Digonocryptus hesperus Aguiar et Santos

Aguiar, Alexandre P. & Santos, Bernardo F., 2012, Additions to the revision of Digonocryptus Viereck (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae), with nine new taxa, new males, and distribution maps for all known species, Zootaxa 3282, pp. 1-41 : 11-13

Digonocryptus hesperus Aguiar et Santos , sp. nov.

( Figs 14–17 , 67 )

Description. Holotype FEMALE. Fore wing 10.05 mm.

Head ( Fig. 14 ). Ventral tooth of mandible about as long as dorsal tooth. Clypeus apical area delimited by sharp carina; clypeal margin medially with one tooth. Antenna with 26 flagellomeres; white band starting at flagellomere V; seven flagellomeres at least 50% white.

Mesosoma ( Figs 14–15 ). Pronotum, mesopleuron and metapleuron densely covered with short white hairs; pronotum mostly strigate, otherwise moderately punctate; mesopleuron with oblique strigation. Subalar prominence small, narrow, not distinctly keeled. Sternaulus very deep, crenulate. Sulcus between sternaulus and scrobe absent. Posterior transverse carina of mesosternum imperfectly developed medially (as a wrinkle). Lower metapleuron rugulose. Propodeum: densely pilose; area in front of anterior transverse carina mostly smooth; posterior transverse carina complete, distinctly and uniformly arched forwards, sublaterally forming scale-like apophyses; area between anterior and posterior transverse carinae with somewhat regular longitudinal wrinkles; area between posterior carina and petiolar foramen centrally with transverse winkles, basally and laterally areolaterugulose. Wings very weakly infuscate; fore wing cell 1+2Rs about as wide as high, subrectangular, 2r-m and 3r-m subparallel, with about the same length, 3r-m mostly spectral; 2-M much longer than 3-M; 3-Cu 1.33 length of 4- Cu; hind wing vein Cub apically approximately straight.

Metasoma ( Figs 14, 16–17 ). Postpetiole medio-anteriorly flat; ventrolateral carinae weak; dorsolateral and median dorsal carinae absent; petiolar spiracles in dorsal view distinctly prominent. Ovipositor 1.20 length of hind tibia. Apex of lower valve apex with 13 teeth.

Color. Head, mesosoma and metasoma black with orange and white marks. Head: black; mandible base with small orange spots; mouthparts white; orbital band distinct only as small whitish areas at 2h, 6h and 9–11h. Mesosoma: black; small marks on dorsal margin of propodeum and subalar prominence and most of scutellum, whitish; fore coxa blackish; fore and mid trochanters and femora, mid tibia and basal 0.4 of mid t1, dark brown; fore tibia and basal 0.7 of fore t1, light brown; apex of all t1, t2–3 and hind t4 white; mid and hind coxae dark brown with reddish hue. Metasoma: T1–3 basally black, apically reddish dark orange; 4–8 blackish, T4–5 with lateral whitish marks, T6–7 with complete posterior whitish stripes; S1 brown; S2–3 and S5–6 whitish with lateral brown marks; S4 almost entirely brown.

MALE. Unknown.

Comments. Somewhat similar to other dark-bodied Digonocryptus spp. ( D. banius , D. cennitus , D. noxignis sp. nov., D. sipius , D. yacamus ). The small and white subalar prominence, contrasting with an otherwise fully black mesopleuron seems however unique within the genus. If stable, this feature alone can characterize the species. A stout and complete posterior transverse carina of propodeum also isolates the new species from all other mentioned above, except D. noxignis sp. nov., from which it is distinct by having the scutellum white (vs. black), coxae darkened – fore coxa black, remaining coxae dark brown with reddish hue (vs. all coxae light colored, brownish orange), anterior and posterior transverse carinae bent centrally, otherwise straight, so that both look triangular (vs. distinctly curved, posterior transverse carina bell-shaped), orbital band absent posteriorly (vs. narrow yellow stripe at 2–3h and 5–6h), cell 1+2Rs with different shapes, and mandible teeth triangular, pointy, nearly of same length (vs. rounded, ventral tooth slightly longer than dorsal tooth).

Etymology. From the Latin hesperus , meaning “the evening star,” in reference to the single small white spot on the fully dark mesopleuron.

Material examined. Holotype Ƥ from ECUADOR, Napo, Jatun Sacha Biological Station, 21 km E Puerto Napo, virgin rainforest, 400 m, 13.VII.1994, flight interception trap, FGénier ( CNCI). Triangle mount; complete, in good condition.

Distribution. Ecuador ( Fig. 67 ).

Figures

FIGURES 14 – 17. Digonocryptus hesperus Aguiar et Santos, sp. nov. Holotype female. 14, Habitus. 15, Mesosoma, dorsal. 16, First metasomal segment, lateral. 17, Metasoma, dorsal.

FIGURES 64 – 71. Distribution maps for species of Digonocryptus. 64, D. domius Aguiar et Ramos. 65, D. elegans Aguiar et Ramos. 66, D. grossipes (Brullé). 67, D. hesperus Aguiar et Santos. 68, D. huntus Aguiar et Ramos. 69, D. iageus Aguiar et Ramos. 70, D. inermis (Szépligeti). 71, D. inflatus (Brullé).