Lagavula, 2002

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 : 28-29

LAGAVULA WAHL & SIME , GEN. N.

Type-species. Lagavula gauldi sp. n.

Description. Flagellum of female lanceolate, with flagellomere 3 1.8¥ as long as wide; flagellum of male with tyloids present (weak) or absent. Clypeus flat and wide, apicolateral margin forming an acute angle of approximately 40°, punctures evenly distributed, apical 0.3 not thinned, apical margin straight and with weak median projection present or absent. Mandible long and evenly tapered to apex, ventral tooth in same plane as dorsal tooth. Supra-antennal area without median paired ridges or denticles. Vertex with posterior section about as long as ocellar triangle, gently sloping to occipital carina. Gena flat and sharply receding in dorsal view. Juncture of hypostomal and occipital carinae separated from mandible by about 0.5¥ basal mandibular width. Occipital carina with ventral region above mandible produced as a low flange.

Pronotal flange low and with posterior face concave. Epicnemial carina dorsally complete or incomplete. Scutellum weakly convex; lateral carinae absent. Central convexity of metanotum not widened and lateral depressions not reduced. Base of propodeum rising steeply and abruptly. Areola small (about 3.0¥ as wide as long, not reduced to boss) or absent. Anterior transverse carina complete or incomplete, median section not swollen when complete; posterior transverse carina complete or absent; lateral longitudinal carinae complete or absent; median longitudinal carinae absent basad anterior transverse carina, present or absent apicad anterior transverse carina. First lateral area with punctures ranging from uniformly distributed to widely scattered; second lateral area with scattered punctures. Metapleuron with surface sculpture ranging from widely scattered punctures to rugosopunctate. Juxtacoxal carina absent. Propodeal lateral profile steeply sloping. Scopa absent. Cell 1 + 2Rs of fore wing petiolate, vein 2/Rs <3r-m, vein 2m-cu interception apicad midpoint of posterior margin (vein 2/M 2.1–5.8¥ as long as vein 3/M).

MS 1 in lateral view with petiole flattened, postpetiole convex; sclerotized anterior portion of S1 0.9 ¥ as long as distance from posterior margin of anterior portion to apex of T1 ; petiole basally without dorsal or lateral bulges; postpetiole without basal convexity, median longitudinal carinae absent, median field absent, punctures fine and dense and without rugae. Ventral margin of T2 simple. T2-4 without longitudinal rugae. T2-4 evenly convex, with fine punctures separated by 0.5¥ their diameter to contiguous. T2-5 not basally constricted and without dorsolateral ridges. S2 divided and S3-5 entire, or S2-5 entire. Apex of female metasoma with T7-8 projecting well beyond apex of T6 ; amblypygous .

Autapomorphies. Occipital carina with ventral region above mandible produced as low flange (#17–1); areola small (about 3.0¥ as wide as long) but not reduced to boss (#27–0); first lateral area with punctures ranging from uniformly distributed to scattered or absent, second lateral area with scattered punctures (#35–2); postpetiole of T1 with median field absent (#47–1), and with fine and dense punctures, no trace of rugae (#48–2).

Etymology. The generic name is a euphonious combination of letters with no meaning. Its gender is feminine.

Species and distribution. There is one described species, Lagavula gauldi , and four undescribed species [AEIC, IMLA, INBC], distributed from Costa Rica to Argentina.

Biology. Lagavula gauldi has been reared from Aleuron iphis (Walker) (Sphingidae) on Tetracera volubilis L. ( Dilleniaceae ) ( Costa Rica: Guanacaste (see paratype data, below), ‘94-SRNP-10018’ [AEIC]). It is a larval-pupal parasitoid; the host was collected in the penultimate instar (D. Janzen, pers. comm.).