THE VARIICORNIS-GROUP OF GRYON HALIDAY (HYMENOPTERA: SCELIONIDAE)

Abstract The variicornis-group of Gryon is proposed for 15 Neotropical species of which 12 are new to science: atrocoxalis (Ashmead) / Grenada & Trinidad, W.I., Brazil, Colombia/; cultratus n. sp. /Brazil/; david n. sp. /Panama/; goliath n. sp. /Panama/; helavai n. sp. /Panama/; hercules n. sp. /Brazil/; masoni n. sp. /Trinidad, W.I./; neotropicus n. sp. /Colombia, Ecuador/; peckorum n. sp. /Ecuador/; rothi n. sp. /USA/; scutellatus n. sp. /Brazil/; sinop n. sp. /Brazil/; titan n. sp. /Brazil/; tridentatus n. sp. /Ecuador/; and variicornis (Fouts) /Guyana, Panama, Nicaragua, Brazil, Colombia/. The systematic position of the group within Gryon is discussed.

The measurements of the above listed distances were obtained by tilting the specimen individually for each one of them, whereby the maximum of convexity of the surface was taken into consideration.
(1) Fore wing in basal third or half with dark streak running parallel to lower margin of wing; hyperoccipital carina somewhat dull at meson, undulate under high magnification (Fig. Ib); sculpture of frons, particularly within ocellar triangle remarkably mat and dense; occipital carina obsolete medially ( Interorbital space longer (1.1-1.3 times) than eye height; usually smaller species,  Eyes relatively smaller, only 1.2 times longer than subocular space; interorbital space wider, Female. Length 1.3 mm. Black; radicle and scape bright orange-yellow, A2-A7 light brown dorsally, almost yellow ventrally, A8-A12 dark brown dorsally, almost yellow ventrally (along sensory cupulae); legs bright orange-yellow except for dark brown coxae; mandibles and tegulae light brown; fore wings in basal 113 with dark streak running along the lower margin, hind wings infuscate at very base. Head less transverse than in most species, only 2.7 times as wide as long; frontal depression almost non-existent, indicated more or less by transverse rugae meeting the median keel above the antenna1 insertion; dorsal arched carina absent; frons along inner orbits, vertex, and temples rugoso-reticulate mat, less shining than in other species; lateral ocelli distant from inner orbits by slightly less than one diameter; hyperoccipital carina somewhat dull at meson, undulate (high magnification), less blade-like than in other species; occiput below hyperoccipital carina rough-coriaceous, sculpture finer towards the foramen; occipital carina completely obsolete medially, well indicated at sides; interorbital space about equal to eye height; A2 distinctly longer than A3 (9:6), clava strong, A8 transverse (4:7).
Mesoscutum and scutellum with same sculpture as vertex; metanotal bulge wide and short.
TI costate, extremely transverse, fully 5 times as wide as long; T2 longitudinally rugulose anteromedially, becoming ruguso-reticulate in posterior half at meson, twice as long as T3; the latter and the following tergites with gradually finer reticulation.
VARIABILITY. Specimens vary in size from 0.9 to 1.3 mm. The dark streak in fore wings may be less distinct in some specimens; however, the base of the wing is always appreciably darkened.
REMARKS. This species is unique in the variicornis-group because of the infuscated wing bases, as well as the rather mat sculpture of the head and mesosoma and the weak development of the hyperoccipital carina in its middle part. G. atrocoxalis seems to be closer to the four smaller species in the group, viz. david, helavai , rothi, and tridentatus, than to those clustered around cultratus.
Head almost 4 times as wide as long; frontal depression very shallow but remarkably well indicated by both lateral and dorsal keels, with transverse polygons divided in middle by keel running up from antenna1 insertion; frons and vertex highly shining, with large irregular polygons, finer microsculpture on temples; lateral ocelli distant from inner orbits by one diameter; hyperoccipital carina blade-like, complete; occiput below hyperoccipital carina appears smooth and shining; occipital carina unusually high on occiput but not touching hyperoccipital carina; malar groove deep and broad; mandibles narrowly tapered apically, with 3 small teeth, the upper the largest; interorbital space distinctly larger than eye height (39:32); A2 slightly longer than A3 (7:6); clava moderately strong, A8 transverse (5:7).
Mesoscutum with polygons similar to those on frons and vertex; marginal vein only slightly shorter than stigma1 vein (9: 1 I), not, however, appearing to touch the extreme margin of wing; postmarginalis rather faint but longer than stigmalis.
TI strongly transverse, 5 times as wide as long, longitudinally costate, particularly at meson; T2 fully twice as long as T3, with almost no costae at base but generally roughreticulate, polygons much coarser at meson than at sides; T3 with much finer reticulation and a smooth band along posterior margin; following tergites almost smooth and with some fine punctation only.
Male. Unknown. REMARKS. This tiny species is unique by the tridentate mandibles, elongate marginalis, and very large T2.

