Orgilus coloradensis Muesebeck 1970

Colo.

Orgilus coloradensis

The unusually broad temples, combined with 36- to 38-segmented antennae, distinguish this form from the known related species. A large, rather stout species.

FEMALE.—Length about 5 mm. Head clearly broader than thorax, in dorsal view 0.7 as long as broad, deeply excavated behind; face at narrowest point 1.35 times as wide as eye height and strongly, completely, and closely punctate, sometimes partly rugulose punctate; malar space longer than clypeus and 0.6 as long as eye height; clypeus punctate; temples at mideye point about 1.2 times as wide as eyes, weakly convex and barely receding, with some small and shallow scattered punctures; cheeks minutely granulose; occipital carina developed only at the sides; ocellocular line nearly three times as long as diameter of an ocellus; antennae 36- to 38-segmented in the available specimens, some segments in apical fifth of flagellum about as broad as long.

Thorax large and stout; mesonotal lobes shining, with scattered and very shallow punctures that are most abundant on the middle lobe; notauli sharply impressed and completely foveolate; disc of scutellum with a few weak punctures; propodeum rugulose reticulate, with a narrow, transverse, polished area of each side of the middle at base, the stubs of the longitudinal carinae that arise from the posterior margin poorly developed so that the apical areas are not well defined; side of pronotum rugulose; mesopleuron very shiny, the longitudinal furrow strongly foveolate, and usually numerous sharp punctures below the furrow, especially anteriorly; metapleuron rugulose posteriorly and below, punctate elsewhere. Hind coxa rugulose above and on upper part of outer side; hind femur nearly five times as long as its greatest width; longer calcarium of hind tibia more than half as long as metatarsus; tarsal claws simple. Radial cell on wing margin just about as long as stigma; second abscissa of radius on a line with intercubitus; stub of third abscissa of cubitus fully as long as second abscissa and strongly curved; nervulus slightly postfurcal; hind wing about four times as broad as long; nervellus and the two abscissae of the basella subequal in length and less than half as long as mediella.

Abdomen stout; first tergite about 1.5 times as long as broad at apex, finely rugulose; second tergite as long as broad at base, sometimes partly rugulose punctate, sometimes partly shagreened, but always broadly smooth apically and laterally and usually also smooth medially at base; third and following tergites smooth and shiny; ovipositor not decurved at apex, the sheath barely longer than abdomen.

Yellow ferruginous; palpi darkened; antennae reddish yellow, blackish apically; mesosternum, metanotum, and the metapleura in part, blackish; occasionally some irregular piceous markings on the second and following tergites; inner side of hind femur and all tarsi somewhat darkened; tegulae yellowish; wings slightly smoky.

MALE.—In structure essentially like the female; in color it usually differs markedly, being almost entirely black; tegulae dark, the wing bases lighter; legs largely reddish, the hind coxae black and all femora darkened above. The antennae of the available male specimens are broken.

HOLOTYPE.—USNM 70150.

DISTRIBUTION.—Known only from the short type-series which consists of the following: 4 females (one the holotype) and 3 males all taken by C. F. Baker at Fort Collins, Colorado, in 1894, the holotype and three of the paratypes collected on alfalfa. From the appearance of these few specimens it would seem that there is considerable color variation in both sexes of this species.