Ichneumonid morphology

Ichneumonid morphological terminology

Two obstacles when determining Ichneumonids are locating morphological features and understanding the often needlessly complicated terminology. Many archaic or incorrect terms were until relatively recently widely used, resulting in works from different authors calling the same structures many different things. This page compiles various names for morphological features and includes illustrations to help locate them.

The illustrations below are all made for this website, though often based on those found on the American Entomological Institute's website or in Broad et al. (2018). These works are recommended if a more detailed breakdown is desired. Modificiatons have been made to show some more obscure features.

1. Antennae 2. Head 3. Mesosoma 4. Legs 5. Metasoma 6. Wings

1. Antennae

an: antenna with antennal segments

ane: annellus

fl: flagellum with flagellomeres/flagellar segments

fs: flag seta

pe: pedicel

sc: scape

se: serration

ty: tyloid

When counting segments it's important to note the difference between antennal segments and flagellomeres. The scape and pedicel are not part of the flagellum and therefore not counted as flagellar segments. This means that the antennae always has 2 less flagellar segments than antennal segments and that the 1st flagellar segment is the 3rd antennal segment.

2. Head

ac: antennal carina

ant: antennal socket
= antennal foramen

atp: anterior tentorial pit
= clypeal fovea, frontal pit, fovea tentorialis anterior, fovea clypealis, praetentorina

cl: clypeus

cls: clypeal sulcus
= clypeal grove, "groove between face and clypeus"

dtp: dorsal tentorial pit

eye: eye

fa: face
= supraclypeal area

fao: inner orbit
= facial orbit

fm: foramen magnum

fro: frons
= supra-antennal area

g: gena

gc: genal carina
= lower occipital carina

hyb: hypostomal bridge

hyc: hypostomal carina

hyp: hypostoma

io: inner orbit

lap: labial palp
= labial palpus

lm: labrum

mas: malar space
= malar area, cheek

md: mandible

mdf: mandible furrow

map: maxillary palp
= maxillary palpus

oc: occelus

occ: occipital carina

oct: occiput

oo: outer orbit
= temporal orbit

pf: proboscidial fosca

prm: prementum

ptp: posterior tentorial pit

sos: subocular sulcus
= malar space furrow

ste: stematicum

stp: stripes

tmp: temple

vtx: vertex

3. Mesosoma

ae: area externa
= first lateral area

ad: area dorsalis
= second dorsal area

al: area lateralis
= second lateral area

ape: area postero-externa
= third lateral area

apo: apophysis

asp: area spiracularis
= first pleural area

atc: anterior transverse carina

cx1: fore coxa
= coxa 1, anterior coxa

cx2: middle coxa
= coxa 2

cx3: hind coxa
= coxa 3, posteior coxa

dmt: dorsal division of metapleuron
= upper division of metapleuron

dsp: dorsal surface of propodeum

e: epicnemium

ec: epicnemial carina

ep: epomia

es: episternal scrobe

hpl: humeral plate

jca: juxtacoxal area

jcc: juxtacoxal carina

llc: lateral longitudinal carina

lms: lateral lobe of mesoscutum

mep: mesepisternum

mlc: median longitudinal carina

mf: mesopleural furrow

mms: median lobe of mesoscutum

mn: metanotum

mp: mesopleuron

mps: mesopleural sulcus
= precoxal sulcus

ms: mesoscutum

mst: mesosternum

mtp: metapleuron

nt: notaulus

pc: pleural carina

pn: pronotum

pnc: pronotal collar

pp: propleuron

ppd: propodeum

ps: pleural sulcus

psp: posterior surface of propodeum

ptc: posterior transverse carina of propodeum

scm: scutellum

smc: submetapleural carina

sp: spiracle

spm: speculum

st: sternaulus

str: subtegular ridge

tg: tegula

vmt: ventral division of metapleuron
= lower division of metapleuron

ab: area basalis
= basal area