Catadelphus, WESMAEL, 1854

Sime, Karen R. & Wahl, David B., 2002, The cladistics and biology of the Callajoppa genus-group (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 134 (1), pp. 1-56 : 21

CATADELPHUS WESMAEL, 1854

Catadelphus Wesmael, 1854: 134 . Type-species: Ichneumon arrogator Fabricius. Monotypic.

Species and distribution. There are five described species: one from the western Palearctic and four from

North America ( Yu & Horstmann, 1997).

Autapomorphies. Juxtacoxal carina present (#22–0); propodeum with median longitudinal carina present anteriad anterior transverse carina (#32–0); S2-3 divided, S4-5 entire (#55–1).

Comments. Heinrich placed great importance on cell 1 + 2Rs of the fore wing as a primary defining character of Callajoppina, discussing it at length in Heinrich (1967) where he stated that the cell had ‘... a clear and constant tendency to be petiolate and obliquely trapezoidal by prolongation of the second intercubitus [vein 3r-m] and abbreviation of the second abcissa of cubitus [vein 2/Rs].’ He later moved Catadelphus to the Heresiarchini ( Heinrich, 1971: 967–968) , on the grounds that the cell is not petiolate and that the constituent veins are of equal length ( Heinrich, 1962: 810). Unfortunately, direct examination reveals that the veins are not equal (vein 2/ R s <vein 3r-m, #40–1). The present study shows the petiolate cell to be the result of a complex series of acquisition and loss in the Callajoppa genus-group , and it cannot be used as a defining character above the generic level.

Biology. No specimens are associated with host remains, but several independent reports indicate that Catadelphus species are parasitoids of Sphingidae , possibly specializing on Macroglossini . Catadelphus atrox (Cresson) is recorded from Proserpinus juanita (Strecker) ( Hopper, 1939) and C. arrogator (Fabricius) from P. proserpina (Pallas) and Hyles gallii (Rottemburg) ( Morley, 1915; Schmiedeknecht, 1930; Pittaway, 1993). These records are supported by Schmiedeknecht’s (1930) observation that the adults of C. arrogator are associated with Epilobium , the usual food plant for all three of the hosts listed above. Biological similarities among the reported host species also support the notion of Catadelphus using all three: they feed principally on herbs in the Onagraceae and overwinter in loose cocoons in the leaf litter ( Hodges, 1971; Pittaway, 1993).