Dimophora diabolica, Seraina Klopfstein, 2016

Seraina Klopfstein, 2016, Nine new species of Dimophora from Australia (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae): new insights on the distribution of a poorly known genus of parasitoid wasps, Austral Entomology 55, pp. 185-207 : 89-90

Dimophora diabolica sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:533B86F2-A405- 4B1C-9FDD-592338435B9E

Figure 3

Etymology

This species got its name because of the two facial protrusions that are reminiscent of horns ( Fig. 3 c), which in combination with the black and red colouration are features and colours often associated with the devil.

Diagnosis

Forewing length 4.4–7.1 mm (holotype: 6.3). Antenna in females with 33–38 (38), in males with 36–40 flagellomeres. Head with protrusion between eye and antennal base ( Fig. 1 ). Ocelli of male not enlarged, distance of hind ocellus to compound eye about 1.5 times diameter of ocellus. Mesoscutum about as long as wide to distinctly longer than wide. Mesopleuron smooth and shining between strong punctures, often with parallel wrinkles especially in anterior half, with moderate to large impunctate area around speculum. Area superomedia of propodeum about as long as wide to slightly longer; areas of propodeum smooth and shining between strong punctures. Portion of ovipositor that protrudes from metasoma 0.8–1.3 times as long as hind tibia.

Description

Head Clypeus moderately large, convex when viewed from side, margin convex; mandibles with lower tooth longer than upper tooth. Occipital carina complete, evenly arched or slightly angled above. Genal carina joining oral carina briefly before reaching base of mandible. Whole head coriaceous and matt, face and clypeus with dense and strong punctures, vertex with some sparse punctures. Antenna with last flagellomeres about as long as wide, scape excised at an angle of about 50°.

Mesosoma Pronotum with epomia distinct; mesoscutum with notauli barely reaching behind level of tegula; mesopleuron with sternaulus deeply impressed; scutellum not carinate. Propodeum with complete set of carinae, longitudinal carinae sometimes weak medially; metapleuron with short vertical carina arising above mid coxa. Mesosoma smooth and shining and with strong and dense punctures, mesoscutum but not scutellum coriaceous between punctures. Wings slightly tinged, radial cell along anterior margin of wing 0.95–1.25 times as long as stigma, areolet large, almost rhombic; hind wing with outer veins reduced, usually not pigmented except at base. Legs simple, hind coxa coriaceous and matt.

Metasoma First tergite 1.6–2.0 times as long as second tergite, second tergite 1.5–1.8 times wider apically than basally. First tergite with a rather shallow but long glymma, petiolus flattened; first sternite reaching to about half length of tergite, its sides parallel. Third tergite with laterotergite separated by crease at most at base; metasoma weakly compressed from tergite 3 onwards. Tergites smooth and shining, almost impunctate, tergites 1 and 2 with weak longitudinal striae. Ovipositor weakly to strongly down-curved, laterally compressed, with subapical notch; male clasper bluntly rounded.

Colouration of female

Head black, orange often apically on clypeus, orange or yellow in malar space, antenna either all dark or with median segments orange and basal segments brown. Mesosoma black, legs orange or red, forewing with stigma often lighter in anterior half. Metasoma red, posterior segments often brown.

Colouration of male

As in female.

Material examined

Holotype #f, NSW, Batlow, Bago forest, Pilot Hill, Experimental control area, Phasmid Ecol. Exp.; 12.iii.1957; leg. T.G.

Campbell; ANIC. Paratypes: Same as holotype: 1#m, 1#f. ACT, Black Mountain, Malaise site 2; 18.-29.ii.1980; leg. D.H. Colless; ANIC: 1#f. ACT, Canberra, Black Mountain; ix.1981; leg. I. Gauld; BMNH, 1#f. ACT, Canberra, Malaise trap; 3.iii.1980; leg. C.R. Tidemann; ANIC: 2#f. 18.iii.1980: 1#f. 20.ii.1981: 1#f. 23.xii.1978; leg. N.J. Short: 1#f. ACT, Honeysuckle creek, 35.35S/149.00E, Malaise trap; 21.- 31.iii.1985; leg. I. Naumann, I. Cardale; ANIC: 1#f. NSW, Brown Mountain; 10.iii.1961; leg. D.H. Colless; ANIC: 2#f. TAS, 5 km W Buckland, 42.37S/147.39E; 27.i.1983; leg. I. Naumann, I. Cardale; ANIC: 1#m. TAS, Collins Vale, Fairy Glen; i.-ii.1983; leg. Williams & Gauld; BMNH: 1#f. TAS, Tasmania, Mt. Barrow Rd, 890m. Nothofagus, etc., beating Acacia dealbata foliage; 15.-17.ii.1980; leg. A. Newton, M. Thayer; ANIC: 1#f. VIC, Upper Buckland River; 29.ii.1964; leg. A. Neboiss; ANIC: 1#m.

Figures

Fig. 1. Protrusion between the compound eye and antennal bases as shown in Dimophora kentmartini sp. n.

Fig. 3. Holotype of Dimophora diabolica sp. n. (a) Habitus. (b) Head. (c) Mesoscutum and head. (d) Head and mesosoma from lateral, showing mesopleural sculpture. (e) Propodeum. (f) Metasoma. Scale bars represent 2 mm (a) and 0.5 mm (b, c, d, e, f).