Joppocryptini (VIERECK)

A. M, 2009, Illustrated key to the tribes of subfamilia Ichneumoninae and genera of the tribe Platylabini of world fauna (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 41 (2), pp. 1317-1608 : 1362-1364

Tribe Joppocryptini (VIERECK)

Joppocryptinae VIERECK 1918 - Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 31: 73.

Type genus: Joppocryptus VIERECK.

Acanthojoppini HEINRICH 1934 - Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berlin: 65, 67, 138.

Acanthojoppini: HEINRICH 1968 - Ichn. Stenop. of Africa 2: 433-434.

Type genus: Eccoptosage KRIECHBAUMER (= Acanthojoppa CAMERON).

Joppocryptini : HEINRICH 1977 - Ichn. Florida and Neigb. States 9: 268-269.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Oriental, Ethiopian, Neotropic Regions (most number of genera) and Holarctic (1 genus Pseudoplatylabus SMITS van BURGST with 2 species)

I n t r o d u c t i o n:

It differs from Ichneumonini first of all by peculiarities of head morphology. For representatives of tribe combination of clypeus and mandibles morphology is characteristically. Clypeus is nearly always with thinned, leaf-shaped, or broadly bent, or projected medially (rarely almost straight) apex, usually slightly convex basally and more or less distinctly concave to apex. Mandibles are sickle-shaped, curved, with long, sharply pointed apical tooth, but also with short subapical tooth, bent inside and situating almost in the same (horizontal) plane with apical one. Similar morphology of mandibles is typical for tribe Heresiarchini and some of Ichneumonini genera. For Hymenura TOWNES (= Neopyga HEINRICH), Rhadinodonta SZEPLIGETI (Cratichneumonina) it is with maximal reduction of the lower tooth, of Aethioplites HEINRICH (Aethioplitina) – with analogous tendency.

Flagellum is always long, slender, sharpened. Scutellum is from moderate to very strongly elevated above postscutellum, always carinated by high carinae. Propodeum is of broken type, with teeth at apex and tendency to develop of apophysises. Claws of tarsi of females are smooth. Areolet of front wings is pentagonal, narrow in front. Abdomen of females is oxypygous with projecting sheath of ovipositor and with slight long gastrocoeli with distinct thyridia. Surface of mesonotum and of propodeum is dull.

M o r p h o l o g y:

F l a g e l l u m: Of females bristle-shaped, long and slender, ventrally flattened beyond middle, sometimes distinctly widened, always with long and strongly attenuated apical part and with considerably elongated basal segments. Flagellum of males with short row of small tyloides or without tyloides, distinctly nodose and with transversal ridges to the apex on ventral side.

H e a d: Head contour from front strongly narrowed. Vertex and temples from lateral sharply and roundly slanting to occipital carina after ocelli; occipital and hypostomal carinae normal, without specialization; genae quite broad from side; mandibles particular, very specific structure, curved, with long, sharply pointed apical tooth, sickle-shaped, with short lower tooth moved inside and situated in the same horizontal plane with upper tooth; clypeus usually punctured and slightly convex basally, polished and more or less clearly concave to apex, apex thinned leaf-like and usually broadly curved and protrude medially, rarely almost straight. Lower part of temples and genae of males often wider than of females, sometimes swollen.

T h o r a x: Mesonotum strongly convex, from slightly to considerably more long than width in middle; notauli at basal part vary from very sharp impression to full lacking; surface of mesonotum densely punctured, usually dull or almost dull; scutellum from moderately to very strongly elevated above postscutellum, laterally always with high carinae, dorsally more or less strongly convex. Hind margin of metanotum with projections opposite lateral longitudinal carinae. Propodeum distinctly of broken type, declivous part some shorter, equal, or some longer than horizontal one, the letter flat; set of carinae of propodeum from complete to incomplete and sometimes to full lacking of carination; areae dentiparae with tendency to develop of apophysises of different size, often less developed at males than at females; spiracles long.

L e g s: Long and slender; claws not pectinate.

W i n g s: Areolet pentagonal with narrow, sometimes with very narrow base; nervulus usually interstitial, sometimes slightly postfurcal; radius straight, sometimes very slightly curved at apex. Wings membrane usually hyaline, of one African species deeply darkened.

A b d o m e n:Offemalesnarrow,elongated, sharply pointed to apex, oxypygous, with distinctly projecting sheath of ovipositor. First tergite long, thin, from lateral without distinct sharp bend to postpetiolus; from above petiolus gradually broadened to postpetiolus; sculpture of postpetiolus usually more or less smoothed. Gastrocoeli long, slightly impressed; thyridia usually small and narrow, sometimes very broad, with interval more narrow than breadth each of them, always from distinctly to very far removed from base of second tergite; tergites 2-3 or 2-4 densely and delicate sculptured, punctured or wrinkled, often dull; hypopygium of males, broadly and bluntly triangle.

C o l o r a t i o n: Basic color most species orange or dully ferruginous or uniformly, or (often) with head and apical tergites more or less intensively black, with white spots or without them. Only at two Madagascarian species basic color of abdomen black, with expressed white bands. Flagellum usually with white annulus or semiannulus of both sexes.