Epirhyssa villemantae, Rousse & Noort, 2014

Rousse, Pascal & Noort, Simon Van, 2014, A review of the Afrotropical Rhyssinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) with the descriptions of five new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 91, pp. 1-42 : 35-37

Epirhyssa villemantae sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C701D367-2EF0-4A73-8D41-F8F5EDADAA21

Fig. 11

Diagnosis

Head and pronotum yellowish-orange; remainder of mesosoma black; metasoma orange; wings blackish with a pale subapical patch; face sparsely punctate and moderately protruding dorsally; clypeus smooth, with median subapical tubercle moderate, ventral margin truncate; frons laterally smooth, medially transversely striate, with two submedian carinae diverging toward lateral ocelli; antenna with 36 flagellomeres; mesopleuron with epicnemial carina reaching level of mesopleural pit; subtegular ridge convex; fore wing with 2m–cu slightly apical to rs–m; tergite 1 stout in female (male unknown); tergites 1–3 smooth, following tergites moderately punctate with basal transverse striations; apical margins of all tergites straight. CT 2.0; ML 0.6; POL 1.3; OOL 1.6; Fl 1 3.6; Fl 15 2.1; FL 33 0.9; T1 1.3; OT 4.4.

Differential diagnosis

A species with unique color pattern, with most of mesosoma black, metasoma orange and wings blackish with a subapical light patch; otherwise characterized by the sparsely punctate face, the truncate ventral margin of the clypeus and the stout tergite 1 of the female.

Etymology

Dedicated to Claire Villemant, MNHN curator, hymenopterologist and ichneumonomaniac, adviser, teacher, supporter, coach and friend.

Type material

Holotype

NIGERIA: ♀, Ilorin Prov. [06°48’N 05°18’E], 18 Jun. 192 [sic], De. G.W.S. Macfie, Pres. by Imp. Bur. Ent. 1921–129 ( BMNH).

Description

Female (holotype)

B 17.1; A 13.1; F 13.1.

COLOR. Head and pronotum yellowish-orange with mandible and ocellar area black; remainder of mesosoma blackish testaceous; metasoma orange; fore leg and mid leg from tibia yellowish orange, remainder of legs blackish testaceous; antenna and ovipositor sheath brown; wings strongly infuscate but with large subapical and small mid-dorsal pale yellowish patches on fore wing.

HEAD. Face sparsely punctate, almost smooth laterally, and moderately protruding dorsally; clypeus smooth, with a moderate subapical median tubercle, ventral margin truncate; mandible stout; frons laterally smooth, medially transversely striate; inner margin of toruli expanded backwards into two weak sinuate submedian carinae, carinae then diverging and reaching lateral ocelli; frons also with an additional lateral curved carina from posterior margin of torulus to next to lateral ocellus; vertex and temples almost smooth, inter-ocellar area somewhat rugose; occipital carina mid-dorsally evanescent; hypostomal carina strongly raised above mandibular base; antenna with 36 flagellomeres.

MESOSOMA. Mesosoma finely, sparsely and shallowly punctate, but mesonotum transversely striate and pronotum, speculum area and propodeum medially smooth; epomia very weak; dorsal faint apex of epicnemial carina reaching level of mesopleural pit; apex of subtegular ridge convex, not flanged laterally; submetapleural carina moderate and even all along.

WINGS. Fore wing with 2m–cu slightly apical to rs–m, cu–a slightly apical to Rs+M, Rs moderately bowed forwards; hind wing with distal abscissa of Cu joining Cu&cu–a at its anterior third, remote from junction with M.

METASOMA. Tergite 1 moderately stout; tergites 1–3 smooth, following tergites moderately punctate with weak transverse basal striations; apical margins of all tergites straight.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

Nigeria.

Figures

Fig. 11. Epirhyssa villemantae sp. nov., holotype, ♀. A. Habitus, lateral view (inset: data labels). B. Mesosoma, lateral view. C. Metasoma, dorsal view. D. Head, anterior view. E. Mandibles, anterior view.