Nemeritis caucasicus, Riedel & Diller & Japoshvili, 2018

Riedel, Matthias, Diller, Erich & Japoshvili, George, 2018, The Ichneumonid fauna (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) of Lagodekhi Reserve, Sakartvelo (Georgia), with descriptions of four new species, Linzer biologische Beiträge 50 (2), pp. 1447-1507 : 1496-1497

Nemeritis caucasicus nov.sp. ( figs 10-14 )

Holotype: (♀) Georgia, Mt. Lagodekhi , 1351 m, N 41.52288 E 46.19311, M. T., 15-27.IX.2014 (Tbilisi).

Paratypes: (♀♀) Georgia, Mt. Lagodekhi 1902 m, N 41.53135 E 46.19447 M. T., 4-14. VI.2014; (♀) Georgia, Mt. Lagodekhi , 1351 m, N 41.52288 E 46.19311, M. T., 4-14.IX.2014; (♀) Georgia, Mt. Lagodekhi , 1351 m, N 41.52288 E 46.19311, M. T., 23.IV.-4. V.2014; (♀) Georgia, Mt. Lagodekhi , 1351 m, N 41.52288 E 46.19311, M. T., 27.IX.-6.X.2014; (♀) Georgia, Mt. Lagodekhi , 1841m, N 41.52964 E 46.19311, M. T., 25. V.-4. VI.2014; (♀) Georgia, Mt. Lagodekhi , 1841m, N 41.52964 E 46.19311, M. T., 15-25. V.2014 (Tbilisi and ZSM, Munich) .

R e m a r k: In the recent key of Nemeritis species from the Western Palaearctic region ( HORSTMANN 1994) this species runs to couplet 30, but differs from all subsequent species by the length of 2 nd tergite and the ovipositor sheaths and by the coloration.

Description: Body length 7-7.5 mm. Flagellum with 35-36 segments; 1 st flagellomere (without anellus) 4.6x longer than wide; 2 nd flagellomere 3.3x longer than wide; preapical flagellomeres c.1.1-1.2x longer than wide. Head granulate. Temple strongly narrowed behind eye ( fig 12 ). Distance of lateral ocellus to eye 0.9x its diamater and distance between them c.1.2x their diameter. Face and clypeus with superficial punctures ( fig 11 ); clypeus narrowly smooth (0.1x length) at apical margin, margin slightly convex. Malar space length c.0.3x width of mandibular base. Mandibles with two teeth, upper tooth slightly larger than the lower one. Genal carina almost straight ventrally, reaching the mandibular base. Side of pronotum granulate dorsally and with longitudinal striation ventrally. Mesopleuron granulate and with indistinct punctures, speculum with very fine granulation, strongly shining; dorsal impression with strong longitudinal ridges. Area basalis trapezoid, 1.0-1.3x longer than wide; area superomedia wider than long, with obsolete apical carina, confluent with area petiolaris ( fig 13 ), granulate, costula developed. Area petiolaris distinctly impressed centrally, with indistinct lateral carina, but delimited laterally by some irregular rugae, granulate frontally and with transversal rugae caudally. Hind femur 5.2-5.4x longer than wide; hind claw strongly pectinate.

Areolet stalked, 2 nd recurrent vein distal to its middle; nervulus slightly postfurcal (1x its width); nervellus of hind wing intercepted far apically (by c.0.9x its length).

2 nd tergite slender, c.2.1x longer than wide; thyridium long-oval, distance from frontal margin of 2 nd tergite 2x its length. 6 th and 7 th tergites with concavely emarginated caudal margins ( fig 14 ). Ovipositor slender, slightly bent upwards, apical third almost straight; ovipositor sheath 1.4-1.5x longer than hind tibia.

Color: Black. Palps, mandible except teeth, tegula and wing base yellow. Scapus more or less brownish ventrally. Basal sternites yellowish. Legs completely reddish; fore coxa and trochanter reddish-yellow. Wings hyaline, pterostigma brown.

Males unknown.

Figures

Figs 10-14: Nemeritis caucasicus nov.sp. holotype: (10) Habitus; (11) face; (12) head from dorsal; (13) propodeum; (14) apical tergites.