Jungicephus mandibularis Maa, 1949 : 22

Haiyan Nie, Lin Liu & Meicai Wei, 2016, On Jungicephus Maa (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) with description of a new species from China, Zoological Systematics 41 (2), pp. 236-240 : 236-237

Jungicephus Maa, 1949

Jungicephus Maa, 1949: 21, by original designation.

Type species: Jungicephus mandibularis Maa, 1949: 22 .

Description. Mandibles robust, left mandible hardly 2 times as long as its middle breadth and clearly broader than distance between anterior tentorial pit and torulus, with 2 large teeth, inner tooth strongly shouldered and about as long as outer tooth ( Fig. 6 ); maxillary palp with 5 palpomeres, 3rd palpomere not enlarged and as long as or shorter than 5th palpomere ( Fig. 4 ); labial palp with 3 palpomeres, third palpomere with a distinct sensory pit ( Fig. 5 ); head quite broad and low in frontal view, distance between antennal sockets 1.5 times as long as distance between antennal socket and tentorial pit on same side, and also about 1.5 times as long as distance between antennal socket and inner margin of eye ( Figs 2, 13 ); supraclypeal area weakly elevated, without middle keel or carina; malar space longer than diameter of front ocellus; eyes medium-sized, inner margins parallel, shortest distance between eyes 1.5 times height of an eye ( Figs 2, 13 ); OCL about 2.5 times POL, OOL 2 times POL; occipital carina extending to upper part of hind orbit; head about as broad as thorax, subparallel or weakly narrowed behind eyes in dorsal view. Antenna filiform, with 21–23 antennomeres, flagellum of equal width throughout from 5th antennomere, 3rd and 4th antennomeres slightly thinner than other antennomeres; 2nd antennomere slightly broader than long, 3rd antennomere clearly longer than 4th antennomere, 4th antennomere shorter than 5th. Pronotum short, distinctly concave at middle transversely, about 2 times as broad as long in dorsal view and strongly oblique in lateral view; mesoscutellum broadly diamond shaped, much shorter than broad ( Fig. 12 ); upper of mesepisternum with a long and deep transverse furrow. Middle tibia with 1 pre-apical spur; hind tibia as long as hind tarsus with 2 pre-apical and 2 apical spurs; metabasitarsus slender, slightly longer than following 3 tarsomeres together; claw short and broad, with an acute basal lobe, inner tooth longer and broader than outer tooth ( Figs 7–8 ). Forewing ( Fig. 9 ) with cell 2R1 normal, vein 1r joining pterostigma at base, 2r joining pterostigma at middle; pterostigma narrow and long, vein 2A separated from vanal fold about 3–4 times breadth of vein 2A; hind wing with 7–10 apical hamuli on dorsal margin of cell R1 and 7–10 small and sparse basal hamuli, cell Rs and M closed ( Fig. 10 ). Abdomen strongly compressed laterally, lateral lobes of 1st tergum not merged at middle ( Fig. 12 ), 2nd segment short, 2.5 times as high as long in lateral view; ovipositor sheath longer than hind tibia, weakly curved up ventrally, almost straight, apical sheath much shorter than basal sheath ( Fig. 11 ); cercus about 0.25 times length of apical sheath. Lancet simple and slender, with 3 apical annular sutures, annular ctenidia absent, serrulae tapering toward apex, without fine subbasal teeth; about apical half of lance with dorsal teeth.

Distribution. North China.

Discussion. Maa (1949) stated the “maxillary palpi (of Jungicephus) with segments III subequal in length to the IV or VI; the VI originating near the base of its preceding segment (Text-fig. 3)”. However, the text Fig. 3 in Maa (1949) clearly shows that the maxillary palp is 5-segmented. The maxillary palp with 5 palpomeres is confirmed by our study of additional specimens.

Jungicephus can be easily recognized by maxillary palp with 5 palpomeres and labial palp with 3 palpomeres; the distance between toruli much longer than the distance between torulus and tentorial pit; the 4th antennomere shorter than the 3rd and 5th antennomeres; mesepisternum with a deep dorsal transverse furrow; left mandible very broad and the inner tooth with a distinct shoulder, ovipositor sheath weakly curved upwards in lateral view.

Maa (1949) emphasized that Jungicephus "can be readily recognized from all other Cephid-genera by the shape of its left mandible". The new species described below shows that this statement is not true.

Maa (1949) and Muche (1981) placed Jungicephus into the tribe Hartigiini of Cephidae . However, Jungicephus is much different from known genera of Hartigiini by the reduced maxillary and labial palpi, the distance between toruli much longer than distance between torulus and anterior tentorial pit, the upper part of mesepisternum with a deep transverse furrow, the 4th antennomere shorter than the 5th antennomere, the diamond-shaped mesoscutellum, and the weakly curved up ovipositor sheath.

Jungicephus is somewhat similar to Pachycephus of Pachycephini, Cephinae by following characters: the distance between toruli much longer than distance between torulus and anterior tentorial pit; the upper part of mesepisternum with a deep transverse furrow; the diamond mesoscutellum, the short and high second abdominal tergite and venation. But Jungicephus differs distinctly from Pachycephus by the followings: long and slender antenna with the 4th antennomere shorter than the 5th antennomere; maxillary palp with 5 palpomeres and labial palp with 3 palpomeres; the inner tooth of the left mandible as long as outer tooth and with a distinct shoulder; abdomen strongly compressed laterally, and ovipositor sheath long and slightly curved up; claw with a sharp basal lobe and a large inner tooth.

Jungicephus might be related to Janus complex of Hartigiini by the short and broad claw with a sharp basal lobe and a large inner tooth ( Wei & Nie, 1996). But considering some similarity between Jungicephus and Pachycephus , it is possible that Jungicephus represents a distinct evolutionary lineage of Hartigiini in addition to the Hartigia lineage and Janus lineage. It is necessary to reconstruct the generic phylogeny of Cephidae using cladistic analysis before we can confirm the tribal position of Jungicephus.

There are two species in Jungicephus, including a new species described here. They can be separated by the following key.

Figures

Figures 1 – 14. Jungicephus bidentus sp. nov. 1. Adult female, dorsal view. 2. Female head, frontal view. 3. Female head, dorsal view. 4. Maxillary palp. 5. Labial palp. 6. Left mandible. 7. Female claw. 8. Male claw. 9. Fore wing. 10. Hind wing. 11. Ovipositor sheath. 12. Mesoscutellum and propodeum. 13. Male head, frontal view. 14. Apical two sternites in male, ventral view.