Rhynchophion flammipennis (Ashmead), 1945

FERNÁNDEZ-TRIANA, JOSÉ L., 2005, The taxonomy and biogeography of Cuban Ophioninae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Zootaxa 1007 (1), pp. 1-60 : 11-12

1. Rhynchophion flammipennis (Ashmead) ( Fig 5b )

Thyreodon flammipennis Ashmead, 1894: 125 . Holotype ♀, Mexico (CAS).

Rhynchophion flammipennis (Ashmead) Townes, 1945: 746 .

R. flammipennis is widely distributed from the United States south to Ecuador and possibly northern Argentina. In a recent paper about Cuban Ichneumonidae, Fernández et al. (in press) have reported the genus for first time to the Caribbean.

This is a black species with the antennae varying from yellowish black to rather bright yellow; the wings are medially yellow, basally and apically blackish infumate. Superficially this species resembles blackish Cuban Thyreodon ( T. grandis , T. ultor and T. alayoi ); but it is clearly separate on the account of its stouter appearance and elongate mouthparts. Collection date from Cuban specimens agree with Costa Rican data, where the species has always been collected between June and early August (Gauld & Janzen, in press).

This species is a parasitoid of the larvae of Manduca spp. (Sphingidae) ( Kester & Tuttle 1999; Gauld & Janzen, in press).

MATERIAL EXAMINED: EC. SC: Siboney , Santiago de Cuba, VI­1947, P. Alayo (1 ♀, MNHNCu). There is a ♀ at IES, belonging to the Gundlach collection, with no further data .

Figures

FIGURE 5: Metasoma and first segments of gaster in profile, and head in front view. A: Thyreodon genus. B: Rhynchophion flammipennis (Ashmead). Modified from Gauld (1988), with permission of the author.