Charmedia, 2002

Sime, Karen R. & Wahl, David B., 2002, The cladistics and biology of the Callajoppa genus-group (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 134 (1), pp. 1-56 : 21-22

CHARMEDIA WAHL & SIME , GEN. N.

Type-species. Charmedia chavarriai sp. n.

Description. Flagellum of female lanceolate, with flagellomere 3 about 2.0¥ as long as wide; flagellum of male with tyloids present. Clypeus flat and wide, apicolateral margin forming an angle of approximately 40°, punctures evenly distributed, apical 0.3 not thinned, apical margin straight and without median projection. Mandible long and evenly tapered to apex, ventral tooth in same plane as dorsal tooth. Supra-antennal area without paired median ridges or denticles. Vertex with posterior section about as long as ocellar triangle, gently sloping to occipital carina. Gena convex in dorsal view. Juncture of hypostomal and occipital carinae separated from mandible by about 0.5¥ basal mandibular width. Occipital carina with ventral region above mandible not produced as a low flange.

Pronotal flange low and with posterior face concave. Epicnemial carina dorsally complete. Scutellum strongly convex, shelf-like; lateral carinae absent. Central convexity of metanotum not widened and lateral depressions not reduced. Base of propodeum rising steeply and abruptly. Areola reduced and completely filled-in, appearing as polished boss. Anterior transverse carina complete, median section not swollen; posterior transverse carina weak but complete; lateral longitudinal carinae complete; median longitudinal carinae absent. First lateral area with regularly distributed punctures; second lateral area rugosopunctate. Metapleuron rugosopunctate. Juxtacoxal carina present. Propodeal lateral profile steeply sloping. Scopa absent. Cell 1 + 2Rs of fore wing petiolate, vein 2/Rs <3r-m, vein 2 m-cu interception apicad midpoint of posterior margin (vein 2/M about 3.1¥ as long as vein 3/M).

MS 1 in lateral view with petiole flattened, postpetiole convex; sclerotized anterior portion of S1 about 1.1¥ as long as distance from posterior margin of anterior portion to apex of T1; petiole basally without dorsal or lateral bulges; postpetiole without basal convexity, median longitudinal carinae absent, median field absent, punctures fine and dense and without rugae. Ventral margin of T2 simple. T2-4 without longitudinal. T2-4 evenly convex, with fine contiguous punctures. T2-5 not basally constricted and without dorsolateral ridges. S2 divided, S3-5 entire. Apex of female metasoma with T7-8 barely projecting beyond apex of T6; amblypygous.

Autapomorphies. Median longitudinal carina of absent (#33–1).

Etymology. The generic name is a euphonious combination of letters with no meaning. Its gender is feminine.

Species and distribution. There is one species, Charmedia chavarriai , found in Costa Rica.

Biology. A series of rearings establishes C. chavarriai as a larval–pupal parasitoid of Sphingidae , probably specializing on species of Xylophanes (D. Janzen, pers. comm.). The hosts, all collected as nearly mature larvae on Rubiaceae , include Xylophanes chiron (Drury) and X. hannemanni (Closs) on Psychotria horizontalis Swartz , X. ceratomioides (Grote & Robinson) on Hamelia patens Jacquin (3 specimens), X. crotonis (Walker) on Psychotria panamensis Standl and Coussarea carliana [ Rubiaceae ]., and X. juanita Rothschild & Jordan on Psychotria pubescens [ Rubiaceae ]. ( Costa Rica: Area de Conservación Guanacaste; ‘95-SRNP-9318’, ‘96-SRNP-183’, ‘97- SRNP-1912’, ‘97-SRNP-1913’, ‘99-SRNP-650’, ‘97- SRNP-1892’, ‘99-SRNP-938’, ‘99-SRNP-8735’, respectively [AEIC, JHIC]). Additional specimens (see paratype data, below) have been reared from X. amadis Stoll ( Costa Rica: Monteverde [JHIC]) and from a pupa of Xylophanes (determination by D. Janzen) ( Panama: Chiriquí, Aiello lot 93–32 [STRI]).

Detailed rearing records for all specimens reared by D. Janzen and W. Hallwachs ([JHIC] and other materials listed with ‘SRNP’ identification codes), including Charmedia and genera discussed below, can be found at the website http://www.janzen.sas.upenn.edu