Bioblapsis Förster 1869

Klopfstein, Seraina, 2014, Revision of the Western Palaearctic Diplazontinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), Zootaxa 3801 (1), pp. 1-143 : 28-29

Bioblapsis Förster 1869

Trichomastix Van Vollenhoven 1878

Type species. Bassus flavipes Holmgren 1858

Diagnosis. Bioblapsis is a both morphologically and biologically derived genus, and can be distinguished by the enlarged spiracles of the propodeum and first tergite, by the long and thin tarsal claws, the concave hind margins of the tergites and by the long setae present on the female antennas. These characters are much more pronounced in Bioblapsis polita than in B. cultiformis , and the association of these two species in one genus still needs confirmation.

Face smooth and shining with sparse punctures around seta roots in Bioblapsis polita , coriaceous and matt in Bioblapsis cultiformis , without vertical impressions arising from tentorial pits, in females entirely black or with a yellow central patch, in males entirely yellow or with yellow inner orbits and a yellow central patch. Clypeus with apical margin thin, with a basal elevation that makes it flat in profile, broad and short. Antenna very stout in females of B. polita , less so in males and in B. cultiformis , apical flagellomeres wider than long in females, about 1.5 times longer than wide in males; in males of B. polita without, in B. cultiformis with linear, narrow tyloids; with some conspicuous setae that are almost as long as the diameter of the flagellomeres, especially in females.

Mesoscutum smooth and shining, punctures restricted to along anterior margin, without notauli, yellow shoulder marks usually present; mesopleuron entirely smooth and shining, with punctures on lower half distinct only in male B. polita ; epicnemial carina complete ventrally. Propodeum with a full set of carinae enclosing basal, petiolar and lateral areas; propodeal spiracle and spiracle of first metasomal tergite with conspicuously enlarged and sometimes pale margins; scutellum only carinate basally. Fore wing areolet absent; hind wing with 1–3 basal hamuli. Hind tibia brownish with an obscurely light base in B. polita , orange-brown in B. cultiformis . Female metasoma strongly compressed from apex of third segment, tergites 3 or 4 to 6 with hind margins concave, extending further back laterally than dorsally, more so in B. polita where it is also distinct in males; tergites without transverse impressions. First tergite with median dorsal carinae arising basally, converging over basal half, parallel and widely separated on apical half, carinae sometimes replaced by strong rugae. Second tergite with spiracle dorsal, above lateral fold, third tergite with spiracle dorsal in B. cultiformis , on or below lateral fold in B. polita . Metasoma black or obscurely brown to reddish. Ovipositor sheaths 0.4 times as long as hind tibia, laterally compressed, parallel-sided and fully enclosing ovipositor in B. polita , tapered and diagonally truncate in B. cultiformis ; basally smooth, apically with sparse to dense but inconspicuous setae. Males with tergites 9 and 10 as separate sclerites, sternite 9 about two times wider than long, emarginated apically, thus forming two lobes, their outer corners rounded.

Phylogeny. Bioblapsis cultiformis has been shown to be closely related to Phthorima in a recent molecular study, and thus belongs to the Syrphoctonus genus group. However, the type species of the genus, B. polita , was not included in this analysis.

Distribution. Holarctic. Bioblapsis currently includes the two Western Palaearctic species and the Nearctic Bioblapsis henryi Fitton ; the latter is very similar to and might be a synonym of B. cultiformis .

Biology. Both Bioblapsis species have been reared from hosts that are very unusual for diplazontines in that they are not aphidophagous but instead feed either on fungus ( Cheilosia longula (Zetterstedt) , the host of B. cultiformis, Rotheray 1990 ) or are associated with tree sap ( Ferdinandea , the host of B. polita ). They belong to the syrphid subfamily Eristalinae , while all other known hosts of Diplazontinae belong to the Syrphinae .

Key to species

1. Face smooth and shining. Fore wing more than 5mm long. Spiracle of propodeum with rim pale. Male and sometimes female with scutellum yellow-marked laterally........................................... Bioblapsis polita (Vollenhoven)

- Face coriaceous and matt. Fore wing less than 5mm long. Spiracle of propodeum with rim dark. Scutellum entirely black in both sexes.................................................................... Bioblapsis cultiformis (Davis)