Pion japonicum, Watanabe, Kyohei, 2016

Watanabe, Kyohei, 2016, First record of the genus Pion Schiødte, 1839 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ctenopelmatinae), from Japan, with description of a new species, Zootaxa 4103 (3), pp. 289-294 : 290-293

Pion japonicum sp. nov.

( Figs 1–10 )

Type series. Holotype. F, Gunma Pref., Katashina Vil., Marunuma, Yuzawa, 1440–1560 m alt., 2. vii. 2008, K. Watanabe leg. ( KPMNH). Paratypes. 1 F, Yamagata Pref., Mamurogawa Town, 19. vi. 2012, Y. Matsubara & K. Fukuda leg. (MsT) ( NIAES); 2 F, same data except for “ 22. vi. 2012 ” ( KPMNH); 1 F, same data except for “ 14. vii. 2012 ” ( KPMNH); 4 F and 6 M, same data of holotype ( KPMNH); 2 F and 1 M, sama data of holotype except for “S. Yoshizawa leg.” ( KPMNH); 3 M, Tochigi Pref., Nasushiobara City, Utou-sawa, 22–28. v. 2008, T. Matsumura leg. (MsT) ( KPMNH); 1 M, Tochigi Pref., Nasushiobara City, Kotaki, 24–30. v. 2008, T. Matsumura leg. (MsT) ( KPMNH); 1 F, Yamanashi Pref., Hokuto City, Masutomi, Biwakubo-sawa, 24. vi. 2007, H. Katahira leg. ( KPMNH); 1 F, Nagano Pref., Koumi Town, Chiyosato, 20. vi. 2007, H. Katahira leg. ( KPMNH); 4 F, Nagano Pref., Kawakami Vil., Azusayama 1360–1460 m alt., 14. vi. 2015, S. Shimizu leg. ( KPMNH); 18 M, Nagano Pref., Outaki Vil., Mt. Ontake 1790-1870 m alt., 13. vi. 2015, S. Shimizu leg. ( KPMNH); 8 F and 27 M, same data except for “ca. 1840 m alt., 13–25. vi. 2015 (MsT)” (2 F and 2 M, GSFPM; 3 M, NIAES; 6 F and 18 males, KPMNH); 2 F, same data except for “ 25. vi. – 15. vii. 2015 (MsT)” ( KPMNH); 1 M, Shizuoka Pref., Honkawane Town, Mt. Yamainudan 1200-1400 m alt., 14. vi. 2008, K. Watanabe leg. ( KPMNH); 1 M, Shizuoka Pref., Shizuoka City, Umegashima, Abe-toge, 15. vi. 2008, K. Watanabe leg. ( KPMNH); 1 M, Fukui Pref., Ikeda Town, Kanmuri-yama, 12. vi. 1982, T. Murota leg. ( KPMNH); 1 F, Fukui Pref., Katsuyama City, Ohara, 22. v. 1982, T. Murota leg. ( KPMNH); 1 M, Fukui Pref., Katsuyama City, Kyogatake, 29. v. 1982, T. Murota leg. ( KPMNH); 1 M, Fukui Pref., Izumi Vil, Kuzuwadani, 30. v. 1982, T. Murota leg. ( KPMNH); 1 M, Fukui Pref., Oono City to Katsuyama City, Akausagi-yama, 6. vi. 1982, T. Tano leg. ( KPMNH).

Description. Female (n=28). Body 6.5–9.5 (HT: 8.0) mm. Body polished, smooth and punctate, covered with silver setae.

Head 0.5 times as long as wide. Clypeus 0.4 times as long as wide, entirely punctate, its ventral margin slightly concave medially ( Fig. 1 ). Face 0.5–0.6 (HT; 0.5) times as long as wide, weakly convex medially. Frons weakly concave above each antennal socket. Malar space 0.6 times as long as basal width of mandible. Inner eye margin nearly parallel ( Fig. 1 ). Minimum length between lateral ocellus and eye 1.2–1.5 (HT: 1.3) times as long as minimum length between each lateral ocellus. Occipital carina complete. Antenna with 28–29 (HT: 29) flagellomeres, its first segment 1.2 times as long as second segment.

Mesosoma. Pronotum smooth dorsally, covered with irregular rugae ventrally. Epomia weak, short. Upper end of epicnemial carina reached to anterior margin of mesopleuron. Mesopleuron with a large smooth area around episternal scrobe. Lateromedian longitudinal carinae of propodeum straight and completely parallel ( Fig. 2 ). Area superomedia + basalis almost smooth ( Fig. 2 ). Fore wing 6.5–8.0 (HT: 7.5) mm. Vein cu-a of fore wing inclivous, its anterior end distant from posterior end of vein Rs + M. Vein Rs of fore wing more or less sinuate. Vein 1- cu of hind wing longer than vein cu-a of hind wing ( Fig. 8 ). Hind femur 3.6–3.8 (HT: 3.8) times as long as maximum width in lateral view. First tarsomere of hind tarsus 1.9-2.0 (HT: 2.0) times as long as second tarsomere.

