Mnioes chusaq, Ballon-Estacio & Alvarado, 2024

Ballon-Estacio, Ricardo & Alvarado, Mabel, 2024, Three new species of parasitoid wasps of the genus Mnioes Townes, 1946 (Ichneumonidae: Banchinae) in a humid forest in Peru, Zootaxa 5523 (2), pp. 269-283 : 274-277

Mnioes chusaq sp. nov.

( Fig. 3 )

Material examined. Holotype: ♀ “ PERÚ: AY. La Mar , Moyabamba 13°05’14”S / 73°30’23.5”W 1918m 29.ix.2022 M. Alvarado “Bosque” T. Malaise 9// MUSM-HYM 0219 [led removed, COI obtained]” ( MUSM).

Paratypes: 1♀ forest, 07.VII.2022, Malaise; 1♂ forest, 02.VIII.2022, Malaise // MUSM-HYM 0327 [leg removed, COI obtained]; 1♂ forest, 29.VIII.2022, Malaise // [genitalia extracted]; 1♂ and 3♀♀ forest, 15.IX.2022, Malaise // ♂ MUSM-HYM 0338 [leg removed, COI obtained]; 1♂ and 3♀♀ forest, 29.IX.2022, Malaise // ♂ MUSM-HYM 0273 [leg removed, COI obtained]; 2♀♀ forest, 03.I.20232, Malaise ( MUSM)

Diagnosis: Mnioes chusaq sp. nov. can be distinguished from its female congeners by the following combination of traits: antenna black with a white band; lower face entirely black; pronotum, propodeum, mesoscutum and scutellum entirely black; metasoma predominantly black with posterior margin of tergites I –II and anterior margin of tergites II–III white; fore wing softly infumate with two darkly patches centrally and distally. Among the species with females having darkly infumate patches in the fore wing, M. chusaq sp. nov. is most similar to M. soqta Alvarado 2020 as both have the pronotum black and hind leg with tarsomere 1 basally black and distally white, but M. chusaq sp. nov. differs the metasoma with posterior margin of tergites I –II and anterior margin of tergites II–III white (vs. evenly black).

Description of the female holotype: Fore wing length 7.6 mm

Head: Face ( Fig. 3C ) granulate-punctate and weakly polished, 0.7× as long as wide; clypeus granulate with scattered punctures, 2.1× as wide as long; malar space 0.7× as long as basal mandibular width; lateral ocellus separated from compound eye by about 1.0× maximum ocellar diameter; distance between ocelli 0.8× maximum ocellar diameter; scape with truncated section V-shaped, with 44 flagellomeres, ratio of length from second to fourth flagellomeres: 3.3:2.8:2.8, subapical flagellomere 1.0× as long as centrally broad.

Mesosoma: Granulate-punctate and weakly polished ( Fig. 3A ); notaulus vestigial, weakly impressed anteriorly; subalar prominence low and weakly rounded. Propodeum ( Fig. 3E ) granulate-punctate; declivous from anterior margin; with posterior transverse carina only centrally; pleural carina absent. Fore wing with vein 1m-cu without a ramellus; vein 2m-cu weakly sinuate with one long bulla, with a spurious vein unpigmented; 2rs-m 2.0× as long as abscissa of M between 2rs-m and 2m-cu. Hind wing with length of abscissa of Cu1 between Cu1 and 1A 0.2× as long as length of vein Cu1 between M and Cu1.

Metasoma: Metasomal tergites ( Figs 3A, 3E ) granulate, matte; tergite I 2.4× as long as posteriorly wide; tergite II 1.4× as long as posteriorly wide; ovipositor sheath 3.1× as long as metathoracic tibia.

Colour: Head ( Figs 3A, 3C ) black, frons with a median lateral white mark between toruli and lateral ocellus; lower half of clypeus, mandible and palpi dark brown; antenna black, flagellomeres 8, 12–14 ventrally and flagellomeres 9–11 entirely white. Mesosoma predominantly black, with humeral plate testaceous, subalar prominence off-white, mesopleuron, upper division of the metapleuron and metanotum laterally with reddish-brown marks. Foreleg black with tarsomeres dark brown; mid leg black with distal half of tarsomere 1 and tarsomere 2 off white, and tarsomeres 3–5 dark brown. Hind leg black with distal half of tarsomere 1 and tarsomeres 2–3 off-white. Coxae with distal end off-white. Fore wing softly infumate with darkly infumate patches centrally and apically. Metasomal tergites black with posterior margin of tergite I–II, and anterior margin of tergite II–III off white; distal of tergites V–VII, centrally, white. Ovipositor sheath black.

