New Zealand Ichneumonidae. II* Paper No 1 on the genus Netelia (Tryphoninae: Phytodietini). Trans Roy Soc. N.Z., vol. 79, 1952, pp. 286–293 Tribe Echthromorphini (Pimplinae)

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 80, 1952, Page 155

New Zealand Ichneumonidae. II* Paper No 1 on the genus Netelia (Tryphoninae: Phytodietini). Trans Roy Soc. N.Z., vol. 79, 1952, pp. 286–293 Tribe Echthromorphini (Pimplinae) By Arthur W. Parrott, Curator of Insects, Cawthron Institute, Nelson, N.Z. [Read before Nelson Institute, September 18, 1951, received by the Editor, September 20, 1951] Summary A redescription of two common Australasian species of Echthromorphini, Lissopimpla excelsa and Echthromorpha intricatoria, together with an account of their variability, seasonal occurrence, and host relationship in New Zealand are given. In order to comply with the rules of nomenclature, the well-known name Lissopimpla semipunctata has been changed to Lissopimpla excelsa and the synonymy discussed. Three tribes of the Sub-family Pimplinae are represented in the New Zealand fauna. Although poorly represented in species, the Pimplinae include some of our largest and commonest forms. The three tribes represented in New Zealand may be conveniently separated by the following key: Key to New Zealand Tribes of the Pimplinae 1 Mesonotum with numerous transvese ridges; apex of female abdomen with a tooth Rhyssini Mesonotum without numerous ridges; apex of female abdomen without a tooth 2 2. Mesopleura suture straight; taisal claws large, each with a large spatulate bristle Echthromorphini Mesopleura suture with a weak angulation near its middle length; taisal claws of moderate size without a large spatulate bristle Ephialtini This paper deals with the New Zealand members of the Tribe Echthromorphini. Tribe Echthromorphini It was considered by Townes (1940, p. 285) that the genera of the Tribe Pimplini (= Ephialtini) fall into three groups, one of these groups include the genera Xanthopimpla, Echthromorpha and Lissopimpla. Townes also points out that members of these genera, together with the genus Theronia, which constitutes another of his three groups, possesses a peculiar and unusual type of tarsal claw, which is very large and bent at right-angles near its middle, the apical half having a large pocket in its mesal side that occupies over half the length of this apical portion: the pocket is broad at the base and tapers to a fine point at the tip and is hollowed out of the claw itself and covered with a membrane. Lissopimpla, Echthromorpha and Xanthropimpla may be distinguished from other closely allied genera by their mandibles, tapering to a narrow tip, and by the lower tooth being decidedly shorter than the upper. From Saussure's genus Xanthopimpla, the two genera Lissopimpla and Echthromorpha may be distinguished by their normal mandibles (not twisted) and by the propodeum which is punctate, striate or mat and without carinae.

All the species are said to be parasitic on Lepidoptera. Clausen (1939) has shown that the males normally develop from small hosts and females from the larger hosts. It is usual for the species to over-winter in the host pupae. Two genera are represented in the New Zealand fauna, Echthromorpha and Lissopimpla, each containing a single species. The headquarters of these genera would appear to be the Australian region, and it is probable that neither of the two species considered here are natives of this country. Key to New Zealand Genera 1. Hind femur with a small acute tooth beneath, near the tip; abdomen polished; nervulus interstitial to antefurcal Lissopimpla Hind femur without a tooth; abdomen punctate or somewhat mat, not polished; nervulus strongly postfurcal Echthromorpha Genus Lissopimpla Kriechbaumer, 1889 Lissopimpla Kriechbaumer, Ent. Nachr., 15, 1889, p. 309. Xenopimpla Cameron, Trans. N.Z. Inst., 32, 1900, p. 18. Genotype Lissopimpla excelsa (Costa) 1864 (= Lissopimpla octo-guttata Kriechb.) The genus Lissopimpla was erected by Kriechbaumer in 1889 for some Australian species. In 1898, Cameron, after examining some specimens of Rhyssa semipunctata Kirby taken at Greymouth, New Zealand, erected a new genus (Xenopimpla) for Kirby's species. Generic Diagnosis Mesonotum with well-defined notauli, which converge and meet before attaining the base of the scutellum; claws large, not simple, as usually stated, but have at the base a few small teeth. Propodeum with upper hind angles prominent or toothed, without an areola, but with a petiolar area; hind femor not unduly swollen, with a small tooth beneath, towards the apex. Abdomen polished. Nervulus interstitial to antefurcal. Distribution: Oriental and Australasian regions. Brues (1918), when describing species from Ceylon and the Solomon Islands, stated that these forms were closely related to the Papuan species. Lissopimpla excelsa (Costa) Pimpla excelsa Costa, Ann. Mus. Zool. Napoli, II (1862), 1864. Dalla Torre, Cat. Hymen., III, Pt. I, 1901, p. 431. Rhyssa semipunctata Kirby, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1883, p. 212. Froggat, Agric. Gaz. N.S.W., vol. 21, pt. 4, 1910, pp. 335–346, pt. 1, fig. 2. Lissopimpla semipunctata (Kirby) Dalla Torre, Cat. Hymen, III, 1901, p. 466. Krieger, z. Syst. Hym. Dipt. VII, 1907, pp. 294–302. Miller, N.Z. Jour. Agric., XIX, 1919, p. 203. Thomson, Naturalisation of Animals and Plants of N.Z., 1922, p. 271. Coleman, Victorian Naturalist, XLIV, 1928, p. 20; Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., LXXVI, part. II, 1929, pp. 533–539. Gourlay, Dept. Sci. and Industr. Res. Bull., XXII, 1930, p. 5. Xenopimpla semipunctate (Kirby) Cameron, Mem. Manch. Soc., XLII, 1898, pt. 1, p. 27. Lissopimpla octoguttata Kriechbaumer, Ent. Nachr., XV, 1889, p. 310. Dalla Torre, Cat. Hymen, III, Pt. 1, 1901, p. 466. Schulz, Spolia Hymenopterologica, 1906, p. 114. Lissopimpla 10-notata Kriechbaumer, Ent. Nachr., XV, 1889, p. 309. Dalla Torre, Cat. Hymen, III, Pt 1, 1901, p. 466. Schulz, Spolia Hymenopterologica, 1906, p. 114. Krieger, Syst. Hymen Dipt., VII, 1907, p. 294–302. Lissopimpla haemorrhoidalis Kriechbaumer, Ent Nachr., XV, 1889, p. 309. Dalla Torre, Cat. Hymen., III, pt. 1, p. 466. Schulz, Spolia Hymenopterologica, 1906, p. 114. Krieger, Syst. Hymen. Dipt., VII, 1907, p. 294–302. Lissopimpla excelsa (Costa) Schulz, Zeit. fur Wissen Insekt., VIII, no. 2, 1912, pp. 353–354.

