Physotarsus melipennis Zhaurova

Zhaurova, Kira & Wharton, Robert, 2009, A revision of Physotarsus Townes (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ctenopelmatinae), with description of 18 new species, Zootaxa 2207, pp. 1-52 : 38-39

Physotarsus melipennis Zhaurova , n. sp. ( Figs 46, 47 )

Diagnosis. Lateral ocelli separated by about 1.6X their widest diameter from each other and about 2.8X their widest diameter from eye margin. Antenna with 33–36 flagellomeres. Pronotum sparsely to moderately punctate. Mesoscutum shiny, sparsely punctate on anterior 0.4. T1 about twice as long as broad. Head, mesosoma, and metasoma entirely orange. Antennae black dorsally, brown to light brown ventrally. Hind femur and and most of tibia orange, tarsomeres black. Fore wing entirely fuscous.

This distinctively colored species superficially resembles P. maculipennis because of the dark wings and orange body, but is smaller, more heavily sculptured, and lacks the pale bands/spots on the wing.

Description. Female: Body ( Fig. 46 ) 5.0– 6.8 mm, fore wing 4.6–5.5 mm. Head ( Fig. 47 ): Clypeal margin widely rounded laterally with thick, rounded central lobe; Clypeus about 2.0X as wide as long. Face sparsely covered with very short setae; setae longer, less dense on clypeus. Anterior tentorial pits elongate, pointed laterally. Malar space about 0.4X width of mandibular base. Face about 2.0X as broad as long, evenly punctate, slightly bulging medially. Interantennal area flat, area immediately behind antennae weakly concave laterally, turning convex before reaching ocelli. Anterior margin of torulus situated at about 0.7 of eye height. Interantennal distance about 1.2X the distance between lateral ocelli. Widest diameter of torulus about 1.4X widest diameter of median ocellus. Lateral ocelli separated by about 1.6x their widest diameter from each other and about 2.8X their widest diameter from eye margin. Area between lateral ocelli strongly depressed, area immediately behind ocelli not sharply declivitous. Antenna with 33–36 flagellomeres, first flagellomere 4.2–4.8X longer than wide, 1.3X widest transverse diameter of eye, second flagellomere about 0.6–0.7X length of first. Occipital carina present on ventral 0.5 of head. Mesosoma: Anterior margin of pronotum broadly truncate, flat medially, slightly upcurved laterally. Lateral groove of pronotum present on dorsal 0.4, broader, often less distinct among crenulate-rugose sculpture ventrally. Pronotum sparsely to moderately punctate, heavily crenulate-rugose ventrally. Mesoscutum shiny, sparsely punctate on anterior 0.4. Epicnemial carina parallels anterior margin of mesopleuron. Mesopleuron deeply and distinctly punctate, densely so dorsally, with very small impunctate area. Metapleuron almost uniformly densely setose. Propodeum with pleural carina complete or nearly so, sometimes weakly developed; narrowly impunctate posteromedially, densely punctate laterally. Tarsal claws simple. Fore wing stigma roughly 3.5X longer than wide; Rs+2r arising from basal 0.4 of stigma; marginal cell about 3.0X longer than wide; 2rs-m 1.5–1.8X longer than abscissa of M between 2rs-m and 2m-cu; Cu1a about 1.0X length of 2cu-a; cu-a weakly to distinctly antefurcal relative to Rs&M. Hind wing M+Cu weakly bowed; basal abscissa of Rs 1.1–1.2X longer than rsm; 1st abscissa of Cu1 1.2–2.5X longer than cu-a. Metasoma: T1 about 2.0X as long as broad; surface in profile weakly concave anteriorly, weakly convex posteriorly, weak median, longitudinal groove extending from basal depression nearly to apex, dorsal tendon anchored on almost flat surface anteriorad depression; spiracles not or only weakly protruding; dorsolateral carina extending about 0.7–0.8X distance to spiracle. Cerci conical, protruding.

Color. Head, mesosoma, and metasoma entirely orange. Antennae black dorsally, brown to light brown ventrally. Fore and mid legs mostly orange, tarsomeres usually brown, tibia sometimes weakly infumate dorsally; hind femur and most of tibia orange, tibia dorsally darkening apically, tarsomeres black. Fore wing entirely fuscous.

Male: Unknown.

Material Examined. Holotype Ψ ( AEIC, Type No. 3857): [ USA, Arizona] first line of data label: “Portal, Ariz.” second line: “VIII.17.1974” third line: “H. & M. Townes”. Paratypes: 4 Ψ, same data as holotype except dates ranging 13–30.viii.1974 (H&M Townes) ( AEIC).

Remarks. In two of the paratypes, the occipital carina is complete or nearly so, though much weaker and somewhat decurved dorsally. No other New World Scolobatini have a complete occipital carina, and these specimens are considered aberrant in this regard though otherwise agreeing with the other specimens examined. The color of the dorsal surface of the hind tibia varies from almost entirely orange to almost entirely black, with the majority of the specimens having at least the apical half black.

The species name is derived from the Greek melas, dark or black and the Latin pennis, wing, in reference to the dark wings. This species is one of three described here known only from the southeastern Arizona.

Figures

FIGURES 45 – 48. Habitus and face. 45, Physotarsus maculipennis, face. 46 – 47, P. melipennis n. sp.; 46, habitus; 47, face. 48, P. mel ota rs us n. sp., habitus.