum shallow, narrow; pronotal ridge not swollen; epomiae sharp; pronotal base gradually curved. Mesonotum moderately convex, only just (1,2 times) longer than width; notauli in a form of slight impressions at base; surface of mesonotum very densely punctured, matt (dull); axillary tongue only just marked, practically not developed; subalarum thin, sharpened; speculum shining with sparse punctures; mesopleural fovea sharply expressed, area of mesopleural fovea deeply impressed; mesopleural suture straight, deep, interrupted by sharp ribs; mesopleurae at bottom without sharp bend; sternauli in a form of indistinct impressions in front third; lower third of mesopleurae longitudinally-wrinkled, middle one wrinkly-punctured, upper – denselypunctured, area under subalarum wrinkled, surface of mesopleurae without microsculpture; scutellum triangle from lateral, high elevated, laterally not carinated. Hind margin of metanotum with broad triangular projections opposite of lateral longitudinal carinae. Length of horizontal part of propodeum 2 times less than length of area posteromedia in middle; all carinae of propodeum sharply expressed, with exception of lateral carinae of basal area; basal area short and deep with tooth; area superomedia quadrangular, approximately with equal breadth and length, narrowed backwards from costulae, costulae approximately at its middle; area dentipara at apices without tooth; spiracles long, slitshaped, along external contour 3,4 times longer than width. Surface of propodeum, with exception of punctured first lateral field wrinkled, shining, without microsculpture, metapleurae smoothly wrinkly-punctured.

L e g s: Rather slender and long. Claws long, strongly and uniformly curved. W i n g s: Areolet pentagonal, with broad base, asymmetrical, external vein of apex longer than internal one; stigma normal, dark; radial cell broad and long, radius slightly sinuous at apex; nervulus interstitial; ramulus not expressed; veins dark; membrane of wing hyaline. Front wing equal by length to flagellum and shorter than body length.

A b d o m e n: Amblypygous, from above broadly-oval, sometimes to drop-shaped, apical tergites not hidden; second tergite transverse, at apex 1,2 times wider than length; sheath of ovipositor only just visible protrude. First tergite from lateral with distinct bend between petiolus and postpetiolus; ventrolateral carina sharp all round, dorsolateral one developed up to middle of postpetiolus; from lateral petiolus sculptured by smoothed transversal ribs; from above petiolus uniformly broadened to triangle postpetiolus; distance between spiracles many more than distance from spiracles to hind margin of tergite; middle field of postpetiolus distinctly but slightly elevated (high elevated at level of spiracles) and not carinated, wider than lateral fields, with impression in middle, its surface smooth with sparse smoothed punctures. Gastrocoeli deep, short; thyridia sharp, short, 1,5 times narrower than interval between them, slightly oblique; lunulae distinct, not big; interspace and surface of second tergite medially almost up to apex very densely and finely wrinkly-punctured, apically and laterally densely and delicately punctured, without microsculpture; tergite 3 up to middle very finely wrinkly-punctured, other smooth; tergite 6 with slightly membranous apical margin. Hypopygium from below almost rectangular with slightly protrude apex, not compressed from sides; hypopygium and adjoining parts of apical tergites with long brownish pubescence; sternite 2 unsclerotized completely, 3-4th on the larger part.

C o l o r a t i o n: Body black with slight white (yellow) pattern: lateral margins of clypeus, facial orbits upwardly, frontal orbits, collar and hind corners of pronotum and scutellum completely, sometimes spots at corners of postpetiolus; legs with exception of brown tibiae and tarsi black; first segment of hind tarsi ventrally white, 2-3rd with white annulus.

S i z e: Body length: 15,1; front wing: 10,9; flagellum: 11,0 mm.

M a l e

Flagellum of male ribbed ventrally with narrow oval tyloides on segments 8-18 and white semiannulus. Hypopygium apically with triangularly extended central part. White coloration more expanded: face with exception of middle field, clypeus with exception of middle, spots on front and middle coxae, apices of front and middle femora and tibiae from front, spots at corners of postpetiolus.