Chlorocryptus Cameron

Yoshida, Takuma & Matsumoto, Rikio, 2015, A revision of the genus Chlorocryptus Cameron (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), with the first record of the genus from Japan, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 62 (1), pp. 81-99 : 81-82

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae

Genus Chlorocryptus Cameron

Chlorocryptus Cameron, 1903: 34. Type species: Chlorocryptus metallicus Cameron. Designated by Viereck (1914: 32).

Cochlidionostenus Uchida, 1936: 115. Type species: Cryptaulax coreanus Szépligeti. Original designation. Synonymized by Townes et al. (1961: 141).

Cryptaulaxoides Uchida, 1940: 121. Type species: Cryptus purpuratus Smith. Original designation. Synonymized under Cochlidionostenus by Townes (1957: 104).

Description.

Large and stout species, fore wing length about 10-15 mm, with metallic blue, purple or greenish luster (Fig. 1). Frons deeply concave, with longitudinal ridge below median ocellus and laterally with transverse rugae and punctures (Figs 2, 13). Antennal scrobe glabrous and polished. Face distinctly convex medially, densely sculptured (Figs 2, 5, 13, 16). Clypeus large, 1.2-1.9 times as wide as high, flat to weakly convex (Figs 2, 13). Mandible short and stout, upper tooth longer than lower tooth (Figs 6, 17). Occipital carina joining hypostomal carina above mandibular base. Female flagellum with apical third flattened ventrally (Fig. 7), there densely covered with mixture of one type of sensilla chaetica and one type of sensilla basiconica (Figs 41, 42); apex round, not truncated, possessing a bundle of thick sensilla, which are widened apically, and whose sockets interrupted on one side (Figs 39, 40). Male flagellum not flattened ventrally; with 5 or 6 tyloids which can be on 13 th– 20th flagellomeres; apex of flagellum with thick sensilla as in female but fewer.

Epomia strong (Figs 9, 19). Notaulus absent (Figs 8, 18). Sternaulus distinct, about 0.7 as long as mesopleuron. Median part of postpectal carina represented by tubercle. Submetapleural carina distinct and complete. Metasternum with distinct flange immediately anterior to hind coxa (Fig. 10).

Legs slender, hind femur about 6-8 times as long as median width, and hind tibia about 9-11 times as long as apical width. Male hind tarsal claws sharply bent, apical part covered with scale-like sculpture (Fig. 45). Female hind tarsal claws not specialized unlike male (Fig. 43). Orbicula slender, flask-shaped in female (Fig. 44), parallel-sided in male (Fig. 46).

Wings infumate in various degrees (Figs 22-27). Fore wing with areolet small, quadrangular, 0.3-0.4 times as long as 2m-cu; 2m-cu joining behind middle of areola; cu-a a little distad of Rs&M. M+Cu of hind wing straight on apical 0.6; nervellar index less than 2.8; 2A curving toward anal margin.

First metasomal tergite with baso-lateral tooth (Figs 12, 21); petiole dorsally flat (Figs 11, 20), sparsely punctate; postpetiole (Figs 11, 12, 20, 21) parallel-sided in dorsal view, dorsal face weakly to moderately convex, densely with shallow, large punctures; median longitudinal carina weak, usually almost absent; lateral and ventral longitudinal carinae distinct. Second and 3rd tergites distinctly punctate, with narrow glabrous band on posterior rim. Fourth and following tergites with smaller, minute punctures. Female sterna heavily sclerotized; 2nd sternum posteriorly embraced by 3rd (Fig. 28). Ovipositor sheath 0.8-1.0 times as long as hind tibia, with terminal point (Fig. 47). Upper valve of ovipositor bearing apical ridges. Lower valve of ovipositor with distinct oblique teeth. Male sterna not evenly sclerotized; median part weakly sclerotized (Fig. 29). Gonosquama weakly tapered toward apex and apex rounded (Fig. 30). Apex of aedeagus round, gently curved in lateral view (Fig. 31), tapered in ventral view (Fig. 32).

Biology.

Both Chlorocryptus purpuratus and Chlorocryptus coreanus are parasitoids of limacodid moths and are often reported in the context of biological control (Table 1). They are solitary ectoparasitoids that oviposit into the host cocoon. The possession of ridges on the upper valve of the ovipositor is considered to be an adaptation to penetrate the hard cocoons of limacodid moths because this character state is found in some other cryptine species such as Lithochila nohirai (Uchida, 1930) and Paragambrus sapporoensis (Uchida, 1930) that also attack the limacodid cocoons (Townes 1969).