Pristomerus laetus, Klopfstein, Seraina, 2016

Klopfstein, Seraina, 2016, Revising Australian Pristomerus (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cremastinae): species with a tooth on the hind femur, Zootaxa 4168 (2), pp. 201-238 : 221-222

Pristomerus laetus n. sp.

Figures 15 , 26

Etymology. The species is very colourful which is referred to in the name.

Description. Known from females only. Fore wing length 2.8–3.0 mm (holotype: 2.8 mm). Antenna with 29 flagellomeres. Mesoscutum with only a few punctures along front margin and sometimes along notauli. Scutellum without punctures, all smooth and shining. Mesopleuron with strong and rather dense punctures, smooth inbetween; below subtegular ridge with parallel, diagonal carinulae. Metapleuron with juxacoxal carina absent or at most a short basal carina. Propodeal areas smooth with strong punctures. Hind coxa coriaceous and matt, with weak punctures. Hind femur length to width ratio 4.7–5.1 (5.1) in female (male unknown), ventrally with a small tooth at most half as long as width of hind tibia at mid length. Hind tibia 1.0–1.1 (1.0) mm. Second tergite 2.1–2.7 (2.7) × longer than wide at base, smooth and shining. Ovipositor 1.7–1.9 (1.9) × as long as hind tibia.

Colouration. Antenna uniformly brown or black. Face black or dark brown, in one paratype with some indication of orange inner eye margins. Clypeus dark brown or black with a lighter brownish apex. Back of head black or dark brown. Mesosoma except propodeum entirely orange, propodeum black or dark brown except for orange base. Hind femur red-brown, clearly lighter than other dark body parts, with apex yellow. Hind tibia white or yellow with dark apex and base and often darkened inner side. Fore wing somewhat infuscate. Tergites 1 and 2 black or dark brown, tergites 3 onwards black or brown with narrow light bands apically.

Material examined. Holotype ♀: Label data: ' AUSTRALIA, NSW Crommellin; Biological Field Station ; 33.55030–49613°S 151.29795–6822°E (sweeping); 18.–24.ii.2008 A.D.Austin'; at WINC.

Paratypes: QLD—Barron river? Ex open forest; 3.vii.1964, leg. R.E.; 1 ♀, at QDPC. QLD—Mt. Tambourine; x.1977, leg. I.D.Galloway; 1 ♀, at BMNH.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Holotype of Pristomerus laetus sp. nov. A. Habitus and ovipositor tip. B. Face. C. Mesoscutum and head from above. D. Head and mesosoma from lateral. E. Propodeum. F. Metasoma. Scale bars represent 1 mm (A) and 0.5 mm (B, C, D, E, F).

FIGURE 26. Distribution maps for the species covered in this work, with the exception of P. atrifemur Girault for which only specimens of uncertain identification or with vague locality data were available.