Stethantyx aprica Khalaim et Broad

Khalaim, Andrey I. & Broad, Gavin R., 2013, Tersilochinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) of Costa Rica, part 2. Genera Megalochus gen. nov. and Stethantyx Townes, Zootaxa 3693 (2), pp. 221-266 : 236-237

Stethantyx aprica Khalaim et Broad , sp. nov.

( Figs 26–28 )

Comparison. Differs from other species of the genus by its distinctly punctate, shining head, lacking granulation ( Fig. 26 ). It is also characterized by the black head, orange mesosoma, predominantly black hind leg and metasoma (hind coxa and both trochanters yellow, tergites 2+ dorsally white-banded posteriorly), very short malar space ( Fig. 26 ), strong notaulus and very long ovipositor.

Description. Female. Body length about 8.6 mm. Fore wing length 5.85 mm.

Head strongly rounded behind eyes in dorsal view; temple about half as long as eye width.

Mandible with upper tooth much longer than lower tooth. Clypeus broad, lenticular, slightly convex in lateral view, smooth with sparse punctures on its upper half. Malar space very short, about 0.1× as long as basal width of mandible ( Fig. 26 ). Flagellum of antenna with 32–35 segments, weakly narrowed towards apex; subbasal flagellomeres 1.6× as long as broad, subapical flagellomeres slightly elongate or subsquare. Inner eye orbits very weakly convergent ventrally. Face moderately prominent centrally, with sharp dense punctures, smooth between punctures. Frons densely punctate, mostly smooth between punctures. Vertex and temple smooth and shining, sparsely punctate.

Notaulus as short but rather deep furrow beginning a little distant from anterolateral margin of mesoscutum, with short crest in front of furrow ( Fig. 27 ). Mesoscutum very finely granulate, dull, with fine, sometimes indistinct punctures. Scutellum with lateral longitudinal carinae strong, reaching its posterior end and joining posteriorly. Foveate groove of mesopleuron moderately strong, about half as long as mesopleuron, situated near centre of mesopleuron, oblique and crenulate ( Fig. 27 ). Mesopleuron mostly smooth and shining, with fine and moderately dense punctures. Propodeum with strong carinae, finely granulate, dull, dorsolateral area very finely punctate. Basal area of propodeum weakly (in paratypes) to rather strongly (in holotype) widened anteriorly, about 1.5× as long as anteriorly broad, and 0.4–0.55× as long as apical area ( Fig. 28 ). Propodeal spiracle rather big, adjacent to pleural carina (in holotype) or separated by up to one diameter of spiracle. Apical area flat, anteriorly broad, truncated ( Fig. 28 ).

Fore wing with vein 2 m-cu slightly postfurcal. Veins Rs +2 r and Rs angled about 120°. Vein 2 rs-m thin, 3.0× as long as abscissa of M between 2 rs-m and 2 m-cu. Hind wing with cu 1& cu-a distinctly inclivous. Hind femur slightly clavate, 4.4× as long as broad, 0.85× as long as tibia.

First tergite slender, 4.9× as long as posteriorly broad, smooth except for entirely striate laterally petiole. Glymma situated somewhat behind middle of tergite 1, small, joining by shallow, indistinct furrow to ventral part of postpetiole. Second tergite 2.3× as long as anteriorly broad. Thyridial depression very long, more than 4.0× as long as broad. Ovipositor long, evenly upcurved, with shallow dorsal subapical depression; sheath about 3.8× as long as first tergite and about 4.4× as long as hind tibia.

Head black; clypeus yellow with fuscous mark in its upper part; palpi and mandible (teeth black) whitish. Scape and pedicel of antenna dark brown, flagellum black. Mesosoma (including tegula) yellowish orange to orange, dorsolateral area of propodeum brownish. Fore and mid legs yellow. Hind leg with coxa and trochanters yellowish with fuscous marks, femur and tibia brown (in holotype) or black (in paratypes), all tarsomeres dark with extreme apices yellowish. Pterostigma blackish. Metasoma predominantly dark brown to black, ventrally white, hind margins of tergites 2+ white.

Male. Flagellum with 33 segments. Tergite 2 of metasoma longer than in female. Otherwise similar to female.

Etymology. From the Latin aprica (sunny, having lots of sunshine) after its smooth and shining body.

Material examined. Holotype female (BMNH), Puntarenas Prov., Monteverde, 1350 m, I.1986, coll. W. Haber.

Paratypes. Puntarenas Prov.: 2 Ƥ (INBio, ZISP) Buen Amigo, San Luís Monteverde, 1000–1350 m, VIII.1994, coll. Z. Fuentes. 1 3 (INBio) same data, but XI.1994.

Distribution. Costa Rica (Puntarenas).

Figures

FIGURES 24 – 29. Stethantyx alajuela sp. nov., Ƥ: 24 — mesosoma, left; 25 — mesoscutum and scutellum, dorsal. Stethantyx aprica sp. nov., Ƥ: 26 — head, frontal; 27 — mesosoma and first metasomal segment, left; 28 — propodeum, posterolateral. Stethantyx altamira sp. nov., Ƥ: 29 — mesosoma, left. Scale bars (except Fig. 27) = 0.1 mm, scale bar for Fig. 27 = 0.2 mm.