In both Australia and New Zealand this well-known and common Ichneumon fly has previously been referred to as Lissopimpla semipunctata (Kirby). However, as far back as 1912 Schulz published a paper in which he showed that Kirby's species was synonymous with a species described by Costa from Australia in 1862 This paper by Schulz has been overlooked by later authors and the above synonymy has not been used. It is perhaps unfortunate that a name which is well established has to be disregarded to satisfy the requirement of the laws of nomenclature, but a strict adherence to these laws eventually will bring about a much-wanted stabilization in nomenclature. Referring the matter to Dr. Henry Townes, of the University of North Carolina, he assures me, after consultation with Dr. B. D. Burks, of Washington, in order to check the original publication in which Costa's work appeared, that there is no reason for disregarding Costa's name. Cameron in 1898 examined some specimens of Kirby's species taken at Greymouth, New Zealand, and pointed out that the species could not be placed in the genus Rhyssa, but he was not certain as to its true generic position. However, he proposed a new genus, Xenopimpla, for its reception. In 1889 Kriechbaumer erected the genus Lissopimpla for the reception of some Australian species, designating Lissopimpla octoguttata as the genotype. Subsequently Schulz in 1912 showed that this species was synonymous with Lissopimpla semipunctata Kirby, and there was still an older name, i.e. Rhyssa excelsa described in 1864. Therefore the genotype of Lissopimpla Kriech. is Lissopimpla excelsa (Costa). Description Female Head. Vertex red-brown except for a narrow ring round each ocellus which is black; impunctate with a shallow depression around each ocellus, and V-shaped impression behind the anterior ocellus. Frontal excavation deep and smooth. Face, red-brown, impunctate, orbits below antennae sub-parallel and margined. Malar space very wide, about 2X basal width of mandibles. Clypeus red-brown, sparsely punctate, about as deep as wide at base, anterior margin slightly rounded, basal suture distinct. Mandibles red-brown, teeth black, with a few minute punctures, upper tooth nearly twice as long as lower tooth. Cheeks red-brown, shining, impunctate. Antennae red-brown, sometimes darkening towards apex of flagellum, a small spot on dorsal surface of scape and pedicel which is black. Scape not excavated, swollen distally; flagellum 1st joint as long as 2nd and 3rd joints together, the latter joints sub-equal in length, remaining joints gradually decreasing in length towards apex; from 62 to 65 joints in the flagellum. Thorax red-brown; Pronotum impunctate, shining; mesonotum, impunctate notaulis well defined, converging posteriorly and joining before reaching base of scutellum; Scutellum separated from meonotum by a deep fovea; scutellum narrowed towards apex, curved at base with lateral keels large and acute and reaching the apex; surface smooth, impunctate, flat anteriorly, sloping steeply posteriorly; Postscutellum slightly striate posteriorly, sides steep, concave and longitudinally ridged. Propleurae impunctate; mesopleurae, the top and base depressed, edges of the depressions crenulated in the middle and reaching nearly to apex in a wide, deep, slightly oblique crenulated furrow, and in the front of this on the lower side, is a short, wide, oblique depression; Metopleurae impunctate, shining.

