Probles (Euporizon) juanitae Khalaim & Ruíz-Cancino, 2019

Khalaim, Andrey I. & Ruíz-Cancino, Enrique, 2019, Mexican species of the genus Probles Förster (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Tersilochinae), Zootaxa 4619 (2), pp. 201-230 : 212-213

5. Probles (Euporizon) juanitae Khalaim & Ruíz-Cancino , sp. nov.

( Figs 26–31 )

Material examined. Holotype female ( UAT), Mexico, Tamaulipas, Municipio Tula, Ejido Acahuales , 1400 m, oakforest, Malaise trap, 5–21.I.2017, coll. E. Ruíz-Cancino & J.M. Coronado-Blanco.

Paratype. MEXICO. Chiapas: 1 ♀ ( TAMU) Municipio San Cristóbal [de las Casas], Reserva [Cerro El] Huitepec, 16°46’06”N, 92°41’04”W, Malaise trap, 2–14.VIII.1997, coll. J. Woolley, González & Galdamez.

Description. Female. Body length 3.3 mm. Fore wing length 2.5 mm.

Head, in dorsal view, distinctly constricted and rounded posterior to eyes ( Fig. 27 ); gena short, 0.55× as long as eye width. Eyes glabrous. Clypeus in front view lenticular, with ventrolateral margins somewhat impressed and weak transverse impression in lower 1/3, about 2.6× as broad as long, slightly convex, smooth in lower half, coriaceous and with very fine punctures in upper half, separated from face by sharp furrow. Palpi formula 4+3. Mandible slender; upper tooth much longer than the lower. Malar space as long as basal mandibular width ( Fig. 28 ). Antennal flagellum ( Fig. 26 ) moderately slender, tapered towards apex, with 20–21 flagellomeres (21 flagellomeres in holotype); second flagellomere 1.8–2.0×, mid flagellomeres about 1.5× and subapical flagellomeres 1.0–1.1× as long as broad. Face with very weak median prominence. Face weakly granulate, impunctate, dull. Frons distinctly granulate, impunctate, dull. Vertex shallowly granulate, impunctate, weakly shining. Gena polished. Occipital carina complete. Hypostomal carina absent.

Mesoscutum finely granulate, impunctate and dull, with lateral lobes shallowly granulate, weakly shining and with very fine punctures. Notaulus with strong wrinkle on anterolateral side of mesoscutum ( Fig. 28 ). Scutellum with lateral longitudinal carinae present at its front 0.2. Mesopleuron impunctate, more or less smooth and shining centrally (above foveate groove) and ventrally, peripherally and below foveate groove finely granulate and dull. Epicnemial carina joining front margin of mesopleuron. Foveate groove ( Fig. 28 ) deep and broad, situated in front 0.8 of mesopleuron, S-curved, strongly oblique anteriorly, with strong transverse wrinkles. Propodeal spiracle separated from pleural carina by 1.5–2.0× diameter of spiracle. Propodeum granulate, impunctate, dull. Propodeum with indistinct narrow basal area which is 0.4–0.5× as long as apical area ( Fig. 29 ); apical area flat, narrow, pointed or very narrowly rounded anteriorly ( Fig. 29 ); apical longitudinal carinae complete, reaching transverse carina anteriorly.

Fore wing with second recurrent vein (2m-cu) distinctly postfurcal; vein 2m-cu completely absent in front half and distinct in posterior half. Intercubitus (2rs-m) very short and very thick. First abscissa of radius (Rs+2r) straight, 1.1× as long as width of pterostigma. First and second abscissae of radius (Rs+2 r and Rs ) meeting at right angle. Metacarpus (R1) somewhat not reaching apex of fore wing. Second abscissa of postnervulus present but short, thus brachial cell is open posteriorly. Hind wing with nervellus (cu1&cu-a) weakly reclivous. Legs slender. Tarsal claws moderately long, not pectinate.

First tergite 4.2× as long as posteriorly broad, smooth, with distal end of petiole weakly striate dorsally; tergite in cross-section centrally round, with upper margin weakly convex in basal 0.7 and strongly convex in apical 0.3; postpetiole much wider than petiole in dorsal view ( Fig. 30 ). Glymma small but deep, situated in posterior 0.65–0.7 of tergite, joining by distinct furrow to ventral part of postpetiole. Second tergite 1.55× as long as anteriorly broad ( Fig. 30 ). Thyridial depression almost 3.0× as long as broad ( Fig. 30 ). Ovipositor short, slender, weakly bent upwards, with shallow dorsal subapical depression ( Fig. 31 ); sheath about 1.5× as long as first tergite.

Head and mesosoma dark reddish brown to brownish black. Palpi and mandible (teeth reddish black) yellow. Clypeus yellow in lower part to brown in upper part. Scape and pedicel of antenna brownish yellow; flagellum dark brown, slightly paler basally. Tegula yellow-brown. Wings hyaline. Pterostigma dark brown, whitish proximally and distally. Legs entirely brownish yellow. Metasoma (including first tergite) predominantly brown, yellowish ventrally and at distal end.

Male. Unknown.

Variation. Flagellum of the paratype is slenderer and more strongly tapered towards apex, with mid flagellomeres 1.8× as long as broad and subapical flagellomeres 1.4–1.6× as long as broad. Ovipositor with weak dorsal subapical depression. Paratype is somewhat darker, with more intense brown colouration.

Etymology. The species is named in honour of our friend and colleague, expert in Braconidae and collector of the holotype, Juana Maria Coronado-Blanco (UAT).

Distribution. Mexico (Tamaulipas, Chiapas) (Fig. 1).

Comparison. The new species differs from its Mexican congeners by the combination of short gena ( Fig. 27 ), short basal keel of propodeum ( Fig. 29 ) and strongly petiolate first metasomal segment with glymma in its apical 0.65–0.7. The new species is also characterized by the second recurrent vein (2m-cu) completely lacking in front half and distinct posteriorly.

Figures

FIGURES 26–31. Probles juanitae sp. nov., holotype, female: 26—head with antennae, lateral; 27—head and mesoscutum, dorsal; 28—head and mesosoma, lateral; 29—propodeum, dorsal; 30—postpetiole and second tergite, dorsal; 31—apex of ovipositor, lateral.