Physotarsus jamesi 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 : 31-32

Physotarsus jamesi Zhaurova , n. sp. ( Figs 63, 64 )

Diagnosis. Lateral ocelli separated by 0.5–0.7X their widest diameter from each other and 1.6X their widest diameter from eye margin. Antenna with 19–23 flagellomeres. Pronotum completely glabrous, mesoscutum shiny, impunctate. T1 about 1.2X as long as broad. Head dark yellow to orange, area around ocelli brownish. Mesosoma nearly orange dorsally, yellow laterally. Females with T1 and usually T2 orange, remaining terga mostly dark brown, males usually more extensively dark brown. Hind femur and tibia basally dark yellow to orange, tibia apically and tarsomeres dark brown to black. Fore wing hyaline, apex distinctly infumate.

Physotarsus jamesi is similar to several other smooth-bodied species that have hyaline wings with an infumate apical spot, most notably P. eliethi , P. glabellus , P. leucohypopygus , P. niveus , and P. oculatus . As in P. glabellus and to some extent P. eliethi the hind femur is entirely or almost entirely dark yellow to orange in P. j a m e s i. T1 is dark brown in P. glabellus but orange or mostly orange in P. j a m e s i. P. eliethi has the first flagellomere about 10X longer than wide, but it is much shorter in P. j a m e s i.

Description. Female: body ( Fig. 63 ) 3.8–4.1 mm, fore wing 3.5 mm. Head ( Fig. 64 ): Clypeal margin widely subtruncate laterally, with thick, rounded central lobe. Clypeus about 3.1X as wide as long, not divided medially by transverse depression. Face covered with short setae; setae longer, less dense on clypeus. Anterior tentorial pits elongate, pointed laterally. Malar space 0.7x width of mandibular base. Face 1.7x as broad as long, weakly convex in profile, impunctate. Interantennal area flat, area immediately behind antennae weakly concave laterally turning convex before reaching ocelli. Anterior margin of torulus situated at about 0.6 of eye height. Interantennal distance greater than distance between lateral ocelli. Widest diameter of median ocellus slightly smaller than widest diameter of torulus. Lateral ocelli separated by 0.5–0.7x their widest diameter from each other and 1.6X their widest diameter from the eye margin. Area between lateral ocelli slightly depressed, area immediately behind ocelli not sharply declivitous. Antenna with 19–23 flagellomeres; first flagellomere 4.3–4.9X longer than wide, 1.4X widest transverse diameter of eye, second flagellomere 0.7X length of first. Occipital carina present on ventral 0.5 of head. Mesosoma: Anterior margin of pronotum broadly truncate, laterally rounded and slightly upcurved. Lateral groove of pronotum weak, not extending ventrally past dorsal 0.3. Pronotum completely glabrous, impunctate. Mesoscutum shiny, impunctate. Epicnemial carina strongly angled towards anterior margin of mesopleuron. Mesopleuron with very sparsely punctate ventrally. Metapleuron sparsely setose. Propodeum with vestige of pleural carina posteriorly; impunctate. Tarsal claws with stout setae basally. Fore wing stigma about 3.4–3.8X longer than wide; Rs+2r arising from basal 0.4 of stigma; marginal cell about 2.7X longer than wide; 2rs-m 1.3–1.8X longer than abscissa of M between 2rs-m and 2m-cu, the latter quite variable; Cu1a about 0.4X length of 2cu-a; cu-a interstitital, rarely very weakly antefurcal relative to Rs&M. Hind wing M+Cu strongly bowed; basal abscissa of Rs 0.8–0.9X length of rs-m; 1st abscissa of Cu1 1.8–2.6X longer than cu-a. Metasoma: T1 about 1.2X as long as broad; surface in profile flat basally, very weakly convex, nearly flat posteriorly, dorsal tendon anchored within small, discrete basal depression; spiracles weakly protruding in profile; dorsolateral carina extending about 0.6x distance to spiracle, extending distally above spiracle as low, rounded edge. Cerci oval to nearly round, not distinctly protruding.

Male: Similar to female in structure except ratios for wing veins more variable; most available specimens slightly smaller. See color descrption below.

Color. Head dark yellow to orange, area around ocelli brownish. Mesosoma nearly orange dorsally, yellow laterally. Females with T1 and usually T2 orange, remaining terga mostly dark brown, males usually more extensively dark brown, with T1 also sometimes brown. Hind femur dark yellow to orange, tibia orange at least over basal half, dark brown to black apically, the pale coloration more extensive on anterior face, tarsomeres dark brown to black. Fore wing hyaline, apex distinctly infumate, nearly fuscous.

Material Examined. Holotype Ψ ( TAMU): [ DOMINICA] first line of data label: “ Dominica: St. Paul Parish” second line: “ ATREC, Springfield Station” third line: “15 20’25” N 61 21’ 50”W” fourth line: “ 21.v- 5.vi.2000 Chavez,” fifth line: “Benavides, Dye, & Kretsch”. Paratypes: 2 Ψ 1 ɗ, same data as holotype ( AEIC, Forestry Division of Dominica, TAMU); 1 Ψ, same locality, 31.v–14.vi.2002 ( TAMU class) ( TAMU), 7 ɗ, same locality except 15 21’N 61 22’W, 24.v–4.vi.2003, voucher specimen #645 Texas A&M University (T Decker & W Wells) ( AEIC, BMNH, Forestry Division of Dominica, TAMU).

Remarks. The coloration is very similar to that of P. eliethi , with the infumate apical spot on the fore wing slightly larger in P. eliethi .

This species is named for Arlington James, for his many contributions to our understanding of the fauna of Dominica in the Lesser Antilles. It is only known from the island of Dominica.

Figures

FIGURES 61 – 64. Habitus and face. 61 – 62, Physotarsus varicornis; 61, habitus; 62, face. 63 – 64, P. j a m e s i n. sp.; 63, habitus; 64, face.