Mesoclistus cushmani

Description

A medium-sized wasp, M. cushmani is noticeably less elongated than species of the closely related genus Coleocentrus. The body and coxae are black (hind coxae rarely partially reddish brown), while the rest of the legs are red. The areolet of the forewing is closed, and the notauli are distinct. The Nervellus of the hindwing is intercepted below the upper 0.25. The ovipositor is longer than the abdomen, and the hypopygium is elongated in females.

It can be distinguished from the generally more southern Mesoclistus rufipes by the malar space being longer (malar space around 0.8 times the width of the base of the mandible) and the head being devoid of yellow areas.

Ecology

No hosts are known.

Distribution

M. cushmani is a subarctic species with a northern holarctic distribution. In Finland, it is listed as endangered (EN). It is likely negatively affected by climate change.

References

ZWAKHALS, C. J., 1989. THE ACAENITINAE FROM THE NETHERLANDS AND THE HOST OF ACAENITUS DUBITATOR (HYMENOPTERA: ICHNEUMONIDAE). - EN7: BER., AMST:49 (2):21-25.

Varga, A., (2013). A review of the subfamily Acaenitinae Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) from Ukrainian Carpathians. Biodiversity Data Journal 1: e1008. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.1.e1008

Medvedev, G.S. (1978). "Keys to the insects of the European USSR. (Opredelitel nasekomykh Evropeiskoi chasti SSSR)". AKADEMIIA NAUK SSSR Zoologicheskii Institut. Vol: III Part: III

Várkonyi, G. (2013). The Finnish Expert Group on Hymenoptera [Presentation]. Friendship Park Research Centre, Kuhmo. url: https://slideplayer.com/slide/13299896/

SLU Artdatabanken (2024). Artfakta: Acaenitinae. https://artfakta.se/taxa/1000026 [2024-07-03]

Finlands Artdatacenter (2024). LAJI.FI: Acaenitinae. https://laji.fi/sv/taxon/MX.308519 [2024-07-03]

BugWeb

Mesoclistus cushmani

Keys

Gallery

References