Variation of female paratype. Fore wing length 6.4–7.5 mm. They differ from the holotype in the following features: malar space 0.7–0.9× as long as basal mandibular width; lateral ocellus separated from compound eye by about 1.0–1.1× maximum ocellar diameter; distance between ocelli 0.6–0.7× maximum ocellar diameter; antenna with 40–44 flagellomeres, ratio of length from second to fourth flagellomeres: 3.1–3.3:2.9–3.1: 2.9–3.1; propodeum posterior transverse varying between a well define carina to a weak vestige; 2rs-m 1.4–2.0× as long as abscissa of M between 2rs-m and 2m-cu; tergite I 2.2–2.4× as long as posteriorly wide; tergite II 1.1–1.4× as long as posteriorly wide; ovipositor sheath 3.0–3.3× as long as metathoracic tibia. Within the colouration: Head with variation on the antennomeres, some individuals with flagellomere 8 entirely and sometimes flagellomere 15 ventrally white. Most individuals with mesopleuron, upper division of the metapleuron and metanotum laterally black, rarely with reddish tint; some individuals with tarsomere 3with distal end black.

Male. Fore wing length 7.7 mm. The male individuals ( Figs 3B, 3D ) differ from the females in the following features: face 0.8–0.9× as long as wide; clypeus 2.0–2.3× as wide as long; malar space 0.6–0.8× as long as basal mandibular width; lateral ocellus separated from compound eye by about 1.0× maximum ocellar diameter; distance between ocelli 0.6× maximum ocellar diameter; antenna with 43–45 flagellomeres, ratio of length from second to fourth flagellomeres: 5.0–5.5:5.0–5.3:5.0–5.3, subapical flagellomere 1.7× as long as centrally broad; pleural carina faint to undistinguishable; fore wing with vein 2rs-m 1.6–2.6× as long as abscissa of M between 2rs-m and 2m-cu; hind wing with length of abscissa of Cu1 between Cu1 and 1A 0.2× as long as length of vein Cu1 between M and Cu1; tergite I 2.6–2.8× as long as posteriorly wide; tergite II 1.5–1.9× as long as posteriorly wide.

Male (colour): Head ( Figs 3B, 3D ) predominantly black, face (but with a small median vertical black mark that reaches to mid face), clypeus, mandible, palpi, frontal orbits white. Antenna predominantly black with scape and pedicel ventrally (ranging from apical end and apical half) white; generally, flagellomeres between 12–21 ventrally white. Mesosoma predominantly black with anterior margin of pronotum, tegula, humeral plate, subalar prominence and scutellum (from a small mark to entirely white); rarely mesoscutum mesopleuron and propodeum reddish. Foreleg testaceous but coxa laterodorsally (basally) brown, and trochanter and tibia ventrally off white. Mid leg with coxa white but laterodorsally (basally) black; trochanter, trochantellus, femur, tibia and tarsomere brown but trochantellus, femur and tibia off white. Hind leg black with distal end of coxa (ventrally), and tarsomeres 2–3 dorsally or just tarsomeres 2 white. Fore wing hyaline with darkly infumate patches centrally and apically. Metasomal tergites predominantly black but posterior margin of tergites I, II and VII (centrally) and anterior margin of tergite II off white.

Comments. This species was found only in primary forest, collected in August and September using Malaise and yellow traps, showing its preference for well-preserved forest.

Distribution. This species was collected in a cloud forest in Moyabamba, La Mar, Ayacucho.

Etymology. The specific epithet “ chusaq ” means zero in Quechua language. It is treated as a noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Details of Mnioes chusaq sp. nov. (paratype) A. Habitus of female (scale bar = 1 mm), B. Habitus of male (scale bar = 1mm), C. Facial view of female, D. Facial view of male, E. Propodeum and first two metasomal tergites of female.