Sussaba cognata (Holmgren)

Klopfstein, Seraina, 2014, Review of the Diplazontinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) of the Kuril islands, with descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 3779 (1) : -

Sussaba cognata (Holmgren)

Russia, Kuril islands: Alaid Island, inland of Alaidskaya Bay; N50°49.56' / E155°39.88', 25. VII. 1999, leg. D.J. Bennett. 1♂. Paramushir Island, inland of Rifovaya Bay; N50°29.84' / E156°05.80', 30. VII. 1999, leg. B.K. Urbain. 1♀. Paramushir Island, inland of Rifovaya Bay; N50°29.70' / E156°05.68', 30. VII. 1999, leg. B.K. Urbain. 1♀. Onekotan Island, inland and South of Nemo Bay; N49°36.62' / E154°49.21', 27.VII.2000, leg. D.J. Bennett. 1♀. Onekotan Island, inland and South of Nemo Bay; N49°35.96' / E154°49.11', 27.VII.2000, leg. D.J. Bennett. 1♂. Kharimkotan, Northwest corder of island; N49°08.95' / E154°28.54', 28. VII. 2000, leg. T.R. Anderson. 1♀. Kharimkotan, Northwest corder of island; N49°08.67' / E154°28.29', 28. VII. 2000, leg. T.R. Anderson. 1♀. Kharimkotan, Northwest corder of island; N49°08.60' / E154°28.10', 28. VII. 2000, leg. D.J. Bennett. 1♀. Shiashkotan, inland of SW Zakatnaya Bay; N48°46.87' / E154°02.08', 29. VII. 2000, leg. T.R. Anderson. 1♀. Shiashkotan, inland of SW Zakatnaya Bay; N48°46.83' / E154°01.85', 29. VII. 2000, leg. D.J. Bennett. 1♀. Shiashkotan, inland of SW Zakatnaya Bay; N48°46.77' / E154°02.01', 29. VII. 2000, leg. D.J. Bennett. 2♀. Matua Island, inland from Dvoinaya Bay; N48°04.17' / E153°15.28', 31. VII. 2000, leg. D.J. Bennett. 1♂. Simushir Island, inland of NE Broutona Bay; N47°07.86' / E152°16.20', 0 2. VIII. 2000, leg. T.R. Anderson. 3♀. Simushir Island, inland of NE Broutona Bay; N47°07.85' / E152°16.34', 0 2. VIII. 2000, leg. T.R. Anderson. 4♀. Simushir Island, inland of NE Broutona Bay; N47°07.82' / E152°16.40', 0 2. VIII. 2000, leg. T.R. Anderson. 3♀, 1♂. Simushir Island, inland of NE Broutona Bay; N47°07.77' / E152°16.28', 0 2. VIII. 2000, leg. D.J. Bennett. 2♀. Simushir Island, inland of NE Broutona Bay; N47°07.27' / E152°16.33', 0 2. VIII. 2000, leg. D.J. Bennett. 3♀, 3♂. Simushir Island, inland of NE Broutona Bay; N47°07.20' / E152°16.02', 0 2. VIII. 2000, leg. D.J. Bennett. 1♂. Simushir Island, inland of NE Broutona Bay; N47°07.01' / E152°16.17', 0 2. VIII. 2000, leg. D.J. Bennett. 1♂. Brat Chirpoev, inland from Uglovaya Bay; N46°27.24' / E150°48.50', 0 3. VIII. 2000, leg. D.J. Bennett. 4♀. Shikotan Island, Krabozavodskoe Village; N43°50.10' / E146°45.23', 11.–18. IX. 1997, leg. Y. Marusik. 1♀. Shiashkotan, SW shore of Delfin Bay; N43°44.90' / E146°36.41', 13. IX. 1997, leg. Y. Marusik. 1♂.

This common and very widespread species exhibits a large range of variation both in color and ultrasculpture which has led to the proposition of several subspecies ( Dasch, 1964a). Most of the specimens from the Kuril islands have yellow coxae, rather extensive yellow coloration on the face and epicnemium, and a smooth mesoscutum; they would thus be associated with the subspecies S. cognata albicoxa (Thomson) or S. cognata faceata Dasch. However , some specimens have the base of the hind coxae dark. Nakanishi (1979) discussed the color variation of this species in Japan and concluded that no clear separations can currently be drawn between the subspecies. Furthermore, proposing subspecies that occur in sympatry, as is the case in most of the range of S. cognata , is in conflict with a biological species concept ( Mayr, 1942); the color variation in S. cognata is thus likely to represent phenotypic variation only and is not indicative of separate evolutionary lineages.

Holarctic and Oriental; recorded from Russia and Japan.