Pyracmon sepiellus

Pyracmon sepiellus (Holmgren, 1860)

[New standard Japanese name: Kita-chibi-amebachi] (Figs 9–11, 24–27)

Limneria sepiella Holmgren, 1860: 63.

Description based on Japanese specimen. Female (n=1). Body 6.3 mm, slender, mat and inpunctate, covered with silver setae.

Head 0.6×as long as wide. Area combined clypeus with face wide (Fig. 24), 0.8×as long as wide, slightly convex in lateral view. Apical margin of clypeus blunt, simply arched, without margined areas and a median smooth convexity (Fig. 25). Gena broadly rounded in dorsal view, distinctly receding. Malar space 0.75×as long as basal mandibular width. Lower part of occipital carina joined with hypostomal carina. Mandible narrow, slightly tapering distally, lower margin with narrow lamella. POL 1.4×as long as OD. OOL 1.5×as long as OD. Antenna with 27 (29 in Barron and Walley 1983) flagellomeres. Length of FL I 4.5×as long as maximum depth. FL I: II: III=2.0: 1.55:1.5.

Mesosoma. Pronotum covered with longitudinal striae on ventral 0.6 (Fig. 10). Epomia absent. Notauli absent. Epicnemial carina complete, its dorsal end joined with anterior margin of mesopleuron. Mesopleuron with a large smooth area on speculum and with a longitudinal rugulose area between epicnemial carina and speculum. Propodeal carinae strong and complete, as in Figs 11, 26. Lateromedian longitudinal carina and lateral longitudinal carina complete. Area petiolaris with some transverse rugae (Figs 11, 26). Fore wing length 5.0 mm (4.7 mm in Barron and Walley, 1983). Postero-distal corner of second discoidal cell in form of an acute to right angle (85°). Areolet sessile, receiving second recurrent vein little distad of the middle. Hind wing with discoidella, slightly pigmented basally, clearly recognizable by light reflection. Hind femur 5.1×as long as maximum depth in lateral view. Hind tibia covered with minute (normal) setae, its dorsal surface with some short bristles. Longest spur of hind tibia shorter than half length of first tarsomere. TS I without a continuous, straight, median ventral row if very closely spaced small setae. TS I: II: III: VI: V=4.4: 2.0: 1.3: 0.8: 1.1.

Metasoma. T I 2.6×as long as maximum width, its base smooth. T I in profile dorsally without an obtuse angulation (Fig. 27). Subapical part of lower valve of ovipositor slightly widened. Ovipositor sheath 1.0×as long as hind tibia.

Coloration (Figs 9–11). Body (excluding wings and legs) black to blackish brown, except for: mandible except apex, palpi and membranous part of metasomal sternites yellow; tegula, posterior margins of metasomal tergites and ovipositor yellowish brown. Wings hyaline. Veins and pterostigma blackish brown to brown except for yellowish brown wing base. Fore and mid legs reddish brown to yellowish brown except for largely black coxae. Hind leg blackish brown to black except for: trochantellus reddish brown; base and apex of femur narrowly tinged with reddish brown; tibia except for black apical part and tibial spurs reddish brown (base of tibia slightly and narrowly darkened); base of each tarsal segment more or less tinged with yellowish brown.

Male. No additional specimen collected from Japan is available.

Specimens examined. JAPAN: NIAES, 1 female, Hokkaido, Mt. Tarumaesan, 21–26. VII. 1998, K. Konishi leg. (Malaise Trap). SWEDEN: ZSM, 1 female (homotype of Limueria sepiella by Horstmann), Kiruna, 19. VII. 1964, R. Hinz leg. GERMANY: ZSM, 1 female (det. by Horstmann), Ober-Bayern, Bad Heilbrunn, 5. VIII. 1936, E. Bauer leg.

Distribution. Japan (Hokkaido), widely distributed in Holarctic region.

Bionomics. Larvae of Micropogon piceus (Coleoptera: Dascilidae) has been recorded as host (Barron and Walley, 1983).

Remarks. This is the first record of this species from Japan. The coloration of hind femur with intraspecific variation (Barron and Walley, 1983), i.e., specimens of northern distribution mostly dark, of southern mostly pale. The Japanese materials collected in the northern area of Japan, Hokkaido, and well accord with this pattern.