Epelaspis ketiae Graf & Kumagai, 1996

Lima, Adriane G. M., Pádua, Diego G., Araujo, Rodrigo O., Mazariegos, Luis A. & Fernandes, Daniell R. R., 2024, Revisiting the Darwin wasp genus Epelaspis Townes, 1970 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Phygadeuontinae): five new species, new records and a key to Neotropical species, Zootaxa 5468 (1), pp. 52-74 : 62-65

Epelaspis ketiae Graf & Kumagai, 1996

( Fig. 7 A–E )

Epelaspis ketiae Graf & Kumagai, 1996: 776 . Holotype female, Brazil (DZUP, not examined) [Coleção Pe. Jesus Santiago Moure, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Paraná, Brazil]

Material examined. 1 male. BRASIL, ES [Espírito Santo], Castelo, Pq. [Parque] Est.[Estadual] do Forno Grande , 13.X.2000, Varredura L 1, C.O. Azevedo col. (1 male, UFES) .

Diagnosis. Epelaspis ketiae can be distinguished from all other Neotropical species of Epelaspis by the combination of the following characters: (1) Clypeus with fine vertical striations near the apical margin ( Fig. 7C ); (2) Propodeum with striae ( Fig. 7D ); (3) Mesopleuron and metapleuron polished with striae; (4) Tergite 1 with weak longitudinal striae ( Fig. 7B ).

Remarks. Male. Body length (head to T8) 3.19 mm. Head. Face polished, weak granulated, weak convex with sparse punctation ( Fig. 7B ). Carinae W-shaped weak starting from the antennal socket and extending to almost half of the face, without papilla ( Fig. 7B ). Clypeus with sparse punctation ( Fig. 7B ). Gena length 0.13 mm. Eye height 0.44 mm. Ocellus diameter 0.07 mm. Shortest distance between anterior and posterior ocelli 0.04 mm. Shortest distance between posterior ocellus and compound eye 0.10 mm. Shortest distance between posterior ocelli 0.04 mm.

Mesosoma . Pronotum and epicnemium polished and smooth. Epomia present anteriorly. Epicnemial carina oblique. Mesoscutum with weak rugae, scutellum with sparse punctation. Scuto-scutelar groove polished with punctation. Propodeum with area externa with rugae and punctation; area superomedia not laterally delimited ( Fig. 7D ). Mesopleuron and metapleuron polished with striae. Legs with punctation and short setae, tarsus with denticles; fore leg with one tibial spurs, mid leg and hind leg with two asymmetrical tibial spurs. Fore wing length 2.93 mm. Hind femur length 0.73 mm. Hind tibia length 1.11 mm.

Metasoma. Tergite 2 with thyridium ( Fig. 7B ). Tergite 1 length 0.51 mm. Anterior width of tergite 1 0.11 mm. Posterior width of tergite 1 0.17 mm. Tergite 2 length 0.40 mm. Anteriror width of tergite 2 0.23 mm. Posterior width of tergite 2 0.39 mm. Tergite 3 length 0.30 mm. Anterior width of tergite 3 0.37 mm. Posterior width of tergite 3 0.33 mm.

Coloration. ( Fig. 7 ) Face and clypeus whitish yellow. Scape, pedicel and annellus whitish yellow. Base of first flagellomere yellowish orange. Gena brown. Mandibular teeth whitish yellow with apex brownish red. Legs whitish yellow, hind femur yellowish orange, hind tarsus brown. Veins and pterostigma light brown. Tergite 1 brown; tergites 2, 3 and 4 light brown, tergite 4 onward brown.

Distribution. Brazil (Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, and Espírito Santo *) ( Fig. 8 ).

Host. Unknown.

Discussion. Epelaspis ketiae is most similar to the E. renatoi for the clypeus rounded and face without papilla. However, E. ketiae differs from E. renatoi in the following characters: antennal scrobe M-shaped with striae or punctation (without striae or punctation in E. renatoi ), area superomedia not delimited (delimited in E. renatoi ), and tergite 1 with longitudinal striae (polished and smooth in E. renatoi ).

Figures

FIGURE 7. A–E: Epelaspis ketiae Graf & Kumagai, 1996. Male. A: habitus, lateral view; B: habitus, dorsal view; C: head, frontal view; D: propodeum, dorsal view; E: fore wing, ventral view.

FIGURE 8. Epelaspis ketiae Graf & Kumagai, 1996. Distribution map (purple circle for type locality, orange circle and yellow circle for previous and new records respectively).