Erythrodolius griffithsorum Gauld, 1997

Bennett, Andrew M. R., Sääksjärvi, Ilari E. & Broad, Gavin R., 2013, Revision of the New World species of (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Sisyrostolinae), with a key to the world species, Zootaxa 3702 (5), pp. 425-436 : 425-436

Erythrodolius griffithsorum Gauld, 1997

Figs 1 , 5 , 9 , 13

Diagnosis. Erythrodolius griffithsorum can be distinguished from all other described species of Erythrodolius by the combination of the following characters: 1) mesoscutum predominantly brown, except brownish yellow anterolaterally along length of notauli and medioposteriorly (similar to Fig. 16 ); 2) scutellum brownish yellow (as in Fig. 16 ) (not brown as in E. tenebrosus sp. n.). Erythrodolius griffithsorum and E. tenebrosus sp. n. are the two darkest described species of Erythrodolius , all other described species being predominantly yellowish brown or orange.

Description. Female. Fore wing length 7.6 to 13.6 mm. Face about 2.2 to 2.4 times as wide as high, punctate, the punctures separated by about their own diameter. Malar space about 0.6 to 0.7 times as high as basal width of mandible. Clypeus with a low, rounded medial tooth ( Fig. 5 ). Ocellar-ocular distance about 2.0 times as long as maximum diameter of posterior ocellus. Antenna with 27–32 flagellomeres.

Mesoscutum polished and finely punctate, punctures in middle of lateral lobe separated by about 2 times their own diameter, much more coarsely and densely punctate on medial lobe. Scutellum with lateral carinae at base only. Mesopleuron polished with fine punctures separated by about their own diameter except impunctate on speculum. Metapleuron sparsely punctate ventrally and medially (punctures separated by one to two times their own diameter), densely punctate dorsally and posteriorly (punctures close to touching), juxtacoxal carina incomplete ( Fig 13 ). Propodeum polished and impunctate with all carinae present ( Fig. 9 ), except medial abscissa of anterior transverse carinae weak or absent in some specimens.

Tergite 1 about 3 times as long as posteriorly wide. Tergite 2 without oblique grooves. Ovipositor slightly and evenly upcurved, about 1.0 to 1.1 times as long as length of hind tibia ( Fig. 1 ).

Brownish yellow. Apical 21 or 22 flagellomeres, mandibular teeth, anterior half of medial lobe of mesoscutum, most of lateral lobes of mesoscutum except around notauli and basal 0.6 of ovipositor dark brown. Distal hind tarsomeres, anterior two-thirds of tergite 2, all of tergite 3 except anterior quarter, tergites 4+, laterotergites associated with tergites listed above, hypopygium and ovipositor sheaths medium brown. In addition, many edges of sclerites and carinae are coloured more brown than yellowish brown (e.g., edges of mesopleuron, occipital, epicnemial and propodeal carinae). Wings tinged uniformly yellow (no darkening at apex of fore wing) ( Fig. 1 ), pterostigma translucent orange brown.

Male. As female, except fore wing length 7.0 to 8.7 mm; antenna with 26 to 29 flagellomeres; subapical flagellomeres more elongate than in female, none are transverse; tergite 1 3.2 to 4.0 times as long as posteriorly wide. All flagellomeres are dark brown except the basal two. Metasoma is darker than in female, with less contrast between dark base and pale apex of second tergite. Hind tarsus is medium brown at base, darkening to apex, darker brown on dorsal surface. Gonoforceps are medium brown. One male from BMNH (Coto Brus, 1992) is brighter yellow than the other examined specimens, especially on the pleura of the mesosoma, scutellum and propodeum. In addition, the distal fore and mid tarsomeres and posterior nine tenths of tergite 3 of this specimen are darker (medium brown as opposed to brownish yellow).

Distribution. Costa Rica, Nicaragua.

Material examined. Paratypes: COSTA RICA; 9♀, Guanacaste, Guanacaste National Park, Volcán Cacao, Estacio Cacao [= Mengo], 1000m, v–xii.1988 (Gauld and Janzen) ( BMNH); 1♀, as above except, Estacion Pitilla, 680 m, v–vii,1988, ii.1990 (Gauld and Janzen) ( BMNH); 1♀, Amistad National Park, 1500 m, iii–iv.1989 (Gauld) ( BMNH); 1♀, 1♂, Coto Brus, San Vito district, Las Alturas Biological Station, 1500 m, v.1992 (Gaston) ( BMNH); 2♀, 1♂, as above except iv.1993. New material: NICARAGUA; 1♀, Jinotega: RN Datanli El Diablo, 1330m ± 10m, 13.09662 -85.86970, 18–21 May 2011, Malaise trap, Cloud forest, LLAMA #Ma-D- 04-2-02 (Longino et al. leg.) ( ZMUT).

Comments. The original description stated that the medial abscissa of the anterior transverse carina was absent, therefore the area basalis and area superomedia are confluent. This is true of some specimens, although in others, the abscissa is present, varying from weak to strong. Whilst most female specimens have the basal five or six flagellomeres pale yellow, one female paratype in BMNH (Guanacaste, 680m, iii.1990) has only the basal three (and partly the fourth) flagellomeres pale, as does the Nicaraguan specimen ( Fig. 1 ). These specimens also have generally darker colouration (pale notaular stripes lacking, extensively dark on the vertex) and blunt mandibular teeth; we presume that this is intraspecific variation. This species has been collected most commonly in wet forest between 600 m and 1500 m, although it has also been collected in dry forest at 300 m and wet forest at 100 m ( Gauld et al. 1997). The species is herein recorded for the first time outside Costa Rica. However, Gauld et al. (1997) had already reported the species to be widely distributed within Costa Rica, ranging from the Nicaraguan border south to the Panamanian border.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Lateral habitus, Erythrodolius griffithsorum, female, non-type (ZMUT).

FIGURES 5 – 8. Head, anterior view, Erythrodolius spp. females. 5. E. griffithsorum, non-type (ZMUT); 6. E. incompletus, holotype; 7. E. luteus, holotype; 8. E. tenebrosus, holotype.

FIGURES 9 – 12. Propodeum, dorsoposterior view, Erythrodolius spp. females. 9. E. griffithsorum, non-type (ZMUT); 10. E. incompletus, holotype; 11. E. luteus, holotype; 12. E. tenebrosus, holotype.

FIGURES 13 – 16. Erythrodolius spp. females. 13 – 15. Propodeum, lateral view, 16. Mesoscutum, dorsal view. 13. E. griffithsorum, non-type (ZMUT); 14. E. incompletus, holotype; 15. E. luteus, holotype; 16. E. incompletus, holotype.