Diplazon varicoxa ( Thomson 1890, Bassus

Klopfstein, Seraina, 2014, Revision of the Western Palaearctic Diplazontinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), Zootaxa 3801 (1), pp. 1-143 : 47-48

Diplazon varicoxa ( Thomson 1890, Bassus )

Bassus japonicus Ashmead 1906

Diagnosis. Fore wing length 3.6–6.1 mm. Antenna in females with 15–17, in males with 16–17 flagellomeres. Face with punctures clearly distinct from the background sculpture. Mesopleuron smooth and polished and strongly punctate, on upper half with a large impunctate area around mesopleural fovea. Propodeum with a full set of carinae enclosing basal, lateral and petiolar areas. Tergite 1 1.0–1.2, tergite 2 0.55–0.7 times as long as wide; tergites 2 and 3 mostly rugose but also with some distinct punctures, tergite 4 with punctures indistinct. Transverse impressions distinct on tergites 1–3, usually indistinct on tergite 4. Metasoma dorsoventrally depressed.

Colouration of females. Antenna black. Head and mesosoma black, face with yellow inner orbits and a yellow central face patch, yellow medially on clypeus and mouthparts, hind corner of pronotum, tegula, subtegular ridge, usually large shoulder mark, upper mesepimeron, sometimes irregular yellow markings on epicnemium; scutellum with a yellow or whitish spot. Legs orange, coxae black, fore and mid coxae with yellow apices, mid coxa usually mostly yellow at least on the outside; femora orange; hind tibia white with a dark basal and apical band. Metasoma black, often with first tergite with a white apex, tergites 2 and 3 sometimes with light bands or lateral spots apically.

Colouration of males. As in females but with yellow ventrally on scape and pedicel, entire face, epicnemium and often part of mesosternum. Fore and mid coxae often largely yellow.

Material examined. Holotype of Bassus varicoxa Thomson : Sweden, Norrland. 1♀, at ZIL. Two syntypes of Bassus japonicus Ashmead examined: Japan. 2♂, at USNM.

Austria (1), Russia (2), Sweden (40), Switzerland (40), United Kingdom (1).

Distribution. Palaearctic and Oriental.

Figures. Habitus ( Fig. 29 F).

Notes. The status of this species remains somewhat unclear, given that it currently includes a large range of variation in terms of size and extent of the yellow coloration.

Figures

FIGURE 29. Habitus of Diplazon species. A. Diplazon laetatorius. B. Diplazon nordicus sp. nov. C. Diplazon parvus sp. nov. D. Diplazon pectoratorius. E. Diplazon scutatorius. E. Diplazon varicoxa.