Apatetor blandus SAUSSURE

A. M, 2009, Illustrated key to the tribes of subfamilia Ichneumoninae and genera of the tribe Platylabini of world fauna (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 41 (2), pp. 1317-1608 : 1394-1396

Apatetor blandus SAUSSURE (Plate 21)

Apatetor blandus SAUSSURE 1892 - In Grandier. Hist. Phys. Nat. Polit. de Madag. 20: pl. 16, ♀

( fig. 7, 7a ).

Apatetor blandus: HEINRICH 1938 - Mém. Acad. Malgache 25: 59, ♀, Ƌ.

Apatetor blandus: HEINRICH 1967 - Ichn. Stenop. of Africa 1: 53, 195 ♀, Ƌ. F e m a l e

F l a g e l l u m: Bristle-shaped, practically lanceolate, strongly widened and flattened beyond middle, with 39 segments and white semiannulus on segments 8-17, strongly flattened ventrally beyond it; first segment short, only 1,9 times longer than width at apex; most wide from flattened side segments three times wider than length. Flagellum 1,4 times shorter than the front wing and 1,7 times shorter than body length.

H e a d: Head contour from front slightly narrowed downwards, with equal width and height, genae from front short, 6 times shorter than height of eye; head from above transversal, 2,5 times wider than length. Vertex short, from lateral straightly slanting down after the ocelli to occipital carina; temples 1,8 times shorter than longitudinal diameter of an eye at the middle, from side gradually broadened toward mandible base, practically parallel to hind margin of eye, from above roundly narrowed behind eyes; occipital carina high, sharp, from above deeply and roundly impressed, reach level of eyes and not reach level of hind ocelli; hypostomal carina not visible from lateral, meeting with occipital carina not far before mandible base; malar space 2,5 times shorter than the mandible base width; mandibles narrow, upper tooth long, lower very short, situated in the same plane; clypeus flat, transversal, approximately 2,3 wider than height, not separated from middle field of face by impression, front margin of clypeus straight with slight projection at middle, lateral corners distinct; clypeal foveae small, but sharp; labrum not protrude from under the clypeus; middle field of face slightly elevated above lateral fields, in middle 1,3 times wider than lateral fields; antennal cavities quite deeply impressed, reach borders of eyes and not reach front ocellus level, laterally above antennal fossae with distinct tubercles, but without tooth between antennal fossae; ocelli of normal size, diameter of lateral ocellus equal to distance from ocellus to eye; ocellar triangle expressed. Surface of clypeus and face with sparse superficial punctures, other part of face smooth, shining, not sculptured.

T h o r a x: Collar of pronotum rather long with straight front margin (from above); transverse furrow of pronotum moderately deep, not interrupted by keel; pronotal base gradually sinuously curved with acute apex; epomiae sharp, high; pronotal ridge not thickened. Mesonotum only just convex, longer than width; notauli only as slight impres- sions at base (middle lobe only just elevated in front third); axillary tongue not expressed; surface of mesonotum with sparse shallow punctures, smooth, but not polished, only just visible shagreen; subalarum high, moderately thick, not sharpened; speculum smooth, polished; area of mesopleural fovea broadly and deeply impressed; prepectal carina at upper half strongly curved backwards so, that considerable part of prepectus visible from lateral, at the top reach pronotum; mesopleural suture straight, interrupted by transversal ribs; sharp border between vertical and horizontal parts of mesopleurae not expressed; sternauli absent; upper third of mesopleurae punctured; lower part of mesopleurae longitudinally-wrinkled with shallow punctures without microsculpture, shining; scutellum flat, long, sloped backwards and carinated laterally up to apex by high carinae, horizontal part polished with sparse superficial punctures. Hind margin of metanotum with small triangle projections opposite lateral longitudinal carinae. Propodeum from lateral slanting backwards, long, horizontal part shorter than vertical; fields of propodeum expressed, with exception of merged area basalis, area superomedia and practically merged with area posteromedia, forming together single central area; carinae, limiting area superomedia in front from costulae parallel and backwards from costulae narrowing; area dentipara strongly slanted backwards and approach to hind coxae; spiracles long, slit-shaped; coxal carina sharp. Horizontal part of propodeum with big punctures, punctures considerably bigger than interval between them; apices of areae spiraculifera wrinkled; surface of metapleurae with very dense big punctures; propodeum shining without microsculpture.

L e g s: Long and slender; hind coxae without scopa. Claws massive, smooth, front and middle curved almost at right angle, hind more gradually.

W i n g s: Areolet quadrangular, pointed in front, slightly asymmetrical, external vein of apex some shorter than internal; stigma narrow, light brown; radial cell narrow and long, radius almost straight, very slightly curved; nervulus interstitial; ramulus rather long; all veins of hind wing pigmented; membrane of wing hyaline. Length of front wing of female 1,3 times shorter than body length.

A b d o m e n: Abdomen from above long, fusiform, seventh tergite sharpened, long; second tergite longer than width at apex; abdomen oxypygous. First tergite from lateral almost straight, with very narrow petiolus at base, from lateral smooth, without traces of lateral carinae and any sculpture; from above petiolus gradually broadened to postpetiolus; middle field only just marked and not limited by dorsal carinae; its surface slightly shagreen, with sparse superficial punctures. Gastrocoeli deep and long, oblique; thyridia distinct, long, equal by breadth to interval between them; lunulae weak, small, peculiar elongated form; second tergite with delicate small superficial punctures with coriaceous sculpture between them, other tergites coriaceous; seventh tergite long; ovipositor from above slightly protrude behind apex.

C o l o r a t i o n: Head mainly yellow with black pattern on antennal cavities, ocellar triangle and vertex. Thorax mainly red-ferruginous with yellow (front and upper margins of pronotum, subalarum, scutellum and postscutellum) and black pattern (front surface of pronotum, spots on mesopleurae and area dentipara completely). Abdomen red-ferruginous with black sixth tergite; sixth tergite with yellow stripe at apex, seventh completely yellow. Legs ferruginous, hind tibiae and tarsi darkened.

S i z e: Body length: 12; front wing: 9,5; flagellum: 7 mm.

M a l e

Similar by morphology and coloration to female. Segments of males flagellum with transversal ribs and bristle ridges on ventral side; flagellum not widened and not flattened beyond white annulus, moderately attenuated to apex, with narrow bacilliform tyloides on segments 11-20.

Figures

Fig. 5-11: Flagellum and tyloides of Platylabini males: (5) Spanophatnus guillarmodi, flagellum of male (according to HEINRICH 1967). Tyloides: (6) Pristiceros serrarius, (7) Pristicerops infractorius, (8) Ectopius rubellus, (9) Hypomecus quadriannulatus, (10) Notoplatylabus podolicus conterranius, (11) Poecilostictus cothurnatus.