Propodeum red-brown, anteriorly transversely and uniformly striated, the centre flatly raised, sides keeled, the keels ending in a stout blunt knob or tooth, the apex obliquely sloped; Petiolar area smooth, convex, slightly rugulose at sides; spiracular area impunctate; spiracles elongate, 1 ¼X their length from anterior border. Coxae red-brown, sparsely and minutely punctate at least on the dorsal surface. Legs. Stout, red-brown, with tarsi darker, tips of claws black. Posterior femor (Fig. 1) has a groove on under side, with a short somewhat triangular tooth placed beyond the middle, on the outer side of the groove. Tibiae spined, except the anterior pair, the posterior pair being more thickly spined than the middle pair. These spines are thick and short, scattered over the dorsal surface, and a whorl at the apex; the tibiae are about 2X or 3X as thick at apex as at base. Lissopimpla excelsa (Costa). Fig. 1—Posterior leg. Fig, 2—Fore-wing. Fig. 3—Hind-wing.

Calcaria of hind tibiae, with the inner one the longer, which is about half as long as 1st tarsal joint of same leg. Tarsi with 1st joint slightly longer than 5th joint, 2nd somewhat shorter than 5th and subequal to 3rd joint; 4th very short; all the tarsal joints are spined ventrally, the spines are usually thinner and longer than those on the tibiae, and arranged in two parallel rows ventrally, the spines of the apical joint somewhat longer than the others. Wings. (Figs. 2 and 3) are dark smoky-brown, except at apex of forewings and posterior portion of hind-wings. Costa, stigma and veins smoky-brown. The Nervellus is slightly basad to the junction of the basal and median veins. 1st abscissa of radius straight, 2nd abscissa curved at base and joins margin well before apex of the wing; 1st recurrent has a distinct ramulus; 2nd recurrent well curved with 2 bullae; 1st abscissa of cubital and transverse cubital where it joints the cubital vein also have bullae; areolet large, sub-triangular, the transverse cubital is the longest side, not petiolate. Hind-wing (Fig. 3), abscissula longer than 2nd recurrent which has a bulla near its junction with the basal vein; nervellus joins 1st recurrent very high, practically at its junction with the basal vein, and has a bulla at its junction with anal vein. Abdomen. First four tergites black with large triangular white spots on each of the posterior lateral angles; remaining segments red-brown, sometimes darker than that of the thorax. Smooth, shining, impunctate throughout, the base oblique not hollowed, sides of 2nd and 3rd segments obliquely furrowed. 1st segment longer than wide, sides sub-parallel, dorsal slightly convex; 2nd segment almost as long as wide posteriorly, with a lateral oblique groove extending to about ¾ of the distance from base; 3rd segment sub-equal to 2nd segment, but slightly wider, the lateral grooves shorter and more oblique; 4th, 5th and 6th segments sub-equal to 3rd segment, the 5th segment somewhat wider posteriorly and the widest part of the abdomen; 6th segment widest anteriorly and sub-equal in length to 5th segment, and has on its dorsal surface a V-shaped area, the vertex pointing anteriorly, the centre V-shaped area covered with a semi-opaque membrane; 7th segment much narrower with anterior border concave; the tip of the abdomen is truncated. The ventral folds extend to the posterior border of 2nd segment. Ovipositor is from ¾ to ½ the length of the body, the sheaths nigger-brown to nearly black at apex. Male Agrees generally in structure and coloration with the female. The ocellar area and upper parts of occiput, the notauli grooves on the mesonotum, sides of the scutellum and post-scutellum and the furrows and apex of mesopleura black. The scutellar keels, sometimes apex of scutellum and the post-scutellum and the propodeum spines yellowish; 1st abdominal segment is bordered with creamy-white colour, the band being narrowed in middle and the whitish-cream marks on the lateral angles extend to the 5th abdominal segment. Type locality: Australia. Dimension. Female, 17 mm. in total length. Ovipositor sheath 9 mm., abdomen length 9 ½ mm. Length of forewing 14 mm. Length of antennae 16 mm. Males are generally smaller than the females. Variability of L. excelsa Colour Although some individuals are rather darker than others, this species is remarkably constant in colour and pattern.

Size This species varies considerably in size, especially in the case of the males. The following table gives the minimum, maximum and average total length of 82 specimens, taken at various localities at different times of the year. Table 1—Variation in Total Length of Lissopimpla excelsa (Costa) (In millimetres) Minimum Maximum Average Males 10.0 17 0 14.7 Females 15.5 19.0 17.2 The males, on an average, are smaller, and showed a greater variation in size than the females. It has been shown by Clausen (1939) that in an allied species the males usually developed from smaller hosts, and the females from larger hosts; if this is the case with the present species, some significance may be attached to the above figures. Length of Forewing The forewing was measured from the base of the tegulae to the extreme apex, and this measurement is expresed as a percentage of the total body length. The results were: Females: Average forewing length was 85·7% of body length. Males: Average forewing length was 77·5% of body length. The above figure would indicate that the forewing is relatively shorter in the males than in the females. Antennae The total length of the antennae was found to be generally approximately equal to the length of the body. However, the number of joints in the flagellum showed some variation; the figures are given in the following table (No. 2): Table 2—Number of Joints in the Flagellum of L. excelsa Minimum Maximum Average no. segm. no. segm. no. segm. Males 55 57 56.3 Females 62 65 63.7 The males show a decided reduction in the number of joints of the flagellum. Ovipositor Length The length of the ovipositor was measured from the base to the apex of the sheaths, and this measurement expressed in total length of the body. i.e. relative length of ovipositor = Length of Body/Length of ovipositor These ratios are given in the following Table 3. Table 3—Relative Length of Ovipositor in Females of L. excelsa No. of females Minimum Maximum Average measured ratio ratio ratio 48 1.30 2.40 1.83 Slight geographical variation in the relative length of the ovipositor is indicated; for instance, the Parua Bay females (average ratio 2.04) and the Nelson females (average 2.01) had relatively shorter ovipositors than those from Keri Keri (average ratio 1·41). The number of specimens available from these localities, however, are too small to say whether these differences are significant.

