Landcare Research - Manaaki Whenua

Landcare-Research -Manaaki Whenua

ICHNEUMONIDAE: : Habronyx Foerster 1868


Diagnosis:

Characteristics of Habronyx include: 1. Body size varies but is <10-20mm; 2. Position of spiracle on T1 is at, close to, or before centre; 3. No aerolet in the forewing; 4. Colour of face is not all black; 5. Metasoma is compressed laterally; 6. Size of ocelli are small; 7. Length of antennae varies (shorter than body; as long, or longer than body); 8. Length of ovipositor is not longer than body; 9. Wings present; 10. Colour of wings are hyaline (clear); 11. Sternaulus is absent; 13. Sternite on T1 (viewed laterally) extending past spiracle sometimes forming a long cylinder with tergite; 14. Shape of T1 (viewed laterally) is evenly curved; 15. Number of teeth in mandibles is 2; 16. Patterns on metasoma is the same colour throughout; 17. Length of T1 less/or subequal than T2 but both T1 and T2 are quite elongate; 18. Sculpture on mesoscutum: is finely pitted, many hairs; 19. Width of T1 (viewed dorsally) is uniform width slightly widening posteriorly; 20. Glymma is absent; 21. Sculpture on metasoma smooth with a semi-glossy or satin appearance at least on T2; 22. Propodeum reaching past coxal insertion, but not reaching halfway along metacoxae.

Similarity to Other Taxa

Habronyx are a mid-small sized Ichneumonids in New Zealand. They are similar in size to: Dusona, Liotryphron, Lissonota, Phytodietus and Venturia .

They can be separated from other taxa by having the spiracle well behind the centre of T1, no glymma on T1, ovipositor length very short, no areolet in the forewing, and T1 and T2 are elongate.

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Distribution in NZ


North Island: ND, AK, BP, CL, HB, TO, WN. South Island: NN, SD, BR, MB, MC, DN, OL, WD, FD.

Species in NZ

Several undescribed endemic species, including Aphanistes kayi (Gauld 1980) which is probably in the wrong genus (I. Gauld unpub. data).

Biology & hosts

A. kayi is associated with leaf feeding Lepidoptera larvae. It has been reared from Ctenopseustis obliquana (Walker) (Tortricidae) on Nothofagus (Gauld 1980), and also Pseudocoremia suavis (Butler) (Geometridae), a widespread forest pest in New Zealand (Dugdale 1958). Although relatively widespread, A. kayi and other species of Anomaloninae appear to be uncommon in New Zealand, with few specimens in collections.

Sources of information

Dugdale JS. 1958. Structural characters of the larva of Selidosoma suavis (Butler) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, subfamily Ennominae). New Zealand Entomologist 2:24-33.
Gauld ID. 1976. The classification of the Anomaloninae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Entomology) 33: 1-135.
Gauld ID. 1976. The classification of the Anomaloninae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) of Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 24: 597-634.
Gauld ID. 1980. Notes on the New Zealand Anomaloninae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) with a description of a new species of Aphanistes Foerster of possible economic importance in forestry. New Zealand Entomologist 7: 130-134.

Citation

Ward DF & Schnitzler FR. 2013. Ichneumonidae of New Zealand. Genus Habronyx http://ichneumonidae.landcareresearch.co.nz
Accessed: 6 November 2024

Revised

v1.0. Ward DF & Schnitzler FR. 2013