Virgichneumon extremator (THUNBERG, 1822)

Riedel, Matthias, 2024, The genus Virgichneumon HEINRICH in the West Palaearctic region (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 56 (1), pp. 149-199 : 163-164

Virgichneumon extremator (THUNBERG, 1822) (figs 6, 28, 48, 66, 84)

Lectotype: (♀) (Uppsala), studied by ROMAN (1912), comb. nov. by RASNITSYN (1981).

D e s c r i p t i o n: ♀. Body length 12.0-13.0 mm. Flagellum with 36-38 segments, slightly lanceolate; 1 st flagellar segment 1.8-2.0× as long as wide; 8 th segment square; widest segments 1.1× as wide as long. Temple slightly and roundly narrowed behind eye (fig. 6). OED 1.6-1.9× and OOD 2.0× ocellar diameter. Gena wide, 1.2× as wide as eye, with rather sparse punctures ventrally (fig. 84). Clypeus with sparse punctures, strongly shining. MI 0.8.

Epicnemial carina low behind fore coxa. Scutellum wider than long, with sparse punctures and apical striation, with lateral carina in basal 0.3. Area superomedia heart-shaped, slightly longer than wide; slightly posterior to its middle with costula (fig. 28). Hind coxa with scopa apico-ventrally; if scopa indistinct, then with very fine and dense punctures in this area. Hind femur densely punctate, 3.6-3.8× as long as wide. External surface of hind tibia with few (1-3) denticular spines. Areolet pentagonal, frontal distance between veins 2rs-m and 3rs-m 2× their width; vein 2m-cu reaching distad its middle. Vein 1cu-a postfurcal by 1× its width.

Postpetiole without latero-median carina; median field slightly elevated, smooth, with sparse punctures. Gastrocoelus triangularly impressed. Thyridium oblique, rather large, 0.8-0.9× as wide as interval between thyridia (fig. 48). 2 nd tergite 1.4× as wide as long. 2 nd and 3 rd tergites densely punctate, 2 nd tergite with longitudinal rugosity baso-medially (fig. 48). Ovipositor sheath not distinctly reaching beyond metasomal apex.

Color: black. Setae of mesoscutum brownish. Flagellar segments 7-13 dorsally, triangular dorsal spot of 6 th tergite and longitudinal dorsal spot of 7 th tergite ivory. Palps and mandible except teeth reddish-brown. Frontal orbit narrowly yellowish. Coxae and trochanters black; scopa of hind coxa whitish; legs otherwise red; narrow apices of hind femur and hind tibia infuscate apically; hind tarsus blackish. Pterostigma black.

♁. Body length 13.5-15.0 mm. Flagellum with 38 segments; 1 st flagellar segment 2.5× as long as wide. Tyloids on flagellar segments 4-13, long-oval, maximally 0.8× as long as their segments. MI 0.3-0.4. Scutellum moderately elevated, lateral carina in basal 0.4. Fore metatarsus with strong apical tooth. Epicnemial carina slightly elevated behind fore coxa. Hind femur 3.6-4.2× as long as wide. Median field of postpetiole smooth or finely aciculate with sparse coarse punctures. 2 nd tergite 1.1× as wide as long.

Color: black. Flagellum ± reddish ventrally. Flagellar segments 13-16 dorsally, clypeus laterally, wide facial orbit and narrow frontal orbit ivory (fig. 66). Mesosoma and metasoma black; 2 nd to 4 th tergites sometimes with narrow apical reddish margins. Coxae and trochanters black; legs otherwise red; hind tibia narrowly darkened at apex; hind tarsus black. Pterostigma dark-brown to blackish.

S t u d i e d m a t e r i a l: from Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway.