Tycherus nigridens (Wesmael, 1845) (Hym.: Ichneumonidae) new to Britain

1 Pages·2002·0.39 MB·English

by  William A Ely

TYCHERUSNIGRIDENSNEWTOBRITAIN 109
TYCHERUSNIGRIDENS (WESMAEL, 1845)
(HYM.: ICHNEUMONIDAE) NEWTO BRITAIN
WilliamA. Ely
RotherhamBiologicalRecordsCentre,3rdFloor,NorfolkHouse,WalkerPlace,RotherhamS601ES.
Abstract
Tycherus nigridens (Wesmael) (Hym.: Ichneumonidae) is recorded as a British species from
Yorkshire.ThesecondandthirdBritishrecordsofPhaeogenescurator(Thunberg)arealsoreported.
Introduction
I am indebted to Erich Diller of the Zoologische Staatssammlung in Munich for
determining two female specimens ofthis Tycherus nigridens (Wesm.), which I had
failedtoidentify inPerkins' RESkey (Perkins, 1959). Theirdetails are:
VC 62: ForgeValley, Scarborough (SE9887) 5.9.1986, collectedbyW.A.Ely.
VC63: Hartley Brook Dyke, Sheffield (SK 363931) 2.9.1987 collected by
A.Brackenbury.
The genusPhaeogenes sensu Perkins has beendivided since 1959 and Tycherus is
oneofthe segregates. This species runs tocouplet 14 inPerkins' key toPhaeogenes,
but differs from the two options there (heterogonus and curator) principally on the
structure of the hind coxae, which resemble Perkins' fig. 387. The basic colour
scheme of the two Yorkshire specimens is similar to both these species but the
anterior legs are red with the tarsi only slightly infuscated and the hind femora are
redonthebasal thirdandblackonthe apicaltwo-thirds. Therestofthehindlegs are
coloured as in heterogonus and curator while the postannellus is shorter than the
followingflagellarsegment(as incuratorbutmore slender).
Perkins could only record one specimen ofPhaeogenes curator (Thunberg) from
BritainandItakethis opportunity toplace onrecordtwoothers:
VC63: NewsholmeDene, Keighley (SE04) 14.9.1948 collectedbyJ.Wood(det
W.A.Ely).
VC 63: Holmehouse Wood, Keighley (SE04) 5.10.1948 collected by J.Wood
(detW.A.Ely).
Bothspecimens areintheManchesterMuseumcollections.
Acknowledgements
IamgratefultoDrTereshkinofBelorussiaforarrangingthetransferofspecimens to
MunichandinparticulartoErich Dillerfortheirdetermination. Iam also grateful to
Austin Brackenbury for the many ichneumons he has collected to further our
knowledge of the Yorkshire fauna, to Colin Johnson for allowing access to
unidentified specimens in the Manchester Museum and to Mike Fitton for allowing
accesstotheNaturalHistoryMuseumcollectionstoverifymydeterminations.
References
Perkins, J.F., 1959. Hymenoptera Ichneumonoidea Ichneumonidae, key to subfamilies and
Ichneumoninae - I. Handbooksfor the Identification ofBritish Insects Vol. VII Part 2(ai).
RoyalEntomologicalSocietyofLondon,London.