Syspasis tauma ( HEINRICH , 1951)

Riedel, Matthias, 2021, Revision of the Palaearctic species of Syspasis TOWNES, 1965 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 53 (2), pp. 775-810 : 795-797

Syspasis tauma ( HEINRICH, 1951) (figs 13, 23, 33, 46, 59)

Original: Coelichneumon tauma HEINRICH, 1951: 253 , transferred to Syspasis by HEINRICH (1969).

H o l o t y p e: (♀) [red] Holotypus; Stenichneumon tauma ♀ HEINR. det Heinrich ; Kaiserau (Admont) Steiermark 1100 m, 10.6.50 ; [red] Typus Nr. Hym 731 Zoologische Staatssammlung München ( ZSM), type studied .

M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Holarctic; 28♀♀ and 3♁♁ from Austria, Germany, Finland, Norway *, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland *.

D e s c r i p t i o n: ♀: Body length 10-13 mm. Flagellum with 34-38 flagellomeres, moderately lanceolate; 1 st flagellomere 2.5-2.8× and 2 nd flagellomere 2.1-2.5× longer than wide, combined length 0.60-0.71× eye length; c. 8 th flagellomeres square, widest flagellomeres 1.5-2.0× wider than long. Temple distinctly and roundly narrowed behind eye. OED 1.3-1.6× ocellar diameter. Frons transversely rugose-punctate and granulate. Face punctate, with granulation medially. Clypeus coarsely punctate, finely and longitudinally rgugose medially, smooth. Gena 1.1× wider than eye, with ± scattered punctures ventrally. MI 1.0-1.1. Mesosoma with short pale hairs. Side of pronotum with granulation and superficial punctures dorsally and striate ventrally. Notaulus distinctly impressed frontally. Lateral field of mesoscutum with superficial punctures and coarse granulation, dull. Mesopleuron punctate, partly with longitudinal rugae. Metapleuron punctate, ± rugose; juxtacoxal carina present. Scutellum wider than long, moderately elevated, with scattered punctures, without lateral carina. Area superomedia large, about as long as wide or slightly wider, horseshoe-shaped, almost smooth, often open apically; anterior transverse carina reaching it caudal to its middle. Area externa punctate and granulate or with fine transverse striae. Area petiolaris punctate, sometimes ± smoothened, without lateral carina. Coxae densely punctate and granulate; hind coxa with large distinct scopa apico-ventrally (1/2-2/5× of coxal length). Hind femur with scattered punctures in ventral third, 3.4-3.8× longer than wide. Areolet pentagonal, frontal distance between veins 2rs-m and 3rs-m 3-4× their width. Vein 2m-cu reaching in or slightly distal to its middle. Vein 1cu-a usually interstitial. Metasoma oxypygous. Postpetiolus strongly widened apically;lateral field 0.5-0.7× as wide as median field, the latter with c. 15 fine longitudinal striae. Thyridium slightly oblique, c. 2.0× wider than the interval between thyridia. 2 nd tergite 0.87-0.9× as long as wide. 2 nd and 3 rd tergites punctate and with fine granulation; 2 nd tergite with longitudinal rugae medially, 3 rd tergite only basally. 4 th tergite almost smooth or with superficial punctures. Ovipositor sheath slightly reaching behind metasomal apex by 0.2-0.5× of 7 th tergite length.

Color: brown or black. Stripes or rings on flagellomeres 7-12/14, usually facial orbit opposite of antennal grooves, collar and hind edge or upper margin of pronotum, subtegular ridge and sides of scutellum ivory. Metasoma black or dark brown; usually 2 nd tergite ± reddish, rarely also postpetiolus and base of 3 rd tergite reddish. Coxae and trochanters black; legs otherwise blackish or brownish; fore femur apically and fore tibia frontally yellowish; hind tibia ochreous subbasally. Pterostigma brown.

♁: Body length 13-14 mm. Flagellum with 37 flagellomeres; 1 st flagellomere 2.4× and 2 nd flagellomere 2.1× longer than wide. Tyloids on flagellomeres 9-14/15, long-oval, maximally 0.7× as long as their flagellomeres. Temple moderately and roundly narrowed behind eye. OED 1.0× ocellar diameter. Frons rugose-punctate dorsally and smooth ventrally. Face punctate, with granulation medially. Clypeus coarsely punctate, with some longitudinal ruagae and slightly impressed subapically. Gena with scattered punctures ventrally, 0.8× as wide as eye. MI 0.5. Mesosoma with short pale brownish hairs. Side of pronotum densely punctate and granulate dorsally and striate ventrally. Lateral field of mesoscutum with fine rather superficial punctures, strongly granulate and dull. Mesopleuron densely punctate, partly rugose. Metapleuron densely punctate and partly rugose. Scutellum moderately elevated, slightly wider than long, punctate, without lateral carina (1 ex. with carina in basal 0.7). Area basalis without distinct median tubercle Area superomedia large, halfmoon-shaped; costula caudal to its middle. Area petiolaris centrally impressed, with superficial rugae, lateral carina imcomplete. Coxae amd femora densely punctate. Hind femur 3.6× longer than wide. Areolet pentagonal, frontal distance between veins 2rs-m and 3rs-m 2× their width, vein 2m-cu in its middle. Vein 1cu-a almost interstitial. Postpetiolus strongly widened; lateral field c. 0.9× as wide as median field, the latter with c. 10 longitudinal striae. Thyridium oblique, 2.0× wider than the interval between thyridia. 2 nd tergite 0.95× as long as wide. 2 nd and 3 rd tergites longitudinally rugose-punctate. 4 th and 5 th tergites with superficial punctures and granulation.

Color: black. Stripes on flagellomeres 13/15-16/19, base of mandible, side of clypeus, wide facial orbit, spots below antennal grooves, frontal orbit, outer orbit up to vertex, collar and wide upper margin of pronotum, subtegular ridge, prescutellar carina, side of scutellum (often confluent apically), spot on fore coxa, fore and mid femora apically and fore and mid tibiae frontally yellow. Legs otherwise black or reddish; if reddish, than hind femur apically, hind tibia externally and complete hind tarsus black. Pterostigma brown.

Host: Choristoneura fumiferana CLEMENS, 1865 (Lep. Torticidae) ( RASNITSYN & SIYTAN 1981)

T a x o n o m i c a l r e m a r k: BAUER (1999: 337) described a ♁ as S. tauma which belongs to a different species.