Probles (Euporizon) belokobylskii Khalaim, 2019

Khalaim, Andrey I. & Ruíz-Cancino, Enrique, 2019, Mexican species of the genus Probles Förster (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Tersilochinae), Zootaxa 4619 (2), pp. 201-230 : 206-208

2. Probles (Euporizon) belokobylskii Khalaim , sp. nov.

( Figs 8–15 )

Material examined. Holotype female ( UNAM), Mexico, Veracruz, NNE of San Andrés [Tuxtla], Biological Station Los Tuxlas, 4–8.X.2014, coll. S.A. Belokobylskij.

Description. Female. Body length almost 3.0 mm. Fore wing length 2.2 mm.

Head, in dorsal view, strongly transverse, twice as broad as long, strongly constricted and weakly rounded posterior to eyes ( Fig. 9 ); gena 0.65× as long as eye width. Eyes glabrous. Clypeus large ( Fig. 10 ), 2.2× as long as broad, weakly convex, with lower margin rounded; clypeus with distinct and rather dense punctures in upper 0.8 and less conspicuously punctate in lower 0.2, smooth between punctures, separated from face by weak impression. Two distal labial palpomeres very short (base of labial palp indiscernible). Mandible very slender, weakly and evenly tapered, with upper tooth unusually long, 4.0× longer than the lower ( Fig. 11 ). Malar space almost as long as basal mandibular width. Antennal flagellum ( Fig. 12 ) slender, tapered towards apex, with 15 flagellomeres; subbasal flagellomeres about 1.8× and subapical flagellomeres 1.3–1.5× as long as broad. Face with very weak median prominence and conspicuous median tubercle in upper part. Face and frons with fine and dense punctures on granulate background (punctures partly indistinct because of granulation), dull. Vertex shallowly granulate, weakly shining, impunctate. Gena very finely punctate on almost smooth background, very shallowly granulate in upper and lower parts. Occipital carina complete.

Mesoscutum with fine and dense punctures on granulate background (punctures partly indistinct because of granulation), dull. Notaulus represented by impression distant from anterolateral margin of mesoscutum and crest before this impression. Scutellum with lateral longitudinal carinae present in basal 0.3. Mesopleuron granulate, dull, with fine but distinct punctures centrally. Foveate groove (Fig. 13) situated in front 0.8 of mesopleuron, long and broad, strongly upcurved anteriorly, with transverse wrinkles extending downwards. Propodeal spiracle separated from pleural carina by 1.5× diameter of spiracle (Fig. 13). Propodeum distinctly granulate, impunctate, dull; basal area somewhat widened anteriorly, about 1.5× al long as anteriorly broad and 0.4× as long as apical area (Fig. 14); basal longitudinal carinae indistinct because of irregular wrinkles; apical area long and narrow, almost 1.8 times as long as broad, flat; apical longitudinal carinae strong, complete, subparallel in posterior 2/3 and weakly divergent in anterior 1/3 Fore wing with second recurrent vein (2m-cu) interstitial (Fig. 8). Intercubitus (2rs-m) rather long, weakly thickened. First abscissa of radius (Rs+2r) straight, longer than width of pterostigma. First and second abscissae of radius (Rs+2 r and Rs ) meeting at slightly acute angle (about 85°). Metacarpus (R1) almost reaching apex of fore wing. Second abscissa of postnervulus present, thus brachial cell is closed posteriorly. Hind wing with nervellus (cu1&cu-a) slightly reclivous. Legs slender. Tarsal claws weakly curved, not pectinate.

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First tergite 3.8× as long as posteriorly broad, entirely polished, round in cross-section centrally, with upper margin almost straight in basal 0.8 and convex in apical 0.2; postpetiole widened in dorsal view and clearly separated from petiole. Glymma small but distinct, situated in posterior 0.65 of tergite, joining by fine furrow to ventral part of postpetiole. Second tergite 1.4× as long as anteriorly broad. Thyridial depression very shallow, indistinct, 1.5–2.0× as long as broad, with posterior end rounded. Ovipositor robust, weakly bent upwards, with dorsal subapical depression and conspicuous rounded tooth before this depression ( Fig. 15 ); sheath about as long as first tergite.

Head and mesosoma black, partly with slight brownish tinge; clypeus brownish yellow in lower 0.3 and dark reddish brown in upper part; upper front corner of mesopleuron reddish yellow-brown. Palpi yellow. Mandible brownish yellow, teeth reddish. Scape and pedicel of antenna yellow, flagellum black. Tegula pale brown. Wings hyaline. Pterostigma brown. Legs yellow, hind leg with extreme apical end of tibia and distal tarsomeres infuscate. First metasomal segment brown. Metasoma posterior to first tergite brown to dark brown, with yellowish markings on lateral sides and ventrally.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The species is named in honour of the Russian entomologist, expert in Braconidae and collector of the holotype, Sergey A. Belokobylskij (ZISP).

Distribution. Mexico (Veracruz) (Fig. 1).

Comparison. The new species is easily distinguished from all other Mexican species of Probles by its mandible with exceptionally long upper tooth ( Fig. 11 ) and interstitial second recurrent vein (2m-cu) in the fore wing ( Fig. 8 ). Probles belokobylskii sp. nov. resembles the genus Diaparsis Förster as it has rather strongly transverse head, large clypeus ( Fig. 10 ) and strongly oblique anteriorly foveate groove of mesopleuron ( Fig. 13 ), but the propodeum with distinct basal area ( Fig. 14 ) and first metasomal segment with glymma joining by furrow to the ventral part of postpetiole ( Fig. 8 ) indicate that it is a species of Probles .

Figures

FIGURES 8–13. Probles belokobylskii sp. nov., holotype, female: 8—habitus, lateral; 9—head and mesoscutum, dorsal; 10— head, front; 11—mandible; 12—antenna, lateral; 13—head and mesosoma, lateral.

FIGURES 14, 15. Probles belokobylskii sp. nov., holotype, female: 14– propodeum, dorso-lateral; 15—apex of metasoma with ovipositor, lateral.