Epirhyssa leroyi Benoit, 1951

Rousse, Pascal & Noort, Simon Van, 2014, A review of the Afrotropical Rhyssinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) with the descriptions of five new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 91, pp. 1-42 : 19-21

Epirhyssa leroyi Benoit, 1951

Fig. 4

Diagnosis

Bright yellow overall with black markings including entire mesosternum, metasoma fading to brown apically; wings hyaline, slightly infuscate apically; face rugulose-punctate, strongly protruding medially; clypeus nearly smooth, with median and lateral subapical tubercles moderate, ventral margin produced laterally; frons laterally punctate and medially striate, with a blunt Y-shaped mid-longitudinal carina ; mesopleuron with epicnemial carina reaching above level of mesopleural pit; subtegular ridge convex; fore wing with 2m–cu slightly basal to rs–m; tergite 1 of female stout (male unknown); tergites 1–3 smooth, following tergites shallowly punctate with basal transverse striations; apical margins of tergites 3–4 slightly concave. CT 3.6; ML 0.6; POL 1.6; OOL 1.4; Fl 1 3.4; Fl 15 NA; T1 1.2–1.4; OT 4.4.

Differential diagnosis

A mostly bright yellow species with hyaline wings, otherwise characterized by the combination of the black mesosternum, vein 2m–cu slightly basal to rs–m and the stout tergite 1 (at least in the female). All other yellow Afrotropical Epirhyssa species have the mesosternum concolorous with the remainder of the mesosoma and the vein 2m–cu slightly apical to rs–m.

Material examined

Holotype

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: ♀, Bambesa [03°28’ N 25°43’ E], Nov. 1933, J. V. Leroy ( MRAC).

Paratype

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: ♀, Ubangui-Bumba, Dec. 1939, H. de Saeger ( MRAC).

Description

Female (holotype)

B 14.9; A NA; F 11.1.

COLOR. Bright to dull yellow overall, with metasoma fading to brown toward apex, and with black markings: mandible, ventral margin of clypeus, ocellar area ( macula connected to eye margin), occiput

mid-dorsally, mesosternum, and a median macula on each mesoscutal lobe; antenna and ovipositor sheath dark brown; wings hyaline, slightly infuscate apically, venation pale brown.

HEAD. Face rugulose-punctate, strongly bulging medially; clypeus smoothly sculptured with distinct lateral and median subapical tubercles, ventral margin strongly produced laterally; mandible short and stout; frons laterally sparsely punctate, medially transversely striate with a blunt Y-shaped midlongitudinal carina below median ocellus, inner margins of toruli not expanded backwards; temple and vertex finely punctate, inter-ocellar area somewhat rugose; occipital carina mid-dorsally interrupted; antenna broken in both specimens.

MESOSOMA. Mesosoma shallowly and moderately densely punctate, but mesonotum deeply transversely striate and anterior half of pronotum smooth; epomia moderate; epicnemial carina long, its evanescent dorsal end reaching above level of mesopleural pit; apex of subtegular ridge convex, not flanged laterally; submetapleural carina anteriorly expanded, then distinctly narrowed toward apex.

WINGS. Fore wing with 2m–cu slightly basal to rs–m, cu–a slightly apical to Rs&M, and Rs weakly bowed forwards; hind wing with distal abscissa of Cu joining Cu&cu–a close to junction with M.

METASOMA. Tergite 1 stout and smooth, tergites 2–3 nearly smooth, following tergites finely and distinctly punctate with weak basal striations; apical margins of tergites 3–4 slightly concave, others straight.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

Democratic Republic of Congo.

Figures

Fig. 4. Epirhyssa leroyi Benoit, 1951, holotype, ♀. A. Habitus, lateral view (inset: data labels). B. Mesosoma, lateral view. C. Metasoma, dorsal view. D. Head, anterior view. E. Mandibles, anterior view.