Virgichneumon callicerus (GRAVENHORST, 1820)

Virgichneumon callicerus (GRAVENHORST, 1820) View in CoL (figs 3, 25, 45, 63, 82, 99)

Lectotype: (♀) (Wroclaw), studied and comb. nov. by RASNITSYN (1981).

D e s c r i p t i o n: ♀. Body length 7-8 mm. Flagellum with 29-33 segments, slightly lanceolate; 1 st flagellar segment 2.1-2.2× as long as wide; 6 th or 7 th segment square; widest segments 1.3× as wide as long. Temple strongly and roundly or almost linearly narrowed behind eye (fig. 3). OED 1.2-1.5× and OOD 2.0-2.1× ocellar diameter. Clypeus with sparse punctures. Gena almost parallel to compound eye, 0.8× as wide as eye, with rather dense punctures (fig. 82). MI 1.2.

Notaulus slightly impressed frontally; mesoscutum with dense punctures, shining. Mesopleuron and metapleuron with coarse punctures; juxtacoxal carina present. Scutellum wider than long, with lateral carina in basal 0.1-0.4. Area superomedia heart-shaped, slightly longer than wide; at its middle with costula (fig. 25). Hind coxa densely punctate, without scopa. Hind femur stout, 2.8-3.1× as long as wide. External surface of hind tibia with multiple (6-10) denticular spines (fig. 99). Areolet pentagonal, frontal distance between veins 2rs-m and 3rs-m 3-4× their width, vein 2m-cu reaching distad its middle. Vein 1cu-a postfurcal by 1-2× its width.

Postpetiole without latero-median carina; median field slightly elevated, not clearly separated, densely punctate. Gastrocoelus rectangular, with ridges, often ± confluent medially. Thyridium 0.4-0.7× as wide as interval between thyridia (fig. 45). 2 nd tergite 1.3-1.4× as wide as long; 2 nd and 3 rd tergites densely punctate, smooth and shining between punctures. Ovipositor sheath slightly extending beyond metasomal apex.

Color: black. Setae of mesoscutum brownish. Palps, apical clypeus, scape, pedicel and basal flagellar segments sometimes ± reddish. Flagellar segments 7-11/12 dorsally, often spot on facial orbit opposite to antennal groove, stripe on frontal orbit opposite to lateral ocellus, collar and often hind edge of pronotum, subtegular ridge, scutellum, and wide apical spots on 6 th and 7 th tergites, sometimes also on 5 th tergite ivory. Postpetiole, 2 nd and 3 rd tergites red; 4 th tergite reddish baso-laterally. Coxae and trochanters black; legs otherwise red or all femora ± black, hind femur and hind tibia infuscate apically; hind tarsus blackish. Pterostigma brownish, often paler basally.

♁. Body length 8-10 mm. Flagellum with 30-35 segments, filiform. Tyloids on flagellar segments 4/5-15, oval to long-oval, maximally 0.8× as long as their segments. OED 1.1- 1.5× and OOD 1.5× ocellar diameter. Frons and face with moderately fine punctures, shining; clypeus partly smooth. Gena with partly sparse punctures ventrally. Hypostomal carina low, reaching genal carina far from mandibular base. MI 0.5. Mesoscutum and mesopleuron coarsely and densely punctate and shining, punctures of metapleuron sparser. Scutellum moderately elevated, about as long as wide, with lateral carina in basal 0.5. Area superomedia hexagonal, about as long as wide; costula reaching at its middle. Hind femur 3.1-3.5× as long as wide. Fore metatarsus without apical tooth. External surface of hind tibia with multiple denticular spines. Areolet pentagonal, frontal distance between veins 2rs-m and 3rs-m 3-4× their width; vein 2m-cu reaching distad its middle.

Postpetiole punctate, usually without latero-median carina (sometimes ± present basally), but median field differentiated. Gastrocoelus slightly impressed. Thyridium oblique, 0.5- 0.7× as wide as interval between thyridia. 2 nd to 4 th tergites with coarse punctures, punctures of 4 th tergite sometimes superficial.

Color: black. Setae of mesoscutum grey. Flagellum yellowish or reddish ventrally (1♁ from Mongolia with flagellum entirely reddish-yellow). Palps, mandible except teeth, side of clypeus und inner orbit up to vertex, outer orbit, scape ventrally (fig. 63), collar and hind edge or upper margin of pronotum, subtegular ridge, often tegula, scutellum, sometimes postscutellum, apical bands on 5 th to 7 th tergites (rarely apical spot of 4 th tergite), sometimes spots on fore coxa and trochanter ivory. Postpetiole, 2 nd and 3 rd tergites entirely and usually 4 th tergite basally and/or laterally red. Legs except coxae and trochanters reddish-yellow; fore and mid femora ± darkened basally; hind femur blackish or red with black apex; hind tibia in apical 0.3 and hind tarsus completely blackish. Pterostigma brown.

New host record: Plebejus argus (LINNAEUS, 1758) (Lep. Lycaenidae ) (coll. Riedel).

S t u d i e d m a t e r i a l: from Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece * (Linz), Hungary, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan (Linz), Kirghizstan* (ZSM), Mongolia * (Linz), Norway, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan * (Linz).