Dismodix gladiata, Supeleto & Aguiar, 2024

Supeleto, Fernanda A. & Aguiar, Alexandre P., 2024, Two new Dismodix Townes (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae) with an exceptionally broad occipital carina, Zootaxa 5448 (3), pp. 430-438 : 435-438

Dismodix gladiata sp. nov.

( Figs 10–14 )

Diagnosis. Clypeus distinctly convex, transversally folded; supraclypeal area black; occipital carina very wide, ending in a sharp, V-shaped projection; epomia sharp, distinct, ending dorsally as distinctly projected lobe; longitudinal groove on mesal lobe of mesoscutum deep; mesoscutum with two longitudinal yellow marks; PTC complete, centrally distinctly arched forwards; propodeum behind ATC with a large yellow spot on each side; areolet open (3r-m absent); T1 without longitudinal carinae or distinct ridges; T2–8 polished smooth; T2–7 brown, apical margin with wide yellow stripe; ovipositor curved downwards, apex without serrations.

Description. Female HOLOTYPE ( Figs 10–14 ). Fore wing 6.00 mm. Head ( Figs 10–13 ). Clypeus distinctly convex, transversally folded; sculpturing finely allutaceous, sparsely punctate; supra-clypeal area coarsely transversely striate; dorsally raised into a stout V-shaped margin; paraocular area along supra-clypeal area somewhat flattened, dorsal half punctate. Antenna with 30 flagellomeres. Ocelar area well-marked, sunken. Gena narrow but appearing to be wide because of widely projected occipital carina; occipital carina ventrally fused with hypostomal carina into an acute V-shaped projection ( Fig. 13 ).

Mesosoma ( Figs10–11 ).Pronotum polished smooth, except ventro-posterior margin with a few short crenulations. Epomia sharp, distinct, ending dorsally as distinctly projected lobe. Mesoscutum polished, with a few, isolated, shallow punctures; notauli distinctly convergent; middle lobe of mesoscutum with a deep longitudinal suture; scuto-scutellar groove moderately deep, finely crenulate. Mesopleuron polished-smooth, except striate anteriorly along hypoepimeron and along epicnemial carina. Epicnemial carina sinuate, ending close but not reaching subalar ridge. Sternaulus entirely distinct, crenulate throughout, anteriorly shifted ventrally, ending at epicnemial carina near base of fore coxa (as in Fig. 5 ); sulcus between sternaulus and scrobe absent; mesopleural groove distinctly crenulate. Metapleuron polished, with sparse, weak punctures.

Wings ( Fig. 10 ). Fore wing vein 1M+Rs posteriorly weakly curved, anteriorly straight; crossvein 1cu-a straight, arising distinctly basad of 1M+Rs origin; limit between veins 1m-cu and 1-Rs+M untraceable; vein 2Cua 0.21 × as long as crossvein 2cu-a; 3r-m absent (areolet open); vein 3-M about as long as 2-M. Hind wing with 5–6 hamuli; vein M+Cu strongly convex; veins 2-1A and Cub ending before reaching wing margin; vein Cub apically weakly convex.

Propodeum ( Figs 10–11, 14 ). Propodeal spiracle slightly oval, length 1.36 × width. Propodeum anterior transversal sulcus wide and deep, centrally strongly crenulate, laterally more weakly so; area anterior to ATC irregular, rugulose; ATC centrally strongly bent forwards; immediately behind it, along its entire length, grooved and weakly carinate; area behind ATC weakly rugulose; PTC complete, centrally distinctly arched forwards.

Metasoma ( Figs 10–11 ). T1 spiracle in dorsal view quite prominent, located at the basal 0.52 of T1; T1 without longitudinal carinae or distinct ridges; thyridium about twice longer than wide; T2–8 polished smooth. Ovipositor in lateral view slightly but distinctly curved downwards; 0.54 × as long as the maximum length of hind tibia; apex without serrations.

Color. Head and mesosoma black with large yellow spots, legs light to dark brown; metasoma beyond petiole brown, with yellow stripes. Head: Mandible, except light brown tip, labrum, all palpi except maxillary palpus apically light brown, clypeus, malar space and gena ventrally, whitish or pale yellow; supraclypeal area black; supra-antennal area yellow, except brown spots at base of antennal foramen; paraocular area dorsally yellow, which becomes progressively narrower ventrally; these patterns generate a M-shaped yellow mark ( Fig. 12 ); ocellar area black; temples, gena and occiput laterally yellow; occiput centrall black until middle of occipital carina, forming a more or less lozenge-shaped black area. Antenna scape and pedicel light brown, pedicel apical margin yellowish; f1–9 changing progressively from dark brown to light brown, f10–15 light brown; f9–17 dorsally white, taking from about 50% of f12–15 and progressively less towards f9 or f16; f16–29 brown, last flagellomere missing.

