Orthocentrus saaksjarvii Veijalainen

Veijalainen, Anu, Broad, Gavin R. & Sääksjärvi, Ilari E., 2014, Twenty seven new species of Orthocentrus (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae; Orthocentrinae) with a key to the Neotropical species of the genus, Zootaxa 3768 (3), pp. 201-252 : 217-218

Orthocentrus saaksjarvii Veijalainen , sp. nov.

Figs 2 E, 6 L, 8 L, 11 L, 13 L.

Fore wing length 3.9–4.3 mm.

Face medially 1.5x as wide as high; smooth and polished, with shallow, sparse punctures, dorsally (sometimes medially) with fine transverse strigose sculpture, eyes not setose, dorsal ridge of face inbetween antennal sockets with more or less noticeable low ridge; face profile straight, dorsally very slightly impressed, edge of clypeus slightly impressed, antennal sockets not on a distinct high shelf; malar sulcus distinct, deep, straight; maxillary palp reaching slightly beyond fore coxa. In dorsal view, head posteriorly slightly convex, temples extremely narrowed so that they are not visible posterior to posterior of eye, hind ocellus separated from eye by 0.8x ocellar diameter, anterior ocellus separated from eye by 1.6x ocellar diameter, lacking ocellar-ocular grooves. Minimum distance between sockets about equal to or slightly less than diameter of socket; antenna slender, thin, with 27–29 elongate flagellomeres which gradually shorten towards apex; basal flagellomere 0.3x as wide as high and about 2/3 of the length of scape; scape with internal surface convex, outer side concave.

Mesosoma largely smooth and polished, mesoscutum and scutellum regularly punctate, pronotum with few vague striae postero-ventrally, propodeum with slight coriaceous sculpture anterior of spiracle; mesoscutum anteriorly with short notauli; in profile, scutellum very high, posteriorly steeply angled, vertical, metapleuron strongly convex; propodeum with posterior transverse carina complete, strong and raised between lateral longitudinal carinae, median longitudinal carinae complete, lateral longitudinal carina complete or obsolescent anterior to spiracle, propodeal spiracle greatly enlarged, filling space between pleural and lateral longitudinal carinae.

Legs broad; coxae and femora polished, femora with inconspicuous alutaceous-coriaceous sculpture, tibiae and tarsi coriaceous-granulate; hind coxa 1.1x as long as first tergite, hind femur 2.9x as long as high, hind tibia 3.3x as long as apically wide; tibiae with spine-like setae.

Wings not particularly narrow; fore wing with areolet open, vein Rs straight to slightly sinuous; hind wing vein cu-a not intercepted, gently curved.

First tergite stout, slightly widening apically, 1.3x as long as apically wide; rugose-strigose, with complete, strongly raised median longitudinal carinae, with transverse impressions originating at about middle of tergite, sloping posteriorly, not meeting centrally, very deep laterally. Second tergite 0.9x as long as apically wide; strigose, with two complete median longitudinal carinae detectable, transverse impressions originating at about the middle of tergite, sloping anteriorly and posteriorly, anteriorly not meeting centrally, forming a somewhat oval horizontal uplifted area medially; basal thyridia small, round, paler than surrounding cuticle, second thyridia larger, oval, same colour as surrounding cuticle. Remainder of metasoma impunctate except third tergite strigose anteriorly, polished, lacking thyridia. Ovipositor rather strong, slightly upcurving, with a small, distinct notch; ovipositor sheath pointing, with sparse, long, backwards-directed setae.

Body setose except eyes, pronotum, mesopleuron, metapleuron, and posterior sides of coxae.

Largely dark to blackish brown individuals except face, antennae proximally, median part of vertex, ventral margin of pronotum, legs predominantly yellow to orange; malar area, mouthparts, inner orbits, lower frons, propleuron, fore and mid coxae, trochanters, trochantelli and sternites creamy white; apical half of hind femur dark brown; mesosternum dark orange; posterior margin of second tergite narrowly yellow to orange.

Male. Unknown.

Biology. Hosts unknown. All specimens were collected in western Amazonian rain forests with white sand or clayish soil types.

Etymology. Named after Ilari E. Sääksjärvi for his great work on Neotropical ichneumonids and his wonderful support as a thesis supervisor.

Comments. Orthocentrus saaksjarvii is distinctive amongst the species described here as the scutellum is very steeply convex and the propodeal spiracle huge. Additionally, compared with other species that have a complete posterior transverse carina and notauli, the malar groove is straight (unlike in O. maculae and O. luteoclypeus ), the ovipositor is notched, and the lateral longitudinal carinae on the propodeum reach the spiracles or anteriorly (unlike in O. rectus ).

Material examined. Holotype female: ‘ Peru, Dept. of Loreto, Iquitos area, Allpahuayo, 21.12.2000 – 23.1.01, clay, Sääksjärvi I.E. et al. leg., Malaise trap, APHI, H2/18’ ( MUSM).

Paratypes: 1 ♀, same data as holotype ( MUSM); 1 ♀ as holotype but collection date 11.–29.VI.2000 and code H1/8; 1 ♀ Peru, Dept. of Loreto, Iquitos area, Allpahuayo, 28.XII.2000 – 20.I.2001, white sand, Sääksjärvi I.E. et al. leg., Malaise trap, APHI, I1/19 (both ZMUT); 1 ♀ as previous but collection date 20.II.–8.III.2000 and code G2/2 ( BMNH).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Lateral views: Orthocentrus shieldsi (in part) and O. maculae species-groups. A: scurra, B: teres, C: luteoclypeus, D: maculae, E: saaksjarvii, F: rectus. Scale 0.5 mm except in E 1.0 mm.