Tachyphron subfragilis ( Turner 1940 )

Brown, G. R., 2005, A revision of Tachyphron Brown and description of two new genera within the Ariphron group (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae), Journal of Natural History 39 (2), pp. 197-239 : 232-233

Tachyphron subfragilis ( Turner 1940)

( Figure 60 )

Tachynomyia subfragilis Turner, 1940: 95 ; Given, 1954: 57; Salter, 1954: 286; Salter, 1963: 239.

Tachyphron subfragilis: Brown, 2001: 40 .

Material examined. LECTOTYPE: „. Papua New Guinea: Northern District (type number 15.296), Kokoda, 366 m (1200 ft), May 1933, L. E. Cheesman, in BMNH. Central District: 1 „, Mount Suckling Expedition , camp Ma 1, 350 m, 13–17 July 1972, T. L. Fenner, PMAE.

Other material. PARALECTOTYPE: „. Northern District : same data as lectotype, September, in BMNH .

Distribution. Known only from the ranges of south-eastern Papua New Guinea ( Figure 60 ). Diagnosis. Male: aedeagus long and almost straight, and ending beyond the apex of the parameres ( Figures 20, 21 ). Basiparameres short. Metasoma uniformly red-orange with T 1 and S1 black. Legs (except tarsi) black.

Description. Male: black; flagellum, palps and tarsi brown; metasoma (except S1 and T 1 and extreme tips of hypopygial spines) red-orange; tegulae testaceous, brown; tibial spurs brown; wings weakly suffused with orange, veins orange; setae white, brown on margin of genal cavity, becoming orange on the apex of the metasoma. Clypeus closely and finely punctate, apically truncate, sagittal carina obscure dorsally. Frons rugosely punctate. Vertex rugosely punctate. Gena finely rugosely punctate, subparallel, less than half length of minimum eye diameter. Occipital carina just visible dorsally. Genal cavity not visible dorsally. Pronotum closely to rugosely punctate. Mesoscutum coarsely rugosely punctate. Mesoscutellum closely to rugosely. Metanotum finely punctate. Propodeum shallowly punctate. Mesopleura closely punctate. T 1–5 almost impunctate; T 6 closely punctate, T 7 closely and coarsely medially; T 1 with length: width 1.2:1. S1 shallowly and sparsely punctate; S2–8 almost impunctate but becoming punctate posterolaterally on posterior sternites especially S8. Hypopygium subovate, lateral spines short and acute, apical spine subtriangular. Genitalia with parameres subparallel over most of length with dorsal margin slightly sinusoidal, apices twisted, convergent, appearing as a down-turned digitate process in profile, ending before apex of aedeagus; basiparameres in dorsal view broadly triangular with preapical notch, apex rounded and clearly differentiated from aedeagus, ending before level of apices of cuspides, broad in lateral view; aedeagus without apparent basal and apical sections (although a basal section may be overlain by the apex of the basiparameres), long, narrow and parallel without ventral lobes, ending beyond level of apices of parameres. BL: 11; FW: 8; HW: 6.

Remarks. Turner (1940) gave the body length of 8–11 mm.

Kimsey (1996) considered this to be a synonym of T. evelinae but did not examine the genitalia of either type.

Figures

Figure 60. Distribution of Tachyphron spp. (rarer species).

Figures 17–24. Heligmothynnus spp., male genitalia, lateral and dorsal views. (17, 18) H. microspinus. (19, 20) H. atratus. (21, 22) H. neoaratus. (23, 24) H. sabronensis (note: basal ring not shown). Scale bar: 0.25 mm.