Oedicephalus variegatus (SZÉPLIGETTI)

A. M, 2009, Illustrated key to the tribes of subfamilia Ichneumoninae and genera of the tribe Platylabini of world fauna (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 41 (2), pp. 1317-1608 : 1360-1362

Oedicephalus variegatus (SZÉPLIGETTI) (Plate 10)

Poecilojoppa variegata SZÉPLIGETTI 1903 - Ann. Mus. Nat. Hungarici 1: 482.

Oedicephalus variegatus: TOWNES H. & M. TOWNES 1966 - Mem. Amer. Ent. Inst. 8: 218.

F e m a l e

F l a g e l l u m: Slender, long, bristle-shaped, with 41 segments, with white annulus on segments 7-17, beyond white annulus widened and flattened ventrally; first segment 3,2 times longer than width at apex, segment 13 square, segment 18 transverse; segments of flagellum weakly separated (differentiated). Flagellum 1,2 times shorter than the front wing and 1,1 times shorter than body length.

H e a d: Head contour from front slightly narrowed downwards, 1,3 times wider than height; considerable part of temples visible from front; genae from front 4,5 times shorter than height of eye; head stout, from above 1,6 times wider than length. Vertex from lateral gradually slanting down to occipital carina; temples long 1,3 times shorter than longitudinal diameter of an eye at middle, parallel to hind margin of eye, from above very slightly and roundly narrowed behind eyes; occipital carina sharp from above, lower upper third erased, from above strongly roundly impressed, but far not reach level of eyes and hind ocelli; hypostomal carina not visible from lateral and independently reach base of mandible; malar space 2,2 times shorter than the mandible base width; mandibles strong, massive, sharply curved at the middle almost at right angle, with large tooth situated in the same plane, upper tooth slightly longer than lower, with broad gape; clypeus not convex, practically flat, equal by length to height of middle field of face, not separated from face by suture, only bent forward, approximately 2,4 times wider than height, front margin gradually rounded; clypeal foveae small but sharp; labrum not protrude from under clypeus; middle field of face only just elevated above lateral fields, in middle 1,5 times wider than lateral field; antennal cavities slightly impressed reach borders of eyes but not reach level of front ocellus, lateral and interantennal tubercles absent; ocelli of normal size, diameter of lateral ocellus 1,3 times less than distance from ocellus to eye; ocellar triangle elevated but upper border of ocelli in the same level with eyes border. Surface of head polished without traces of punctures.

T h o r a x: Collar of pronotum rather long with rounded, sharpened front margin (from above), from front with two lateral leaf-like projections (lamellae) which laterally not reach epomiae and with broad interspace between them; pronotal ridge at hind third thickened; epomiae sharp, but short; pronotal base gradually curved, almost straight, with acute apex. Mesonotum slightly convex, of equal length and breadth; notauli only in a form of very slight impressions at base; lateral margin of mesonotum above axillae strongly elevated (with projection); axillary tongue not developed; surface of mesonotum smooth, shining, not sculptured; subalarum moderately elevated, not sharpened; prepectus (epicnemium) behind front coxae very strongly impressed; prepectal carina sharp, high, ventrally strongly elevated; speculum and middle part of mesopleurae not sculptured, smooth, polished; area of mesopleural fovea broadly, but slightly impressed; mesopleural suture straight, interrupted by slight transversal ribs; border between vertical and horizontal part of mesopleurae sharp; sternauli in form of broad slight impression to middle of mesopleurae; scutellum gradually slanting to postscutellum, but with high thorn on horizontal part, carinated laterally by high carinae up to apex, horizontal part smooth, shining. Hind margin of metanotum with slight triangle projections opposite lateral longitudinal carinae. Propodeum from lateral slanted, slightly divided on horizontal and vertical parts, horizontal part 1,8 times shorter than area posteromedia in middle; all carinae of propodeum, except carinae, limiting basal area laterally, developed; area superomedia rounded in front, of equal length and breadth, from costulae narrowed backwards; costulae at middle of area superomedia; area dentipara without tooth at apex; spiracles long, slit-shaped; coxal carina sharp. Horizontal part of propodeum in front from costulae smooth, shining, not sculptured, vertical part wrinkled, without microsculpture, shining; surface of metapleurae with sparse punctures, shining, without microsculpture.

L e g s: Long and very slender, hind femora narrow; hind coxae without scopa. Claws long, thin, smooth, sharply curved at upper third and not widened at base.

W i n g s: Areolet pentagonal, narrow in front, slightly asymmetrical (internal vein of apex longer than external); stigma narrow, dark, radial cell narrow and long, radius very slightly sinuous, almost straight; nervulus interstitial; ramulus only just expressed; all veins of hind wing pigmented; membrane of wing hyaline. Length of front wing of female 1,2 times shorter than body length.

A b d o m e n: Abdomen from above almost conical, from apex of second tergite almost straightly narrowed backwards; abdomen oxypygous (semiamblypygous); sheath of ovipositor long, equal by length to forth tergite. First tergite from lateral with distinct bend to postpetiolus, with very narrow petiolus at base, from lateral smooth, without traces of lateral carinae and any sculpture; from above petiolus sharply broadened to short postpetiolus; distance between spiracles two times more than distance from spiracles to hind margin of tergite; middle field not expressed; surface of postpetiolus smooth, shining, polished, without any sculpture. Gastrocoeli large, very deep, perpendicular to longitudinal axis of a body, short; thyridia distinct, approached to base of second tergite and reach to its lateral borders, 2,5 times wider than interval between them; lunulae only just expressed, situated at once beyond spiracles; interspace between gastrocoeli and front half of second tergite longitudinally-wrinkled, other parts of second and third tergite completely smooth, without microsculpture, only with very sparse smoothed punctures, other tergites completely smooth, shining. Hypopygium large, from lateral triangle with acute apex, without longitudinal fold, with long bristles; all sternites unsclerotized.

C o l o r a t i o n: Black-yellow-red. Head with reach yellow pattern: face practically completely, large spots on vertex, temples in most part, with exception of apex. Thorax with extremely reach yellow pattern. First tergite of abdomen yellow with black, other tergites of abdomen red. Front and middle legs, including coxae mainly yellow, hind coxae and femora red, tibiae and tarsi yellow.

S i z e: Body length (without ovipositor sheath): 12,0; flagellum: 11,2; front wing: 9,7 mm.