Ophion pteridis Kriechbaumer, 1879

Figs 18 G–H, 19E–F, 40, 52A–F

Ophion pteridis Kriechbaumer, 1879a: 89–98.

Ophion albistylus Szépligeti, 1905: 521. Syn. nov.

Material examined

Lectotype, ♀, of Ophion pteridis (ZSM); holotype, ♀, of Ophion albistylus (NHMH); 6 ♀♀ (Sweden); 1 ♀ (Germany); 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂ (Estonia); 1 ♂ (Lithuania).

Diagnosis

Fore wing length 16–17 mm. Antenna in both sexes with 57–58 flagellomeres. First flagellomere 3.5–4.0 times as long as wide. Central flagellomeres about 1.6–1.7 times as long as wide. Apical flagellomeres with dense pilosity. Pilosity as long as the width of flagellomeres. Head very strongly narrowed behind eyes. Temple in lateral view of female about 0.3 times as long as compound eye (Fig. 19F) and in male about 0.6 times as wide as compound eye. In frontal view almost round (width/height measured from the apical margin of clypeus to the top of head = 1.15–1.20) (Fig. 19E). Ocelli large, in dorsal view covering part of the compound eye in females and males (Fig. 18G–H). The distance between posterior ocelli about 0.3–0.4 times the width of ocellus in female. Occipital carina centrally more angled than in O. inclinans Johansson sp. nov. (as in Fig. 7B). Face below antennal sockets with quite scarce punctures, polished or weakly shagreened. Malar space about 0.1–0.2 times as long as mandibular base in female and about 0.2 times in male. Mandibular gape right-angled, with internal angles. Wing membrane weakly yellowish. Ramellus distinct, reaching abut 0.3 times the width of the discosubmarginal cell. Radius sinuous. Mesopleuron shagreened and distinctly punctate. Interstices between punctures about equal to their diameter. Pleurosternal angles weakly obtuse to right angled, obviously anterior to sternal angles. Scutellum with distinct lateral carinae. Propodeum coriaceous, often quite polished with anterior transverse carina strong, but sometimes partly absent laterally. Posterior transverse carina complete and the area behind it strongly sculptured with distinct wrinkles emanating radially from the petiolar incision. Area superomedia often indicated by carinae. Central longitudinal carinae often distinct. Sclerotised part of first sternite ending distinctly posterior to spiracle. First tergite in lateral view with slight or distinct median dorsal undulation. Hind trochantellus shorter than wide in dorsal view. Inner spur of hind tibia as long as 0.5 times hind metatarsus.

Colour

Body testaceous. Mandibular teeth black. Mesopleuron, propleuron and propodeum infuscate, black or dark brown (Fig. 40). All coxae and mesosternum usually testaceous, coxae only weakly infuscate basally. Head with inner and outer orbits yellow. Ovipositor sheath testaceous.

DNA barcode

The DNA barcode sequences of one Swedish specimen of Ophion pteridis is available at the BOLD systems database (www.boldsystems.org. Specimen code: STI-NJBC: 260).

Ecology

Kriechbaumer refers to a rearing from Callopistria juvetina (Stoll, 1782) in his original description of the species. This noctuid moth has only recently been reported from Sweden and is not reported anywhere near the known localities for Ophion pteridis. One female in HSC was reared from Melanchra persicariae (Linnaeus, 1761) which might be an additional host also used in Sweden. Ophion pteridis is active from August to September.

Distribution in Sweden

Ophion pteridis is a rare but very widespread species in Sweden and known from only a couple of localities in the eastern part of Central Sweden, one record from Northern Sweden and one from the Baltic island of Gotland.

Remarks

This species has been misinterpreted and confused with the species here described as Ophion inclinans Johansson sp. nov. Brock (1982) noted the aberrant colour of the holotype female but overlooked several aspects of the original description, such as the large ocelli and strongly narrowed temples, features that are evident in the holotype (Fig. 52 A–F). The hypothesis that the darker colour is due to decay of internal organs or any killing agent, as presented by Brock (1982) is erroneous and the darker colour is part of the species diagnosis. The holotype of Ophion albistylus in NHMH was studied and this species is synonymous with Ophion pteridis syn. nov., a fact already noted by Scaramozzino by the labels attached to the specimen. The synonymy was however never formally published. One reared female in HSC has the flagellomeres very stout, reminiscent of O. arenarius Johansson sp. nov. Some of the basal flagellomeres are deformed and the shape of the flagellomeres are most likely an aberration caused by deviant rearing conditions. According to the molecular analysis the species is closely related to Ophion vardali Johansson sp. nov., but based on the distinct morphological characters, both species are regarded as valid.