Ateleute valeriae, Giovanni, 2024

Giovanni, Filippo Di, 2024, A remarkable new species of Ateleute Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ateleutinae) from Uganda, Zootaxa 5477 (1), pp. 87-92 : 88-90

Ateleute valeriae sp. nov. Di Giovanni ( Fig. 1A–C )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D4E1DF1D-5087-4075-B58D-5D4CF855C92A

Type material. Holotype: ♀, UGANDA: Kibale National Park, Kanyawara Biological Station , 17–24.vii.2011, S. Katusabe & co. leg. // Malaise trap, 1510 m, 00°33’55.6’’N 30°21’29’’E // TUZ022660.

Diagnosis. Ateleute valeriae sp. nov. clearly stands out among the other known species of Ateleute in the Afrotropics due to its relatively larger body size and stouter appearance ( A. elongata ( Seyrig, 1952) and A. tsiriria ( Seyrig, 1952) are the only species with a front wing length of 6–7 mm, approaching the size of A. valeriae ). In addition, A. valeriae sp. nov. can be distinguished from all Afrotropical species of Ateleute by the combination of the following characters: head not globose, with gena narrow in frontal view, malar space slightly shorter than the width of mandible base, and temple strongly reduced in lateral view (gena more developed and/or malar space wider in A. brunneicincta ( Seyrig, 1952) , A. capitalis ( Seyrig, 1952) , A. nigriventris ( Seyrig, 1952) , A. nigrocincta ( Seyrig, 1952) , A. orbitalis ( Seyrig, 1952) , A. truncata ( Seyrig, 1952) , and A. tsiriria , head globose in A. globiceps ( Seyrig, 1952) and A. isocela ( Seyrig, 1952) ; temple not so strongly reduced in A. ocellaris ( Seyrig, 1952)) ; clypeus relatively wide, its margin truncate (sometimes clypeus narrower, with more or less strongly concave margin as in A. bicincta ( Seyrig, 1952) , A. brunneicincta , A. clypearis ( Seyrig, 1952) , A. nigriceps ( Seyrig, 1952) , A. nigriventris , A. orbitalis or A. retorsa ( Seyrig, 1952)) ; fore wing with 2rs-m slightly longer than M between 2rs-m and 2m-cu (usually 2rs-m clearly shorter than M between 2rs-m and 2m-cu); ovipositor straight, with ovipositor sheath linear with a rounded tip (ovipositor more or less markedly downcurved in A. globiceps , A. isocela , A. rufa ( Seyrig, 1952) , and A. scalena ( Seyrig, 1952) , or sinuate as in A. croccalis ( Seyrig, 1952) , A. retorsa , and A. sinuata ( Seyrig, 1952) , or ovipositor straight but widening sharply towards the apex in A. truncata ; ovipositor sheath strongly widened at apex in A. foliacea ( Seyrig, 1952) , A. isocela , and A. scalena ); face, orbit up to the vertex and gena yellowish-white, contrasting with frons and temple black (face monochromous red to reddish-yellow in A. croccalis , A. foliacea , A. globiceps , A. isocela , A. nigrocincta , A. retorsa , A. rufa , A. scalena , and A. sinuata , dark red to brown in A. nigriceps and A. nigriventris , red with orbit yellowish-white in A. orbitalis , A. rectinervis ( Morley, 1917) , and A. tsiriria , or with central part yellowish-white but clypeus and mouthparts reddish-yellow as in A. albiceps ( Seyrig, 1952) , A. ocellaris , and A. vicina ( Seyrig, 1952) ; frons yellowish-white in A. alborufa ( Seyrig, 1952) , A. brunneicincta , A. capitalis , A. clypearis , A. elongata , and A. truncata ); metasoma monochromous reddish-brown, without darker bands and with the last tergites without white spots (metasoma red with last tergites white-marked in A. alborufa , metasoma mostly black with last tergites white-marked in A. bicincta and A. tsiriria , metasoma red with last tergites black with white spots in A. capitalis , A. clypearis , A. elongata , A. truncata , and A. vicina , metasoma red with one or more dark bands on anterior tergites in A. brunneicincta , A. croccalis , A. foliacea , A. isocela , A. nigrocincta and A. retorsa ).

Description of female holotype. Fore wing 8.0 mm long. Body shiny with coriaceous background ( Fig. 1A ).

