Digonocryptus noxignis Aguiar et Santos

Aguiar, Alexandre P. & Santos, Bernardo F., 2012, Additions to the revision of Digonocryptus Viereck (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae), with nine new taxa, new males, and distribution maps for all known species, Zootaxa 3282, pp. 1-41 : 19-20

Digonocryptus noxignis Aguiar et Santos , sp. nov.

( Figs 24–26 , 77 )

Description. Holotype FEMALE. Fore wing 9.90 mm.

Head ( Figs 24–25 ). Ventral tooth of mandible slightly shorter than dorsal tooth, both teeth rhombic. Clypeus apical area delimited by brief incision; clypeal margin medially with one tooth. Antenna with 26 flagellomeres; white band starting at flagellomere V; six flagellomeres at least 50% white.

Mesosoma ( Figs 24, 26 ). Pronotum, mesopleuron and metapleuron densely covered with short white hairs; pronotum mostly strigate; mesopleuron mostly strigulate. Subalar prominence narrow, keeled. Sternaulus very deep, crenulate. Sulcus between sternaulus and scrobe very weak. Posterior transverse carina of mesosternum imperfectly developed medially (as a wrinkle). Lower metapleuron rugulose-areolate. Propodeum: densely pilose; area in front of anterior transverse carina mostly smooth, medially glabrous; posterior transverse carina complete, medially arched forwards, sublaterally forming scale-like but moderately high apophyses; area between anterior and posterior transverse carinae with somewhat regular longitudinal wrinkles; area between posterior carina and petiolar foramen areolate-rugulose. Wings hyaline; fore wing cell 1+2Rs about as wide as high, pentagonal, 2r-m and 3r-m slightly convergent, with about the same length, 3r-m mostly spectral; 2-M about as long as 3-M; 3-Cu 1.42 length of 4-Cu; hind wing vein Cub apically approximately straight.

Metasoma ( Fig. 24 ). Postpetiole medio-anteriorly flat; dorsolateral carina only faintly suggested; ventrolateral carina weak, indistinct on sub-basal portion; median dorsal carina absent; petiolar spiracles in dorsal view weakly prominent. Ovipositor 1.23 length of hind tibia. Apex of lower valve apex with 13 teeth.

Color. Head and mesosoma black with orange and whitish marks; metasoma dark brown with whitish marks. Head: black; mandible base and area surrounding it reddish brown; orbital band distinct as four narrow, pale yellow marks at 2–3h, 5–6h, 8–9h and 10–11h. Mesosoma: black; small mark on dorsal margin of pronotum whitish; all coxae and trochanters orange; fore and mid femora and fore tibia brownish orange; mid tibia, and basal 0.7 of fore and mid t1, light brown; apex of fore and mid t1, t2 and most of t3, whitish; hind femur reddish brown; hind tibia blackish except basal whitish mark; basal 0.5 of hind t1 and all t4–5, blackish; apical 0.5 of hind t1, t2–3, whitish. Metasoma: T1–3 anteriorly blackish, posteriorly brown; T4–8 dark brown, T4–5 with lateral whitish marks, T6–7 with complete posterior whitish stripes; S1 orange; S2–5 mostly brown, S6 whitish with small brown mark.

MALE. Unknown.

Comments. This species is most similar to the group of four dark-bodied Digonocryptus spp. delimited in the key of Aguiar and Ramos (2011) within dichotomies 25–26. The new species can be immediately separated from all of them by having the posterior transverse carina of propodeum stout and fully developed (vs. incomplete or absent between apophyses). In addition, the 4-stripes structure of the orbital band of the new species does not occur in any of the other four species. Also different from the first two of those species, D. sipius and D. cennitus , by having all coxae orange (vs. black), and a single clypeal tooth (vs. 2), among other incompatible features. Most similar to D. yacamus , and then to D. banius , with both of which it also shares the light colored coxae and the orbital band with yellow marks. Distinct from these two species by having scale-like apophyses on the propodeum (vs. thorn-shaped in D. yacamus ) which are fully black (vs. with white mark at apex on both D. yacamus and D. banius ), and quite distinct color patterns on the tarsi (all tarsi different from those of D. banius , and fore and mid tarsi different from those of D. yacamus ). In addition, the relative length of ovipositor (1.23 length of hind tibia) is higher than that of D. cennitus (1.10) and lower than for D. yacamus (1.37–1.41). The hyaline fore wing of the new species is also incompatible with those of D. banius , D. cennitus , and D. yacamus . Also similar to D. hesperus sp. nov. – for differences, see item Comments for that species.

Etymology. From the Latin words nox (night) + ignis (fire); in reference to the fully black mesosoma contrasting with the bright orange coxae.

Material examined. Holotype Ƥ from ECUADOR, Tena, Libertad, 10–13.V.1963, Pena ( CNCI). Pinned; right antenna few apical flagellomeres and left hind tarsus missing, otherwise complete, in good condition.

Distribution. Ecuador ( Fig. 77 ).

Figures

FIGURES 24 – 26. Digonocryptus noxignis Aguiar et Santos, sp. nov. Holotype female. 24, Habitus. 25, Mandible and clypeus, anterior view. 26, Propodeum, dorsal.

FIGURES 72 – 79. Distribution maps for species of Digonocryptus. 72, D. insularis Aguiar et Santos. 73, D. meridensis Aguiar et Ramos. 74, D. mettus Aguiar et Ramos. 75, D. narratorius (Fabricius). 76, D. niger (Szépligeti). 77, D. noxignis Aguiar et Santos. 78, D. petrus Aguiar et Ramos. 79, D. pitchus Aguiar et Ramos.