Triptognathus BERTHOUMIEU

A. M, 2011, Illustrated key to the genera of the subtribe Amblytelina of Palaearctic (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae, Ichneumonini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 43 (1), pp. 597-711 : 680-682

15. Triptognathus BERTHOUMIEU

Triptognathus BERTHOUMIEU 1904 - Genera Insectorum 18: 49.

Type species: Ichneumon uniguttatus GRAVENHORST.

Triptognathus: HEINRICH 1978 - East. Pal. Ichn.: 59.

Triptognathus: RASNITSYN 1981 - Opr. Faun. SSSR 3 (3): 568, 623.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Palaearctic.

I n t r o d u c t i o n:

The genus is characterized by combination of unidentate mandibles with absence of distinct teeth on propodeum, weak gastrocoeli and undeveloped thyridia, amblypygous abdomen of females with more over flattened hypopygium with long bristles at apex and hypopygium of males with long process. From relative genus Triptognathops HEINRICH it is distinguished by not elevated and bent upwards from above occipital carina, sharp tooth between antennal fossae, by presence of coxal carina, by absence of distinct tooth on propodeum, more stumpy legs, by fascicle of more long bristles at apex of females hypopygium (like of Eutanyacra CAMERON ) and by hypopygium of males with long process at apex.

M o r p h o l o g y:

F l a g e l l u m: Bristle-shaped, from moderately stout to stout with slightly elongated basal segments, with or without white annulus, from slightly ( T. uniguttatus GRAV. ) to distinctly flattened behind middle ( T. baicalicus KOK. ); in males with narrow tyloides or without them.

H e a d: Head contour from front narrowed downwards; vertex from lateral straightly sloping behind ocelli to sharp occipital carina; temples from above strongly narrowed behind eyes from almost strightly ( T. uniguttatus GRAV. ) to roundly narrowed ( T. baicalicus KOK. ). Occipital carina merged with hypostomal one not reaching mandible base; mandibles gradually narrowed from base to apex, with more or less pointed or blunted apex, without lower tooth; clypeus from rather convex at base and distinctly separated from middle field of face, to flat, slightly separated from face (at males of T. baicalicus KOK. ), middle field of face from rather sharply elevated to slightly expressed (at females of T. baicalicus KOK. ); tooth between antennal fossae strong; ocellar triangle slightly elevated or not expressed, ocelli of normal size, diameter of lateral ocellus always less than distance from ocellus to eye.

T h o r a x: Mesonotum from slightly convex to almost entirely flat ( T. baicalicus KOK. ), only just longer than width; notauli absent; surface of mesonotum densely punctured, shining; subalarum narrow, not sharpened; mesopleurae at bottom with distinct bend; sternauli from distinct to only just marked; scutellum from lateral moderately elevated above postscutellum, from above slightly convex, almost flat, laterally not carinated, in males more convex and higher elevated above postscutellum. Hind margin of metanotum with projections. Length of horizontal part of propodeum always less than length of area posteromedia in middle; basal area short and deep; all carinae of propodeum, except costulae, developed (sometimes costula slightly expressed in males), area superomedia rectangular, often slightly widened in middle; areae dentiparae at apex without teeth, only with broadenings of carinae at theirs place (in contrast to Triptognathops HEINRICH ); spiracles long, slit-shaped.

L e g s: From quite slender to moderately stout. Hind coxae of females without scopa. Claws rather thin and slightly curved.

W i n g s: Areolet pentagonal with wide base; nervulus postfurcal or interstitial; radius slightly sinuous at apex, almost straight. Membrane of wings sometimes darkened in different degree.

A b d o m e n:Offemalesamblypygous, from above broadly-oval, sheath of ovipositor not visible from above; abdomen of males narrow from above. Middle field of postpetiolus of females sharply longitudinally striated to longitudinally wrinkly-punctured in males ( T. baicalicus KOK. ). Gastrocoeli not big, not deep, without thyridia, many narrower than interval; surface of second tergite of females densely indistinctly punctured, of males with more rough sculpture, dull. Sternites 2-3 of females and 2-4 of males with fold; hypopygium of females from below flat or almost flat with fascicle of more long bristles at apex (like Eutanyacra CAMERON ). Hypopygium of males at apex with long narrow process.

C o l o r a t i o n: Body black, tergites 2-3 on the larger part red. In females of T. baicalicus (KOK.) tergites 6-7 with white spots. Scutellum of males white, of females white or black. Legs black or with red pattern, sometimes with present of white. Vertex of females sometimes with reddish spots.

S i z e: Body length 13-18 mm.

B i o l o g y a n d e c o l o g y:

H o s t s: According to catalog of B. HERTING (1976) T. atripes (GRAV.) is reared in Hungary from Spilosoma menthastri ESPER, S. lubricipeda L., Phragmatobia fuliginosa L. ( Arctiidae ) and in Germany from Agrotis ypsilon ROTT., Nonagria dissoluta TR. , N. typhae THUNB. (Noctuidae) .

H i b e r n a t i o n: Data from literature about hibernation of females T. uniguttatus (GRAV.) [? uniguttatorius] are adduced by A. RASNITSYN (1964).