Stethantyx aurantia Khalaim & Sääksjärvi, 2013

Khalaim, Andrey I., Sääksjärvi, Ilari E. & Bordera, Santiago, 2013, Tersilochinae of Western Amazonia (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Genus Stethantyx Townes, part 1, Zootaxa 3741 (3), pp. 301-326 : 307-309

Stethantyx aurantia Khalaim & Sääksjärvi , sp. nov.

( Figs 9–11 , 53 )

Comparison. Stethantyx aurantia sp. nov. is very similar to S. tiputinia sp. nov. in having a very short second metasomal tergite, flagellum without pale band and orange to reddish orange mesosoma, but differs from this species in having yellowish orange head with only interocellar area fuscous and longer ovipositor.

Description. Female. Body length 4.8 mm. Fore wing length 3.45 mm.

Head very strongly and roundly narrowed behind eyes in dorsal view; temple 0.56× as long as eye width.

Mandible with upper tooth much longer than lower tooth. Clypeus lenticular, convex in lateral view, smooth, with sparse punctures in upper part. Malar space 0.6× as long as basal width of mandible. Antennal flagellum filiform or weakly narrowed towards apex, with 23–24 flagellomeres (24 flagellomeres in holotype); all flagellomeres 1.3– 1.7× as long as broad. Face, frons, vertex and temple very finely, mostly indistinctly punctate on very shallowly granulate, dull or weakly shining background (temple centrally usually shining). Face with weak prominence centrally.

Mesosoma very finely, mostly indistinctly punctate on very shallowly granulate, dull or weakly shining background (mesopleuron above foveate groove more or less smooth). Notaulus as strong carina. Scutellum with lateral longitudinal carinae reaching its posterior end and joining posteriorly. Foveate groove situated in anterior half of mesopleuron, strongly oblique, deep, with strong transverse wrinkles, not reaching prepectal carina anteriorly. Transverse carina of propodeum without adjacent wrinkles. Basal area of propodeum weakly widened anteriorly or more or less rectangular, about 1.5× as long as broad and 0.35× as long as apical area. Propodeal spiracle small, separated from pleural carina by one diameter of spiracle. Apical area flat, truncate anteriorly.

Fore wing with first and second sections of radius angled 100–105°. Intercubitus longer than abscissa of cubitus between intercubitus and second recurrent vein. Metacarpus almost reaching apex of fore wing. Hind wing with nervellus vertical.

Legs slender. Hind femur 3.7× as long as broad and 0.81× as long as tibia. Hind spurs slightly curved at apex.

First tergite 3.1× as long as posteriorly broad, smooth, petiole strongly striate laterally before glymma. Glymma situated near middle of tergite, moderately large, groove between glymma and ventral part of postpetiole vestigial. Second tergite 1.3× as long as anteriorly broad. Thyridial depression about 3.0× as long as broad. Ovipositor upcurved, with rather weak dorsal subapical depression (this depression is rather sharp and deep in holotype); sheath 2.8–3.3× (3.3× in holotype) as long as first tergite and hind tibia.

Head, mesosoma (including tegula) and legs yellowish orange. Palpi and mandible (teeth black) yellow. Hind leg usually with tibia and tarsus more or less infuscate. Flagellum of antenna fuscous. Pterostigma and first metasomal segment brown (apex of postpetiole sometimes yellowish). Metasoma behind first tergite yellow to yellow-brown, dorsal surfaces of tergites 2 and 3 anteriorly brown.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. From the Latin aurantium (orange) in reference to the colour pattern of the body.

Material examined. Holotype female (USNM), Ecuador, Orellana Prov., Onkone Gare, 0º39′25.7′′ S, 76º27′10.8′′ W, 216.3 m, canopy fogging, 4.X.1996, coll. T.L. Erwin et al.

Paratypes. Ecuador, Orellana : 3 ♀ (2 ♀ ZMUT, 1 ♀ ZISP) same label as holotype, but 9.X.1994, 8.X.1995, 2–4.X.1996.

Distribution. Ecuador ( Orellana ).

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 14. Stethantyx aurantia sp. nov., ♀, holotype: 9 — head, mesosoma and metasoma, lateral; 10 — head with antennae, lateral; 11 — propodeum, dorsolateral. Stethantyx heredia, ♀: 12 — head, frontal; 13 — mesoscutum and scutellum, dorsal; 14 — propodeum, dorsolateral.

FIGURES 52 – 55. Stethantyx spp., ♀, holotypes, habitus: 52 — S. amazonica sp. nov.; 53 — S. aurantia sp. nov.; 54 — S. juninensis sp. nov.; 55 — S. loretosa sp. nov. Scales 1.0 mm.