Synosis fieldi, Broad & Shaw, 2005

Broad, Gavin R. & Shaw, Mark R., 2005, The species of four genera of Metopiinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) in Britain, with new host records and descriptions of four new species, Journal of Natural History 39 (26), pp. 2389-2407 : 2402-2403

Synosis fieldi sp. n.

Male

Only known from the holotype male. Body length 5.2 mm. Fore wing length 3.7 mm. Antennal flagellum with 30 segments. Face, in lateral view, more bulging than the other species treated here, with a distinct angulation at about the vertical mid-point ( Figure 16 ). Ocelli large, ocellar–ocular distance about 0.68 times the length of a lateral ocellus ( Figure 17 ). Propodeum with a rather distinctive pattern of carinae, resembling the illustrations of S. nakanishii Kusigemati (1971) , with a short and broad area superomedia, barely longer than wide, which opens widely on to the area basalis ( Figure 18 ). Anterior transverse carinae are present as vestiges. Yellow of face more extensive than males of S. caesiellae or S. parenthesellae , filling most of the malar space. Hind coxa with basal threequarters dark, apical quarter reddish.

Material examined

Holotype: „, ‘‘ Chippenham Fen , Cambs. [ England, UK] TL 650693 Malaise trap: carr at reedbed edge. B. 11–22 viii 1985 (J. Field)’’ ( NMS).

Biology

Nothing is known of the biology of this species. The only known specimen was caught in a Malaise trap in a carr at the edge of a reedbed in August.

Etymology

We are pleased to name this species after Jeremy Field, who collected the only known specimen.

Figures

Figures 16–18. Synosis fieldi. (16) „, face in lateral view (a), compared to „ S. caesiellae (b). (17) „, dorsal view of head showing ocelli. (18) „, propodeum.