Gryon helavai n. sp.
Female. Length 1.1 mm. Black; color of appendages similar to tridentatus; however, A2-A7 light brown, much of femora distally pale; wings generally tinted and with a short streak basally but not as long as in atrocoxalis.
Mesoscutum with same sculpture as on frons and vertex; metanotal bulge rather small and not too prominent; stigmalis twice longer than marginalis; postmarginalis more than twice as long as stigmalis.
Male. Unknown. REMARKS. The absence of the frontal depression, slight tint of wings, and the longitudinally rugose T2 are recognition characters of this tiny species. It is my pleasure to name this handsome species after its collector, Mr. Jussi Helava, from Ottawa.
Head less than 3 times as wide as long; frontal depression very shallow and relatively short, consisting of transverse polygons semi-bisected by a middle keel and closed by irregular lateral and upper keels; frons and vertex rugoso-reticulate, shining, polygons rather large; lateral ocelli distant from inner margins by one diameter; hyperoccipital carina blade-like; occiput below hyperoccipital carina finely coriaceous; malar groove broad but rather shallow; interorbital space unusually wide, much larger than eye height (41:30); A2 longer than A3 (10:6), clava rather slender, not spindle-like, A8 almost square.
Mesoscutum in anterior 314 with polygons similar to those on frons, with a zone of longitudinal rugae in posterior 114; scutellum with polygons similar to those in anterior part of mesoscutum; metanotal bulge wide but not too prominent; stigmalis more than twice longer than marginalis, postmarginalis rather pale, less than twice as long as stigmalis. REMARKS. This species runs conveniently with five species (atrocoxalis, david, goliath, helavai, tridentatus) into a group with the interorbital space on frons markedly larger than eye height. However, it forms a bridge towards larger species clustered around variicornis and particularly cultratus. It gives me pleasure to name this species after its collector, Mr. Vincent Roth, who has collected many interesting species in the Sonoran subregion.

. Gryon david n. sp.
Female. Length 1.2 mm. Black; radicle and most of scape yellowish brown; A2-A12 dark brown; coxae ebony black, femora in proximal 314 dark brown, with lighter apices; tibiae and tarsi orange-yellow; fore wings with slight tint, with short dark streak near extreme base.
Similar to rothi but differs in following. Interorbital space only 1.08 times longer than eye height (37:34); eye height 1.61 times greater than subocular space (34:21); antenna1 clava stronger, distinctly spindle-like, A8 transverse (523); hind coxae smooth, with only minute coriaceous speck right above trochanter (vs. continuous coriaceous strip in rothi). VARIABILITY. NO appreciable differences in size of the body were found among the 16 specimens from four localities. However, in some males legs were considerably lighter, with femora entirely yellowish.

Gryon goliath n. sp.
Female. Length 1.8 mm. Black; radicle, extreme proximal tip of scape, distal tips of femora, entire tibiae and tarsi yellowish brown; fore wing slightly tinted, with short dark streak near extreme base.
Similar to david but differs also in following characters. Frontal depression slightly deeper, more pronounced if viewed from above; eyes relatively shorter, eye height only 1.2 times greater than subocular space (42:35); interorbital space wider, 1.24 times as long as eye height (52:42). REMARKS. Closely related to david from which it differs by smaller eyes and hereby also different cephalic measurements. The striking difference in size between the two species made me choose the name goliath for the bulky sympatric member of the biblical couple.
Head transverse, 2.7 times as wide as long; frontal depression shallow but distinct from dorsal view, with coarse transverse polygons, not margined laterally nor distinctly dorsally; frons shining, with large irregular polygons, one of them encircling the median ocellus; vertex with similar sculpture as frons but with extremely fine coriaceous microsculpture immediately in front of the hyperoccipital carina and two irregular transverse rugae between the lateral ocelli which are distant from inner orbits by less than their diameter; hyperoccipital carina blade-like, occiput below with fine coriaceous sculpture; malar groove shallow but broad; interorbital space distinctly shorter than eye height (3850); A2 longer than A3 (10:7); clava short, rather stout, A8 transverse (7: 11).
Mesoscutum with polygons finer than on frons, more elongate in diameter; scutellum with polygons roughly rounded, in lateral view scutellum distinctly arched and pillow-like; metanotal bulge quite prominent, slightly notched at meson giving a sub-bidentate appearance; marginalis very short, stigmalis almost 5 times longer than marginalis, postmarginalis rather short, as long as stigmalis.
TI transverse, slightly less than 5 times as wide as long and longitudinally costate; T2 only 1.3 times as long as T3, longitudinally rugose-reticulate; T3 with some longitudinal elements in anterior 112, rugulose posteriorly, the following tergites finely coriaceous. VARIABILITY. The femora are often darker than in the holotype. Total body length is almost constant, 1.6 mm; however, with some males 1.5 mm long. A8 is less transverse (8:10) in some females. Postmarginalis is slightly longer in some individuals than in the holotype (up to 1.35 times).