Affinities Lissopimpla excelsa is the genotype (=L. octoguttata); it occurs in Australia, Tasmania, and the Kermadec Islands as well as New Zealand. From an examination of several Australian specimens as well as the two females from the Kermadec Islands, there is no doubt that these forms are co-specific. Distribution Lissopimpla excelsa is a well-known and common species in Australia and New Zealand. It is recorded here for the first time from the Kermadec Islands; in the Dominion Museum collections there are two females, one collected in May, 1940, on Sunday Island and the other in August, 1944, from Raoul Island. It would appear that L. excelsa found its way into New Zealand in the early days of settlement. Cameron, writing in 1898, first records it from New Zealand, and states: “Captain Hutton had informed me that it was rare in New Zealand thirty years ago, while now (1898) it is not at all rare.” Hudson captured specimens in Nelson in 1882, where he states it was fairly common. Thomson (1922, p. 271) records it in his work on The Naturalisation of Plants and Animals in New Zealand as probably of Australian origin. Hosts Miller (1919, p. 203) records L. excelsa as attacking the subterranean grasscaterpillar (Porina cervinata).* Gourlay (1930, p. 5) records the following species of Lepidoptera as hosts: Porina umbraculata, P. cervinata, Cirphis unipuncta, and Orthoclydon praefectata. Weddell (1936) records it as attacking Laphygma exempta, an Australian army worm, and Temperley (1930) bred it from Tiracola plagiata Walk., the banana fruit-eating caterpillar. This species would appear to parasitize a variety of hosts differing greatly in size and habitat. Habits Gourlay (loc. cit.) records L. excelsa as attacking the host larvae, parasitic larvae emerging from the host larvae to pupate. In dealing with the Pimplini as a group, Townes states “oviposition is into prepupae, or into freshly formed pupae that may be entirely naked or enclosed in a dense cocoon, but subterranean pupae or those well protected in burrows, in twigs or weeds, are not attacked.” Species of Pimpla are known occasionally to parasitize active larvae. Others again are often secondary parasites usually upon the larvae of other Pimplini. They are, according to Townes, solitary internal parasites in the host pupae and the adult emerges through a hole gnawed in the anterior end of the pupae. It would appear that Lissopimpla are somewhat different in their host relationship, but little direct information is available on the habits of L. excelsa in New Zealand. Froggatt (1912, p. 12) states that in Australia this species is a useful parasite which destroys cut-worms and many other moth caterpillars. The Instructor of Agriculture at Whangarei collected specimens of L. excelsa from pasture areas in the citrus growing district of Keri Keri early in June, 1946. He stated, “Severe attacks of caterpillars (army or cut-worm types) have occurred and these insects (L. excelsa) have been found extensively in the same localities. Farmers associate these with the caterpillars and suggest they lay their eggs in pupae of the caterpillars.” The specimens of L. excelsa sent with the above statement are in the D.S.I.R. Entomology Collections, No. 1465.

Another instance of L. excelsa associated with the outbreak of army or cutworms comes from Mr. C. W. Flavell, of East Cape School, Gisborne, early in March, 1940. “Several specimens collected from a maize crop which was overrun with cut-worms. There are thousands of these reddish insects (L. semipunctata) hovering over the maize crop.” Miller (loc. cit.) states, “When parasitising a victim the ovipositor is swung downwards at right-angles to the abdomen.” Coleman (1928 and 1929) observed males of L. excelsa visiting flowers of an Australian orchid, Cryptostylis leptochila, and considered that these males were deceived by the form and colour of the flowers, mistaking them for females of their species, and were apparently trying to copulate under this impression. They surrounded the flowers in large numbers and competition was so keen that they were often seen struggling together to copulate with individual flowers. The insects enter the flowers backwards and thus carry off the pollen on the tip of the abdomen. That author saw only the males visiting the orchid and observed that it might be assumed that here we have an example of the flowers of a plant so modified in structure as to mimic the females of an insect species, in order that they obtain the services of the males as a pollenating agent. Whatever may be the correct interpretation of Mrs. Coleman's observations, such points as these open up a wide field of conjecture and are of intense interest. Fig. 4—Relative seasonal abundance of adults of Lissopimpla excelsa Collections made over the last thirty years were tabulated by months and the graph constructed from the resulting frequency distribution, Total number of specimens from which data were obtained was 82.

