Lymeon Forster 1869
Creators: name: Kasparyan, D. R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Ichneumonidae
Lymeon

description: Genus Lymeon Förster, 1869
Type species: Lymeon annulicorne Ashmead, 1894 (= L. orbus Say, 1835).
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KEY TO NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICAN SPECIES OF LYMEON with reddish metasoma* (except L. caudator sp.n.)
1. Ovipositor unusually long, sheath 1.35 times as long as hind tibia. Metasomal tergites 2–8 black with white posterior markings (Figs 1, 2). Mesoscutum entirely black, propodeum and first metasomal tergite red. Upper valve of ovipositor with weak nodus; tip of valve beyond nodus very long, 1.4 times as long as hind tarsomere 2 (Fig. 3) ............................................................ L. caudator sp.n.
— Ovipositor shorter, sheath 0.4–1.0 times as long as hind tibia. Metasoma reddish brown .................................. 2. 2. Propodeum at least basally black (Figs 7, 11; in L. transilis only transverse basal groove and front margin of proporeum are black); metapleurum reddish ............. 3.
* About 30 species of North American Lymeon with other types of colouration of metasoma were keyed before [Kasparyan, Ruíz, 2004, 2008; Kasparyan, 2013]. Recently described L. alboniger Kasparyan, 2017 has similar colouration of metasoma, but may easily be separated by its unusual (autapomorphous) colouration of middle and hind basitarsi which are white in basal half and black in apical half (in other species of Lymeon basitarsi usually darker at base or unicoloured).
— Propodeum red (usually white on apophyses). Hind coxa red ................................................................................ 8.
3. Mesoscutum entirely black or with one white central large spot covering at least 0.5 of mesoscutum length. Propodeum with only basal transverse carina present, the apical carina absent and represented only by a pair of rather blunt conical apophyses; hind leg yellowish rufous except for white tarsomeres (1)2–4 and black tarsomere 5 (Figs 4, 9) ...................................................................................... 4.
— Mesoscutum with two median white or yellowish stripes ..................................................................................... 5.
4. Mesoscutum with large median oval white spot covering at least 0.5 of mesoscutum length (Fig. 11). Frons almost polished. Clypeus granulated, its lower margin with median small brownish impression; scape black ventrally (Fig. 10). Speculum and mesosternum whitish; postscutellum white (Fig.11). Tergite 1 of metasoma twice as long as wide posteriorly (Fig. 12), tergite 2 with white apical band; tergites 7 and 8 without white apical spot (Fig. 9). Tip of dorsal valve of ovipositor beyond the nodus distinctly depressed in apical 0.35 (Fig. 13) .... L. xalapensis sp.n.
— Mesoscutum entirely black (Fig. 6). Frons granulated. Clypeus polished, its lower margin with a pair of small brownish teeth or irregularities on lower margin; scape whitish ventrally (Fig. 5). Speculum and mesosternum black; hind leg yellowish rufous with (Fig. 4); postscutellum black (Figs 4, 7). Tergite 1 of metasoma 3.3 times as long as wide posteriorly (Fig. 7), tergite 2 without white apical band; tergites 7 and 8 with white apical spot (Fig. 4). Tip of dorsal valve of ovipositor beyond the nodus hardly depressed in apical 0.35 (Fig. 8) ............ L. scitula sp.n.
5. Front wing with two distinct transverse brownish bands. Scape black. Flagellomeres 4–10 white, black ventrally. Head predominantly white with black markings; thorax black with white spots; propodeum black, apophyses white, conical. Metasoma reddish with postpetiole, hind margin of tergite 2, and dorsum of tergite 7 white. Hind coxa entirely reddish, without white dorsal spot. Mexico ........ L. tinctipennis Kasparyan et Ruíz-Cancino, 2004
— Front wing hyaline, without fuscous bands. Scape ventrally reddish or whitish; hind corner of pronotum, speculum and mesosternum whitish; postscutellum white or brownish, and metapleurum (except on margins) whitish-yellow or reddish. Tergite 7 reddish (at most hind margin white). Hind coxa red, usually with dorsal white spot ............ 6.
