Scolobates varicornis Cameron, 1886: 310. Lectotype male in BMNH.
Scolobates variicornis: Dalla Torre 1902: 328 (catalog, unjustified emendation).
Physotarsus varicornis: Townes in Townes & Townes 1966: 139 (new combination); Yu and Horstmann 1997: 455 (catalog); Zhaurova and Wharton 2009: 30 (list of valid species of Physotarsus); Zhaurova and Wharton 2009: 9-10, 49-51 (synonymy, redescription, lectotype designation, inclusion in key to species).
Physotarsus davidi Gauld, 1997: 197-198. Holotype female in INBio.
Physotarsus davidi: Yu and Horstmann 1997: 455 (catalog); Zhaurova and Wharton 2009a: 28 (list of valid species of Physotarsus); Zhaurova and Wharton 2009b: 49 (synonymized under varicornis).
Physotarsus varicornis Cameron, 1886
Taxonomic History / Nomenclature
Remarks
Gauld (1997) suggested that the very striking color pattern of P. varicornis (as P. davidi) may mimic common ischnine cryptines such as some species of Joppidium Cresson.
Diagnosis and Relationships
Lateral ocelli separated by 0.8X their widest diameter from each other and about 1.8-2.0X their widest diameter from eye margin. Antenna with 35–38 flagellomeres. Pronotum and mesoscutum glabrous, impunctate. T1 about 1.9–2.1X as long as broad. Head entirely reddish brown. Mesosoma black with upper part of pronotum, anterior part of mesoscutum and upper margin of mesopleuron reddish brown. Metasomal tergites black. Hind legs black, trochantellus reddish, distal 0.5 of basitarsus and remaining tarsomeres bright yellow. Fore wing fuscous with pale yellowish subapical band.
This species is most similar to P. maculipennis (Cameron), with which it shares the smooth body, pectinate claws, and dark wing with pale subapical band. Physotarsus varicornis is a distinctly darker species.
Distribution
Known only from Costa Rica and Guatemala.
Distribution
No referenced distribution records have been added to the database for this OTU.
Biology / Hosts
Hosts unknown.
Map
There are no specimens currently determined for this OTU, or those specimens determined for this OTU are not yet mappable.
Label data
Material Examined. Scolobates varicornis Cameron, 1886: Lectotype male GUATEMALA, San Geronimo (Champion) (BMNH). Physotarsus davidi: Paratypes, 2 females, COSTA RICA, Guanacaste Prov., Santa Rosa National Park, 300 m, vi.1985 & vii.1986 (Gauld & Janzen) (BMNH).
Acknowledgements
This page was assembled by Bob Wharton and Kira Zhaurova, and is part of a revision of the genus Physotarsus (Zhaurova and Wharton 2009). Material examined for this revision was borrowed from the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, the American Entomological Institute, Gainesville (AEIC), The Natural History Museum, London, the U. S. National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D. C., and INBio, Costa Rica. We are particularly grateful to Ian Gauld and Gavin Broad for the extended loan of the specimens listed above, as well as 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. 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.