Seasonal Abundance Information as to the relative seasonal abundance of L. excelsa may be obtained from data attached to the specimens that have been preserved in the various collections examined, and from personal collecting. The following Table gives the percentage monthly occurrence of adults throughout the year. The total number of records used in computing the following figures was 82, covering a period of random collecting over a period of thirty years, together with some personal records from the Nelson District over the past two years; these figures are shown graphically in Fig. 4. Table 4—Information Seasonal Abundance of Adults of L. excelsa Month Jan. Feb. Mar. April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. % of Total — 3.3 23.3 30.0 3.3 23.3 3.3 — — — 3.3 10.0 The main flight periods of adults of L. excelsa would appear to be March and April, and June, and to a much lesser extent in May, November and December. The sexes show no differences in seasonal occurrence. Genus Echthromorpha Holmgren, 1868 Echthromorpha Holmgren, Eng. Res. Zool., 1868, I, p. 406. Rhynchopimpla Kriechbaumer, Berlin Entom. Zeitschr., XXXIX, 1894, p. 50. Polyhamma Kriechbaumer, Berlin Entom. Zeitschr., XXXIX, 1894, p. 304. Allothorinia Ashmead, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 1900, XXII, p. 55. Genotype: Echthromorpha maculipennis Holmgren (by designation Ashmead, 1900). This genus was established by Holmgren in 1868 for some Australian species. In 1900 Ashmead separated the New Zealand form of Fabricius' species Cryptus intricatoria from the genus Echthromorpha and erected a new genus Allothorinia with the genotype A. 12-guttata. Townes (1946) examined Ashmead's type of Allothorinia 12-guttata and considered it was merely an aberrant form of Echthromorpha intricatoria (Fabr.), which differed from the typical form in having a pair of prominent tubercles on the propodeum and in having the propodeum closely punctured. I therefore follow Townes in synonymising Ashmead's genus with Echthromorpha Holmgren. This genus may be distinguished from allied genera by the following combination of characters: Labium exposed, plate-like, in about the same plane as the clypeus; mandibles tapering to a narrow tip and with the lower tooth shorter than upper, the tip of the mandibles not or slightly turned; propodeum punctate, striate or mat and without carinae. Abdomen punctate or somewhat mat, not polished; nervulus strongly postfurcal. This genus most closely resembles the genus Lissopimpla, from which it is readily separated by the Key given on page 2. The genus Echthromorpha has a wide distribution. It has been recorded from Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Africa, Europe (?), Asia, Manilla, Ascension, Honolulu, Hawaii, Java, Sumatra, St. Helena, New Hebrides, Banks Islands and the Solomon Islands. The genotype was described from the Hawaiian Islands, where it is said to be a common species found on most of the Islands of the group. Only one species occurs in New Zealand, Echthromorpha intricatoria (Fabr.). Echthromorpha intricatoria (Fabr.) Cryptus intricatorius Fabricius, Syst. Piez., 1805, p. 77. Pimpla intricatoria Erichson, Arch. f. Naturg., VIII, 1841, p. 254.

Pimpla intricatoria Brulle. Hist. nat. Insect. Hymen. IV, 1846, p. 90. Allotheronia 12-guttata Ashmead, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., XXIII, 1900, p. 55. Echthromorpha intricatoria (Fabr.) Krieger, Sitzber. naturf. Ges. Leipzig, 1897–98, 1899, p. 59. Dalla Torre, Cat. Hymen, III, Pt. I, 1901, p. 455. Schmiedeknecht, Gener. Insect., Fasc. 62, 1907, p. 28 Morley, Rcv. Ichn., Part II, 1913, p. 39. Hudson, Ent. Mon Mag., 62, 1926, p. 40. Gourlay, Ent. Mon. Mag., 62, 1926, p. 170; Dept. Sci. & Ind. Res. Bull. 22, 1930, p. 5. Townes, Ann. Entom. Soc. Amer., XXXIII, 1940, p. 288. This species, originally described from Australia by Fabricius in 1805, is one of the common and most conspicuous Iehneumons in New Zealand. It was first described under the genus Cryptus; Erichson, Brullè and other authors placed it in Pimpla, where it remained until 1899, when Krieger referred it to Echthromorpha. In 1900, Ashmead separated the New Zealand form, on which he based a new genus, Allotheronia, with the genotype A 12-guttata. In 1940, Townes, after examining Ashmead's type of A 12-guttata, considered it only an aberrant form of Echthromorpha intricatoria Fabricius. Ashmead's name, apparently, has not been used in the New Zealand literature and this species has been correctly referred to in literature and in collections as E. intricatoria Schmiedeknecht (1907, p. 28) records E. intricatoria from Australia and figures it on Plate I, fig. 3 (fig. 2 sic, p. 28). This crude figure is certainly not this species, as it does not even remotely resemble it. Morley (1913, p. 39) states that he does not know any species of the present genus which at all agrees with this crude figure of Schmiedeknecht. In 1901 Dalla Torre records Echthromorpha intricatoria Fabricius from America, New Cambria, New Hebrides, and New Zealand; but there is no record of its occurrence in America, and I cannot find any published record previous to 1900 on which this author bases its occurrence in New Zealand It is reasonable to assume, as this is quite a conspicuous and large insect, that it would have been recorded by collectors long before 1900 if it had been present; Dalla Torre's record is presumably erroneous, the first record of its occurrence in New Zealand should be that of Ashmead (1900). Female Head. Vertex black, red-brown between posterior ocelli and eyes, shining, impunctate, sparsely clothed with long, erect, pale-coloured hairs, posterior slope nearly vertical. Ocellar region black, rugulose, with a few fine erect hairs; Ocelli moderate size, posterior situated about their diameter from eyes and nearly 2 diameters from each other, and less than a diameter from anterior ocellus, which is slightly smaller. Frontal excavation black, deep and transversely aciculated; Face red-brown, punctate and clothed with long, light-coloured hairs; face wider (16) than long (12); internal orbits sharply indented above base of antennae; Clypeus red-brown, minutely punctate, and sparsely clothed with light-coloured hairs; wider than long, suture deep, roundly concave viewed from the front. Malar space wide, nearly equal to the length of the mandibles; Mandibles small, brown, with the tips of the teeth black, the upper tooth longer than lower tooth and both finely pointed; Cheeks black, bordered around outer orbits with red-brown, sparsely punctate, shining, clothed with long, light coloured hairs. Eyes black, with irregular streaks and blotches of dark-grey. Antennae. Scape brown, deeply excavated dorsally; flagellum entirely brown, darkening towards apex and thickly clothed with short adpressed golden pubescence; 1st segment longest and segments decreasing in length to 11th or

