Ophion slaviceki Johansson & Cederberg 2019, stat. rev.
Creators: name: Johansson, Niklas
name: Cederberg, Björn
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Ichneumonidae
Ophion
Ophion slaviceki

description: Ophion slaviceki Kriechbaumer, 1892 stat. rev.
Figs 7E, I, 9E, 14B, 21F, 46 A–C
Ophion slaviceki Kriechbaumer, 1892b: 233–234.
Ophion pictus Kokujev, 1906a: 159–160.
Ophion calcaratus Morley, 1915: 269.
Material examined
Lectotype, ♂, of Ophion slaviceki (ZSM); lectotype, ♀, of Ophion calcaratus (BMNH);> 750 ♀♀,> 350 ♂♂ (Sweden); 2 ♀♀ (Great Britain); 2 ♀♀, 7 ♂♂ (Estonia); 11 ♀♀, 6 ♂♂ (Norway); 5 ♀♀, 8 ♂♂ (Lithuania).
Diagnosis
Fore wing length 13–17 mm. Antenna with 49–59 flagellomeres. First flagellomere about 4.0 times as long as wide. Central flagellomeres about 1.5–1.6 times as long as wide. Subapical flagellomeres approximately 1.5 times as long as wide. Temples slightly buccate in females. Head in lateral view with temple about 0.4–0.6 times as long as compound eye, more buccate in males. Gap between compound eye and lateral ocellus small or absent, at most 0.2 times the diameter of ocellus (Fig. 14B). Ocellus large, central ocellus in female 2.0 times as wide as distance between margin of central ocellus and inner eye margins. Malar space about 0.2 times as long as mandibular base in female and about 0.2–0.3 times in male (Fig. 21F). Mandibles often worn, with the gap between teeth acute angled and internal angles absent (Fig. 7I). Wing membrane transparent. Ramellus usually short, but occasionally longer, reaching 0.1–0.5 times the width of the discosubmarginal cell. Radius sinuous. Structure of mesopleuron in most cases shining or weakly shagreened, with distinct, very regular punctation consisting of small punctures. Interstices between punctures about equal to their diameter. Epicnemial carina, in antero-ventral view, with pleurosternal angles obviously anterior to sternal angles. Pleurosternal angles rounded, obtuse to right angled (Fig. 9E). Scutellum usually without lateral carinae, but rarely with lateral carinae in basal half. Propodeum posterior to anterior transverse carina mostly shining. Anterior transverse carina always present centrally, anterior to area superomedia, but often also present laterally, though rarely strongly raised (as in Fig. 10A). The part adjacent to area superomedia often distinctly convex. Posterior transverse carina usually only present laterally, widely interrupted centrally. Petiolar carina and longitudinal carina delimiting area superomedia often strong and forming a narrow triangular area. Sclerotised part of first sternite ending level to spiracle. Legs normal with hind femur about 6.0–6.5 times as long as wide. Hind trochantellus usually as long as wide in dorsal view (Fig. 7E). Inner spur of hind tibia about 0.3–0.4 times as long as hind metatarsus.
Colour
Body testaceous. Head with inner and outer orbits often distinctly and broadly yellow, especially in males. Mandibular teeth black. Frequently in southern males with narrow yellow stripes on mesoscutum reminiscent of Ophion obscuratus but more yellow in colour. Ovipositor sheath testaceous, concolourous with posterior metasomal segments.
DNA barcode
The DNA barcode sequences of eight Swedish specimens of Ophion slaviceki are available at the BOLD systems database (www.boldsystems.org, BIN. BOLD: ACF9514. Specimen codes: STI-NJBC: 53, 55–57, 62, 264, 325, 327).
Ecology
This species occurs from July to October in a variety of habitats, but seems to prefer open or semiopen areas. Broad et al. (2015) list Agrotis exclamationis (Linnaeus, 1758) and A. segetum (Denis &
Schiffermüller, 1775) as hosts. In Swedish collections (NHRS, MZLU) there are several specimens reared from A. exclamationis.
Distribution in Sweden
A very common species in Southern Sweden, becoming rare or absent further north.
Remarks
The oldest available, and therefore correct name for the species with an acute angled mandibular gape, long hind trochantellus and quite narrow head in lateral view with a small gap between the lateral ocellus and compound eye, widely known as Ophion luteus by modern authors, is Ophion slaviceki Kriechbaumer, 1892. One specimen from Sölkäsaari in Haparanda (NJBC327) in Northern Sweden is slightly genetically different from the southern population (Fig. 3). The locality is far beyond the northern distribution limit for any of the known hosts of O. slaviceki and this specimen might represent a northern form of the species. For further comments, see Discussion: “The Ophion luteus aggregate”.
description: Published as part of Johansson, Niklas & Cederberg, Björn, 2019, Review of the Swedish species of Ophion (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ophioninae), with the description of 18 new species and an illustrated key to Swedish species, pp. 1-136 in European Journal of Taxonomy 550 on pages 96-97, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2019.550, http://zenodo.org/record/3476402