Notoplatylabus HEINRICH, 1974

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 : 1462-1465

10. Notoplatylabus HEINRICH

Notoplatylabus HEINRICH 1934 - Polskie Pismo Ent. 13: 30-31.

Type species: Notoplatylabus podolicus HEINRICH.

Notoplatylabus: HEINRICH 1974 - Ann. Zool. Wars. 32 (8): 175-176.

Notoplatylabus: TERESHKIN 1993 - Entomofauna 14 (29): 479-482.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Palaearctic, Oriental Region ( Burma).

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

The number of unique characters puts this genus in special position equally with such genera as Abzaria CAMERON Platybirmania HEINRICH and Hypomecus WESMAEL.

Flagellum is longer than front wing. Males’ flagellum is more short, not widened and not flattened and at some specimens with indistinct, peculiar to only this genus tyloides. Occipital carina is reduced from above, from lateral parallel to hind margin of eye, before mandible base sharply curved forward (opposite angular projection of front margin of pronotum). Mandibles of Notoplatylabus are extremely narrow, thin, sharply narrowed behind base, as of African genus Afrectopius . Lateral parts of antennal cavities are elevated above margins of eyes (as of Abzaria ), usually with longitudinal striation. Transversal furrow of pronotum in middle is interrupted rather by low keel (as at Apaeleticus ) along with additional ribs laterally. Pronotal base is with angular projection above front coxae and opposite angular break of lower part of occipital carina, and dorsolateral margin of pronotum with cellular in different degree impression. Notauli of Notoplatylabus is extremely sharp, with strong transversal ribs, especially strongly developed at males, extend behind hind third of mesonotum. Mesonotum laterally is bordered by very deep furrow strongly broadened at hind half. Development of sternauli also reaches extreme degree for Platylabini . They are very deep, crenulated, extend behind the middle of mesopleurae. Scutellum of some males is with unique cellular horizontal surface. Postscutellum of Notoplatylabus is with unusual for other Platylabini structure. It is with sharply carinated angulated lateral foveae, trapeziform from above. Hind femora of females are widened, from outside with impressed area.

Many from above-listed characters, in addition to small circular spiracles of propodeum make this genus alike to Apaeleticus , Ectopius and Cyclolabus .

Main problem of the genus is absence of the distinct specific characters. At present, there are two species of genus, Notoplatylabus podolicus HEINRICH and N. birmanicus HEINRICH. The first species was described from central Europe, second, from Burma. Both species were known by single samples and only by females. In agreement with G.HEINRICH’ S descriptions, distinct morphological differences between species are absent. Mainly, the differences concern the distribution of white spots on thoracal part of a body and distribution of brown coloration. Notoplatylabus podolicus has a local distribution: 15 samples of females (without males) of Notoplatylabus podolicus were collected by us only on the territory of Beresina National Reserve. The peculiarities of the species morphology are presented on color plate 33. The genus representatives from populations from Russian Far East presented both females and males were collected and investigated by us. An attempt to reveal distinct morphological characters of specific level were not successful. The main obvious difference is very small size, more saturated black coloration, absence of white pattern on subalarum, and, besides, presence of males in collections, which absent both in European, and Oriental collections. The collected representatives of the genus were described as subspecies Notoplatylabus podolicus conterranius TERESHKIN probably being an independent species. The detailed description of the taxon is given below.

As it was already mentioned, main visible differences between European and Oriental species are distribution of white coloration on thoracal part. We investigated female from southwest Caucasus. It has white coloration on thorax, similar to coloration, described for Notoplatylabus birmanicus HEINRICH : subalarum, scutellum, apices of area dentipara and so on. More over, in series of females from Berezina National Reserve, some specimens have light (not white) spots on the same fragments of a thorax. The additional doubts are introduced by genus Hypomecus , widespread on all Holarctic and in Burma and presented by single species, not having essential variations of characters all over the areal. All listed data leave the issue of specific structure of the genus Notoplatylabus open up to present.

