Ichneumon vexator Smith, 1874

Shimizu, So & Broad, Gavin R., 2020, Photographic catalogue of the oldest primary types of Japanese Ichneumonoidea (Hymenoptera), those described by Frederick Smith and Francis Walker in 1874, Journal of Natural History 54 (17), pp. 1115-1198 : 1146-1149

Ichneumon vexator Smith, 1874

( Figure 21 )

Taxonomic history. Heinrich (1937) transferred I. vexator Smith to Melanichneumon but Townes et al. (1965) to Barichneumon Thomson, 1893 . Uchida (1939) synonymised Melanichneumon tosaensis Uchida, 1935 under I. vexator Smith. However , I. vexator is preoccupied by I. vexator Thunberg, 1824 and by I. vexator Wesmael, 1845 .

Taxonomy. We disagree with the reclassification of Townes et al. (1965): the shape of the clypeus (broad, flattened, slightly concave apically with a weak median projection), the shape of the hypostoma, and the weak gastrocoelus and thyridium, indicate that this is indeed better placed in Melanichneumon . Hence, Melanichneumon tosaensis Uchida, 1935 stat. rev. is the valid name; the synonymy of I. vexator Smith under M. tosaensis Uchida was established by Uchida (1939), although he used vexator as the valid name.

Current taxonomy. Primary homonym, valid name: Melanichneumon tosaensis Uchida, 1935 stat. rev. ( Ichneumonidae : Ichneumoninae : Ichneumonini ).

Type number. Type 3b.256. Specimen # NHMUK014035390

Type status. Holotype.

Sex. Female.

Type locality. Hyôgo Prefecture, Honshû, Japan.

Label data. First label, ‘ Type / CM.’ (round label, with red margin; first printed and second line handwriting) ; second label, ‘B.M. TYPE /HYM./3.b.256’ (square label; first and second lines printed and third line handwriting); third label, ‘Hiogo/ Japan.’ (square label; first line handwriting and second line printed); fourth label, ‘74/16’ (round label; handwriting); fifth label, ‘ Ichneumon /vexator/ Type Smith.’ (square label; handwriting).

Condition. Good, but the right antenna and left antenna after the 10th flagellomere have been mounted on a glue board.

Figures

Figure 21. Holotype female of Ichneumon vexator Smith, 1874 (= Barichneumon tosaensis (Uchida, 1935)): (a) labels (b) lateral habitus (c) head, frontal view (d) head, dorsal view (e) head, lateral view (f) mesoscutum, dorsal view (g) scutellum and propodeum, dorsal view (h) mesosoma, lateral view (i) fore wing (j) hind wing (k) metasoma, dorsal view.