Male. Essentially
REMARKS. It is difficult to decide whether the variation may indicate nothing more than the natural variability of cultratus or whether sibling species are involved.

THE CANADMN ENTOMOLOGIST
July 1979 G. cultratus differs from G . titan markedly by the length (1.6 vs. 2.6 mm) and less distinctly by the stronger and shorter clava.

Gryon masoni n. sp.
Female. Length 1.7 mm. Black; radicle and proximal 114 of scape bright yellow, rest of scape light brown; A2-A12 dark brown; coxae black, rest of legs yellowish brown, fore femora and hind basitarsi darker; wings with slight tint. Similar to cultratus from which it differs as follows. In dorsal view frontal depression appreciably deeper; eyes considerably higher and larger thus leaving interorbital space narrower, with eye height 1.5 times greater than the latter space; eye height 2.6 times greater than subocular space (52:20) (in cultratus only 1.95 times, or 47:24); sculpture of mesoscutum in front of scutellum with no longitudinal elements; postmarginalis 1.8 times longer than stigmalis; hind coxae with coriaceous sculpture more pronounced; metasoma slightly elongate, 1.2 times as long as wide.
Male. Differs from female in structure of antennae (similar to males of cultratus), in having eyes shorter, eye height only 1 . I times as long as interorbital space, and metasoma as long as wide. VARIABILITY. Postmarginal vein varies from 1.7 to 1.9 times as long as stigma1 vein.
REMARKS. In female sex masoni is quite unique among all species of the variicornis-group mainly because of its large eyes. Consequently, the interorbital space is narrowest, the subocular space shortest and the frontal depression relatively deepest among all members of this species group. I have some doubts about the single male assigned here as masoni. The differences in the cephalic proportions are too great; however, the male is different from those of cultratus in having no longitudinal elements in sculpture of mesoscutum in front of scutellum.
It is my pleasure to name this handsome species after Bill Mason who collected this and other fine species on his vacation trip to Trinidad in winter 1977.
Very similar to cultratus from which it differs as follows. Frontal depression margined dorsally by arched carina; interorbital space as long as eye height; mesoscutum in front of scuto-scutellar suture without longitudinal rugae; scutellum in profile not pillow-like and arched but sloping (almost straight) from scuto-scutellar suture to metanotum; T1 only 4 times as wide as long; T2 with predominant reticulate rugulosity and without distinct longitudinal elements.
Male. Unknown. VARIABILITY. NO substantial structural or color differences were found among the three specimens.

Gryon titan n. sp.
Female. Length 2.6 mm. Black; radicle and scape, fore tibiae and tarsi, middle and hind legs (excluding coxae which are black) bright yellow; fore tibiae mostly brown, A2-A7 light brown, clava dark brown dorsally, yellow ventrally; wings clear but with slight darker tint.

Gryon hercules n. sp.
Female. Length 2.6 mm. Black; radicle, scape, A2-A7, middle and hind legs including coxae and fore legs (excluding coxae which are brown) bright orange-yellow; antenna1 clava dark brown with dirty yellow streak ventrally; mandibles, metanotum, and anterior margin of T I chestnut brown; wing with slightly darker tint. Similar to cultratus from which it differs as follows. Lateral ocelli distant from inner orbits by less than half of their diameter. Antennal clava stronger than in variicornis, A8 transverse (9:14). T2 longitudinally rugulose but with more distinct transverse rugae in between, i.e. the longitudinal appearance of sculpture is less distinct than in cultratus. REMARKS. This species together with titan and scutellatus are closely related to cultratus; titan and hercules are large species and cultratus and scutellatus the smaller species. The size of the body seems to be reasonably constant and serves as a specific character.