6. Mesopleura medially with oblique black band (from mesopleural pit to subtegular ridge). White flagellomeres brownish ventrally; scape reddish brown beneath; pedicel with dorsal white spot. Mesoscutum black, with two large median yellow stripes. Postscutellum white. Propodeum black with two large whitish spots extended from basal transverse carina through apophyses to apex; metapleurum whitish yellow. Hind tarsus with basitarsus completely reddish. Flagellomeres 1 and 2 combined about 1.3 times as long as maximum diameter of eye. Fourth tarsomere of hind leg bilobed, the distal lobe 1.6 times as long as proximal one. In the type specimen ovipositor beyond the nodus strongly compressed, 1.05 times as long as segment 2 of hind tarsus. Mexico ............................. ............................................. L. junctus (Cresson, 1873)
— Mesopleura medially without oblique black band. White flagellomeres not darkened ventrally; scape white beneath; pedicel without dorsal white spot in L. sulsus. Postscutellum brownish. Propodeum predominantly reddish with white. Flagellomeres 1 and 2 combined about 1.6–1.7 times as long as maximum diameter of eye. The groove between metanotum and propodeum black, shallow and broad, below postscutellum with vertical wrinkles .............................................................................. 7.
7. Pronotum on latero-posterior (vertical) margin black, except before tegula. Mesoscutum black, with two median yellow stripes. Propodeum with two sublateral white spots covering apophyses and extending to apex; rufous between apophyses. Mexico ................. L. sulsus (Cresson, 1873)
— Pronotum on hind (vertical) margin broadly white. Mesoscutum reddish with black margins and with two yellow median stripes. Propodeum reddish, white only on apophyses. Mexico ................. L. transilis (Cresson, 1873)
8. Head completely black (except for white mandibles and palpi). Legs uniformly reddish, only fore coxa and trochanters white and last tarsal segments brownish. Metasoma completely reddish. In female mesosoma entirely red (except for small white markings); scape reddish brown; flagellum with about 4 segments white; front wing with two fuscous bands: just distad of basal vein, and subapical one. In male wings without fuscous bands, and mesosoma may be entirely black except for reddish metapleuron and propodeum. USA (Texas), Mexico, Guatemala ............. L.imbecillis (Cresson, 1873) (= leucosoma Cameron,1886)
— Head predominantly reddish, whitish or yellowish. The body almost completely reddish. ............................... 9.
9. Propodeum with only basal transverse carina present, the apical carina absent and represented only by a pair of rather blunt conical apophyses ................................. 10.
— Propodeum with both transverse carinae. Fore wing with two or three dark transverse markings ..................... 11.
10. Fore wing with two distinct fuscous bands. Second tergite with setiferous punctures scarce and setae very short. Scape and pedicel blackish with brownish tinge ventrally; fore coxa white, hind tibia brownish with subbasal white ring; pterostigma blackish. Metasomal sternites completely brownish. Mexico ....................... ................................ L. maculipennis Kasparyan, 2017
— Fore wing hyaline, slightly infuscate. Second tergite with dense setiferous punctures, distances between them equal to length of setae. Scape pale brownish yellow; fore coxa, fore and mid legs yellowish red; pterostigma dirty yellow. Metasomal sternites 1–4 light yellow to whitish yellow. Yellow pattern on thorax richer (including speculum, prepectus, mesosternum and metapleuron). Honduras. .......................................... L. yanegai Kasparyan, 2004
11. Propodeum with two transverse carinae without tubercles. Clypeus not projecting downwards. Front wing slightly infuscated on basal vein, on areolet and at apex. Petiole yellow at base. Mexico ...................................... ...................................... L. mexicanus (Cameron, 1886)
— Propodeum with strong crests at apical transverse carina. Clypeus strongly projecting downwards. Front wing with a median and subapical slightly infuscate bands. USA (New Mexico) ......................... L. nasutus (Pratt, 1945)
description: Published as part of Kasparyan, D. R., 2021, Three new ichneumonid species of the genus Lymeon Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Cryptinae) from Mexico, pp. 84-92 in Russian Entomological Journal 30 (1) on pages 85-91, DOI: 10.15298/rusentj.30.1.10, http://zenodo.org/record/10978441