Scopesis gesticulator ( THUNBERG , 1822)

Riedel, Matthias, H, Andres & Schmidt, Stefan, 2024, Revision of the Palaearctic species of Scopesis FÖRSTER (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ctenopelmatinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 56 (1), pp. 201-252 : 211-212

Scopesis gesticulator ( THUNBERG, 1822) (figs 4, 23, 57, 77)

Original: Ichneumon gesticulator THUNBERG, 1822: 266 , ♁.

Holotype: (♁) (Uppsala), type not examined.

syn. Tryphon nigricollis GRAVENHORST, 1829 , synonymized by ROMAN (1912: 258), type not examined.

syn. Tryphon longipes GRAVENHORST, 1829 , synonymized by YU & HORSTMANN (1997: 437), type not examined.

D e s c r i p t i o n: ♀. Body length 8–11 mm. Flagellum with 36–42 segments, slender; 1 st flagellar segment 4.6–5.0× as long as wide and 1.8× as long as 2 nd segment; 2 nd segment 2.4–2.8×, 3 rd segment 2.4–2.5× and preapical segment c 1.8× as long as wide. Temple distinctly and roundly narrowed. OED 1.4–1.5× ocellar diameter. Face granulated, with superficial punctures, dull. Clypeus transversely convex and slightly bulging medially, with fine sparse punctures and some erected long setae, shining, with weak flat lateral extensions, apical margin slightly concave. Lower mandibular tooth slightly larger than upper tooth. MI 0.4.

Mesoscutum finely granulate and superficially punctate, often ± shining. Notaulus weakly impressed frontally. Mesopleuron granulate and dull ventrally, with superficial punctures and ± shining dorsally, finely striate in dorsal 1/3, striae not reaching the frontal third of mesopleuron; speculum with microsculpture, shining. Area superomedia usually with strong lateral carina, divergent apically. Area petiolaris with complete carinae. Lateral longitudinal and pleural carinae of propodeum distinct and complete. Hind femur 4.4–5.2× as long as wide. Inner apical spur of hind tibia 0.59× as long as hind metatarsus. Vein 2rs-m 0.8–0.9× as long as vein M between 2rs-m and 2m-cu. Vein 1cu-a postfurcal by 1× its width. Nervellus of hind wing vertical, intercepted in its apical 0.7. 1 st tergite 1.4–1.6× as long as wide, without latero-median carina. 2 nd tergite 1.1–1.4× as wide as long.

Color: black. Flagellum red, black basally. Palps, mandible except teeth, clypeus, often paramedian spots or stripes on face, sometimes spot on tegula yellow. Hind edge of pronotum, tegula and subtegular ridge and postscutellum sometimes reddish. 1 st to 4 th tergites yellow, 5 th tergite sometimes ± yellow or reddish. 2 nd to 4 th sternites yellow, 5 th sternite brown or black, hypopygium black. Coxae, trochanters and trochantelli black, trochanters and trochantelli often with yellow apical margins; fore and mid femora reddish, fore and mid tibiae and tarsi yellow; hind femur black, sometimes diffusely reddish-brown; hind tibia yellow, infuscate in apical 0.3, hind tarsus reddish or yellowish, ± brownish distally. Wings sometimes with yellowish tint. Pterostigma yellowish.

♁. Body length 9–10 mm. Flagellum with 35–40 segments; 1 st flagellar segment 4.8– 6.0× as long as wide and 1.9–2.0× as long as 2 nd flagellomere; 2 nd segment 2.5–3.0× and 3 rd segment 2.3–2.7× longer than wide. OED 1.4× ocellar diameter. Temple moderately and roundly narrowed behind eye. Mesopleuron granulate and superficially punctate, with few striae dorsally, ± shining. Hind femur 4.4–4.7× as long as wide. 1 st tergite 1.7– 2.0× as long as wide, sometimes with weak latero-median carina in basal 0.4. 2 nd tergite 1.0–1.1× as wide as long.

Color: black. Flagellum ochreous or reddish, blackish basally. Palps, mandible except teeth, clypeus, face, ventral spot at scape, sometimes spot on pedicel, hind edge of pronotum and tegula, sometimes spot on subtegular ridge, anterolateral spots on mesoscutum and often spot on mesosternum yellow. 1 st to 4 th tergites usually yellowish or reddish-yellow, sometime 5 th tergite basally yellow. All coxae and hind trochanter black, often fore and mid coxae ± yellow; fore and mid trochanters and all trochantelli yellow. Legs yellowish, hind femur black, often narrowly yellow at base; hind tibia yellow, infuscate in apical 0.3, hind tarsus yellow or red. Pterostigma ochreous or reddish.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: A Holarctic species; studied material from Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Switzerland, and United Kingdom.