The Wharton Lab

Neurogenia shennongjiaensis He, 1985: 318.

This species belongs to the Perilissoides species-group within Neurogenia, characterized by the strongly bowed and thickened fore wing 1M and the relatively long hind tibial spur. Within this species group, Neurogenia shennongjiaensis has a fore wing M+Cu tubercle even longer than that of N. hunanensis and a long, relatively narrow propodeal areola as in N. fujianensis. The shape of the second subdiscal cell, used in part by He (1985) to separate N. fujianensis from N. shennongjiaensis, seem similar in the two species based on our images of the types.

Mesosoma 2.5-2.65 mm long. Face (Fig. 2) granular; gena (Fig. 7) deeply but sparsely punctate; frons rugose-punctate. Greatest diameter of lateral ocellus greater than distance from ocellus to eye (Fig. 4). Fore wing with Rs+2r arising from about middle of stigma (Fig. 9); tubercle on M+Cu about 3.0 x longer than high (Fig. 8); 1cu-a distinctly distad of 1M (i.e. postfurcal); 2cu-a roughly equal in length to second abscissa of Cu1. Hind wing cu-a 1.8 (male) to 1.9 (female) x longer than first abscissa of Cu1. Epomia long, extending to or nearly to ventral margin but weaker over ventral half. Male parameres exceptionally long and narrow distally (Fig. 13).
Color as in Figs 1-4, 12. Head and thorax black (except scutellum yellow), propodeum dark brown, petiole yellow-brown, remainder of metasoma brown (female paler), legs, including coxae, as in Fig. 1.
All figures are of the female holotype and male allotype.

Known from the holotype and 5 paratypes, collected in Shennongjia Forest Region, Hubei Province (31 degrees, 7 minutes N, 110 degrees, 6 minutes E).

Biology unknown.

This page was assembled by Bob Wharton as part of a larger collaborative effort on the genera of Ctenopelmatinae, and as part of a study of this genus prepared by Heather Hendrickson and Bob Wharton. The work is based on specimens in the Texas A&M University collection as well as material borrowed from China, MRAC, CNC, BMNH, and AEI. We are particularly grateful to Xue-xin Chen for assistance in making the Chinese specimens available for examination as well as David Wahl, Andy Bennett, Gavin Broad, and Eliane De Coninck. This work would also 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 thank David Wahl for useful feedback throughout our study and to Gavin Broad 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 Hendrickson and Mika Cameron, graciously assisted with image capture, processing, formatting, and literature retrieval. Page last updated December, 2014.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number DEB 0328922 with REU supplements DEB 0723663 and number 1026618.
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.