M o r p h o l o g y:

F l a g e l l u m: Of females long, slender, scarcely widened and flattened ventrally beyond middle, gradually attenuated toward apex, with white semiannulus; basal segments moderately elongated. Flagellum longer than the length of front wing and almost equal to body length. Flagellum of males shorter, not widened and not flattened ventrally

beyond middle, basal segments scarcely elongated, with long row poorly visible (indistinctly limited) short-oval tyloides, without traces of white annulus.

H e a d: Head contour from front sharply transversal with very large eyes and oblique (usually sinuously) genae; temples from above very short, behind eyes sharply, almost straightly narrowed; occipital carina reduced dorsally, before mandible base sharply curved forward and widened; hypostomal carina visible from lateral; occipital carina meeting with hypostomal carina practically on mandible base; mandibles extremely narrow, thin sharply narrowed behind base (as Afrectopius ); clypeus slightly transversal, strongly convex with straight or slightly concave front margin and more or less distinct corners, sharply separated from face by suture; clypeal foveae small, deep; antennal cavities strongly developed, deep their lateral margins practically reach margin of eye, of N. podolicus podolicus with longitudinal striation, with only just marked tubercle between antennal fossae; ocelli large, ocellar triangle not expressed (of female N. podolicus podolicus) or distinctly elevated (of female and male N. podolicus conterranius). Face and clypeus very densely and finely punctured, slightly shining; rest surface with microsculpture. Eyes of males proportionally less than of females, ocelli high elevated above level of eyes, surface of head strongly sculptured.

T h o r a x: Transverse furrow of pronotum in middle interrupted by low keel; pronotal ridge not thickened and with impression along upper margin; epomiae sharp; pronotal base with angular prominence above front coxae. Mesonotum strongly convex, of equal length and breadth; notauli sharp, deep, crenulated, strongly converging backwards, almost reach scuto-scutellar groove; mesonotum laterally bordered by deep furrow broadened backwards; surface of mesonotum very densely punctured, to wrinkled, with developed microsculpture; subalarum thin; lower part of propodeum without of sharp bend; sternauli deep, broad, crenulated, reach to middle of mesopleurae; surface of upper part of mesopleurae densely punctured, lower part wrinkle-punctured; mesopleural suture interrupted by very sharp ribs; scutellum from above triangle, high elevated at base of horizontal part, sharply carinated up to apex; postscutellum with sharp longitudinal wrinkles between lateral foveae. Hind margin of metanotum with triangular projections. Propodeum from lateral slanted, horizontal part of propodeum equal to length of area posteromedia in middle; propodeum with complete set of carinae; area superomedia hexagonal, costulae before middle; areae dentiparae at apex with tooth-like projections; spiracles rather small, circular. Horizontal surface of propodeum with shallowly-cellular sculpture, without microsculpture, area spiraculifera with sharp transversal carinae; metapleurae strongly wrinkled.

L e g s: Long and slender.

W i n g s: Areolet quadrangular, slightly asymmetrical; stigma dark, broad; nervulus interstitial. Length of front wing more than body length.

A b d o m e n:Abdomen from above rather broad, dorso-ventrally not flattened; second tergite transversal; sheath of ovipositor only just visible protrude. First tergite at base flattened, from lateral thick with gradual bend to postpetiolus, laterally carinated; from above petiolus gradually broadened to postpetiolus; middle field elevated, not limited by carinae and considerably wider than lateral fields, smooth, with very sparse punctures. Gastrocoeli square, thyridia distinctly expressed, perpendicular to longitudinal axis of a body, wider than interval between them; lunulae distinct; 2-3 tergites with dense fine punctures, to slightly wrinkled. Hypopygium from lateral almost rectangular, ventrally with fold.

C o l o r a t i o n: Black. Abdomen black or brownish. Thorax from poor to richly presented yellow-white pattern, abdomen with large, white anal spots; legs for the most part rusty-red.

S i z e: Body length: 5,5-8,0 mm.