12th, after which they are sub-equal, except apical segment, which is slightly longer, the 5th segment is approximately ½ as long as the 1st segment. Thorax. Pronotum black, rugulose, sometimes with a small yellow mark on dorsal border. Mcsonotum black, coarsely punctate, clothed with fine whitish pubescence, notauli only faintly indicated anteriorly; Tegulae dark-brown with a few shallow punctures, shining, sparsely pubescent. Scutellar foveae deep, with a series of transverse ridges, lateral carinae high with a yellow mark at base of mesonotum; scutellum black with a few shallow punctures, somewhat convex, sloping posteriorly, lateral carinae reaching to about ¼ of its length, surface clothed with a few long hairs. Post-scutcllum yellow, shining, impunctate, lateral excavations at the side of post-scutellum, deep and longitudinally and finely ridged. Mesopleurae black, with a small yellow spot on sub-alar tubercle, a small yellow spot varying in size at base of hind-wing, and a larger yellow spot at the posterior ventral angle of the mesopleurae, strongly punctate, especially at the sides, punctures widely separated in the centre; pleural suture straight and transversely ridged; sub-alar tubercle distinct Sternum black, thickly punctate. Metopleurae black, a circular yellow spot in centre, coarsely punctate, the whole sclerite slightly swollen. Propodeum black with posterior lateral tubercles yellow, anteriorly rugulosely punctate, posteriorly finely transversely aciculated; propodeum spiracles elongated, slightly raised, and placed about 3 times their length from anterior border of propodeum Coxae : anterior coxae red-brown, punctate and clothed with long, light-coloured hairs; middle and posterior coxae black, irregularly punctate On dorsal surface the punctures are widely spaced, with a few light-coloured hairs scattered over the surface. Legs. Trochantus, anterior red-brown; middle with 1st joint black, 2nd joint red-brown; posterior with both joints block. Femur all red-brown, posterior pair swollen, with an obsolete ventral longitudinal groove; Tibiae red-brown, thickening towards apex; Tibial spurs thick, about ½ the length of 1st tarsal joint; Tarsus red-brown, 1st and 5th joints sub-equal, 2nd longer than 3rd, 4th joint very small; minute spines on ventral surface, especially numerous on the 5th joint. Tarsal claws as figured (Fig. 5). Wings (Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9). Forewing, 1st abscissa of radial straight, 2nd abscissa curved; areolet (Fig 9) petiolate; 2nd recurrent bent in centre, with 2 bullae; cubital with 1 bulla; 3rd abscissa of discordal with a bulla at its junction with anal. Stigma and veins dark brown, a clouded dark-brown spot covering the apical ⅓ of radial cell and extending slightly beyond radius into third cubital cell. Hind-wings. Abscissula nearly as long as marginal (radiella), a bulla at its lower ½, recurrent vein oblique, broken at top, nervellus (Fig. 8) continuous with 1st abscissa of median, thus strongly rechvous. Veins brown. Abdomen Black with a large yellow spot on each of the posterial lateral angles of each of the first tergites. 1st tergite sessile, widest at posterior border, which is 1.6 times as wide between spiracles. Distance between spiracles is a little less than the distance from the spiracles to posterior border of tergite. Spiracles situated on moderately prominent tubercles, a longitudinal dorsal fovea, and an obsolete transverse ridge along posterior border, which is produced medially. 2nd tergite is 1.73 as wide apically as long and 1.4 as wide at apex as at base, on each side there is an oblique lateral groove reaching to about the middle of the segment, along the grooves are coarse punctures; the tergite convex with a few large but shallow punctures scattered over the surface. The posterior border slightly raised; in front of each of the yellow spots there is an obsolete

Echthromorpha intricatoria (Fabr.). Fig. 5—Posterior tarsal claw. Fig. 6—Fore-wing. Fig. 7—Hind-wing. Fig. 8—Nervellus of hind-wing Fig. 9—Areolet of fore-wing.

