Virgichneumon tenuicornis (HEINRICH, 1930)

Virgichneumon tenuicornis (HEINRICH, 1930) View in CoL (figs 16, 59, 74)

Type lost.

D e s c r i p t i o n: ♀. Body length 9.5-10.0 mm. Flagellum with 41 segments, almost filiform and slightly narrowed apically; 1 st flagellar segment 2.5× as long as wide, 8 th segment square; widest segments 1.2× as wide as long. Temple moderately and almost linearly narrowed behind eye (fig. 16). OED 1.2× and OOD 1.7× ocellar diameter. Frons coarsely rugulose-punctate. Gena with rather dense punctures ventrally, rugose-striate dorsally. MI 0.9. Hypostomal carina moderately elevated.

Notaulus shortly impressed on frontal margin of mesoscutum. Mesoscutum coarsely punctate, shining. Mesopleuron and metapleuron coarsely rugose-punctate, partly striate. Speculum partly smooth. Epicnemial carina elevated behind fore coxa, about as wide as apical segment of maxillary palp. Scutellum slightly convex, slightly wider than long, with fine sparse punctures and with lateral carina in basal 0.7. Area basalis with strong central tubercle. Area superomedia hexagonal, about as long as wide, rugose; posterior to its middle with costula. Area petiolaris strongly impressed, with coarse transverse rugae. Hind coxa punctate, smooth, without scopa. Hind femur 3.7× as long as wide. External surface of hind tibia with several (4) denticular spines. Areolet pentagonal, frontal distance between veins 2rs-m and 3rs-m 2× their width; vein 2m-cu slightly distad its middle. Vein 1cu-a postfurcal by 2× its width.

Postpetiole with distinct latero-median carina; lateral field with coarse punctures, median field with longitudinally striated punctures. Gastrocoelus impressed, with fine ridges. Thyridium transverse, 0.5× as wide as interval between thyridia (fig. 59). 2 nd tergite 1.2× as wide as long. 2 nd and 3 rd tergites very coarsely rugose-punctate; 4 th and 5 th tergites with fine sparse punctures. Ovipositor sheath extending beyond metasomal apex by length of 7 th tergite.

Color: black. Setae of mesoscutum brownish. Flagellar segments 9-15 dorsally, narrow frontal orbit and large spot of 7 th tergite ivory. Scutellum with reddish apical suffusion. Coxae, trochanters and trochantelli black; legs otherwise red; hind tibia infuscate in apical 0.2, hind tarsus blackish. Pterostigma blackish.

♁. Body length 11 mm. Flagellum with>23 segments (tips broken off); 1 st flagellar segment 2.6× as long as wide. Tyloids on flagellar segments 8-15, large, oval, maximally as long as their segments. Temple distinctly and almost linearly narrowed behind eye. OED 1.0× ocellar diameter. Gena 0.8× as wide as eye. MI 0.7.

Epicnemial carina strongly widened behind fore coxa, bilobed. Scutellum moderately elevated, about as long as wide, with lateral carina in basal 0.4. Area basalis with median tubercle. Area superomedia halfmoon-shaped, 1.5× as wide as long; costula reaching posterior to its middle. Fore metatarsus without apical tooth. Hind femur 4.5× as long as wide. External surface of hind tibia with numerous denticular spines. Areolet pentagonal, frontal distance between veins 2rs-m and 3rs-m 2× their width; vein 2m-cu reaching its middle. Vein 1cu-a interstitial.

Median field of postpetiole slightly elevated, not separated, longitudinal rugose. Thyridium transverse, 0.8× as wide as interval between thyridia. 2 nd tergite 1.2× as long as wide. 2 nd and 3 rd tergites coarsely punctate and granulate; 2 nd tergite with some striated rugae basally.

Color: black. Flagellum black. Inner orbit and spot on vertex (fig. 74), hind edge of pronotum and spot on subtegular ridge ivory. 2 nd tergite with narrow reddish hind margin. Fore and mid legs black; fore and mid tibiae and tarsi yellowish frontally; hind femur and tibia red; hind tibia infuscate in apical 2/3, hind tarsus black. Pterostigma reddish-brown.

S t u d i e d m a t e r i a l: from France * ( ZSM) and Sicily.