Obtusodonta HEINRICH, 1962

A. M, 2011, Illustrated key to the genera of the subtribe Amblytelina of Palaearctic (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae, Ichneumonini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 43 (1), pp. 597-711 : 673-674

13. Obtusodonta HEINRICH

Obtusodonta HEINRICH 1962 - Can. Ent., Suppl. 29: 872-877.

Type species: Spilichneumon obscuricolor HEINRICH.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Holarctic.

I n t r o d u c t i o n:

Genus is relative to genus Spilichneumon THOMSON. Broadened mandibles of females in the genus Obtusodonta takes on shovel-shaped form and lower tooth is reduced, taking on a shape of a slight notch. In contrast to Spilichneumon , abdomen of females is semiamblypygous and hypopygium is not fully overlap a slit of ovipositor. Area superomedia is more often almost not elongated, to square. Males of Obtusodonta is differed from Spilichneumon by absence of distinctly expressed median process of the hvpopygium.

M o r p h o l o g y:

F l a g e l l u m: Of female bristle-shaped, rather stout with slightly elongated and distinctly differentiated basal segments, attenuated to apex and behind middle only just flattened ventrally; flagellum short, distinctly shorter than front wing. Flagellum of males with row of bacilliform tyloides.

H e a d: Head contour from front only just transverse to square, slightly roundly narrowed downwards; contour of temples slightly roundly narrowed backwards. Hypostomal carina of palaearctic species visible from side and merged with occipital carina on a distance from mandible base; mandibles very wide, apically broadly rounded, shovelshaped, with obsolete, subapical tooth, its place scarcely indicated by a little notch; mandibles of males slightly more robust than on the average in Ichneumon , the upper tooth somewhat prolonged and with blunted apex, the lower tooth reduced and situated far back from apex of upper one; clypeus with straight, slightly impressed front margin; median field of face short, convex; antennal cavities deep.

T h o r a x: Mesonotum slightly convex, almost flat in females and convex in males, almost equal of width and length in middle, shining, punctured by smoothed punctures; notauli rudimentary or fully absent; mesopleurae sharply convex at upper front third; sternauli absent or in a form of slight flattening; scutellum from slightly convex to fully flat; area superomedia approximately square or only just longer than width, quadrangular, costulae rudimentary; carina closing area superomedia from back and lateral carinae of area posteromedia indistinct or rudimentary.

L e g s: Rather stout. Hind coxae of females without scopa.

W i n g s: Areolet, big, pentagonal, membrane of wing hyaline, sometimes slightly darkened.

A b d o m e n Of females longish-oval semiamblypygous, ovipositor not protrude or only just visible from above. Middle field of postpetiolus distinct, slightly but distinctly elevated, longitudinally striated. Gastrocoeli not big, slightly but distinctly impressed, triangle or square with distinct thyridia, considerably narrower than interval between them. Hypopygium of males without distinctly expressed process apically.

C o l o r a t i o n: Head and thorax almost enterely black; abdomen red or black. In females of West Palaearctic Obtusodonta equitatoria (PANZER) thorax is black, with the exception of yellow scutellum, red upper corners of pronotum and tegulae. In females of East Palaearctic O. ferruginea (TELENGA) , possessing in our disposal (Altai mountains, Kosh-Aach), red coloration is dominate: head almost entirely with exception of antennal cavities, front and upper margins of pronotum, mesonotum entirely, postscutellum and propodeum dorsally (except mesopleurae and third lateral field).

S i z e: Palaearctic species 11-17 mm.

B i o l o g y a n d e c o l o g y:

H o s t s: For one palaearctic species of genus – Obtusodonta equitatoria (PANZ.) – the following data about hosts are known: Bupalus piniarius L. ( Geometridae ), Agrotis segetum DEN. et SCHIFF. , Apamea monoglypha HUFN. , Panolis flammea DEN. et SCHIFF. (Noctuidae) ( HERTING 1976; RASNITSYN 1981).

H i b e r n a t i o n: References to hibernating of females are adduced in A. RASNITSYN' s article (1964).