transverse groove. 3rd tergite, sides parallel, as wide posteriorly as anteriorly, 1·75 as long as wide, the oblique lateral grooves very short, reaching only to the 1st quarter of the length of the segment and punctate. The whole abdomen is shining and very sparsely punctured. 8th tergite fringed posteriorly with thick golden hairs. Ovipositor: Sheaths black-brown, covered with golden pubescence. Male Face brownish-yellow to yellow, more thickly covered by a white pubescence. Malar space usually black. Pubescence on thorax somewhat denser than in female and the mesopleurae more evenly punctate, a small yellow spot is generally present on the anterior surface of middle coxae and the fore-coxae. Tegulae yellow, the posterior ¾ black. The small yellow mark on dorsal margin of pronotum is more clearly marked than in the females. In some specimens there is a small yellow spot in centre of the anterior margin of the scutellum. Posterior tarsi with last joint infuscated with black. Abdomen. 1st tergite, the posterior edge is more markedly protruding centrally, and a shallow and wide longitudinal depression from the spiracles which nearly reaches the posterior border. The distance between the spiracles is 1·25 the distance from the spiracles to the posterior border of the tergite. The 7th abdominal tergite occasionally has a small posterior lateral yellow spot. Distribution Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. Morley (1913, p. 39) states that this is “a common Australian and Tasmanian species, though not extending into Queensland as far north as Mackay.” Variation in Echthromorpha intricatoria This species is rather constant in colour and pattern. In the case of the males, a small yellow mark is sometimes present on the posterior coxae and on the scutellum. The punctation of the propodeum appears to vary in intensity, as well as the large but shallow punctures on the abdominal tergites. Size A considerable variation in size occurs. The minimum, maximum and average lengths are given in the following table. Table 5—Minimum, Maximum and Average Lengths in Millimetres of E. intricatoria Minimum Maximum Average Males 6.0 16.0 11.7 Females 11.0 15.0 12.5 The difference in average size of males and females is not so great as in Lissopimpla excelsa. The males show an extremely wide range, more than twice that shown for the females; although odd male specimens may be very large, the majority were on an average smaller than the females. Seyrig (1932) found that when Echthromorpha hyalina Sauss. and Pimpla maculiscaposa were reared from several different species of Lepidoptera, whose pupae varied in size, females predominated among the parasites emerging from the larger pupae and males among those emerging from smaller pupae. He attributed this difference in sex to the infertility of small females, which did not attract males so readily as did the larger females, and to the small females selecting the small pupae and the large females the larger pupae for oviposition.

Length of Forewing The length of the forewing is expressed as a ratio of the body length, and are given in Table 6. Table 6—Relative Length of Forewing in E. intricatoria Minimum Maximum Average Males 1.08 1.40 1.21 Females 0.80 1.15 1 05 The number of joints in the flagellum varied from 32 to 38 in the case of the males and from 34 to 36 in the females. Although greater variation is shown in the case of the males, the average number of joints in the flagellum is very similar in both sexes. Seasonal Occurrence The relative monthly abundance of adults of E. intricatoria is given in Table 8, which is also graphically shown in Text-figure 2. Table 8—Relative Montily Abundance expressed as Percentage of Total Number of Individuals Month Jan. Feb. Mar. Apl. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. % of Total 6.3 11.6 13.7 42.1 9.5 1.0 1.3 — — 1.0 4.2 2.1 The main flight period would appear to extend from February to May and to a lesser extent from October to January; August and September are the only months during the year in which adults have not been recorded. From the graph (Fig. 10) it would appear that adults of E. intricatoria first appear about October and gradually increase in numbers until the peak of abundance is reached in April, after which there is a decided falling off. It is quite conceivable that adults hibernate during the winter, although in regard to this species I have no direct evidence. Gourlay (1926) records that on the 27th April, 1926, he collected 96 specimens in an hour and a half; and many specimens have been taken at Nelson from September to April. Host Records Hudson (1926) records five specimens flying over nettle bushes (Urtica ferox) near Sinclair Heads during March, 1925, and concluded that this species was probably parasitising the red-admiral butterfly (Vanessa gonerilla). Gourlay (1926, p. 170) records that of 300 pupae of V. gonerilla collected at Governor's Bay by Mr. Carnes, 29 were parasitised by E. intricatoria. Another record given by Mr. Gourlay stated that during February, 1924, several specimens were taken hovering over a clump of Senecio parasitising larvae of Nyctemera annulata. Mr. J. R. Manhire secured a single specimen from the case-moth Oeceticus omnivorus during April, 1922. Gourlay (loc. cit.) observed a female in the act of parasitsing a pupa of the native moth Mecyna maorialis. Later during 1924 many specimens were reared from the pupae of this moth, fully 60 per cent. being parasitised. Gourlay (1930, p. 5) records the following hosts. Vanessa gonerilla Fabr., Vanessa itea Fabr., Tholeria maorialis Feld, Nyctemera annulata Boisd., Liothula omnivorus Fered., and Tyria jacobaeae Lin. Dumbleton (1932) records specimens bred from Tortrix postivittana, a Tortricid All the above insects are native species except the last two named. Gourlay (loc cit.) further records that the parasite lays its eggs in the host larvae and the adult emerges from the host pupae.

