Liotryphon tamajalus Khalaim & Ruíz-Cancino, 2022

Khalaim, Andrey I. & Ruíz-Cancino, Enrique, 2022, Darwin wasps of the subfamily Pimplinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) of Mexico: Ephialtes genus-group, Zootaxa 5169 (3), pp. 201-251 : 225-227

4. Liotryphon tamajalus Khalaim & Ruíz-Cancino , sp. nov.

( Figs 33–36 )

Material examined. Holotype female ( UAT), Mexico, Tamaulipas, 6 km NE of Miquihuana , 23°36.125’N, 99°42.45’W, 2200–2300 m, 24.x.2008, coll. A.I. Khalaim.

Paratype. MEXICO. Jalisco: 1 ♀ ( ZISP) 10 km S of Tequila, Mt. Tequila , 20°47.4’N, 103°51’W, 2750–2850 m, 7.ii.2009, coll. A.I. Khalaim.

Description. Female. Body length 10.8 mm. Fore wing length 9.2 mm.

Head roundly narrowed behind eyes in dorsal view. Mandible punctate in basal half, with upper tooth subequal to lower tooth. Malar space 0.2–0.3× as long as basal mandibular width. Clypeus almost twice as broad as long, apically bilobate. Face transverse, almost 0.8× long as broad. Antenna with scape very obliquely truncate, angled at about 45°; flagellum with 26 flagellomeres. Lateral ocellus separated from eye margin by 1.2× maximum diameter of lateral ocellus. Face, frons, vertex and gena finely punctate, smooth between punctures (punctures sparser on vertex and gena). Occipital carina complete, dorsally weak.

Epomia distinct, curved. Pronotum polished, peripherally finely punctate. Mesoscutum finely punctate, smooth between punctures, with moderately dense setae. Notaulus rather deep in anterior 0.25 of mesoscutum. Epicnemial carina well developed ventrally and laterally. Mesopleuron, metapleuron and propodeum mostly finely punctate, smooth and shining between punctures. Submetapleural carina virtually absent, represented by a small tubercle anteriorly. Propodeum almost ecarinate, lateromedian longitudinal carinae completely absent, only lateral longitudinal carinae developed posteriorly. Metapleuron separated from propodeum by thin and sharp furrow, without distinct carina. Propodeal spiracle situated distinctly above pleural furrow.

Fore wing with 1cu-a (nervulus) opposite or somewhat distad to M&RS (basal vein). Hind wing with nervellus intercepted in upper 0.4, distal section of CU distinct. Tarsal claw strongly curved, with large acute basal lobe.

Metasoma depressed. First tergite almost as long as posteriorly broad, with lateromedian longitudinal carinae developed in basal 0.4–0.5, and lateral longitudinal carinae developed basally and apically, indistinct medially (behind spiracle). Second tergite slightly transverse, without distinct oblique grooves anterolaterally, smooth, with moderately large punctures, impunctate on posterior about 0.25. Third tergite 0.75× as long as broad. Tergites 3–5 with conspicuous lateral swellings. Ovipositor more or less straight, apically slightly decurved ( Fig. 33 ), with weak nodus dorsally and oblique teeth ventrally ( Fig. 36 ); its sheath about 1.3× as long as fore wing.

Head and mesosoma black. Clypeus and mandible (except teeth) dark reddish brown. Palpi white. Antenna black. Pronotum with white stripe on its upper margin extending forward from its hind corner to almost base of notaulus ( Fig. 34 ). Tegula white. Pterostigma brown. Legs reddish orange; trochanter and trochantellus of fore leg and trochantelli of mid and hind legs more or less whitish; hind tibia infuscate. First metasomal tergite and ovipositor sheath black, tergites 2+ brownish black.

Male. Unknown.

Variation. The paratype is very similar to the holotype but is smaller, with body length 8.2 mm and fore wing length 7.0 mm, flagellum with 24 segments, second tergite 0.8× and third tergite 0.7× as long as broad posteriorly.

Etymology. Combination of names of the states Tama[ulipas] and Jal[isco] where the holotype and paratype specimens were collected from.

Distribution. Mexico (Tamaulipas, Jalisco).

Comparison. The new species differs from eight Nearctic congeners by lack of the submetapleural carina, and from three other Mexican species by characters given in the key.

Figures

FIGURES 32–36. Liotryphon gauldi sp. nov., holotype, ♀: 32—habitus, lateral. Liotryphon tamajalus sp. nov., paratype, ♀: 33—habitus, lateral; 34—mesosoma and base of metasoma, lateral; 35—metasomal tergites 1–4, dorsal; 36—apex of ovipositor, lateral.