Metallichneumon neurospastarchus, Sime & Wahl, 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 : 41-42

Type-species. Metallichneumon neurospastarchus

sp. n.

Description. Flagellum of female lanceolate, with flagellomere 3 2.7¥ as long as wide; flagellum of male unknown. Clypeus narrow, basally with two lateral concavities, median concavity just above apical margin, apicolateral margin forming a rounded angle of approximately 40°, punctures evenly distributed, apical 0.3 not thinned, apical margin concave and without median projection. Mandible short and quadrate, ventral tooth in same plane as dorsal tooth. Supra-antennal area without median ridges or denticles. Vertex with posterior section about as long as ocellar triangle, gently sloping to occipital carina. Gena flat and receding in dorsal profile. Juncture of hypostomal and occipital carinae separated from mandible by about 0.6¥ basal mandibular width. Occipital carina with ventral region above mandible not produced as a low flange.

Pronotal flange high and with posterior face flat. Epicnemial carina dorsally complete. Scutellum conical; lateral carinae absent. Central convexity of metanotum not widened and lateral depressions not reduced. Base of propodeum rising steeply and abruptly. Areola not distinguishable, only anterior transverse carina appears to be present. Anterior transverse carina complete, median section swollen; posterior transverse carina absent; lateral longitudinal carinae complete; median longitudinal carinae absent basad anterior transverse carina, present apicad anterior transverse carina. First lateral area with regularly distributed punctures; second lateral area rugosopunctate. Metapleuron regularly punctate. Juxtacoxal carina present. 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 about 2.5¥ as long as vein 3/M).

MS 1 in lateral view with petiole flattened, postpetiole convex; sclerotized anterior portion of S1 1.2 ¥ 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 present, rugosopunctate. Ventral margin of T2 denticulate. T2-4 with weak longitudinal rugae extending down midline of each tergite. T2-4 laterally weakly flattened, with normal punctures separated by about 0.2¥ their diameter. T2-5 basally constricted, T3-4 without dorsolateral ridges. S2-4 divided, S5 entire. Apex of female metasoma with T7-8 projecting well beyond apex of T6 ; oxypygous .

Etymology. The genus is named after the musical group Metallica. The coupling of a descriptive word with the stem ‘-ichneumon’ is a common form of generic name in the Ichneumoninae . The gender is masculine.

Autapomorphies. Flagellomere 3 of female 2.7¥ as long as wide (#2–0); apical margin of clypeus concave (#4–1); cell 1 + 2Rs of fore wing with vein 2 m-cu interception apicad midpoint of posterior margin (#41–1); T2-4 with weak longitudinal rugae extending down midline of each tergite (#50–1).

Species and distribution. There is one species, Metallichneumon neurospastarchus , found in Peru.

Biology. Unknown.