Diaparsis (Diaparsis) probleformis, Khalaim, 2013

Khalaim, Andrey I., 2013, Afrotropical species of Diaparsis Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Tersilochinae), African Invertebrates 54 (1), pp. 127-127 : 149-151

Diaparsis (Diaparsis) probleformis sp. n.

Figs 50–57

Etymology: Named after its similarity to the genus Probles Förster.

Diagnosis: Differs from other Afrotropical species of the genus because of a combination of the following features: long, slender and clavate antenna, long ovipositor, finely and sparsely punctate head and mesosoma and fore wing with short metacarp.

Description:

Female.

Body length 4.9 mm.

Head rounded behind eyes in dorsal view; temple 0.7× as long as eye width. Flagellum of antenna almost as long as fore wing, slender, distinctly clavate at apex, with 24 segments; basal and mid flagellomeres 1.8–2.0× as long as broad, subapical flagellomere square. Mandible with upper tooth much longer than lower tooth. Malar space 0.85× as long as basal width of mandible. Clypeus wide, about 3.0× as broad as long, rather strongly convex dorsally in lateral view, smooth and distinctly punctate in upper half. Face and frons finely and densely punctate on granulate background (punctures on face mostly indistinct). Vertex with very shallow punctures on finely granulate background. Temple finely granulate, finely and sparsely punctate. Occipital carina complete.

Mesosoma with mesoscutum granulate, finely and densely punctate. Notaulus with short and weak longitudinal wrinkle. Mesopleuron finely punctate (punctures distinct centrally and indistinct peripherally) or very finely granulate, dull background. Foveate groove in anterior 0.6 of mesopleuron, moderately broad, oblique, not reaching anterior margin of mesopleuron, with fine transverse wrinkles. Propodeal spiracle separated from pleural carina by about one diameter of spiracle. Propodeum with basal keel vanishing, 0.6× as long as apical area; dorsolateral area granulate, with very fine and indistinct punctures; apical area widely rounded anteriorly, flat, evenly granulate, impunctate; apical longitudinal carinae reaching transverse carina anteriorly.

Fore wing length 3.5 mm. First abscissa of radius straight, longer than width of pterostigma. Metacarp far short of apex of fore wing. Second recurrent vein postfurcal. Intercubitus slightly longer than abscissa of cubitus between intercubitus and second recurrent vein. Hind wing with nervellus slightly reclivous.

Legs robust. Hind femur 3.7× as long as broad and almost as long as tibia. Spurs of hind tibia almost straight. Tarsal claws strongly curved, not pectinate.

Tergite 1 of metasoma smooth, 3.8× as long as broad posteriorly, with isolated glymma in basal 0.45, and petiole round in cross-section. Second tergite 1.45× as long as broad anteriorly; thyridial depression about 1.7× as long as broad. Ovipositor long, rather strongly upcurved, with very shallow dorsal subapical depression; sheath 2.8× as long as hind tibia and first tergite.

Head, mesosoma and tergite 1 black. Antenna with scape and pedicel brownish yellow, flagellum brown basally to blackish apically. Clypeus yellow in lower 0.4 and dark brown in upper 0.6. Palpi and mandible (except for blackish teeth) yellow. Tegula brownish. Pterostigma brown. Wings infused with brown. Legs mainly brownish yellow with mid tibia and tarsus infuscate, hind leg with coxa brown, femur brown with apical 0.2 yellowish, tibia infuscate and tarsomeres 1–4 fuscous. Metasoma behind tergite 1 mainly dark brown, ventrally yellow.

Male. Very similar to female but flagellum distinctly tapered towards apex, with 27–29 segments, malar space shorter, propodeal spiracle separated from pleural carina by about 2.0 diameters of spiracle, apical area of propodeum pointed anteriorly, fore wing with intercubitus slightly shorter than abscissa of cubitus between intercubitus and second recurrent vein, tergite 2 longer and thyridial depression twice as long as broad.

Holotype: ♀ SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: Avondale farm, Site A 4, 32°14.31'S 22°58.59'E, Nama Karoo on dolerite soils, 25.iv.2001, S. van Noort & H.G. Robertson, Malaise trap, BW01-A4-M27, SAMHYM-P0024884 ( SAMC).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu­Natal: 1♂ Royal Natal Nature Reserve, Gudu Forest , 28°40.9'S 28°55.78'E, 1680–1730 m, 18.xi.2006 – 27.ii.2007, M. Mostovski, Malaise trap ( SAMC) . Western Cape: 1♂ Kamferskraal farm, Site K 4, 32°16.92'S 23°01.13'E, Nama Karoo on dolerite soils, 29.iv.2001, S. van Noort & H.G. Robertson, Malaise trap, BW01-K4-M47 ( ZISP) .

Figures

Figs 50–57.Diaparsisprobleformis sp.n.: (50, 52–54, 56, 57) ♀holotype:(50) head withantenna,mesosoma and hind leg,lateral view,(52)head,dorsal view,(53)head,frontal view,(54) propodeum,dorsolateral view, (56) metasomal tergite 2, dorsal view, (57) apex of metasoma with ovipositor, lateral view; (51, 55) ♂ paratype: (51) head with antenna, anterolateral view, (55) propodeum, dorsal view.