Eremotylus pukayana, Suarez & Alvarado, 2020

Suarez, Rodrigo & Alvarado, Mabel, 2020, A new species of Eremotylus Forster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) from Peru, with a key to the Neotropical species, Zootaxa 4758 (2), pp. 397-400 : 398-399

Eremotylus pukayana sp. nov.

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from the other Neotropical species by the following combination of features: (1) lateral ocellus separated from compound eye by about 0.3× maximum ocellar diameter (vs. continuous to the compound eyes), (2) mesopleuron dark brown or black (vs. orange-brown in E. tropicus and green in E. vitripennis ), and (3) posterior transverse carina of mesosternum complete (vs. present only laterally in E. tropicus ).

Material examined: Holotype ♀ “ PERÚ. LL. Otuzco 7°42’56.7”S / 78°45’52.68”W 2114m 15–25.iv.2019 T. Neyra” ( MUSM).

Paratype ♀ “ PERÚ: AR. Caylloma , Tapay, 15.59369°S / 71.94807° W 2300 m, 17. iii. 2018, trampa de luz, E. Olanda, H. Quispe, A. Aspur y S. Chambi ” ( MUSM). 45+ flagellomeres (antennae broken)

Description of female holotype. Fore wing length 12.6 mm.

Head: Mandibles stout, long, weakly tapered and with upper tooth slightly longer; outer mandibular surface with a distinct proximal concavity; face coarsely punctate and weakly polished, 0.5× as long as wide; clypeus in frontal view 2.9× as broad as long, apically slightly protuberant and with margin thin; malar space 0.3× as long as basal mandibular width; lateral ocellus (Fig. B) separated from compound eye by about 0.4× maximum ocellar diameter; distance between ocelli 0.5× maximum ocellar diameter; occipital carina complete, ventrally joining hypostomal carina at distance from base of mandible of 0.5× as long long as basal mandibular width; antenna with 50 flagellomeres, second to fourth flagellomeres: 2.2:1.9:1.8× as long as wide, central flagellomeres 1.1× as long as wide.

Mesosoma: Notaulus distinct near anterior scutal margin; scutellum lateral longitudinal carinae 0.5× as long as scutellum length; mesopleuron coarsely and rather sparsely punctate, epicnemial carina present laterally, between epicnemial carina and pronotum striate; posterior transverse carina of mesosternum complete; metapleuron weakly convex and coarsely and sparsely punctate; propodeum with anterior transverse carina present (faint laterally), posterior transverse carina present and well define, longitudinal carinae only distinguishable behind posterior transverse carina; fore wing with cu-a proximal to the base of Rs & M by about 0.1× as its own length; hind wing with 7 hamuli on R 1, first abscisa of Rs strongly curved.

Metasoma: Tergite II 4.4× as long as posteriorly deep; thyridia elliptical, separated from anterior margin by about 1.2×it is own length; tergite III 1.3× as long as posteriorly deep.

Colour: Orange-brown species with frons, propleuron, mesopleuron (except for a transversal stripe and subalar prominence orange-brown), pronotum dorsally and laterodistally, scuto-scutellar groove, metanotum, metapleuron, propodeum laterally and distally, and metasomal tergites V–VIII dark brown; wings weakly infuscate with brown veins.

Variation: The paratype (fore wing length 11.1 mm) presents some variation in the coloration in relation to the holotype, it differs in having the vertex, occiput, malar space (Fig. C), and propleuron dark brown (Fig. E); scuto-scutellar groove, mesopleuron (Fig. D), metapleuron, and propodeum blackish, and metasomal sternites V–VII (centrally and distally off-yellow) black.

Male. Unknown.

Comments. The specimens herein described was collected in two semi-arid localities (Fig. F shows the paratype collection site) in the western slopes of the Peruvian Andes, between 2100 and 2300 m. Both specimens were collected during the rainy season but in subsequent years. In Arequipa survey that included 16 localities ranging from sea level to 4300 m and dry and rainy seasons, 254 Ophioninae individuals were collected (200 Alophophion , 6 Enicospilus Stephens , and 47 Ophion Fabricius ) with only one Eremotylus ; suggesting that the species may be rare, with small populations and/or highly seasonal.

Etymology. The species epithet “ pukayana ” is formed by two Quechua words puka, that means red, and yana, that means black, in relation to the color of the species. It is treated as a noun in apposition.