Ophion vardali Johansson & Cederberg 2019, sp. nov.

Ophion vardali Johansson sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 2395488B-9203-4CB7-BE81-62510D5989BA

Figs 19 A–B, 45A–B

Diagnosis

Similar to Ophion pteridis, but besides the obvious differences in colour, with the head more rounded in anterior view and the face wider in relation to the compound eyes. The occipital carina is centrally raised forming an acute angle, the head is more buccate with a distinct gap between the lateral ocellus and the compound eye and the central flagellomeres are stouter. Also similar to Ophion inclinans Johansson sp. nov. and O. arenarius Johansson sp. nov., but the head has a distinct gap between the lateral ocellus and compound eye, the head in anterior view is more rounded and the face wider in relation to the compound eyes. According to the molecular analysis the species is closely related to Ophion pteridis, but based on the distinct morphological characters, both species are regarded as valid.

Etymology

Named in honour of Hege Vårdal, curator at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, who has been of great help during this study.

Material examined

2 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂ (Sweden); 7 ♀ (Norway).

Type material

Holotype

NORWAY • ♀; Nordland, Bodø, Ausvika; 67.336° N, 14.496° E; 10 Aug. 2018; G. Ørsnes leg.; coastal meadow adjacent to forest; BOLD: DS-ICHNN; NHRS-HEVA000008745.

Paratypes

SWEDEN • 2 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂; Skåne, Ystad, Järahusen; 55.396° N, 14.207° E; 8 Jul.–28 Aug. 2016; N. Ryrholm and C. Källander leg.; MV-light trap in coastal sanddunes in mixed oak and pine forest; NHRS-HEVA000008746 to NHRS-HEVA000008749 • 1 ♂; Skåne, Kristianstad, Åhus; 55.944° N, 14.262° E; 22–26 Jul. 1964; unknown leg.; MV-light; MZLU Type no. 6375:1.

Description

Fore wing length 16–17 mm. Antenna in both sexes with 54–55 flagellomeres. First flagellomere 3.5–4.0 times as long as wide. Central flagellomeres about 1.5–1.7 times as long as wide. Head quite narrow behind eyes, with or without small gap between lateral ocellus and compound eye. Temple in lateral view about 0.7–0.8 times as long as compound eye as a result of the very short compound eye in lateral view (Fig. 19B). Head in frontal view rounded (width/height measured from the apical margin of clypeus to the top of head = 1.15) with face wide in relation to compound eyes (Fig. 19A). Head with occipital carina centrally raised forming an acute angle (as in Fig. 7B). Face below antennal sockets with quite scarce punctures, polished or weakly shagreened. Malar space about 0.4 times as long as mandibular base in female and about 0.4–0.5 times in male. Mandibular gape right-angled, with internal angles. Wing membrane yellowish. Ramellus distinct, reaching 0.2–0.3 times the width of the discosubmarginal cell. Radius sinuous. Mesopleuron shagreened and distinctly punctate, spaces between punctures about equal to their diameter. Pleurosternal angles weakly obtuse to right angled, obviously anterior to sternal angles. Scutellum with distinct lateral carinae (as in Fig. 6C). Propodeum weakly shagreened, often quite polished with anterior transverse carina strong, but sometimes partly absent laterally. Posterior transverse carina often widely interrupted centrally. Area superomedia often present. Central longitudinal carinae often distinct. Sclerotised part of first sternite ending obviously posterior to spiracle. First tergite in lateral view with slight or distinct median undulation (as in Fig. 6E). Hind trochantellus shorter than wide in dorsal view. Inner spur of hind tibia as long as 0.5 times hind metatarsus.

Colour

Body testaceous, the lower part of mesopleuron, mesosternum, propleuron, coxae mostly and propodeum strongly infuscate, black or dark brown (Fig. 45 A–B). Head with inner and outer orbits yellow. Mandibular teeth black. Ovipositor sheath testaceous, concolourous with posterior metasomal segments.

DNA barcode

The DNA barcode sequence of four specimens of Ophion vardali Johansson sp. nov. is available at the BOLD systems database (www.boldsystems.org, BOLD: DS-ICHNN; STI-NJBC 24–26).

Ecology

No host records are known for this species and it is active mainly during July. The habitat seems to be open or semi-open coastal meadows.

Distribution in Sweden

Ophion vardali Johansson sp. nov. is very rare and known from only a couple of localities in the southeastern part of the country.

Remarks

On the website www.artsobservasjoner.no there are also pictures of specimens from several different coastal localities in Central and Northern Norway. One Norwegian female, kindly provided by Geir Ørsnes, is designated as holotype. The rather vague description of Ophion praecinctus Meyer, 1935 describes a species from the desert country Turkmenistan with similar colouration to O. vardali Johansson sp. nov. The type material is lost (Townes et al. 1965; Andrey Khalaim, ZIN, pers. com.) and there seems to be no remaining additional material determined by the Meyer. The description (Meyer 1935) and a simplified translated key (Meyer 1937) refers to a very small species (body length 12 mm), with transverse head, long malar space, vague notauli, deep concavities along the inner eye margin and two distinct transverse ridges on the propodeum, all of which are characters that cannot be attributed to O. vardali Johansson sp. nov.