Centeterichneumon denticoxatus Heinrich, 1938

Pos, Davide Dal, Claridge, Brandon, Diller, Erich, Noort, Simon Van & Giovanni, Filippo Di, 2023, Still counting: new records, nomenclatural notes, and three new species of Phaeogenini (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae) from the Afrotropical region, European Journal of Taxonomy 868, pp. 1-71 : 15-17

Centeterichneumon denticoxatus Heinrich, 1938

Figs 2–6

Centeterichneumon denticoxatus Heinrich, 1938: 130 (original description, key).

Centeterichneumon denticoxatus form obscutatus Heinrich, 1938: 130 (original description, key). Hereby synonymized under the nominate subspecies. Syn. nov.

Centeterichneumon denticoxatus denticoxatus – Townes & Townes 1973: 219 (catalogue, key). — Diller 1981: 101 (catalogue). — Yu & Horstmann 1997: 480 (catalogue). — Yu et al. 2012 (catalogue); 2016 (catalogue).

Centeterichneumon denticoxatus obscutatus – Townes & Townes 1973: 219 (catalogue, key). — Yu & Horstmann 1997: 480 (catalogue). — Yu et al. 2012 (catalogue); 2016 (catalogue).

Original type series

Syntypes: 11 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂ ( denticoxatus denticoxatus ) (MZPW); 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂ ( denticoxatus obscuratus) (MZPW).

Heinrich (1938: 130) described the species C. denticoxatus based on 11 females and 2 males, all from “Rogez”, Madagascar. On the same page, the author also introduced the name obscutatus declaring it “ forma vel subspec. nov. [= new form or subspecies]” based on 2 females and 1 male from Ankaratra, and 1 female from “Kalambatitra” [= Kalambatritra]. Subsequent authors treated obscutatus as a subspecies of denticoxatus ( Townes & Townes 1973; Yu & Horstmann 1997; Yu et al. 2012, 2016).

Despite the red holotype labels for both subspecies ( Fig. 5C, F ), no specimen was designated in the original description and, therefore, they cannot be referred to as holotypes ( ICZN 1999: article 73.1). A more in-depth study of the MZPW collection will be required prior to the designation of any lectotypes; therefore, for the moment, the type specimens should be referred to as syntypes ( ICZN 1999: article 73.2).

Type locality

Madagascar: Rogez ( denticoxatus denticoxatus ); Ankaratra, Kalambatritra, Ampandrandava ( denticoxatus obscutatus).

Material examined

Syntype ( C. denticoxatus denticoxatus )

MADAGASCAR • 1 ♀; “[Green label] Madagaskar, Rogez / 699m, I.-II.1931 / leg.A.Seryig // [White label] Centerterich- / neumon ♀ / denticoxatus / det. G. Heinrich Hein. // [White label] E.Diller 19 77 / studiert // [Red label] Holotype / [White label] MIZ PAN / WARSZAWA / 6/1946 / 8”; MZPW (images examined) .

Syntype ( C. denticoxatus obscutatus )

MADAGASCAR • 1 ♀; “[Green label] Kalambatritra / Madagascar / T33 / leg.A.Seyrig // [White label] Centerterichneumon / denticoxatus ♀ / var. obscuratus / det. G. Heinrich Hein. // [Red label] Holotype // [White label] MIZ PAN / WARSZAWA / 6/1946 / 15”; MZPW (images examined) .

Distribution

MADAGASCAR: Androy, Atsinanana, Ihorombe and Vakinankaratra regions ( Heinrich 1938) ( Fig. 6A– B ).

Remarks

Heinrich (1938: 130) differentiated the two subspecies based only on the different coloration of the metasoma. Centeterichneumon denticoxatus denticoxatus has the first three tergites completely reddish-brown, the 4 th progressively infuscating with an apical narrow white band, the 5 th anteriorly black and posteriorly white-banded, while the remaining tergites are completely white ( Figs 2A–B , 4A ). Centeterichneumon denticoxatus obscutatus has the 1 st tergite and the anterior part of the 2 nd reddish brown, the posterior part of the 2 nd tergite infuscate and the 3 rd and 4 th tergites entirely black, the 5 th anteriorly black and apically white, the 6 th and 7 th completely white ( Figs 2C–D , 4B ). We deemed these different characters as mere colour variation that does not allow an unequivocal differentiation of the two subspecies either based on consistent morphological traits or on clear distributional patterns. Moreover, also Heinrich (1938: 130) was unsure on the exact position of the two groups of specimens (see Type series) and, therefore, because of the above reasons, the two subspecies are hereby synonymized: Centeterichneumon denticoxatus denticoxatus Heinrich, 1938 = Centeterichneumon denticoxatus obscutatus Heinrich, 1938 syn. nov.

Figures

Fig. 2. Centeterichneumon denticoxatus Heinrich, 1938, subspecies (MZPW). A–B. Centeterichneumon denticoxatus denticoxatus Heinrich, 1938, syntype, ♀. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C–D. Centeterichneumon denticoxatus obscuratus Heinrich, 1938, syntype, ♀ (MZPW). C. Habitus, dorsal view. D. Habitus, lateral view.

Fig. 3. Head and mesosoma, dorsal view. A. Centeterichneumon denticoxatus denticoxatus Heinrich, 1938, syntype, ♀ (MZPW). B. Centeterichneumon denticoxatus obscuratus Heinrich, 1938, syntype, ♀ (MZPW).

Fig. 4.Metasoma, dorsal view. A. Centeterichneumon denticoxatus denticoxatusHeinrich, 1938, syntype, ♀ (MZPW). B. Centeterichneumon denticoxatus obscuratus Heinrich, 1938, syntype, ♀ (MZPW).

Fig. 5. Centeterichneumon denticoxatus Heinrich, 1938, subspecies (MZPW). A–C. Centeterichneumon denticoxatus denticoxatus Heinrich, 1938, syntype, ♀. A. Mesopleuron, lateral view. B. Head, frontal view. C. Labels. – D–F. Centeterichneumon denticoxatus obscuratus Heinrich, 1938, syntype, ♀. D. Mesopleuron, lateral view. E. Head, frontal view. F. Labels.

Fig. 6. Distribution of Centeterichneumon denticoxatus Heinrich, 1938, subspecies. A. Known occurrence records: C. denticoxatus denticoxatus (blue dot) and C. denticoxatus obscutatus (yellow dots). B. Regional distribution: C. denticoxatus denticoxatus (in blue) and C. denticoxatus obscutatus (in yellow).