Metasoma. T1 2.3–2.4 (HT: 2.3) times as long as maximum width. Median dorsal carina of T1 present medially ( Fig. 2 ). T2 0.6 times as long as maximum width, its basal area covered with irregular rugae. Ovipositor sheath 0.5 times as long as hind tibia.

Colouration ( Figs 8, 9 ). Head and mesosoma (excluding wings and legs) black, except for: lateral part of clypeus, mandible except for yellow median spot, scape, dorsal surfaces of pedicel, flagellum and maxillary palp, and tegula blackish-brown; ventral surfaces of pedicel, flagellum and maxillary palp, apex of antenna, and labial palp yellow to yellowish-brown. Wings hyaline, with blackish-brown veins except for yellow wing base. Legs black to blackish-brown, except for: apical part of fore and mid femora, fore and mid tibiae and tarsi, tarsal spurs, and base of hind tibia yellowish-brown; hind femur sometimes with a small reddish-brown area; hind tarsal segment sometimes tinged with yellowish-brown. Metasoma reddish-brown to red except for: first segment except for membranous part of first sternite, T5 (or sometimes T6)-T8, and ovipositor sheath except for yellow apex black; membranous part of first to third sternites whitish-yellow; posterior margin of all tergites narrowly reddishyellow; posterior area of T1 usually tinged with red; subgenital plate sometimes tinged with brown.

Male (n=62). Similar to female. Clypeus 0.5 times as long as wide Malar space 0.5 times as long as basal width of mandible. Minimum length between lateral ocellus and eye 1.1–1.5 times as long as minimum length between each lateral ocellus. Antenna with 28–30 flagellomeres, its first segment 1.2–1.4 times as long as second segment. Lateromedian longitudinal carina sometimes slightly convergent anteriorly. Vein cu-a of fore wing with anterior end sometimes opposite to posterior end of vein Rs+M. Hind femur 3.9–4.1 times as long as maximum width in lateral view. First tarsomere of hind tatsus 1.7–2.0 times as long as second tarsomere. T2 0.7–0.8 times as long as maximum width. Posterior margin of subgenital plate weakly concave medially ( Fig. 4 ). Apex of paramere short, its margin round ( Figs 5, 6 ). Inner margin of ventral side of paramere not concave at base ( Fig. 5 ). Tip of aedeagus somewhat swollen, decurved, its apex rounded ( Fig. 7 ). Colouration similar to female, except for: clypeus, face, malar space, mandible except for brown apex, palpi, ventral surface of scape, and hind trochantellus yellow; inner orbit of frons usually with a pair of yellow stripe along eye orbit; fore and mid legs yellow, sometimes with brown to blackish-brown areas; hind coxa and trochanter usually with a yellow area; hind femur, tibia and tarsus blackishbrown to brown except for yellowish-brown base, usually with a yellowish-brown ventral surface; T1 completely black; T2 at least black at base.

Distribution. Japan (Honshu).

Etymology. The specific name is from the type locality “ Japan ”.

Bionomics. Host is unknown. Adult wasps were collected from late May to July.

Remarks. This species closely resembles P. qinyuanensis , but it can be distinguished from the following combination of character states (male of P. qinyuanensis is unknown): lateromedian longitudinal carina of propodeum completely parallel, not convergent anteriorly (almost parallel but slightly convergent anteriorly in P. qinyuanensis ); malar space 0.6 times as long as basal width of mandible (0.5 times in P. qinyuanensis ); antenna with 28–29 flagellomeres (30–34 in P. qinyuanensis ); hind femur black, rarely tinged with red (largely red in P. qinyuanensis ); hind tibia yellowish-brown basally, black apically (entirely black in P. qinyuanensis ). Hind femur of a single female collected Biwakubo-sawa, Yamanashi Pref., with a reddish-brown area medially, while other character states of this specimen are well accorded with the character states of P. japonicum . Thus I conclude that it is unusual intraspecific variation.

The World species of Pion may be distinguished by the following key.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Pion japonicum sp. nov., 1 – 3, female (holotype): 4 – 7, male (paratype). 1, head, frontal view, surface sculptures omitted except for left half of clypeus; 2, propodeum, dorsal view, surface sculptures omitted except for left half of dorsal face; 3, T 1, dorsal view; 4, subgenital plate, ventral view; 5, 6, genital capsule, dorsal (5) and ventral (6) view; 7, right aedeagus, lateral view.

FIGURES 8 – 10. Pion japonicum sp. nov. 8, female (holotype), dorsal habitus; 9, female (paratype), lateral habitus; 10, male (paratype), lateral habitus. Scale bar: 2.0 mm.