The Wharton Lab

Priopoda Holmgren, 1856: 63. Type species: Ichneumon apicarius Geoffroy, 1785. By subsequent designation.

Prionopoda Holmgren, 1857:120. Unjustified emendation (Townes et al. 1965).

The name Prionopoda was in general use for about 100 years following Holmgren, 1857. Ichneumon sticticus Fabricius, 1798 was designated as the type species of Prionopoda by Viereck, 1914, who noted that Holmgren (1856) had included two species in his original description of the genus. This designation was followed by Townes (1970), but restriction of sticticus to Braconidae based on a subsequent neotype designation led to a re-examination of Holmgren’s work, concluding that Holmgren based his concept of sticticus on Gravenhorst, but that the sticticus of Gravenhorst was a misidentification of apicarius Geoffroy. Hence, the type species of Priopoda should be Priopoda apicaria (Geoffroy). A detailed explanation can be found in Horstmann (1992).

Eleven valid species are listed by Yu et al. (2005). Reshchikov is revising this genus.

The above description is taken from several species from the eastern Palaearctic Region.

Priopoda is defined primarily by the shape of the aedeagus, as shown in the figure below. Also, as in Lathrolestes and Neurogenia, the hypostomal and occipital carinae are widely separated at the base of the mandible. Unlike most species of Lathrolestes, the ovipositor has a deep and very distinct subapical notch in most of the species of Priopoda, and Priopoda lacks the modified wing venation that characterizes Neurogenia.

Clypeus with ventral margin bluntly rounded, often thickened medially; ventral margin convex to nearly truncate; epistomal sulcus usually weakly indicated as a broad, shallow indentation, sometimes indistinct, clypeus in profile variable: from flat or nearly so to weakly but distinctly protruding. Malar space distinct, at least half basal width of mandible. Mandible long, flattened basally, dorsal tooth much shorter than ventral tooth. Ocelli small, lateral ocellus shorter than distance between ocellus and eye. Maxillary palp about equal to head height; female antennae longer than body; first flagellomere with discrete tyloid containing fewer than 15 sensilla. Hypostomal carina widely separated from occipital carina at base of mandible; occipital carina complete. Dorsal end of epicnemial carina distant from anterior margin of mesopleuron. Notaulus varying from absent or nearly so to broadly and shallowly impressed; always short, confined to anterior declivity, not extending posterior to level of tegula. U-shaped groove indistinct between propodeum and metanotum in lateral view; pleural carina complete, well-developed; propodeal carinae weak medially, posterior transverse carinae well developed, anterior transverse carinae absent or poorly developed medially, areola usually indicated posteriorly but effaced anteriorly. Apical margin of mid tibia expanded into a distinct tooth similar to that of fore leg at least in females, absent or poorly developed in at least some males; apical comb on posterior side of hind tibia present, well developed; posterior hind tibial spur at least 7x longer than maximum width at base; tarsal claws pectinate, though variable in extent among species. Fore wing areolet present; Rs+2r arising near middle of stigma. Hind wing with first abscissa of CU1 slightly to distinctly longer than 1cu-a. T1 long, slender over basal half, distinctly broadening over distal half, without dorsal carinae; basal depression at dorsal tendon attachment very shallow to absent; dorsal-lateral carina sharp, present and complete between spiracle and apex of T1; glymmae on each side meeting on the midline posterior to dorsal tendon attachment, deep, separated at midline by translucent partition. T2 thyridium absent; distinct longitudinal carina present and extending from base of T2 at least half and sometimes entire distance to spiracle; laterotergites of T2 and usually T3 separated by creases. Ovipositor (Figs 3, 4) straight, usually distinctly protruding, with very deep, usually broad, subapical notch; ovipositor sheath straight, relatively narrow, bluntly rounded apically. Male parameres broadly triangular, never attenuate posteriorly; aedeagus (Fig. 5) reflexed and pointed apically, with adze-like blade.

As noted by Townes (1970), there are a few species recorded from Europe and several from the eastern Palaearctic Region, as far south as Taiwan.

Tenthredinid hosts in the genera Taxonus and Empria have been recorded for two of the species: P. apicaria and P. xanthopsana. There is also a record for P. apicaria from Arge.

This page was assembled by Bob Wharton as part of a larger collaborative effort on the genera of Ctenopelmatinae. This work would not have been possible without the groundwork provided by Ian Gauld’s study of the Australian and Costa Rican faunas, and we are particularly grateful for his assistance in many aspects of this study. We also thank David Wahl for useful feedback throughout our study and to Gavin Broad and Alexey Reshichikov for exchange of information on Perilissini. Matt Yoder provided considerable assistance with databasing issues, and our use of PURLs (http://purl.oclc.org) in this regard follows the example of their use in publications by Norm Johnson. Heather Cummins, Patricia Mullins, and Cheryl Hyde graciously assisted with image capture, processing, formatting, and literature retrieval. This study was supported by the National Science Foundation’s PEET program under Grant No. DEB 0328922 and associated REU supplement no DEB 0723663. Page last updated June, 2011.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number DEB 0328922 with REU supplement DEB 0723663.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.