Episemura Kasparyan & Manukyan 1987

Klopfstein, Seraina, 2014, Revision of the Western Palaearctic Diplazontinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), Zootaxa 3801 (1), pp. 1-143 : 53-54

Episemura Kasparyan & Manukyan 1987

Type species. Episemura diodon Kasparyan & Manukyan 1987

Diagnosis. The genus Episemura is unique in the subfamily with its long and distinctive ovipositor and the bidentate mandibles of E. diodon . These characters clearly distinguish it from the genera Sussaba and Eurytyloides with which it shares the position of the spiracle of the second tergite on the laterotergite.

Face coriaceous and matt, without vertical impressions, in females black with a yellow central patch, entirely yellow in males. Clypeus with apical margin thin, with a basal elevation that makes it flat in profile. Antenna very stout, apical flagellomeres wider than long, in males with short, narrow tyloids, without long setae. Mesoscutum without notauli; densely punctate and background weakly coriaceous, yellow shoulder marks absent or small; mesopleuron densely punctate, irregularly sculptured with smooth and coriaceous parts; epicnemial carina complete ventrally. Propodeum with a full set of carinae enclosing basal, petiolar and lateral areas; propodeal spiracle inconspicuous; scutellum with carinae not extending behind middle. Fore wing areolet absent; hind wing with 1 basal hamulus. Hind tibia orange to brown. Female metasoma strongly compressed from apex of third or fourth segment, tergites 4 to 6 with hind margins slightly concave, extending further back laterally than dorsally; tergites without transverse impressions. First tergite without median dorsal carinae. Second and third tergites with spiracles on the laterotergite, below lateral fold. Metasoma black or obscurely brown to reddish. Ovipositor sheaths 0.6 times as long as hind tibia, tapered towards apex, with transverse wrinkles on basal half and with conspicuous setae over entire length. Male apical sclerites unknown.

Phylogeny. Molecular data are currently not available for the genus, but the position of the spiracle of the second tergite on the laterotergite suggests a close association with the genera Sussaba and Eurytyloides . The comparatively long ovipositor, structure of the ovipositor sheaths and the bidentate mandible in E. diodon might be indicative of a basal position within the subfamily, but this remains to be confirmed.

Distribution. Palaearctic. The two rare species of this genus have to date only been found in Europe, and Episemura diodon also in Eastern Russia. This patchy distribution could well represent a sampling artefact.

Biology. Nothing is known about the hosts utilized by this genus, but both species are probably associated with larch trees, where one female specimen of E. ensata has been collected in a trap that was attached to the treetop ( Sebald et al. 1988; Kasparyan & Manukyan 1989).

Key to species

1. Mandible with upper tooth subdivided, thus apparently with three teeth ( Fig. 19 A). Female metasoma laterally compressed posterior to third tergite, tergites 4–6 reaching about as far back laterally as medially. Hind tibia orange, as brightly colored as hind femur....................................................................... Episemura ensata (Bauer)

- Mandible with two teeth, although upper tooth distinctly larger than lower tooth ( Fig. 19 B). Female metasoma very strongly laterally compressed from apex of third tergite, knife-like, with tergites 4–6 reaching further back laterally than medially. Hind tibia dark brown, distinctly darker than femur............................. Episemura diodon Kasparyan & Manukyan

Figures

FIGURE 19. Mandibles and faces in Episemura. A. Episemura diodon ♀, with a relatively high face and bidentate mandibles. B. Episemura ensata ♀, with a relatively low face and the tridentate mandibles that are usual in the subfamily. Scale bars represent 500 µm.