Ophion splendens Johansson, 2019

Johansson, Niklas & Cederberg, Björn, 2019, Review of the Swedish species of Ophion (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ophioninae), with the description of 18 new species and an illustrated key to Swedish species, European Journal of Taxonomy 550, pp. 1-136 : 97-99

Ophion splendens Johansson sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C4C67AA3-D220-487F-9DE3-16244C907BC9

Figs 9A , 13F , 15A , 41

Diagnosis

The result of the barcoding indicates that this species is closely related to Ophion confusus ( Fig. 1 ), but morphologically distinguishable from that species by the following: body size larger (fore wing 15–17 mm); usually a higher number of flagellomeres; epicnemial carina between the tip of the pleurosternal angles and the sternal part almost straight; pleurosternal angles obtuse; nervellus broken at or above the middle and the mesopleuron polished with very scarce and weak punctures.

Etymology

The species is large, often exhibits beautiful variations in brown and yellow colours and has a strongly polished and shining mesosoma.

Material examined

49 ♀♀, 21 ♂♂ ( Sweden); 6 ♀♀, 6 ♂♂ ( Great Britain); 2 ♀♀ ( Croatia).

Type material

Holotype

SWEDEN • ♀; Öland , Mörbylånga , Gamla skogsby, Diversitetsängen; 56.619° N, 16.497° E; 15–29 Jun. 2005; SMTP leg.; Malaise trap in alvar meadow with bushes (Trap id 22, coll ev. id. 1314); STI- NJBC45 ; NHRS-HEVA000008705.

Paratypes

SWEDEN • 5 ♀♀; Skåne, Ystad, Kåseberga ; 55.385° N, 14.066° E; 24 May–28 Jul. 2016; N. Ryrholm and C. Källander leg.; MV-light trap in warm coastal sandslopes; STI-NJBC42 , STI-NJBC44 (barcodes for two of the five females); NHRS-HEVA000008706 to NHRS-HEVA000008710 • 1 ♂; Öland, Borgholm, Borgehage ; 56.852° N, 16.626° E; 12 Jun. 2017; N. Johansson leg.; MV-light in garden close to alvar and deciduous forest; NHRS-HEVA000008711 • 1 ♀; Skåne, Simrishamn, Örnahusen ; 55.451° N, 14.253° E; 2–28 Aug. 1996; N. Ryrholm and C. Källander leg.; MV-light trap in sandy meadow; NHRS-HEVA000008712 • 1 ♂; Blekinge, Karlskrona, Tullaretorpet ; 56.227° N, 15.647° E; 7–8 Jun. 2016; C. Philipsson leg.; MV-light in oak dominated deciduous forest; NHRS-HEVA000008713 • 1 ♂; Skåne, Simrishamn, Spraggehusen ; 55.442° N, 14.246° E; 27 May–28 Jul. 2016; N. Ryrholm and C. Källander leg.; MV-light trap in coastal sanddunes; NHRS-HEVA000008714 • 1 ♀; Gotland, Sundre, Suders ; 56.945° N, 18.303° E; 29 Jul.–18 Sep. 2017; N. Ryrholm and C. Källander leg.; MV-light trap in deciduous woodland; NHRS-HEVA000008716 • 1 ♀; Skåne, Simrishamn, Spraggehusen ; 55.442° N, 14.246° E; 27 May–28 Jul. 1997; N. Ryrholm and C. Källander leg.; MV-light trap in coastal sanddunes; NHRS-HEVA000008715 .

Description

Fore wing length 15–17 mm. Antenna in both sexes with 59–63 flagellomeres. First flagellomere about 3.0 times as long as wide. Central flagellomeres about 1.2–1.3 times as long as wide. Subapical flagellomeres approximately 1.5 times as long as wide. Temple in female and male weakly buccate. Temple in lateral view 0.4–0.6 as long as compound eye. Lateral ocellus often touching inner margin of compound eye ( Fig. 15A ). Malar space about 0.1 times as long as mandibular base in female and about 0.2–0.3 times in male. Mandibular gape right-angled, with internal angles. Wing membrane usually distinctly yellowish. Ramellus distinct 0.3–0,5 times the width of the discosubmarginal cell. Radius sinuous. Nervellus broken at or above the middle by the discoidella ( Fig. 13F ). Mesopleuron in most cases polished, sometime very weakly shagreened, with very weak and scattered punctures. Interstices between punctures about 3.0–5.0 times their diameter. Epicnemial carina between tip of pleurosternal angles and sternal angles almost straight. Pleurosternal angles obtuse ( Fig. 9A ). Scutellum without distinct lateral carinae (as in Fig. 6A ). Structure of propodeum quite shiny and slightly rugose, basally and laterally with distinct punctures. Anterior transverse carina often absent laterally and posterior transverse carina interrupted centrally. Longitudinal carinae delimiting area superomedia and area petiolaris often weak. Sclerotised part of first sternite ending level to spiracle. Hind trochantellus shorter than wide in dorsal view. Legs normal with hind femur 6.0–7.0 times as long as wide. First sternite ending in level to spiracle. Inner spur of hind tibia as long as 0.4 times metatarsus.