July 1979
Head transverse, slightly over 3 times wider than long; frontal depression shallow, barely indicated by sculpture of transverse polygons bisected in lower half by a wavy keel extending from antennal insertion, not margined at sides nor above; frons along orbits roughly rugosoreticulate, with polygons subcircular to irregular, highly shining; sharp irregular carina connecting lateral ocelli (parallel to hyperoccipital carina); lateral ocelli distant from inner orbits by less than a diameter; hyperoccipital carina complete, blade-like; occiput below hyperoccipital carina with narrow band of fine coriaceous sculpture, further below almost smooth; occipital carina situated rather low on occiput, almost complete except for a short interruption at meson, interorbital space equal to eye height; A3 rather elongate, almost as long as A2, A 4 and A5 slightly elongate, A8 only slightly transverse (8:9), clava distinctly slender, not as wide as in cultrutus.
Mesoscutum with large subcircular polygons of rough reticulation, somewhat mat due to dense microsculpture of polygonal ridges; scutellum with similar sculpture but with smaller polygons; metanotal bulge very prominent, deeply but narrowly notched at meson; marginalis, stigmalis and postmarginalis in ratio 9:20:31.
TI over 4 times as wide as long, heavily costate longitudinally; T2 only slightly longer than T3, with longitudinal rugulosity anteromedially, otherwise rough reticulate particularly at sides; T3 with sculpture similar to T2 but generally finer, following tergites with sculpture gradually finer.
Male (hitherto unknown). Essentially like female but remarkable for the uniformly golden yellow antennae, A4-A 1 1 slightly transverse. VARIABILITY. The legs, particularly the front and middle femora, are darker than those of the type.
REMARKS. This is the nominal species of the variicornis-group. It is distinct on account of the varicolored antennae and perhaps even more on the slender antennal club which is not spindle-like but rather parallel-sided. Antenna of similar shape occurs in G . sinop, but in the latter species it is not varicolored but remarkably dark. Fouts (1925) compared variicornis with G . minimus (Kieff.) which is an apparent mistake as the latter species belongs to a different group of Gryon.

Gryon sinop n. sp.
Female. Length 2.1 mm. Black; radicle, extreme base of scape, mandibles and anterior half of fore femora light brown; AI-A12 dark brown to black; legs uniformly orange-yellow excluding the coxae which are black; wings clear.
Head transverse, 3.3 times as wide as long; frontal depression shallow but unusually well indicated by lateral and dorsal keels as well as sculpture consisting of several large transverse polygons above antenna1 insertion and a large smooth field terminating the row of polygons below the median ocellus; frons along inner orbits with coarse reticular polygons with smooth and shining ridges; vertex with similar polygons but with the dorsal face of ridges with mat microsculpture; two transverse polygons between lateral ocelli, the latter distant from inner orbits by more than one diameter; hyperoccipital carina complete but slightly obscured at very middle because of the deep concavity of occiput; occiput finely coriaceous immediately below hyperoccipital carina, rather rugulose in middle of the latter zone; interorbital space equal to eye height; A3 only slightly shorter than A2 (13:15), A4 elongate (8:5.5), clava slender as in variicornis, not spindle-like but subparallel, A8 almost square (8:9).
TI strongly transverse, fully 5 times as wide as long, with a few costae and longitudinal rugae; T2 only 1.2 times as wide as T3, coarsely reticulate-rugose; T3 with similar sculpture as on T2, following tergites with sculpture gradually finer; posterolateral corners of T3-T5 distinctly spinose. REMARKS. G. sinop is a very distinct species which is unique for its large smooth field on the frontal depression and the spinose posterolateral corners of tergites 3-5 (3-6 in 8 ) .

Gryon peckorurn n. sp.
Female. Length 2 mm. Black; radicle, extreme base of scape, A12, mandibles, trochanters, apices of femora and tibiae and tarsi light brown; coxae black, femora dark brown to black, tibiae dark brown; scape and following segments dark brown or black, ventral side of clava with dirty yellow streak; wings slightly tinted, veins dark brown, no dark spot under marginal vein.
Head moderately transverse, 2.7 times as wide as long; frontal depression shallow, unmargined, consisting of transverse polygons and a very short median keel; sculpture of frons and vertex composed of large polygons, the ridges of which are smooth and shining; an irregular, wavy carina connects lateral ocelli which are distant from inner orbits by less than half a diameter; hyperoccipital carina blade-like and sharp, complete, almost flexed upwards; occiput below hyperoccipital carina almost smooth and without sculpture; interorbital space much shorter than eye height (4456); A3 elongate but smaller than A2 (10:15), A8 transverse (8:12), A12 twice as long as A1 I; clava strong, spindle-like.
Mesoscutum rugoso-reticulate, without longitudinal elements in front of scuto-scutellar suture; scutellum with sculpture similar to that of mesoscutum, however, the polygons are more hexagonal; metanotal bulge prominent, not too distinctly notched medially; marginalis, stigmalis and postmarginalis in ratio 6:23:31; spur on hind tibia strong and curved, as long as tarsomere I1 of hind tarsus.
TI only 3.7 times as wide as long, longitudinally costate; T2 as long as T3, with a longitudinal rugulosity which is less distinct at sides; T 3 with longitudinal rugulosity in anterior part, irregular rugae in posterior part; T 4 still roughly rugose; posterolateral corners of tergites 3-5 not spinose.