Fig. 10—Relative seasonal abundance of adults of Echthromorpha intricatoria. Collections made over the last thirty years were tabulated by months and the graph constructed from the resulting frequency distribution. Total number of specimens from which data were obtained was 75. Occurrence in New Zealand Echthromorpha intricatoria is evidently a somewhat recent immigrant into New Zealand. Ashmead (1900) was the first to record this species from New Zealand. (Hudson in 1926 records this species from several localities in New Zealand.) He records a specimen captured in Wellington in February, 1922. Four species taken at Farewell Spit in November, 1923, and during March, 1925, his daughter took five specimens flying over nettle bushes (Urtica ferox) near Sinclair Heads, Wellington. Hudson considered that this species was a recent arrival in New Zealand, as he had never captured it before, although he had been actively collecting since 1880. Gourlay (1926) in the same year published further records of this species' occurrence in New Zealand, and from the records given showed that it was well distributed over the South Island. The first record of its occurrence in New Zealand, according to Gourlay, dated from January, 1915, when Mr. C. C. Fenwick captured a specimen at Longwood Range, near Orepuki. The next record is from Invercargill in February, 1916. In 1920 it was common in the Nelson District and in 1926 specimens were taken from Roxburgh, Central Otago. The Fields Instructor of Agriculture, Invercargill, reported this species in considerable numbers in gardens and on buildings at Morton Mains, Invercargill, on 9th February, 1949. From the above records it would appear that E. intricatoria has become established in New Zealand within the last 60 years.

E. intricatoria is not altogether a welcome addition to our fauna, because it unquestionably is reducing the population of two of our most beautiful species of butterflies; it does not appear to attack to any extent our more noxious insects. It is unfortunate, for this reason, that it has become established in New Zealand. Echthromorpha insidiator (Smith, 1876) Smith described in 1876 (Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1876, p. 476) Ichneumon insidiator from New Zealand. Dalla Torre (1901, p. 455) synonymised Smith's species Pimpla insidiator (1863, p. 9, Proc. Linn. Soc. Zool, VII) with the New Zealand species. This is entirely erroneous, as Morley (1913, p. 49) pointed out. Smith's 1876 species is a true Ichneumoninae and can have no connection with the present genus or this author's species of 1863. Schmiedeknecht (1907, p. 28) also erroneously refers this species to the New Zealand form. References Ashmead, W. H., 1900. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 23, pp. 1–220. Brues, C. T., 1918. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 62, pp. 97–130. Brulle, C., 1846. Host. Nat Insec. Hymen., vol. 34, p. 90. Cameron, P., 1898. Mem. Manch. Soc., vol. 42, pp. 1–53. — 1900. Trans. N. Z. Inst., vol. 33, pp. 17–19. Clausen, C. P., 1939. Journ. New York Entom. Soc., vol. 47, pp. 1–9. Coleman, E, 1927. Victorian Naturalist, vol. 44, pp. 20–22, 1 pl. Coleman, E., and Lea, A. M., 1929. Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond, vol. 76, pp. 533–539. Costa, 1864. Ann. Mus. Zool. Napoli, vol. 2. Dalla Torre, C. G., 1901. Catal. Hymen., vol. 3, part I Dumbleton, L. J., 1932. N.Z. Journ. Sci. and Tech., vol. 14, pp. 83–92. Ericson, 1841. Arch. f. Naturg., vol. 8, p. 254 Fabricius, 1805. Syst. Piez., p. 77. Froggatt, W. W., 1910. Agric. Gaz. N.S.W., vol. 21, pp. 335–346. Gourlay, E. S., 1926. Ent. Mon. Mag., vol. 62, pp. 169–171. — 1930. Dept. Sci. & Indust. Res. Bull. 22, p. 5. Holmgren, H. E., 1868 Kingh. Sienska Fregatters Eugenies resa ornkring Jorden: Insecta I, pp. 371–442. Hudson, G. V, 1926. Ent Mon. Mag, vol. 62, p. 40. Kirby, W. F., 1883. Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. for 1883, pp. 199–203. Kriechbaumer, 1889. Ent. Nachr., vol. 15, pp. 309–310. — 1894. Berlin Entom. Zeitschr., vol. 39, 1894, pp. 50 and 304. Krieger, R., 1907. Z. Syst. Hymen. Dipt., vol. 7, pp. 294–302. — 1899. Sitzber. Naturf. Ges. Leipzig, 1897–98 (1899), p. 59 Miller, D., 1919. N.Z. Journ. Agric., vol. 19, pp. 201–208. Morley, C, 1913. Revis. Ich. Brit. Mus., Part II. Schmiedeknecht, 1907. Genera Insect., fas. 62, pp. 1–118 Schulz, 1912. Zert. fur Wissen. Insekt., vol. 8, pp. 353–354. — 1906. Spolia Hymenopterologica, p. 114. Seyrig, A., 1932. Mém. Acad. Malgache Tananarna, vol. 2, p. 183 Smith, F., 1863. Proc. Linn. Soc, Zool., vol. 7, p. 9. — 1876 Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., for 1876, pp. 475–486 Temperley, M. E, 1930. Queensland Agric. Jouin., vol. 33, pp. 231–261. Thomson, G. M, 1922. Naturalisation Animals and Plants N. Z. Cambridge Univ. Press. Townes, H., 1940. Ann. Entom. Soc. Amer., vol. 33, pp. 283–323. — 1946. Mem. Amer. Ent. Soc., No. 11, parts 1 and 2, pp. 1–477 and 478–925. Weddell, J. A., 1936. Queensland Agric. Jouin., vol. 45, pp. 449–460.