Loxopus duckei Santos et Aguiar, 2014

Santos, Bernardo F. & Aguiar, Alexandre P., 2014, Review of Loxopus Townes (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae), with descriptions of six new species, Journal of Natural History 49 (31), pp. 1905-1935 : 1922-1924

Loxopus duckei Santos et Aguiar , sp. nov. (Figures 3C, 4C, 7C, 8C)

Female

Fore wing 5.19 mm long. Head. Antenna with 26 flagellomeres. CWH 1.68; CWW 1.42. MLW 1.67; MWW 0.57; MSM 0.57. Median line on supra-antennal area distinct. Mesosoma . Pronotum with strong, short striae along posterior margin of collar, from laterocentral area to ventral corner. Scutellar carina in lateral view distinct on about 0.8 of scutellum, though much weaker at posterior 0.3. Subalar ridge very narrow, dash-like ( Figure 7C ); epicnemial carina restricted to ventral 0.8 of mesopleuron, irregular. Transverse furrow at base of propodeum with almost indistinct striae. Metapleuron reticulate; juxtacoxal carina absent; pleural carina vestigial. Fourth tarsomeres lateral lobe 4.0 × as long as mesal lobe, mesal lobe almost indistinct. Anterior margin of propodeum medially approximately straight; SWL 1.57; posterior transverse carina complete, sublaterally forming distinct crests. Fore wing vein 1-Rs + M approximately straight; crossvein 1m-cu uniformly curved or irregular, slightly shorter than 1-Rs + M; crossvein 1cu-a arising basad to base of 1M + Rs by about 0.1 of its own length; veins 2cu-a and 2-Cu slightly angled; bulla of crossvein 2m-cu placed ventrally; APH 0.68; AWH 1.13. Hind wing vein 2-1A absent; HW1C 1.31. Metasoma. T1LW 2.23; T1WW 2.24; T1 angled ventrolaterally; laterally before spiracle and dorsally coriaceus, elsewhere smooth; dorsolateral carina complete but weak, more distinct apically; ventrolateral carina distinct. T2LW 0.88; T2WW 2.09; T2 sparsely pilose, with moderately coarse punctation, gradually changing to alutaceous at T3–8, those sparsely pilose. OST 0.6; ovipositor basally distinctly downcurved, apically straight; dorsal valve without nodus, preapical notch present but very weak, ventral valve tip with eight oblique ridges ( Figure 5B ).

Colour. Head black and whitish, mesosoma and legs ferruginous, metasoma dark brown and white. Head: black; scape dark ferruginous (117,072,041); pedicel with elongate white spot, remainder of pedicel and base of first flagellomere ferruginous; remainder of flagellum light brown to dark brown, toward apex except for apical one lighter; dorsal portion of apex of f4, f5–9 and base of f10 white; clypeus, ventral portion of supraclypeal area, mouth parts, base of mandible and malar space, frontal and vertical orbit whitish (234,219,186); ventral portion of gena dark brown; apex of mandible and transverse mark on supraclypeal area dark brown to blackish. Mesosoma : ferruginous (142,091,067); propleuron, collar, short dash on dorsal pronotum, subalar ridge, dorsal division of metapleuron, lateral division near hind coxa, small transverse marks over propodeal crests whitish. Legs: fore and mid coxa, fore trochanter and hind tarsi except for apical one brownish, white; hind coxa with fore portion ferruginous, hind portion white, lateral part with a broad brown mark, darker towards apex; mid and hind trochanter marked with white and dark brown; fore and mid trochantelli, femur, tibiae and tarsi ferruginous; hind trochantellus marked with ferruginous and dark brown; hind femur yellowish (211,060,129), with a darker median longitudinal line; hind tibia greyish-brown. Wings hyaline, fore wing with small, pale darker spot covering apical part of cells 2 + 3M and 1 + 2R. Metasoma: Dark brown, apical 0.2 of T1, T2 laterally, most of T3, T4–6 laterally and T7–8 dorsally, white; ovipositor reddish orange (119,074,046); sheath dark brown.

Male

The single available male is very similar to the female, except T4–6 entirely blackish, without lateral whitish marks, and T7 anteriorly blackish; fore wing 4.60 mm; SWL 1.40; T1LW 2.74; T1WW 1.79.

Variation

Fore wing 4.39–5.29 mm long. Antenna with 21–26 flagellomeres; gena sometimes partially black; mid coxa sometimes with dark brown spot; T1 sometimes smooth on lateral anterior portion. Two of six studied specimens with hind wing vein 2-1A distinct, reaching 0.5–0.7 of the distance to wing margin.

Comments

This is the only species of Loxopus without a distinct brownish mark on the fore wing. Very similar to L. tenuis , from which it can be differentiated by having the supra-clypeal area with distinct brownish marks (versus entirely whitish, rarely with fuscous lateral marks); posterior transverse carina of propodeum complete (versus usually incomplete); anterior portion of T1 blackish (versus orange), T3 anteriorly blackish (versus entirely white); dorsal valve of ovipositor without nodus (versus with weak nodus); and ventral valve with eight teeth (versus five). In addition, some specimens of L. duckei are the only members of Loxopus with a developed hind wing vein 2-1A.

Etymology

The specific name is after the type locality, the reserve in Manaus named in honour of the notable Italian-Brazilian naturalist Adolpho Ducke.

Material examined

6 ♀♀, 1 ♂. Holotype ♀ from BRAZIL, Amazonas , Reserva Adolpho Ducke, Pt. 5, 1–3 October 2005, yellow pan traps, A.P. Aguiar et al. ( INPA). Mounted on triangle point. In good shape.

Paratypes: ECUADOR: 1 ♂ from Manabi, Palmar , 200m, 27 April 1942 ( AMNH) ; 1 ♀ from Napo, Puerto Misahuelli , 18 February 1983, L. Huggert ( AIEC) . BRAZIL: Amazonas : 1 ♀ from Reserva Adolpho Ducke, Pt. 5, 1–3 October 2005, yellow pan traps, A.P. Aguiar et al. ( INPA) . Pará: 1 ♀ from Melgaço, Floresta Nacional de Caxiuanã, Estação Científica Ferreira Pena , P05012, 13–16 November 2003, yellow pan traps, A.P. Aguiar and J. Dias ; 1 ♀, same data except Igarapé Ararua , P05027, 15–18 November 2003 ; 1 ♀, same data except Igarapé Tijucaquara , P05192, 24–27 November 2003 ( MPEG) .

Distribution

Ecuador and Brazil (AM, PA) ( Figure 8C).

Figures

Figure 5. Ovipositor apex. (A) L. australis; (B) L. dodecius; (C) L. duckei; (D) L. exius.

Figure 7. (A,B) Head, frontal view. (A) L. dodecius; (B) L. ichilus (C-E, G) Mesosoma, lateral view. (C) L. duckei; (D) L. australis; (E) L. ichilus; (F) L. docedius male, propodeum; (G) L. exius; (H) L. multicolor, metasoma.