Revision of the Australian Stephanidae (Hymenoptera)


APPENDIX

A Hybrid Holotype?

No specimen was found to match the holotype of P. pictipes, which is, however, a clear intermediate between P. albiceps Elliott and P. rufoornatus (Cam.) [See table below]

Hybrid (?) characters in the holotype of P. pictipes Roman.
Typical for P. rufoornatus Typical for P. albiceps
Hind coxa short No yellow marks on face
Hind femur short and wide Temple short
Pygidial sulcus deeply notched Scutellum punctate-foveolate
Pterostigma apically blunt Propodeum with large areolations
Gaster long -
Overal size small -

The observed hind leg proportions are incompatible with those of P. albiceps, but typical for P. rufoornatus. The long gaster, similar vertex/temple sculpturing, and small size, are also characteristic of P. rufoornatus. However, crucial diagnostic characters of this species are "replaced" by typical characters for P. albiceps, as the strong sculpturing of the scutellum, unicolor face, narrow gena, etc.

This strong ambiguity, and the absence of similar specimens, make it unlikely that P. pictipes is either a synonym or a distinct species.

One possibility is that this holotype is a hybrid of the two species discussed above. This is at least geographically and morphologically possible, as these species are sympatric and share structurally identical genitalia.


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This page last updated: 12 April, 1998.

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| Alexandre Pires Aguiar |