Neolevansa GAULD, 1984

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 : 1499-1500

22. Neolevansa GAULD

Neolevansa GAULD 1984 - British Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Publ. 895: 216-217.

Type species: Neolevansa hirsuta GAULD.

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

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

The genus occupies rather isolated position and has some characters not typical for majority of Platylabini . In contrast to other genera, legs of females are strong, stumpy, tarsi of all legs thickened and the segments of hind tarsi shortened. Strong legs sufficiently are met only in African genus Neeurylabia HEINRICH. But , in contrast to them, in Neolevansa sharp sexual dimorphism according to these characters is observed. Legs of males is slender and hind tarsi slightly thickened and theirs segments not shortened. Propodeum of Neolevansa is with enough strong almost lamellate teeth, resembling lamelliform broadening of Pristicerops HEINRICH and with slit-shaped spiracles. Front wings are considerably longer than body and flagellum length.

Neolevansa does not show any resemblance with New Zealand Levansa TOWNES , belonging to the group of genera of small species, possessing circular or oval spiracles and especially relative to Linycus CAMERON and Neolinycus HEINRICH.

M o r p h o l o g y:

F l a g e l l u m: Bristle-shaped, with white annulus, of males flattened ventrally in comparison with females, with big broadly-oval light-brown tyloides at place of white annulus.

H e a d: Head contour from front uniformly narrowed downwards with long genae. Temples from above strongly roundly narrowed behind eyes; occipital carina sharp, high, meeting with hypostomal carina not reaching mandible base; malar space slightly longer than mandible base width; mandibles with form character to tribe, gradually narrowed from base to apex, from above rather sharply curved; clypeus convex, transversal, two times wider than length, with form character to Platylabini , with straight front margin and rounded lateral corners, thinned on apex, distinctly separated from middle field of face; ocellar triangle distinctly separated.

T h o r a x: Transverse furrow of pronotum not interrupted by keel; pronotal ridge not thickened; epomiae sharp; pronotal base with uniformly curved backwards front margin. Mesonotum moderately convex, notauli in form of slight impression in front third; subalarum thick; scutellum high elevated, laterally and at apex carinated. Hind margin of metanotum with triangle projections. Propodeum from lateral with distinct division on horizontal and vertical parts with approximately equal length; of most species, with complete set sufficiently strong carinae; carinae of horizontal part developed, except front branches of longitudinal lateral carinae; coxal carina not developed; area basalis long, area superomedia regularly hexagonal; areae dentiparae at apices with transversal lamellar broadenings (teeth); spiracles slit-shaped.

L e g s: Of females strong, stumpy, tarsi of all legs thickened, ventrally with flattened area on all segments. Segments of hind tarsi shortened. Legs of males slender, tarsi not thickened. Claws strong, smooth, strongly curved.

W i n g s: Areolet quadrangular, almost pentagonal; ramulus rather long; membrane of wing hyaline, veins dark. Front wing distinctly longer than body length.

A b d o m e n Abdomen from above elongated, dorsally flattened, second tergite slightly transversal; ovipositor from above only just protrude; apex of abdomen cut. Petiolus at base distinctly wider than height, from lateral uniformly curved, without sharp bend, from above slightly broadened to postpetiolus. Gastrocoeli broadly impressed, with short thyridia; lunulae absent; all tergites of abdomen smooth, polished, without sculpture. Hypopygium of females broad, flat with slight longitudinal fold and with long hairs at apex; hypopygium of male small, uniformly pubescent.

C o l o r a t i o n: Combination of black and red pattern with extensive yellow spots.

S i z e: Medium size to moderately large species.