Ophion inclinans Johansson & Cederberg 2019, sp. nov.

Ophion inclinans Johansson sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 53FE412C-94FB-4D9B-A4EF-10EA7145189A

Figs 6C, E, 8F, 13C, 16D, 19 C–D, 33

Diagnosis

Separated from other Ophion species by the combination of the carinated scutellum, the dorsal undulation of the first tergite, the shape of the head and placement and size of the ocelli. Very similar to Ophion pteridis and O. vardali Johansson sp. nov., but without infuscate areas on the mesosoma, slightly wider head in anterior view and the occipital carina usually centrally rounded or straight. From O. pteridis it is also distinguished by the usually widely interrupted posterior transverse carina of the propodeum with the area posterior to the carina rather smooth. In all studied specimens of O. pteridis the posterior transverse carina is complete and the area delimited by it strongly wrinkled. Also quite similar to Ophion paukkuneni Johansson sp. nov. but with less buccate head and the lateral ocellus touching the compound eye. Perhaps most easily confused with Ophion arenarius Johansson sp. nov., but with the flagellomeres more elongate and the head usually slightly narrower in anterior view.

Etymology

Inclinans from the dorsal undulation of the first tergite in this species.

Material examined

> 350 ♀♀, 77 ♂♂ (Sweden); 3 ♀♀ (Finland); 1 ♀ (Italy); 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂ (Estonia); 27 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂ (Norway).

Type material

Holotype

SWEDEN • ♀; Norrbotten, Haparanda, Reikkola; 65.818° N, 24.140° E; 9 Sep.–8 Oct. 2016; N. Ryrholm and C. Källander leg.; MV-light trap in boreal forest, meadow; STI-NJBC28; NHRS-HEVA000008667. Paratypes

SWEDEN • 1 ♀; Bohuslän, Tossene, Stora Hultet; 58.446° N, 11.409° E; 24 Jul.–14 Sep. 2014; N. Ryrholm and C. Källander leg.; MV-light trap in farmland; NHRS-HEVA000008668 • 1 ♀; Norrbotten, Haparanda, Santasaari; 65.817° N, 24.133° E; 9 Aug.–8 Oct. 2016; N. Ryrholm and C. Källander leg.; MV-light trap; STI-NJBC29; NHRS-HEVA000008669 • 1 ♀; Bohuslän, Tossene, Stora Hultet; 58.446° N, 11.409° E; 15 Sep.–16 Oct. 2014; N. Ryrholm and C. Källander leg.; MV-light trap in framland; STI-NJBC18; NHRS- HEVA000008670 • 1 ♂; Gotland, Fleringe, Rute; 57.834° N, 18.923° E; 17–24 Jul. 2017; J. Törnvall leg.; MV-light; NHRS-HEVA000008671 • 1 ♂; Gotland, Sundre, Suders; 56.945° N, 18.303° E; 14 Jul.–17Aug. 2017; N. Ryrholm and C. Källander leg.; MV-light trap in deciduous woodland; NHRS-HEVA000008672 • 1 ♂; Uppland, Norrtälje, Rådmansö; 59.708° N, 18.955° E; 10 Oct.–15 Nov. 1991; N. Ryrholm and C. Källander leg.; MV-light trap in mixed coastal forest; NHRS-HEVA000008673 • 1 ♀; Norrbotten, Haparanda, Reikkola; 65.818° N, 24.140° E; 9 Sep.–8 Oct. 2016; N. Ryrholm and C. Källander leg.; MVlight trap in boreal forest, meadow; NHRS-HEVA000008674.

Description

Fore wing length 13–17 mm. Antenna in both sexes with 50–59 flagellomeres. First flagellomere 3.5–4.0 times as long as wide. Central flagellomeres 1.8–2.0 times as long as wide (Fig. 8F). Subapical flagellomeres long and slender, about 3.0 times as long as wide with long prominent pilosity. Temple slightly buccate. Head in lateral view about 0.4–0.6 times as long as compound eye. Head slightly wider than long in frontal view (width/height measured from the apical margin of clypeus to the top of head about 1.25) (Fig. 19 C–D). Ocelli in dorsal view touching compound eye in female, in male with small interstice between posterior ocellus and compound eye. Ocelli smaller than in O. pteridis, the distance between posterior ocelli usually about 0.6–0.8 times the diameter of ocellus. Occipital carina in a majority of specimens centrally straight or rarely evenly rounded, in this respect differing from the more angled carina in O. pteridis and O. vardali Johansson sp. nov. Malar space about 0.1–0.2 times as long as mandibular base in female and about 0.2–0.3 times in male. Mandibular gape right-angled, with internal angles. Wing membrane clear. Ramellus distinct, reaching about 0.2–0.3 times the width of the discosubmaginal cell. Radius sinuous. Face below antennal sockets with quite scarce punctures, polished or weakly shagreened. Wing membrane clear. Mesopleuron shagreened and distinctly punctate. Spaces between punctures about equal to their diameter. Pleurosternal angles weakly obtuse to right angled, obviously anterior to sternal angles. Scutellum with distinct lateral carinae (Fig. 6C). Propodeum slightly coriaceous, often quite polished with anterior transverse carina strong but sometimes partly absent laterally. Posterior transverse carina often widely interrupted centrally (as in Fig. 10A) and the area delimited by it quite smooth without any obvious wrinkles. Area superomedia often with lateral and anterior carinae. Central longitudinal carinae often distinct. Sclerotised part of first sternite ending obviously posterior to spiracle. First tergite in lateral view with slight or distinct median undulation (Fig. 6E). Hind trochantellus shorter than wide in dorsal view. Legs quite slender with hind femur about 7.0 times as long as wide (Fig. 16D). Inner spur of hind tibia 0.5 times as long as hind metatarsus.

Colour

Body testaceous. Head with inner and outer orbits yellow. Mandibular teeth black. Ovipositor sheath testaceous, of same colour as posterior metasomal segments.

DNA barcode

The DNA barcode sequences of ten Swedish specimens of Ophion inclinans Johansson sp. nov. are available at the BOLD systems database (www.boldsystems.org, BIN. BOLD: AAH1753. Specimen codes: STI-NJBC: 15–16, 18, 20, 22, 27–29, 77, 242).

Ecology

Ophion inclinans Johansson sp. nov. is active in late summer and autumn, August–October, in semiopen agricultural landscapes and light forests. Due to confusion with other species the host records are difficult to interpret. A female in NHRS was reared from Lacanobia contigua (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775). According to Brock (1982) it has been been reared from Hadena sp. Schrank, 1802, Ceramica pisi (Linnaeus, 1758) and Lacanobia oleracea (Linnaeus, 1758). Some of these host records might refer to other previously undescribed species similar to O. inclinans Johansson sp. nov.

Distribution in Sweden

This species is the most widely distributed of all Ophion species in Sweden, but seems to be rarer in the south.

Remarks

This species has widely been treated under the name Ophion pteridis due to a misinterpretation of the lectotype and original description of that species (see remarks under O. pteridis and Discussion). Ophion inclinans Johansson sp. nov. forms a very closely related species pair with O. arenarius Johansson sp. nov. Specimens from subalpine areas in central and northern Sweden have the clypeus narrower and entirely shagreened, while it is wider and polished in typical specimens. These specimens also shows a small but consistent genetical difference from typical O. inclinans (Fig. 5) and cluster with some Finnish specimens forming two quite distinct groups. Further research is needed to clearify if these forms represent different taxa.