Virgichneumon Heinrich, 1977
Virgichneumon is a moderate-sized genus with six described and probably at least 4 undescribed species in the Nearctic. It is rather similar to and difficult to distinguish from Melanichneumon, and Barichneumon. Both sexes are generally distinguished from these genera based on the most deeply impressed gastrocoeli but this character can be hard to evaulate. Females can be separated from Melanichneumon by the flagellum which is not extremely wide as in Melanichneumon . Males are distinguished from Melanichneumon by the more deeply impressed gastrocoeli. Virgichneumon and Barichneumon can easily be separated by the more densely punctate postpetiole of the latter genus.
Most species are dark-colored in both sexes, except for Virgichneumon mimicus and Virgichneumon zebratus, which are have rich black and yellow patterning, and Virgichneumon texanus, which have predominantly bronwish-red females.
Heinrich (1977) erected Virgichneumon to refine Melanichneumon, which at the time included species now treated as Barichneumon, Virgichneumon, and Vulgichneumon.
Diagnosis
- anterior margin of propodeum with median tubercle
- postpetiole smooth and punctate (either varying from nearly smooth and impuncate to moderately punctate)
- gastrocoeli moderately-impressed and usually narrower than their interval
- thyridia well-developed
- female antennae elongate and flattened subapically but not nearly as wide as in Melanichneumon
- males with weakly to strongly-developed bristle ridges, though usually less strongly developed than in Menlanichneumon
- female metasomal apex oxypygous