Scopesis frontator ( THUNBERG , 1822)

Scopesis frontator ( THUNBERG, 1822) View in CoL (figs 3, 22, 37, 56, 76, 95, 99)

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

Lectotype: (♁) Uppsala Univ. Zool. Mus Thunbergsaml. nr. 25563 Ichneumon frontator Wg. By. Typ (Uppsala), examined and designated by HORSTMANN (2006: 81).

syn. nov. Mesoleius (Scopesus) depressus THOMSON, 1894: 2030 , ♀.

Holotype: (♀) Col Ljgh; depressus (Lund) , type examined by HORSTMANN.

D e s c r i p t i o n: ♀. Body length (6.0)– 8.5–11 mm. Flagellum with (32)–37–42 segments, stout; 1 st flagellar segment 4.4–5.3× as long as wide and 1.9–2.3× as long as 2 nd segment; 2 nd segment 2.0–2.5×, 3 rd segment 1.8–2.4× and preapical segment 1.2–1.6× as long as wide. Temple moderately and roundly narrowed. OED 1.2–1.5× ocellar diameter. Face granulated, with superficial punctures, dull. Clypeus slightly transversely convex, with sparse punctures and shining, not bulging medially; apical margin slightly concave, without or with short flat extensions laterally. Ventral mandibular tooth equal to or slightly larger than dorsal tooth. MI 0.5

Mesoscutum granulate. Notaulus not or weakly impressed. Mesopleuron granulate or finely rugose, with superficial punctures and some fine striation ventrally, usually distinctly striate dorsally. Speculum with microsculpture, shining. Area superomedia without or with weak lateral carina. Area petiolaris usually with complete carina, sometimes obsolete medially. Lateral longitudinal carina and pleural carina of propodeum usually distinct and complete, sometimes weak. Hind femur 3.8–4.7× as long as wide. Inner apical spur of hind tibia 0.62× as long as hind metatarsus. Vein 2rs-m 0.7–0.8× as long as vein M between 2rs-m and 2m-cu. Vein 1cu-a interstitial or postfurcal by 1–2× its width. 1 st tergite 1.3–1.6× as long as wide, without latero-median carina. 2 nd tergite 1.2–1.4× as wide as long.

Color: black. Flagellum red or ochreous, black to brownish basally and dorsally. Palps brown. Mandible except teeth and apical 1/2–3/4 of clypeus reddish or yellowish. Hind edge of pronotum brown. Tegula brown, rarely yellow. 1 st to 4 th tergites entirely red, 1 st tergite rarely ± black in basal 1/2–2/3. Coxae, trochanters and trochantelli black; legs otherwise red; hind femur entirely red; hind tibia reddish-yellow, sometimes narrowly infuscate basally, infuscate in apical 0.2–0.3; hind tarsus black. Pterostigma yellowish to ochreous.

Var. ♀. One specimen from Haag , Bavaria (Hamburg): Coxae, trochanters and trochantelli black. Legs otherwise red ; hind tibia reddish, not distinctly infuscate apically; hind tarsus reddish; distal tarsomeres of mid and hind tarsi brownish.

♁. Body length 8.0– 11.5 mm. Flagellum with 36–41 segments; 1 st flagellar segment 4.3– 5.5× as long as wide and 1.9–2.1× as long as 2 nd flagellomere; 2 nd segment 2.2–2.5×, 3 rd segment 2.0–2.3× and preapical segment 1.7× as long as wide. Clypeus slightly transversely convex; apical margin slightly concave and with short lateral extensions. Mesopleuron granulate and with superficial punctures ventrally, finely rugose medially, with fine striae dorsally, ± shining. Speculum with microsculpture, shining. Area superomedia usually with weak lateral carina in basal half. Area petiolaris with complete carina. Lateral longitudinal carina and pleural carina of propodeum distinct and complete. Hind femur 4.5–4.6× as long as wide. 1 st tergite 1.7–2.0× as long as wide, with latero-median carina in basal 0.2–0.4.

Color: black. Flagellum black, sometimes ochreous in apical 2/3. Palps, mandible except teeth, clypeus, face and sometimes scape ventrally reddish-yellow or yellow. Hind edge of pronotum brown or narrowly yellowish. Tegula brown, with yellow spot frontally. 1 st tergite black, sometimes red apically, 2 nd to 4 th tergites entirely red. Coxae black, fore and mid coxae sometimes yellowish apically; fore and mid trochanters black dorsally, yellow ventrally; fore and mid trochantelli yellow; hind trochanter and trochantellus red or black; legs otherwise red; hind femur entirely red; hind tibia reddish-yellow, black in apical 0.4; hind tarsus black. Pterostigma ochreous centrally, margins darker.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Western Palaearctic; studied material from Bulgaria, Germany, Sweden and Turkey *.

Taxonomical remarks: TEUNISSEN (1953) synonymized Scopesis bicolor (GRAVENHORST) with Scopesis frontator (THUNBERG) as a color variant with black hind femur, but these species also differ by the length of basal flagellomeres.

The holotype of Mesoleius (Scopesus) depressus THOMSON was usually separated from Sc. frontator (THUNBERG) by the mainly black color of 1 st tergite and very short basal flagellomeres (2 nd flagellar segment 2.0× and 3 rd segment 1.8× as long as wide), but the coloration of the 1 st tergite and length of basal flagellar segments are variable in our material. We therefore synonymize Mesoleius depressus (THOMSON) with Sc. frontator (THUNBERG) here.