Tachyphron fragilis (Turner 1865) Brown, 2005

Brown, G. R., 2005, A revision of Tachyphron Brown and description of two new genera within the Ariphron group (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae), Journal of Natural History 39 (2), pp. 197-239 : 227-228

Tachyphron fragilis (Turner 1865) comb. nov.

( Figures 29 , 33, 34 , 60 )

Aelurus fragilis Smith, 1865: 78 .

Tachynomyia fragilis: Turner, 1907: 290 ; Turner, 1910: 28; Given, 1954: 55; Salter, 1954: 286; Salter, 1963: 239; Brown, 2001: 35.

Tachynomia fragilis: Kimsey, 1966: 308 (misspelling).

Trachypterus fragilis: Kimsey, 1966: 308 (lapsus calami).

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: „. Indonesia: Halmahera : (type number HYM 842), Morotai (as Morty) Island, 1830–1873, Wallace, in OUM.

Distribution. Known only from Morotai Island off the northern coast of Halmahera Island ( Figure 60 ).

Diagnosis. Male: legs and metasoma (including T 1 and S1) red-orange. Aedeagus in the form of a robust hook ( Figures 33, 34 ).

Description. Male: black; apex of clypeus, spot above antennal insertion, anterior margin of pronotum (narrowly discontinuous medially), tegulae basally, disc of metanotum, yellow; antennae, legs (except fore coxae), metasoma (except hypopygial spines apically), redorange; tegulae testaceous distally; wings hyaline, veins orange; setae white or pale yellow. Clypeus closely and finely punctate, apically truncate, sagittal carina obscure near apical margin. Frons rugosely punctate. Vertex and gena finely rugosely punctate, short and subparallel, approximately quarter length of minimum eye diameter. Occipital carina visible dorsally. Genal cavity not visible dorsally. Pronotum including anterior margin, mesoscutum and mesoscutellum closely finely punctate to closely finely rugosely punctate. Metanotum finely punctate. Propodeum and mesopleura finely rugosely punctate. T 1–5 almost impunctate; T 6 punctate laterally, T 7 coarsely punctate, impunctate medially; T 1 with length: width 1.7:1. S1 shallowly and sparsely punctate; S2–8 almost impunctate but becoming punctate laterally. Hypopygium ( Figure 29 ) subovate, lateral spines long and acute, apical spine subtriangular basally, long and cylindrical apically. Genitalia ( Figures 33, 34 ) with parameres subparallel over most of length, broad on basal third, narrower on apical two-thirds, apices slightly convergent, slightly down-turned, acute, ending well before apex of aedeagus; basiparameres in dorsal view narrowly triangular with apex not clearly differentiated from aedeagus, apparently broadly rounded and ending before level of apices of the cuspides, narrow in lateral view; aedeagus with basal and apical sections, basal section subtriangular with rounded apex and slight preapical indentation, ventral lobes absent, apical section strongly produced, subparallel and strongly hook-like in profile, ending beyond level of apices of parameres. BL: 11; FW: 8; HW: 5.

Remarks. Kimsey cited the original combination as Trachypterus fragilis Smith , although this species has never been placed in that genus. Trachypterus Dalla Torre is a junior synonym of the monotypic Diamma Westwood. This genus belongs to the subfamily Diamminae , not Thynninae .

Figures

Figure 60. Distribution of Tachyphron spp. (rarer species).

Figures 29–32. Tachyphron spp., male hypopygia. (29) T. fragilis. (30) T. neosubfragilis. (31) T. comatus. (32) T. nigrisetatus. Scale bar: 0.25 mm.

Figures 33–40. Tachyphron spp., male genitalia, lateral and dorsal views. (33, 34) T. fragilis. (35, 36) T. neosubfragilis (note: basal ring partially detached). (37, 38) T. comatus. (39, 40) T. nigrisetatus. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.