Forrestopius otavalo Alvarado, 2021

Alvarado, Mabel & Palacio, Edgard, 2021, Forrestopius Gauld & Sithole, 2002 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Metopiinae) in South America, Zootaxa 5040 (2), pp. 265-282 : 273

Forrestopius otavalo Alvarado sp. nov.

( Figs 5 , 10A )

Holotype. ♀ “ S. Otavalo, Ecuad. 3300m. I.8-9.71 Luis E. Peña ” ( USUC).

Diagnosis. This species can be recognized by the following combination of characters: mandible with two teeth, face and clypeus forming a continuous surface, antenna with 19 flagellomeres, scape predominantly yellowish brown ( Fig. 5B ), pronotum with a single wrinkle arising from pronotal pit ( Fig. 5D ) which reaches about entire way to anterior margin and entirely black, and propodeum with lateromedian longitudinal carinae. It can be differentiated from other species of the genus by having the tentorial pit located in a raised area.

Description. Female: Body length 7.7 mm. Fore wing length 4.9 mm.

Head. Face and clypeus forming a continuous surface, 1.0× as long as wide, striate with isolated punctures, tentorial pit in raised area; clypeus weakly swollen; labrum not exposed when mandibles closed ( Fig. 5C ); mandibles with two teeth; malar space 0.5× as long as basal mandibular width; lateral ocellus separated from compound eye by about 2.0× maximum ocellar diameter; distance between ocelli 1.3× maximum ocellar diameter; vertex behind ocellar triangle slightly more or less convex, occiput abruptly declivous far back; gena in lateral view 1.4× as long as compound eye; antenna with 19 flagellomeres, ratio of length from second to fourth flagellomeres: 0.8:0.8:0.8, subapical flagellomere 1.0× as long as centrally broad.

Mesosoma . Pronotum with wrinkle arising from pronotal pit, its upper end reaching about entire way to anterior margin ( Fig. 5D ); metapleuron polished, with isolated punctures, postero-ventrally striate; submetapleural carina smooth, anteriorly expanded into triangular lobe. Propodeum with lateromedian longitudinal carina strong, slightly closer to each other anteriorly; lateral longitudinal carina complete; posterior transverse carina present; area superomedia 4.0× as long as wide. Fore wing with vein Cu 1 a between Cu 1 b and 2 m-cu 1.4× as long as Cu 1 between Rs & M and 1 m-cu; 2 rs-m 0.6× as long as abscissa of M between 2 rs-m and 2 m-cu. Hind wing with distal abscissa of M indistinguishable, distal abscissa of Cu 1 and 1 A sclerotized throughout. Outer metatibial spur 0.6× as long as inner spur.

Metasoma. Tergite I 2.2× as long as posteriorly wide, lateromedian carina extending 0.5× length of tergite; tergite II 1.5× as long as posteriorly wide; laterotergite II 0.1× as wide as long; laterotergite III 0.3× as wide as long, wedge-shaped, mesal edge straight.

Colour. Head extensively black except palpi and scape yellow, pedicel and flagellomeres brown. Mesosoma black, tegula yellow; fore leg yellow, coxa and trochantellus ventrally brown; mid leg yellow, coxa, basal half of femur, and distal third of tibia dark brown, tarsomere and trochantellus brown; hind leg dark brown, distal third of femur and basal ¾ of metatibia yellow. Metasoma black, ovipositor and valvae brown.

Male: Unknown

Remarks. This species occurs in Cloud forest of Ecuador at 3300m ( Fig. 10A ).

Etymology. The specific epithet otavalo is in reference to the canton and city Otavalo, as well as collection locality. It is treated as a noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Details of Forrestopius otavalo, sp. nov. A. Habitus of female, in lateral view (scale bar = 1 mm) B. Facial view C. Head and mesosoma in lateral view.

FIGURE 10. Geographic distribution of the Forrestopius species