Head ( Fig. 1B ). Head not globose, in lateral view about 1.5× as high as wide. Mandible moderately short, MLW 1.5, its apex only slightly narrower than base, MWW 0.7; mandible with few faint punctures, ventral tooth slightly longer than dorsal tooth; malar space shorter than width of mandible base, MSM 0.8. Clypeus almost flat in lateral view, relatively wide, CWH 2.0, CWW 1.7, with few faint punctures; clypeal margin sharp, sub-truncate; face and frons coriaceous; gena smooth; temple slightly coriaceous, strongly reduced in dorsal view, almost obliterated at the level of the upper half of the eye in lateral view. Antenna with 34 flagellomeres; maximum width of flagellum about 1.8× the minimum width of f1; f1 elongated, about 8.5× as long as its maximum width, and about 1.2× as long as f2; flagellum flattened around flagellomeres 13–24. Occipital carina absent dorsally up to the height of about half of the eye, occipital carina joining hypostomal carina clearly before mandible base. Shortest distance between posterior ocellus and eye slightly larger than the maximum diameter of posterior ocellus and slightly larger than the distance between the two posterior ocelli.

Mesosoma. Pronotum coriaceous, micro-granulate. Mesoscutum coriaceous, with notaulus strongly impressed and with strong transverse wrinkles in the central lobe. Scuto-scutellar groove distinctly longitudinally striate. Scutellum and subscutellum coriaceous, micro-granulate; scutellum with lateral carina almost complete.Mesopleuron coriaceous, speculum micro-granulate. Epicnemial carina entirely absent. Sternaulus weakly impressed, discernible up to about 0.6 the length of mesopleuron. Metapleuron coriaceous. Propodeum ( Fig. 1C ) about 1.6× as long as wide, strongly coriaceous, with hardly discernible transverse wrinkles, the wrinkles sharper in the area petiolaris. Only posterior transverse carina present, which does not connect to the pleural carina, the latter weakly outlined.

Legs. Tibiae and tarsi with sparse, moderately stout bristles.

Wings. Fore wing with 1cu-a very slightly distad to base of M&Rs; Cu between 1m-cu&M and 2cu-a about 1.8× as long as 2cu-a; pterostigma narrow, APH 1.3; areolet wide, AWH 1.5; vein 3r-m spectral; 2rs-m about 1.2× as long as M between 2rs-m and 2m-cu. Hind wing with distal abscissa of AA present but feeble; Cu between M+Cu and cu-a slightly longer than cu-a, HW1C 1.2.

Metasoma ( Fig. 1C ). T1 coriaceous, with feeble transverse striae discernible medially, elongate, T1LW 2.0, T1WW 3.5. T2 coriaceous, squared, T2LW 1.1, T2WW 1.2; thyridium shallow. Successive tergites with fine hairiness. Ovipositor straight, moderately long, OST 0.8; nodus absent, lower valve with three barely discernible faint ridges apically; ovipositor sheath linear, with a rounded tip and fine long setae.

Colour. Body yellowish-red. Face, including clypeus, mandible except teeth, palps, gena and orbit up to vertex yellowish-white; teeth, frons, occiput and temple black; scapus reddish-brown; flagellum with flagellar segments 1–2 dark brown with apex yellowish, segments 3–7 dark brown, 8–14 white, remaining apical segments black; ventral half of pronotum, mesopleuron, and metapleuron yellowish-red; dorsal half of pronotum, mesoscutum, scutellum and propodeum dorsally reddish-brown; coxae and legs yellowish-red; tarsal segments 1–3 of fore and mid legs apically lighter, yellowish; apical half of tarsal segment 1 and tarsal segments 2–4 of hind leg yellowish-white; veins and pterostigma reddish-brown; metasomal segments dark brown, thyridium area on tergite 2, narrow margin basally on tergites 3–5, and all metasomal segments ventrally and from segment 3 also laterally yellowish; ovipositor sheath yellowish-red basally turning to black apically.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The species is dedicated to my partner, Valeria, for her constant support in my work and everyday life.

Distribution. Kanyawara Biological Station, Kibale National Park, Uganda.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ateleute valeriae sp. nov., female holotype; A: habitus, lateral view; B: head, frontal view; C: propodeum and metasomal tergites 1–3, dorsolateral view.