Sirex piceus Xiao & Wu, 1983

3.3.7. Sirex piceus Xiao & Wu, 1983

Figure 17 View Figure 17

Sirex piceus Xiao & Wu, 1983 , Memoir of Forest Entomology, (2): 4–5. (original description)

Material examined.

Type specimen: 1 ♀ holotype, deposited in Chinese Academy of Forestry.

Diagnosis.

Females with wings largely clear (Fig. 17 A View Figure 17 ); vein 3 A of forewings absent; antennae completely blackish; legs largely blackish; thorax and abdomen shiny blackish; tarsal pad of metatarsomere 2 about 0.45 times as long as ventral length of tarsomere.

Female Description.

Color: Head, thorax and abdomen shiny blackish (Fig. 17 A, B View Figure 17 ). Antennae and palpi dark brownish to blackish. Legs blackish to dark brownish. Wings clear, with apex and outer margin slightly brownish hue. Veins dark brownish to blackish, pterostigma black. — Head: Genae with pits less than 2.0 pit diameters apart; vertex with pits less than 4.0 pit diameters apart. — Thorax: Mesoscutum with large pits densely developed in median area, more or less reticulate patterns in coarsely pitted area. Metatarsomere 2 with its length 0.88 times length of tarsomeres 3 + 4; tarsal pad 0.45 times as long as ventral length of tarsomere. Fore wing vein 3 A absent. — Abdomen: Median basin of tergum IX without longitudinal ridge, basal width about 0.7 times as long as median length, maximum width about 1.0 times as long as median length, median length 0.65 times cornus length. Cornus in dorsal view long, triangular shaped without distinct angulate midway, its median length 2 times as long as maximum width of abdomen at junction of terga IX and X. Sheath. Basal section 1.14 times as long as apical section. Ovipositor. Pits near middle annuli (the area at base of apical section of sheath) about 0.3 times as long as an annulus, 0.54 times as high as lancet height in lateral view, 0.85 times as long as pits height (Fig. 10 G View Figure 10 ).

Distribution.

Qinghai (Maqin County). Only recorded from the type locality.

Host.

Picea sp. (Original label data).

Note.

According to the original description, this species was described on a single female holotype. In subsequent studies, no new specimens were collected or described. Although the original literature described that “ body blue-black, with metallic reflections ”, according to the examined holotype, the specimen (compared to other Sirex females with bluish metallic reflections) is much darker, with the blue reflections only be observed vaguely in lateral view. Since no more specimens have been studied, it is difficult to determine whether this character is stable.