Physotarsus gineus 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 : 28-29

Physotarsus gineus Zhaurova , n. sp. ( Figs 36 , 37 )

Diagnosis. Lateral ocelli separated by about 1.8X their widest diameter from each other and about 2.0X their widest diameter from eye margin. Antenna with 28–29 flagellomeres. Pronotum largely glabrous, sometimes sparsely punctate or slightly rugose medially. Mesoscutum shiny, very sparsely punctate on anterior 0.3. T1 about 2.3X as long as broad. Head pale yellow with black median stripe on frons and vertex; occiput black. Mesosoma largely black with yellow markings on mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and propodeum. Metasomal segments largely black with thin yellow apical trim. Hind femur and tibia orange, tarsomeres dark brown. Fore wing hyaline, apex weakly infumate.

Physotarsus gineus is distinguished from all other balck and yellow species with a distinctly punctate mesopleuron by the weakly infumate spot on an otherwise hyaline wing. It is otherwise similar in color pattern to species with a more densely and extensively punctate mesoscutum, especially P. melotarsus .

Description. Female: Body ( Fig. 36 ): 3.5–4.1 mm, fore wing 3.6–4.0 mm. Head ( Fig. 37 ): Clypeal margin thick, evenly rounded laterally, with thick. rounded central lobe. Clypeus about 2.9X as wide as long, not divided medially by transverse depression. Face covered with very short setae; setae longer, less dense on clypeus. Anterior tentorial pits extremely elongate and pointed laterally. Malar space small, about 0.3X width of mandibular base. Face 2.2–2.3X as broad as long, strongly protruding in profile, evenly sparsely punctate.

Interantennal area flat, area immediately behind antennae weakly concave turning convex before reaching ocelli. Anterior margin of torulus situated at about 0.6 of eye height. Interantennal distance smaller than the distance between lateral ocelli. Widest diameter of torulus 1.4–1.6X widest diameter of median ocellus. Lateral ocelli separated by about 1.8X their widest diameter from each other and about 2.0X their widest diameter from eye margin. Area between lateral ocelli slightly depressed, area immediately behind ocelli not sharply declivitous. Antenna with 28–29 flagellomeres, first flagellomere 3.8–4.6X longer than wide, 0.8X widest transverse diameter of eye, second flagellomere 0.6–0.7X length of first. Occipital carina present on ventral 0.6–0.7 of head. Mesosoma: Anterior margin of pronotum medially emarginate, laterally rounded and slightly upcurved. Lateral groove of pronotum weak, weakly sculptured, present on dorsal 0.4. Anterior margin of the pronotum straight and slightly upcurved laterally. Pronotum largely glabrous, sometimes sparsely punctate or slightly rugose medially. Mesoscutum shiny, sparsely to very sparsely and weakly punctate on anterior 0.3. Epicnemial carina parallels anterior margin of mesopleuron. Mesopleuron moderately to densely punctate ventrally. Metapleuron uniformly densely setose. Propodeum without carinae; impunctate to very lightly punctate medially, densely punctate laterally. Tarsal claws simple. Fore wing stigma about 3.5X longer than wide; Rs+2r arising from basal 0.3–0.4 of stigma; marginal cell about 2.8–2.9X longer than wide; 2rs-m 1.2–1.6X longer than abscissa of M between 2rs-m and 2m-cu; Cu1a about 0.8X length of 2cu-a; cu-a weakly antefurcal relative to Rs&M. Hind wing M+Cu bowed to somewhat strongly bowed; basal abscissa of Rs 0.9–1.2X length of rs-m; 1st abscissa of Cu1 1.6–2.6X longer than cu-a. Metasoma: T1 about 2.3X as long as broad; surface in profile flat basally, weakly convex posteriorly, dorsal tendon anchored to nearly flat surface; spiracles not or only weakly protruding in profile; dorsolateral carina extending more than half distance to spiracle, rarely to level of spiracle. Cerci distinct, round to slightly ovate, weakly to distinctly protruding.

Male: Subgenital plate with apical margin weakly and evenly concave. Aedeagal margin not toothed. Structure and color otherwise as in female except ratio for fore wing 2rs-m more variable and 1st abscissa of hind wing Cu1 1.2–2.2X longer than cu-a.

Color. Head pale yellow with black median stripe on frons and vertex; occiput black. Scape and pedicel pale yellow ventrally, antenna otherwise dark brown to black. Mesosoma largely black except mesoscutum pale yellow along anterolateral margin extending posteriorly along notaular lines, mesoscutellum pale yellow with large black spot basal-medially, propodeum pale yellow laterally to a varying extent. Metasomal segments largely black with thin apical yellow trim; cerci dark. Fore and mid legs largely pale yellow, femora darker, especially posteriorly. Hind coxa largely black, pale yellow dorsally, trochanter and trochantellus dark brown to black, hind femur and tibia orange, tarsomeres brown. Fore wing hyaline, apex weakly infumate.

Material Examined. Holotype Ψ ( AEIC, Type No. 3854): [ USA, Arizona] first line of data label: “nr Roosevelt L” second line: “ IV.27 47 Ariz” third line: “H & M Townes”. Paratypes: 2 Ψ 1 ɗ, same data as holotype except dates ranging 21–29.iv.1947 ( AEIC); Arizona, 1 ɗ Ajo, 9.iv.1947 (H&M Townes) ( AEIC), 2 ɗ Maricopa Mountains, 10–13.iv.1947 (H&M Townes) ( AEIC), 1 ɗ Sabino Canyon, 16.iv.1947 (H&M Townes) ( AEIC); 1 ɗ USA, Texas, Gaines Co., 22 mi. W. Seminole, 25.iv.1971 (CR Ward) ( TAMU). Additional material (not paratype): 1? (metasoma missing) USA, Nevada, Overton, 12.v.1930, Prosopsis glandulosa (honey mesquite) (EW Davis) ( USNM).

Remarks. The epistomal sulcus is distinct in this species. The specimen from Nevada is more similar in color to P. melotarsus , and has a more heavily punctate mesopleuron than other specimens of P. gineus , but lacks the densely punctate mesoscutum of P. melotarsus . The specimens from Nevada and Texas were collected from mesquite. This species is known from the border of Texas and southern New Mexico, across Arizona to the southern corner of Nevada. This is Physotarsus species 1 in the analyses conducted by Zhaurova and Wharton (2009).

The species name is an arbitrary combination of letters.

Figures

FIGURES 33 – 36. Habitus and face. 33, Physotarsus flavipennis n. sp., face. 34 – 35, P. foveatus n. sp.; 34, habitus; 35, face. 36, P. gineus n. sp., habitus.

FIGURES 37 – 40. Habitus and face. 37, Physotarsus gineus n. sp., face. 38 – 39, P. glabellus n. sp.; 38, habitus; 39, face. 40, P. leucohypopygus, n. sp., habitus.