Mesosoma black, with bright yellow areas as follows: Pronotum widely on latero-dorsal margin and ventroanterior margin; propleuron apex and a spot on latero-anterior margin; mesoscutum along nearly all of mesial margin of lateral lobe, scutellum, scutellar carina, postscutellum, subalar ridge, hypoepimeron, mesopleuron ventral half, dorsal division of metapleuron, metapleuron except apical and postero-ventral 0.2, a large spot on eah side of propodeum behind ATC. Wings hyaline.

Fore coxa yellow; mid coxa yellow, dorsal apex with tiny brown spot; hind coxa yellow except laterolongitudinally and apex dark brown. Fore and mid trochanters yellow; hind trochanter basally brown, apically yellow. Fore and mid femora yellow, laterally with wide longitudinal light brown stripe, mesally with some diffuse light brown; hind femur yellow, laterally and mesally with longitudinal brown stripes; at apex, ventrally, stripes connected to each other. Fore and mid tibiae yellow, mesally light brown; hind tibia brown with basal 0.18 yellowish. Fore and mid t1–4 yellowish with some diffused light brown, t5 brown; hind t1 dark brown with light brown apex, t2–4 white, t5 dark brown.

Metasomal T1 black with apical 0.25 bright yellow; T2–7 and S2–6 brown, apex with wide yellow margin, T8 brown, dorsally with narrow apical yellow margin.

Variation. Hind wing with 6 (right) and 5 (left) hamuli.

MALE. Unknown.

Comments. Together with D. colai sp. nov., differs from all other known Dismodix and Acerastes species by having a widely projected occipital carina ( Fig. 13 ) (vs. regular). Differs from D. colai mainly by the presence of a pointy, V-shaped projection at the meeting of occipital and hypostomal carinae ( Figs 13 vs. 1). Most similar to the Mexican D. scapulator Kasparyan & Ruíz-Cancino by having dark brown tegula, mesoscutum with longitudinal yellow stripes, and scutellar carina and post-scutellum yellow; differs mainly by having the propleuron almost entirely black (vs. entirely white); T1 basally black (vs. T1 basal 0.25 yellow); and supra-clypeal area black (vs. white).

Among Acerastes , it is most similar but still quite distinct from A. sumariensis (Brèthes, 1928) (holotype examined). Similarities include a dark mesosoma with multiple and equivalent yellow areas, hyaline wings, and a striped metasoma; D. colai sp. nov. differs mainly by having the mesosoma laterally with large yellow areas (vs. small spots), legs yellow and brown (vs. orange), and the petiole mostly black (vs. light brown to orange). Also similar to A. femoralis (Szépligeti) because of the yellow striped dark metasoma, metapleuron almost entirely yellow, and mesoscutum with two longitudinal yellow stripes, but differs by having the supraclypeal area and the basal 0.8 of petiole black (vs. yellow), and fore and mid coxae yellow (vs. black).

Etymology. From the Latin gladius, sword. The specific epithet is the feminine form of the adjective gladiatus, which means armed with a sword or wearing a sword. It is a reference to the blade like occipital carina ending in a V-shaped projection where it meets the hypostomal carina.

Material examined. Total of 1 specimen, 1♀. Holotype: BRAZIL, 1♀, MT, Chapada dos Guimarães, Fazenda Buriti , Colégio Buriti , 620m, -16.3333333, -56.2666667, 1983-11-27 /29,?, UFPR Dept Zoologia expedition, Malaise,?, UFPR, Polonoroeste project.

Holotype pinned. Right antenna beyond flagellomere 14 and apical flagellomere of left antenna missing; fore wings posteriorly torn but complete; metasoma collapsed laterally; specimen otherwise in good condition.

In the original label, only “(C. Buriti)” is mentioned. According to Lopes et al. (2009), this corresponds to Colégio Buriti (Buriti School), located at 15°24’56”S, 55°48’28”W, at 620 m, within the Fazenda Buriti (Buriti Farm). Near the buildings, anthropic areas and secondary forests dominate, extending to approximately 400 meters in some sections. To the west there are extensive campo sujo fields (grasslands with the occasional presence of bushes), veredas (gallery forests surrounding wetlands or seasonal streams, characterized by palm trees, grasses, and shrubs adapted to periodic flooding), clean damp fields, and dense forest thickets.

Distribution. Central Brazil.

Figures

FIGURES 10–14. Holotype female of Dismodix gladiata sp. nov. 10, Habitus, with inset showing the ovipositor. 11, Body, dorsal. 12, Head, frontal. 13, Head, latero-ventral. 14, Propodeum, dorsal. Scale = 1 mm (Figs 10, 11) and 0.5 mm (Fig. 10 inset and Figs 12–14).

FIGURES 4–7. Female of Dismodix colai sp. nov. 4, Mesosoma and propodeum, dorsal. Holotype. 5, Mesosoma, lateroventral. Holotype. 6, Head, frontal. Paratype FBB417. 7, Metasoma, dorsal. Paratype FBB154. Scale = 1 mm.