(Figs. 1–6)
Bassus bicolor Nees von Esenbeck, 1812: 207. Neotype: female, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Austria (not examined).
Alysia bicolor: Nees 1834: 247.
Tanycarpa bicolor: Fischer 1966: 326 (redescription), Wharton 1980: 72 (redescription, range extension), Chen and Wu 1994: 136 (redescription, range extension).
Alysia (Alysia) ancilla Haliday, 1838: 227. Synonymized in van Achterberg (1976).
Material examined. 1 ♀ China, Heilongjiang: Mohe, 26 – W– 2011, Minlin Zheng, 1 ♂ same data except 23 –W – 2011 (FA- FU).
Diagnosis. Head 1.70 × longer than high, with small blunt tubercles posteriorly (Fig. 1); frons almost flat and bare (Fig. 2); temple smooth, with sparse pubescence (Fig. 2); mandibular tooth 1 weakly expanded dorsally, almost parallel-sided, 2.20 × longer than wide, 2 nd tooth 1.50 × longer than wide (Fig. 3); mesoscutum almost smooth, with only sparse pubescence between short notauli (Fig. 5); basal 1 / 2 of propodeum with longitudinal ridge medially that diverges into two oblique ridges, with four oblique longitudinal ridges posteriad the two oblique ridges forming large areola mesally and two areolae laterally, other parts of propodeum smooth (Fig. 5); pterostigma brown basally, pale yellow apically; r short; 2 CUa slightly longer than 2 cu-a; 1 cu-a short, postfurcal; 1 st subdiscal cell closed, apical width 2.70 –3.00× longer than basal width (Fig. 6); T 1 apically 2.40 × wider than basal width, strongly convex.
Distribution. Austria; Bulgaria; Canada (British Columbia and Quebec); China (Jilin and Heilongjiang); Czech Republic; Germany; Hungary; Ireland; Netherlands; Poland; Russia (Kamchatka Oblast, Primor'ye Kray, Saint Petersburg); Spain; Ukraine; USA (New York).
Remarks. The most distinguishing feature of this species is the presence of tubercles on the posterior side of the head. Sexual dimorphism is evident among the specimens from China. The female mandible is shorter and broader than that of the male; the male propodeum has a complete median longitudinal carina that is present only in the basal 0.25 of the female.
Tanycarpa bicolor and T. rufinotata are the sole members of the species group characterized by a relatively short, broad pterostigma. They are separated primarily by blunt tubercles on the head (present in T. bicolor, absent in T. rufinotata).