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Volume 80, 1952
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– 159 –

Variability of L. excelsa

Colour

Although some individuals are rather darker than others, this species is remarkably constant in colour and pattern.

– 160 –

Size

This species varies considerably in size, especially in the case of the males.

The following table gives the minimum, maximum and average total length of 82 specimens, taken at various localities at different times of the year.

Table 1—Variation in Total Length of Lissopimpla excelsa (Costa) (In millimetres)
Minimum Maximum Average
Males 10.0 17 0 14.7
Females 15.5 19.0 17.2

The males, on an average, are smaller, and showed a greater variation in size than the females. It has been shown by Clausen (1939) that in an allied species the males usually developed from smaller hosts, and the females from larger hosts; if this is the case with the present species, some significance may be attached to the above figures.

Length of Forewing

The forewing was measured from the base of the tegulae to the extreme apex, and this measurement is expresed as a percentage of the total body length. The results were:

Females: Average forewing length was 85·7% of body length.

Males: Average forewing length was 77·5% of body length.

The above figure would indicate that the forewing is relatively shorter in the males than in the females.

Antennae

The total length of the antennae was found to be generally approximately equal to the length of the body. However, the number of joints in the flagellum showed some variation; the figures are given in the following table (No. 2):

Table 2—Number of Joints in the Flagellum of L. excelsa
Minimum Maximum Average
no. segm. no. segm. no. segm.
Males 55 57 56.3
Females 62 65 63.7

The males show a decided reduction in the number of joints of the flagellum.

Ovipositor Length

The length of the ovipositor was measured from the base to the apex of the sheaths, and this measurement expressed in total length of the body.

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i.e. relative length of ovipositor = Length of Body/Length of ovipositor

These ratios are given in the following Table 3.

Table 3—Relative Length of Ovipositor in Females of L. excelsa
No. of females Minimum Maximum Average
measured ratio ratio ratio
48 1.30 2.40 1.83

Slight geographical variation in the relative length of the ovipositor is indicated; for instance, the Parua Bay females (average ratio 2.04) and the Nelson females (average 2.01) had relatively shorter ovipositors than those from Keri Keri (average ratio 1·41). The number of specimens available from these localities, however, are too small to say whether these differences are significant.

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