Colour

Body testaceous. Head with inner and outer eye margins yellow. Mandibular teeth black. Mesosoma often with slightly infuscate areas in front of central ocellus, on mesopleuron and in the form of three brownish stripes on mesoscutum. Ovipositor sheath black or dark brown, contrasting in colour with posterior metasomal segments.

DNA barcode

The DNA barcode sequences of three Swedish specimens of Ophion splendens Johansson sp. nov. are available at the BOLD systems database (www.boldsystems.org, BIN. BOLD: ABV8262. Specimen codes: STI-NJBC: 42, 44–45).

Ecology

This species has been reared from Noctua interjecta Hübner, 1803 (Mark Shaw, NMS, pers. com., see also Brock 1982). It has primarily been collected from open or semi-open areas adjacent to deciduous forests during early summer, May–early July.

Distribution in Sweden

This seems to be a quite rare and local species in Southern Sweden where it primarily occurs in areas with favourable climate in the vicinity of mature deciduous forests. One male from Uppland (Central Sweden) in NHRS was collected indoors and according to the label it was probably rearded from an unregistered host. The collector (Håkan Elmqvist) frequently visits and collects in Southern Sweden including Gotland.

Remarks

According to British material studied by the first author this species is, together with Ophion brocki Johansson sp. nov., the O. costatus auct. sensu Brock (1982) .

Figures

Fig. 9. Epicnemial carina, antero-ventral view of female. A. Ophion splendens Johansson sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008708). B. O. mocsaryi Brauns, 1889. C. O. dispar Brauns, 1895. D. O. parvulus Kriechbaumer, 1879. E. O. slaviceki Kriechbaumer, 1892. F. O. angularis Johansson & Cederberg sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (MZLU 6366:3). G. O. crassicornis Brock, 1982. H. O. areolaris Brauns, 1889. I. O. kallanderi Johansson sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (MZLU 6371:5).

Fig.13.A.Right forewingOphiontenuicornisJohanssonsp.nov.,paratype,♀(NHRS-HEVA000008743), the evenly curved radius arrowed. B. Pterostigma O. autumnalis Johansson sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008620). C. Right fore wing O. inclinans Johansson sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (NHRS- HEVA000008667), the sinous radius arrowed. D. Pterostigma O. kevoensis Jussila, 1965. E–F. Hind wing nervellus, interception of discoidella arrowed. E. O. brocki Johansson sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHRS- HEVA000008633). F. O. splendens Johansson sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008708).

Fig. 15. A–B. Head, dorsal view of female. A. Ophion splendens Johansson sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008708). B. O. brocki Johansson sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008633). C–D. Head anterior view of female. C. O. mocsaryi Brauns, 1889. D. O. brocki Johansson sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008633). E–G. Head, lateral view of female. E. O. mocsaryi Brauns, 1889. F. O. mocsaryi Brauns, 1889, var. G. O. brocki Johansson sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHRS- HEVA000008633).

Fig. 41. Ophion splendens Johansson sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008708). Scale bar = 1 mm.

Fig. 1 (continued on next page). Phylogeny of Ophion Fabricius, 1798 as obtained from cytochrome oxidase 1 (COI) sequences. Maximum likelihood tree is shown with clade support including 234 Ophion and 3 outgroup specimens is shown based on 150 bootstrap iterations using the General Time Reversible model and analysed with MEGA-X. The sample ids “NJBC” refer to the BOLD database.

Fig. 6. A–D. Scutellum, dorsal view. A. Ophion luteus (Linnaeus, 1758). B. O. areolaris Brauns, 1889. C. O. inclinans Johansson sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008667). D. O. dispar Brauns, 1895. E–H. Firsttergite, lateral view.E. O.inclinansJohanssonsp.nov.,holotype,♀ (NHRS-HEVA000008667). F. O. dispar. G. O. artemisiae Boie, 1855. H. O. luteus. I–J. Shape of male parameres, lateral view. I. Ophion sp. cf. pseudocostatus Meyer, 1935. J. O. artemisiae.