Ambloplisus Heinrich, 1930
Ambloplisus is a small New World genus with only three described species. Only Ambloplisus ornatus occurs in the Nearctic. The remaining two described species and 10-20 undescribed species are Neotropical.
Due to its distinctive coloration, A. ornatus is instantly recognizable. Among Neotropical platylabines, Ambloplisus is easy to recognize based on the diagnostic characters listed below.
A. ornatus has only been officially recorded from Florida, New York and Idaho. It undoubtely occurs throughout the eastern U.S. and southeastern Canada as evidenced by the 10+ observations on iNaturalist. The record from Idaho, however, is suspect since the ichneumonine fauna in that state is quite distinct from that of the East. It is based on a single female specimen in the Smithsonian USNM collection discovered by Heinrich (1962). Additional collecting or an examination of collections in Idaho would help clarify whether or not A. ornatus truly occurs in that state.
No Ambloplisus species has every been reared. However, since females are amblypygous they are attacking the larval stage of their host.
Diagnosis
- propodeal apophyses produced into long spines
- propodeal spiracle oval-shaped except for a few Neotropical species in which it is essentially circular
- gastrocoeli and thyridia moderatly developed and narrower than interthyridial interval
- hypopygium of male medially divided; each half with elongate apical process (somewhat like that of male mesochorines)