Ischyrocnemis goesi Holmgren, 1858

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 : 2392-2393

Ischyrocnemis goesi Holmgren

Diagnosis

Ischyrocnemis contains two described species, both from Europe. Nothing is known about their biology. The type species, I. goesi Holmgren , has been recorded from Austria, Denmark, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Italy ( Yu and Horstmann 1997; Jonaitis 2000; Horstmann 2001; Stoch 2003), China (Sheng and Zhang 1998), and now Britain. Ischyrocnemis goesi is readily separated from I. quadridens (Perkins) by the absence of glymmae on metasomal tergite 1, the long and strong fore tibial tooth (short and inconspicuous in I. quadridens ) and the undivided mandibular teeth (mandibles appearing quadridentate in I. quadridens ) ( Perkins 1962). In the British fauna, I. goesi can be recognized by the clypeus and face forming a continuous, slightly convex surface; clypeus produced ventrally into a tooth ( Figure 6 ); propodeum with areas superomedia and basalis combined into a long, narrow area demarcated by strong lateromedian longitudinal carinae; all laterotergites broad and laterotergites 3 onwards not separated from their tergites; metasoma clavate, rounded apically with tergites 1–7 visible ( Figure 7 ); ovipositor very short; fore tibia apically with a tooth; and areolet of fore wing roughly triangular and distinctly petiolate.

Material examined

England, UK: 2♀♀, Frilford Heath , Oxon., SU442986, Malaise trap, 18 June to 12 July 1991 (K. Porter) ( NMS) .

Comments

The correct taxonomic position of this genus is unclear. Townes (1971) placed Ischyrocnemis in Metopiinae but with the caveat that this was a very tentative assignment. The relatively slender first tergite of the metasoma and the rather flat, as opposed to distinctly convex, face are unusual features for Metopiinae . Perkins (1962) treated this genus as a member of the Ctenopelmatinae, close to Rhorus Förster (now placed in the Pionini). Until this genus (and other aberrant ‘Metopiinae’) can be included in a phylogenetic analysis that treats the varied elements of Ctenopelmatinae, we retain it provisionally in Metopiinae .

Figures

Figures 6, 7. Ischyrocnemis goesi ♀. (2) Head, anterior view. (3) Whole insect, lateral view.