Ophion arenarius Johansson & Cederberg 2019, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Johansson, Niklas
name: Cederberg, Björn
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Ichneumonidae
Ophion
Ophion arenarius

description: Ophion arenarius Johansson sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 70C3C785-54E2-4B53-AAC0-04F401704FF1
Figs 8E, 23
Diagnosis
Superficially similar to and obviously closely related to Ophion inclinans Johansson sp. nov. (Fig. 5), but with stouter flagellomeres and head and face usually slightly more transverse in anterior view. Also easily confused with Ophion ellenae Johansson sp. nov., but with slightly more elongate flagellomeres and less prominent pleurosternal angles.
Etymology
The species seems to occur mainly in open dry, sandy grasslands.
Material examined
18 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂ (Sweden); 3 ♀♀ (Lithuania).
Type material
Holotype SWEDEN • ♀; Skåne Ystad, Kåseberga; 55.385° N, 14.066° E; 24 May–22 Jul. 2016; N. Ryrholm and C. Källander leg.; MV-light trap in warm coastal sandlopes; STI-NJBC88; NHRS-HEVA000008604.
Paratypes SWEDEN • 1 ♀; Öland Mörbylånga, Frösslunda alvar, north eastern part; 56.647° N, 16.577° E; 5 Jul.–2 Aug. 2005; SMTP leg.; Malaise trap in alvar, calcareous heath (Trap id 20, coll ev. id. 1498); STI-NJBC21; NHRS-HEVA000008605 • 1 ♀; Gotland, Sundre, Hallbjäns; 56.938° N, 18.146° E; 19–28 Aug. 1996; N. Ryrholm and C. Källander leg.; MV-light trap in coastal, rocky, calcareous heath; NHRS-HEVA000008606 • 1 ♀; Öland, Mörbylånga, Arontorp; 56.646° N, 16.516° E; 12 Jul. 1977; L–Å. Janzon leg.; NHRS-HEVA000008607 • 2 ♀♀; Öland, Mörbylånga, Räpplinge; 56.827° N, 16.660° E; 27 Jul. 1975; L–Å. Janzon leg.; NHRS-HEVA000008608, NHRS-HEVA000008609 • 1 ♂; Skåne, Kristianstad, Nosaby; 56.050° N, 14.200° E; Aug. 2009; H. Rosén leg.; NHRS-HEVA000008610 • 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; Gotland, Sundre, Hallbjäns; 56.938° N, 18.146° E; 16 Jul.–20 Aug. 2017; N. Ryrholm and C. Källander leg.; MV-light trap in coastal, rocky calcareous heath; NHRS-HEVA000008611 to NHRS-HEVA000008615 • 1 ♀; Skåne, Simrishamn, Spraggehusen; 55.442° N, 14.246° E; 26 Jul.–25Aug. 2017; N. Ryrholm and C. Källander leg.; MV-light trap in sand dunes, pine forest; NHRS-HEVA000008616 • 1 ♀; Gotland, Sundre, Hallbjäns; 56.938° N, 18.146° E; 16 Jun.–15 Jul. 2017; N. Ryrholm and C. Källander leg.; MV-light trap in coastal, rocky calcareous heath; NHRS-HEVA000008617 • 1 ♀; Skåne, Simrishamn, Ravlunda; 55.754° N, 14.187° E; 14 Aug. 1933; N. Burreau leg.; MZLU Type no. 6367:1 • 2 ♀♀; Gotland, Buttle, Nordkalk; 57.396° N, 18.508° E; 19 Jul.–1 Aug. 2016; A. Pettersson leg.; Malaise trap in calcareous pine heath; STI-NJBC266, STI-NJBC303; NHRS-HEVA000008618, NHRS-HEVA000008619.
Description
Fore wing length 15–16 mm. Antenna with 50–55 flagellomeres. First flagellomere 3.5 times as long as wide. Central flagellomeres stout, about 1.2–1.3 times as long as wide. Subapical flagellomeres approximately 1.8–1.9 times as long as wide (Fig. 8E). Head relatively wide in frontal view (width/ height measured from the apical margin of clypeus to the top of head about 1.30). Temple in lateral view 0.5–0.6 times as long as compound eye. Gap between compound eye and lateral ocellus about 0.1 times the diameter of ocellus. Face below antennal sockets with weak punctures, interstices about equal to diameter of punctures. Occipital carina centrally usually evenly curved. Malar space about 0.2 times as long as mandibular base in female and male. Mandibular gape right-angled, with internal angles. Wing membrane clear. Ramellus usually short, reaching 0.1–0.3 times the width of the discosubmarginal cell. Radius sinuous. Mesopleuron weakly shagreened with distinct punctures, space between punctures equal to their diameter. Epicnemial carina, in antero-ventral view, with pleurosternal angles distinctly anterior to sternal angles. Pleurosternal angles right angled or obtuse. Scutellum with distinct lateral carinae in basal 0.8–0.9. Propodeum with very weak rugose structure, shining with anterior transverse carina quite strongly raised. Anterior transverse carina often absent or weak centrally. Central longitudinal carinae weak but usually present. Lateral longitudinal carinae absent. Hind trochantellus shorter than wide in dorsal view. Legs normal with hind femur about six times as long as wide. Sclerotised part of first sternite ending distinctly posterior to spiracle at a distance equal to that between hind margin of first sternite and hind margin of first tergite (as in Fig. 6E). Inner spur of hind tibia as long as 0.5 times metatarsus.
Colour
Body testaceous. Mandibular teeth black. Head with inner and outer eye margins broadly marked with yellow. Ovipositor sheath testaceous.
DNA barcode
The DNA barcode sequences of four Swedish specimens of Ophion arenarius Johansson sp. nov. are available at the BOLD systems database (www.boldsystems.org, BIN. BOLD: AAH1753. Specimen codes: STI-NJBC: 21, 88, 266, 303).
Ecology
All of the known localities in Sweden consist of open, herb-rich dry grassland on sand or calcareous bedrock. The sites in Sweden and Lithuania are also known to harbour many southern faunistic elements and nationally scarce or threatened termo-xerophilous species. Ophion arenarius sp. nov. is active during July–August in Sweden.
Distribution in Sweden
The available data suggest a southern distribution in Sweden. Older records from Central Sweden (Västergötland, Dalarna) indicate a wider historical area of occurrence.
Remarks
This species is very closely related to Ophion inclinans Johansson sp. nov. (Fig. 5). The evidence in the form of a small but consistent genetic differentiation, morphological distinguishing features as well as an apparent ecological differentiation motivates the description of a separate species.
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 40-42, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2019.550, http://zenodo.org/record/3476402