Zonopimpla vasquezi Valera

Valera, Neicy & Díaz, Francisco, 2010, Nine new Zonopimpla Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae) and key to species from Venezuela, Zootaxa 2438, pp. 37-51 : 48-49

Zonopimpla vasquezi Valera , sp. nov.

( Fig. 20)

Female: Mandibles strongly tapered, upper tooth longer, stouter than lower tooth, upper tooth 1.2–1.5 times length, 1.3–1.7 width of lower tooth; malar space 0.3–0.4 times basal mandibular width; lower face polished, with abundant punctuation and sparsely distributed long hairs, as wide as medially high from supraclypeal suture to level of insertion of antenna. Head in dorsal view with genae evenly rounded behind eye; posterior ocellus separated from eye by 1.1–1.5 times its own maximum diameter; ocelli forming a wide-based isosceles triangle. Pronotum smooth, shining, with scattered hairs. Mesoscutum smooth, shining, with isolated fine hairs, anteriorly steeply rounded, notauli clearly distinct; mesopleuron polished, very finely and sparsely punctuate, with scattered hairs especially in inferior portion; epicnemial carina not reaching lower corner of pronotum; metapleuron weakly convex, polished, finely punctuate and with scattered hairs; submetapleural carina complete. Propodeum in profile evenly declivous, with scattered setiferous punctures; pleural carina present. Fore wing length 5.0– 6.2 mm; vein 3rs-m complete, enclosing an obliquely rhombic areolet; abscissa of Cu1 between 1 m-cu and Cu1b 1.3–1.5 times as long as Cu1b; hind wing with abscissa of Cu1 between M and cu-a slightly bowed, 2.3–3.0 times as long as cu-a. Metasoma slender; tergite 1 about 1.2–1.4 times as long as posteriorly broad, with anteriorly smooth, broadly concave, central area laterally defined by weak longitudinal carinae on basal margin of tergite, posterior part of tergite shining, with fine punctuation and scattered fine hairs in lateral margins; tergite 1 in profile very weakly convex, lateral carina quite welldeveloped posteriorly, but not reaching forward to the spiracle; tergite 2 with convex central area polished, very sparsely punctuate, with scattered fine hairs; tergites 3–4 with biconvex central area, almost impunctate, with few sparse hairs. Ovipositor length 4.6–5.9 mm, projecting beyond apex of metasoma by 2.8–3.1 times the length of hind tibia; subgenital plate centrally membranous, ovipositor shaft slender and cylindrical, slightly downward curved; apex of lower valve not dorsolaterally expanded, not enclosing upper valve, with distinct subvertical teeth; apex of upper valve evenly rounded, without nodus.

Color: Head yellow, antennae light brown; mesosoma yellow, with two brown spots on the center of propodeum. Fore legs yellow; middle legs white with brown spots on trochanter and tibia, tarsus brown. Hind legs white with brown spots on coxa, trochanter, femur and tibia, tarsus brown. Tegula similar in color mesosoma. Wings hyaline, pterostigma brown. Metasoma black with lateral and hind margins of all tergites white. Ovipositor reddish, sheath dark brown.

Male: Similar to female in structure and color. Gonoscale long, with apex rounded as long as last visible tergite.

Variations: In some cases the upper valve is observed somewhat elongated and in others it is partially enclosing lower valve.

Etimology: This species is named in honor of Carlos Vásquez, prominent taxonomist.

Comments: Z. vasquezi is fairly distinguished by having head and mesosoma yellowish, anterior legs yellow and middle and posterior legs predominantly white; propodeum with two brown centered spots and long and slightly curved ovipositor. This species is similar to Z. pereirai by predominance of yellow color, transparent wings and epicnemial carina not reaching inferior corner of pronotum, but ovipositor is longer and higher valve is uniformly rounded in Z. vasquezi .

Material examined: Holotype female, Venezuela, Lara state, Río Claro, sector Los Naranjos, IV-2002 (Díaz y Valera) ( UCOB). Paratypes, Venezuela, Lara state, 1 female, Terepaima National Park, 1400 m, IX- 1983 (Chávez) ( UCOB); 3 females, 2 males, Río Claro, sector Los Naranjos, 1200 m, V-1982 (Osorio, Díaz & Pereira) ( UCOB); 1 male, Terepaima National Park, 1400 m, VI-1979 (Martínez) ( UCOB); 1 male, Terepaima National Park, 1400 m, IV-1985 (Díaz y Pereira) ( UCOB); 1 male, Pico Pico, 800 m, VII-1981 (Osorio & Díaz) ( UCOB); 1 male, Yacambú National Park, sector El Blanquito, 1350 m, VIII-1992 (García) ( UCOB); 1 male, same data as holotype; Yaracuy state, 1 female, Campo Elías, 1300 m, XI-1993 (Gutiérrez & Martínez) ( UCOB).