Tariqia Rousse et Villemant

Rousse, Pascal & Villemant, Claire, 2012, Ichneumons in Reunion Island: a catalogue of the local Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) species, including 15 new taxa and a key to species, Zootaxa 3278, pp. 1-57 : 45-46

Tariqia Rousse et Villemant gen. nov.

( Fig. 20 )

Diagnosis. Genus characterized by the combination of the twisted mandible, occipital carina very close to the foramen magnum, mesoscutum with notaulus present basally as a deep punctuation bordered by a short vertical carina on its front side, tergite I fused with sternite, petiolar area of propodeum with a strong median longitudinal carina, areolet closed and petiolate, and long ovipositor.

Description.

Head. Transverse in dorsal view and very strongly constricted behind head; temple virtual, dorsal face of head almost flat and reaching the posterior margin of eyes; occipital carina flanged, very close to the foramen magnum, joining the flanged hypostomal carina far from base of mandible; clypeus large and convex, separated from face by a groove, its ventral margin sub-truncate; clypeal fovea minute in a deep impressed area; mandible thin, bidentate and with apex apparently slightly twisted, lower tooth distinctly smaller than upper; maxillary palpus elongate, five segmented, its apex reaching middle of mesopleuron; labial palpus four segmented; torulus large and flanged, scape large ovate, its apical truncation about 45° from transverse; flagellum without tyloids, bearing erected hairs and dense longitudinal sensillae.

Mesosoma. Pronotum with epomia long and strong; mesoscutum polished, almost bare with notaulus present basally as a deep punctuation bordered by a short vertical carina on its front side; scutellum convex with lateral carinae only at basal corner; mesopleuron polished with sternaulus short but strongly impressed anteriorly; propodeum polished with strong carination; anterior transverse carina entirely lacking, petiolar area with a strong median longitudinal carina. Legs rather slender, hind femur sub-clavate and hind tibia clavate; apical fringe of hind tibia dense and slightly oblique; tarsal claws simple, elongate. Fore wing with areolet large and closed, rhombic and shortly petiolate, 2m-Cu with two bullae, arising after middle of areolet; cu-a barely distad to Rs&M; hind wing with M+Cu strongly elbowed at its posterior fourth; 1/Cu&cu-a angled posteriorly, Cu1 absent.

Metasoma. Metasomal tergite I moderately long and slender with spiracle at middle; glymma absent, ventrolateral carina strong; sternite 1 fused with the tergite and ending at spiracle level; tergite II smooth without thyridiae, with a pair of oblique smooth grooves at its base, its laterotergite separated by a crease; tergite III without crease; hypopygium short and medially membranous; ovipositor long and thin, slightly upcurved at its basal third, and lacking a sub-apical notch.

Comments. This genus shares several characters (occipital carina very close to foramen magnum, temple very short, glymma absent, petiolar area with a strong median longitudinal carina) with Sphingozona Townes. However , it differs by its shorter antenna and maxillary palpus, mesoscutum with short and deep notauli bordered by a frontal carina, short and deep sternaulus, propodeum without deep anterior transverse groove, fore wing with an areolet and tergite I separated from the laterotergite by a crease. The shape of notauli and the absence of anterior transverse carina in propodeum relate Tariqia to some Plescidea species and the genus Aniseres ; this last genus however has the sternite 1 free from the tergite and the tergite III with laterotergite separated by a crease, while in Plesticidea the laterotergites of second and third tergites are not separated by a crease. Tariqia cannot therefore be attached to any other Orthocentrinae genus.

Etymology. Dedicated to Tariq Aït Lemkadem.

Figures

FIGURE 20. Tariqia stellaris gen. nov., sp. nov. a: female, habitus. b: male, habitus. c: head, face. d: head, rear. e: propodeum, dorsal.