Physotarsus claviger 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 : 16-17

Physotarsus claviger Zhaurova , n. sp. ( Figs 7 , 17–19 )

Diagnosis. Lateral ocelli separated by about 0.7X their widest diameter from each other and 1.7X their widest diameter from eye margin. Antenna with 28 flagellomeres. Pronotum and mesoscutum glabrous, impunctate. T1 about 1.7X as long as broad. Head yellow and dark brown to black, face yellow with median longitudinal dark brown stripe and transverse band ventrally extending partly onto clypeus. Mesosoma with yellow and black markings. Metasomal tergites largely black with thin yellow apical trim, sternites yellow. Hind femur almost entirely dark brown to black, hind tibia largely yellow with dark patch or patches near apex, tarsomeres yellow, pretarsus black. Fore wing hyaline, apex infumate.

This species is most similar to P. bonillai and P. castilloi in body sculpture and form of the clypeal margin, but is much darker in coloration. Physotarsus claviger is the only described species with extensive dark markings on the mesothorax and a virtually impunctate mesopleuron.

Description. Male: Body ( Fig. 17 ) 5.0 mm, fore wing 5.7 mm. Head ( Fig. 18 ): Clypeal margin undulate laterally with thick, angulate central lobe ( Fig 7 ). Clypeus about 2.7–3.0X as wide as long, divided medially by very shallow transverse depression. Face covered with short setae; setae longer, less dense on clypeus. Anterior tentorial pits deep, elongate and pointed laterally. Malar space about 0.6X width of mandibular base. Face 2.0X as broad as long, nearly flat, evenly sparsely punctate. Interantennal area flat, area immediately behind antennae weakly concave turning convex laterally and medially before reaching ocelli. Anterior margin of torulus situated at about 0.8 of eye height. Interantennal distance greater than distance between lateral ocelli. Widest diameter of torulus 1.5X widest diameter of median ocellus. Lateral ocelli separated by about 0.7X their widest diameter from each other and 1.7X their widest diameter from eye margin. Area between lateral ocelli slightly depressed, area immediately behind ocelli not sharply declivitous. Antenna with 28 flagellomeres, first flagellomere 5.0X longer than wide, 1.6X widest transverse diameter of eye, second flagellomere 0.7X length of first. Occipital carina present on ventral 0.3–0.4 of head. Mesosoma: Anterior margin of pronotum medially slightly emarginate, laterally rounded and slightly upcurved. Lateral groove of pronotum vestigial, unsculptured, present on dorsal 0.3. Pronotum and mesoscutum glabrous, impunctate. Epicnemial carina parallels anterior margin of mesopleuron. Mesopleuron impunctate, sparsely pubescent ventrally. Metapleuron pubescent, a little more sparsely so posteromedially. Propodeum with pleural carina complete; widely impunctate medially, sparsely pubescent and somewhat rugose laterally. Tarsal claws with stiff setae basally. Fore wing stigma narrow; Rs+2r arising from basal 0.4 of stigma; marginal cell about 3.0X longer than wide; 2rs-m 1.3–1.5X longer than abscissa of M between 2rs-m and 2m-cu; Cu1a about 0.8X length of 2cu-a; cu-a distinctly antefurcal relative to Rs&M. Hind wing M+Cu strongly bowed; basal abscissa of Rs 1.4X longer than rs-m; 1st abscissa of Cu1 about 3.0–4.0X longer than cu-a. Metasoma: T1 about 1.8X as long as broad; surface in profile almost completely flat, dorsal tendon anchored within small, shallow, relatively discrete depression; spiracles strongly protruding; dorsolateral carina extending medially from spiracle and more than half distance to level of spiracle from the base. Cerci weakly protruding. Subgenital plate narrowly emarginate, fairly deep, its margin even. Aedeagal margin toothed laterally ( Fig. 19 ).

Color. Head largely yellow with median longitudinal dark brown stripe and transverse band ventrally extending partly onto clypeus, longitudinal and transverse bands may combine to form a smooth triangle, vertex and ocellar field dark brown to black. Mesosoma with yellow and black markings, mesopleuron except dorsally, entire metapleuron, and all but extreme apex of propodeum black. Metasomal tergites largely black with a thin yellow trim, sternites yellow. Fore and mid legs yellow, hind femur black except yellow at extreme apex, hind tibia largely yellow with dark patch or patches near apex, tarsomeres yellow, pretarsus black. Fore wing hyaline, apex infumate.

Female: Similar to male except first flagellomere 4.5X longer than wide; cu-a of fore wing interstitial; hind wing Rs 1.2X longer than rs-m.

Material Examined. Holotype ɗ ( AEIC, Type No. 3848): [ ARGENTINA, Tucumán] first line of data label: “Villa Nogués” second line: “ I-1-66 Argent.” third line: “H. &M. Townes”. Paratypes: 1 Ψ 1 ɗ, same data as holotype ( AEIC).

Remarks. The species name is Latin for club-bearing, referring to the shape of the clypeal margin. This species is known only from northwestern Argentina. This is Physotarsus species 4 in the analyses conducted by Zhaurova and Wharton (2009).

Figures

FIGURES 5 – 8. ESEM, clypeus. 5, Physotarsus concavus n. sp., 6, P. luteus n. sp., 7, P. claviger n. sp., 8, Scolobates auriculatus.

FIGURES 17 – 20. Habitus, face, and male genitalia. 17 – 19, Physotarsus claviger n. sp.; 17, habitus; 18, face; 19, male genitalia, ventral view. 20, P. concavus sp. nov., habitus.