Aphanogmus fumipennis Thomson 1858
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Aphanogmus fumipennis Thomson, 1858 Aphanogmus fumipennis: Trietsch et al. 2019: 11 –14. Aphanogmus fumipennis: Salden and Peters 2023: 342, 343. 2 Remarks. Originally described from a male and a female specimen (Thomson 1858). Male and female specimens assigned to each other by morphology. More than 100 years after the original description of A. fumipennis, Dessart (1963 b) examined Thomson’s type specimens and designated a female lectotype, which was until then designated as a syntype. The lectotype is slide mounted and identified as NHRS -HEVA 000008194 (Dessart prep. nr. 6212 / 124), deposited in the collection of the NHRS (Fig. 32). In addition to the lectotype designation of A. fumipennis, Dessart (1963 b, p. 403, 415) designated Thomson’s original male A. fumipennis syntype as the new allotype of A. fasciipennis. Unfortunately, the female lectotype lacks distinct morphological characters with clear diagnostic value that would allow reliable delimitation from other species in the A. fumipennis species group, or enable the assignment of other specimens to A. fumipennis as the nominal species. This limitation might be overcome in the future through molecular analysis of the lectotype. We refrained from an attempt because of the age, small size and delicateness of the lectotype specimen and the lab protocols not yet set up for these cases. Morphology of the Waterston’s evaporatorium (WE) might also allow assigning females and males to each other (see Ulmer et al. 2021), but dissection of the WE results in (partial) damage of the (type) specimens and the species diagnostic value of the character is not fully explored and established, in contrast to the male genitalia. Ergo, we also refrained from an attempt to dissect the A. fumipennis type (as well as our holo- or paratypes or the types of synonyms, see below). Dessart (1963 b) described a male allotype from Belgium (Dessart prep. no. 6302 / 151), whose genitalia he dissected and illustrated (p. 394, figs 12, 13). Unfortunately, we were unable to locate the specimen or the dissected genitalia in the RBINS, RMCA, or NHRS collections (Gerard Y., Hanot S., Vårdal H., pers. comm.). It is questionable whether the designated allotype from Belgium is even conspecific with the lectotype from Sweden, given our results that there are multiple morphologically similar species of the A. fumipennis species group distributed across Europe. The illustration of the genitalia of the male allotype by Dessart is not sufficient to clarify the identity of A. fumipennis, in comparison with the newly described species. The illustrated genitalia of the A. fumipennis allotype show superficial resemblance to those of A. digitangulus sp. nov. and A. hamatogonus sp. nov. in terms of the large and distinct gonossiculus and the thin finger-shaped harpes. However, the distinct rectangular median extension in A. digitangulus is not present in Dessart’s drawing of A. fumipennis. The gonossiculus of A. hamatogonus lacks the several distinct digital teeth that are clearly visible in the illustration of A. fumipennis. In addition, the illustration of A. fumipennis does not show any basomedian spine or small spine-like structure, as found in A. hamatogonus. The complementary characters we use in the descriptions of females do not allow inferences on the status of the lectotype female. In summary, as long as the male allotype, particularly the associated genitalia, remains untraceable and a thorough diagnostic assessment of the female lectotype is not possible, we consider A. fumipennis a species inquirenda. All geographic records of A. fumipennis published after Dessart (1963 b), e. g., from Finland (Hellén 1966), Czech Republic (Zeman and Vaněk 2001), Germany (Dessart 2001), Britain and Ireland (Broad and Livermore 2014), Romania (Teodorescu 2020), have to be treated with caution, as they may belong to the A. fumipennis species group but cannot be reliably assigned to species level. All synonymized species of A. fumipennis are considered to belong to the A. fumipennis species group, as Dessart was aware of the conspicuous diagnostic posterior mesosomal comb and synonymized (or confirmed synonymization) all of them (see below). A further taxonomic assessment of the synonymized species of A. fumipennis is currently not feasible, as they are known only from single female specimens and lack corresponding males with genitalia (exception A. laevis, see below). For now, we consider the synonymized species as species inquirendae. The following synonyms are listed for A. fumipennis: Aphanogmus hyalinipennis Thomson, 1858: described from a single female specimen from Sweden, near Lund and deposited at NHRS (NHRS -HEVA 000008193, prép. n ° 6212 / 122) (Fig. 33). The species was synonymized by Dessart (1963 b). Aphanogmus laevis Förster, 1861: described from a single male specimen from Switzerland and deposited at NHMW (NHMW -HYM # 0030402). The species was synonymized by Szelényi (1940). After the examination of the type specimen, we can confirm that it belongs to the A. fumipennis species group by the presence of the posterior mesosomal comb and the posterodistal spine at the metacoxa (Fig. 34). However, we refrained from dissecting the male genitalia. The delicate procedure is likely to damage the genitalia and rather lose information than gain information. We follow decisions similar to Trietsch et al. 2020 (e. g., Conostigmus californicus (Ashmead, 1893)) and Salden and Peters 2023 (e. g., Cyoceraphron fuscopleuralis Dessart, 1978), and consider A. laevis as a species inquirenda. Aphanogmus grenadensis Ashmead, 1896: described from two female specimens from Grenada (Neotropics) and deposited at NHMUK and USNM. The species was synonymized by Dessart (1975 a, 1981). Aphanogmus formicarius Kieffer, 1905: described from a single female specimen from Slovenia “ Draufeld ” and deposited in the MAAS. The species was synonymized by Dessart (1975 a). Aphanogmus clavatus Kieffer, 1907: described from a single female specimen from Italy and originally deposited in the MCSN. Dessart (1975 a) synonymized the species and reported the type to be missing in the MCSN. Hellén (1966) added records of male and female specimens from Finland. Due to the lack of sufficient diagnostic characters, these species identifications are highly dubious. Ceraphron armatus Kieffer, 1907: described from a single female specimen from Scotland and deposited in the NHMUK. The species was synonymized by Dessart (1975 a). Ceraphron formicarium Kieffer, 1907: described from a single female specimen from England and deposited in the NHMUK. The species was synonymized by Dessart (1975 a). Ceraphron frenalis Kieffer, 1907: described from a single female specimen from Italy and deposited in the MCSN. The species was synonymized by Szelényi, in Russo (1938) and synonymization was confirmed by Dessart (1965). Ceraphron oriphilus Kieffer, 1913: described from a single female specimen from Kenya (Afrotropics) and deposited in the MNHN (Trietsch et al. 2019). The species was synonymized by Dessart (1966). Ceraphron fuliginosi Box, 1921: described from a single female specimen from England and deposited in the NHMUK. The species was synonymized by Dessart (1975 a). Calliceras fasciata Fouts, 1924: described from two female specimens from the USA (Nearctic) and deposited in the LACM and USNM. The species was synonymized by Dessart (1981). Calliceras boreale Whittaker, 1930: described from two female specimens from Canada (Nearctic) and deposited in the NHMUK. The species was synonymized by Dessart (1975 a). Allomicrops bemisiae Ghesquière, 1935: described from a single female specimen from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Afrotropics) and deposited in the RMCA. The species was synonymized by Dessart (1963 a). The species is listed as parasitoid or hyperparasitoid of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius, 1889) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) (Ghesquière 1935). Biology. For a detailed list of recorded biological data associated with the name A. fumipennis (including synonyms / species inquirendae) see suppl. material 1 in Moser et al. (2024).
Institutions: Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, University of New Hampshire, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, University of Cologne, Ilia State University, Agricultural University of Georgia
Language: English
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7140234983