Lepidophora culiciformis Walker

Lepidophora culiciformis Walker

Figs. 1–4

Lepidophora culiciformis Walker, 1850: xcvii; Paramonov, 1949: 632, 637; Hull, 1973: 238; Painter & Painter, 1974: 90; Painter et al., 1978: 21; Evenhuis & Greathead, 1999: 208.

Pupa. (Fig. 1) Length: 11.3–19.7 mm. Head width: 1.65–2.6 mm. Thorax width: 1.9–3.25 mm. Abdominal width: 2.1–4.0 mm, tapering to 0.4–1.0 mm at width of anal segment. Coloration: predominantly light brown; cephalic and anal tubercles and dorsal abdominal chitinous rods dark brown; setae yellowish brown.

Head. Armed with 6 pairs of spines fused basally to form a concave arch (Fig. 1); the two median ones placed one above the other, the ventral one is twice as long as the other; a third pair, placed lateral to the median two, is similar in length to the longer median one (Fig. 2); ventral to the base of the third pair there is a fourth pair pointed downwards measuring half the length of the third one. In a more lateral position there are two small spines, similar in length, and with half the length of the fourth one; all of them with sharp apex; arch of the cephalic spines without bristles (Fig. 3). In ventral view, there is a pair of not well developed anterior cephalic processes; there is also a projection lateral to this process (Fig. 2).

Thorax. With two pairs of dorsal setae; prothoracic spiracle heavily sclerotized, raised above surface and located directly posterior to the head (Fig. 1).

Abdomen. Tergite I with sparse long setae on the anterior margin and central row of not well developed chitinous rods similar to spines; tergites II–V with a central row of chitinous rods, each of which becomes shorter beyond the lateral margin; the chitinous rods are intercalated with long setae except laterally; tergites VI–VII with a central row of small chitinous rods, similar to spines intercalated with long setae; tergite VIII with a dorsal central chitinous process; anal segment with only one simple pair of tubercles (Fig. 4). Pleura I –VII with a transverse row of three setae; sternites I–VII with a row of setae at the posterior margin.

Hosts: Hymenoptera – Sphecidae (Podium rufipes Fabricius, 1804, Trypoxylon rogenhoferi Kohl, 1884 and Trypoxylon sp.).

Examined material: BRAZIL: São Paulo, Est. Ecol. Paulo de Faria, 21.XI.1998, 1 female, Garófalo, Gazola and Serrano leg. (MNRJ), 14.IV.1998, 1 male, Garófalo, Gazola and Serrano leg. (FFCLRP), 30.IX.1998, 1 male, Garófalo, Gazola and Serrano leg. (MNRJ), Matão (Faz. Cambuhy), 1997, 1 female, Serrano and Jesus leg. (MNRJ). Notes: This is the first record of Lepidophora culiciformis for São Paulo, Brazil.