The Wharton Lab

Physotarsus jamesi Zhaurova, 2009: 9-10, 31-32. Holotype female, TAMU.

The coloration is very similar to that of P. eliethi, with the infumate apical spot on the fore wing slightly larger in P. eliethi.

This species is named for Arlington James, for his many contributions to our understanding of the fauna of Dominica in the Lesser Antilles.

Lateral ocelli separated by 0.5–0.7X their widest diameter from each other and 1.6X their widest diameter from eye margin. Antenna with 19–23 flagellomeres. Pronotum completely glabrous, mesoscutum shiny, impunctate. T1 about 1.2X as long as broad. Head dark yellow to orange, area around ocelli brownish. Mesosoma nearly orange dorsally, yellow laterally. Females with T1 and usually T2 orange, remaining terga mostly dark brown, males usually more extensively dark brown. Hind femur and tibia basally dark yellow to orange, tibia apically and tarsomeres dark brown to black. Fore wing hyaline, apex distinctly infumate.

Physotarsus jamesi is similar to several other smooth-bodied species that have hyaline wings with an infumate apical spot, most notably P. eliethi Gauld, P. glabellus Zhaurova, P. leucohypopygus Zhaurova, P. niveus Zhaurova, and P. oculatus Zhaurova. As in P. glabellus, and to some extent P. eliethi, the hind femur is entirely or almost entirely dark yellow to orange in P. jamesi. T1 is dark brown in P. glabellus but orange or mostly orange in P. jamesi. P. eliethi has the first flagellomere about 10X longer than wide, but it is much shorter in P. jamesi.

Known only from the island of Dominica in the Lesser Antilles.

Hosts unknown.

Material Examined. Holotype female (TAMU): [DOMINICA] first line of data label: “Dominica: St. Paul Parish” second line: “ATREC, Springfield Station” third line: “15 20’25”N 61 21’50”W” fourth line: “21.v5.vi.2000 Chavez,” fifth line: “Benavides, Dye, & Kretsch”. Paratypes: 2 females, 1 male, same data as holotype (AEIC, Forestry Division of Dominica, TAMU); 1 female, same locality, 31.v–14.vi.2002 (TAMU class) (TAMU), 7 males, same locality except 15 degrees 21’N, 61 degrees 22’W, 24.v–4.vi.2003, voucher specimen #645 Texas A&M University (T Decker & W Wells) (AEIC, BMNH, Forestry Division of Dominica, TAMU).

We thank the following curators and collections managers for extended loans of the material used for this revision as well as information on collections in their care: David Wahl (AEIC), Jason Weintraub (ANSP), Ian Gauld (deceased), Gavin Broad, & Kim Goodger (BMNH), Andrew Bennett (CNCI), Ronald Zuniga (InBio), and David Furth (USNM). We are particularly grateful to Matt Yoder for the electronic interface and to Heather Cummins and Mika Cameron for assistance with literature and figures. We would also like to acknowledge the kind assistance of Ian Gauld, David Wahl, Andrew Bennett, and Gavin Broad for information exchange about ichneumonids during the course of this work. We also thank Arlington James for assistance with permits in Dominica and much additional information. Our use of PURLs (http://purl.oclc.org) for the web interface follows the example of their use in publications by Norm Johnson. The work was conducted at Texas A&M University and supported by NSF/PEET grant no. DEB 0328922 and associated REU supplement # 0723663. Page last updated October 2010.

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.