Zonopimpla moralesi Valera

Valera, Neicy & Díaz, Francisco, 2010, Nine new Zonopimpla Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae) and key to species from Venezuela, Zootaxa 2438, pp. 37-51 : 41-42

Zonopimpla moralesi Valera , sp. nov.

(Figs 8, 14)

Female: Mandibles strongly tapered, upper tooth a little longer, stouter than lower tooth (about 1.3 times); malar space 0.6 times basal mandibular width; lower face polished, with abundant fine hairs, 1.1–1.2 times as wide as medially high from supraclypeal suture to level of insertion of antenna. Head in dorsal view with genae evenly rounded behind eye; posterior ocellus separated from eye by 1.2 times its own maximum diameter; ocelli forming an more or less equilateral triangle. Pronotum smooth, shining, with fine and sparse hairs. Mesoscutum smooth, shining, with isolated fine hairs, anteriorly steeply rounded, notauli distinctive; mesopleuron finely and sparsely punctuate; epicnemial carina reaching over level of lower corner of pronotum; metapleuron weakly convex, smooth, polished, with scattered hairs; submetapleural carina complete. Propodeum in profile abruptly declivous, smooth, with scattered setiferous punctures; pleural carina present. Fore wing length 5.0–6.0 mm; vein 3rs-m complete, enclosing an obliquely rhombic areolet; abscissa of Cu1 between 1 m-cu and Cu1b 1.4–1.5 times as long as Cu1b; hind wing with abscissa of Cu1 between M and cu-a straight, 1.7–1.8 times as long as cu-a. Metasoma slender; tergite 1 about 1.1–1.3 times as long as posteriorly broad, with anteriorly smooth, broadly concave, central area defined laterally by weak longitudinal carinae on anterior 0.2 of tergite, posterior part of tergite with fine punctuation and scattered hairs; tergite 1 in profile very weakly convex, lateral carina present on anterior and posterior margin of tergite; tergite 2 with evenly convex central area, polished, and finely and abundantly punctuate; tergites 3–4 with biconvex central area, abundantly hairy. Ovipositor length 3.8–4.5 mm, projecting beyond apex of metasoma by 2.1–2.2 times the length of hind tibia; subgenital plate centrally membranous, ovipositor shaft almost straight, slender and cylindrical, apex of lower valve not dorsolaterally expanded, not enclosing upper valve, with not clearly distinct oblique teeth; apex of upper valve flattened, without nodus.

Color: Head yellow; posterior orbits, interocellar area and antennae brown; mesosoma yellow; fore and middle legs yellow, hind legs brown, excepting basal and ventral faces of coxae and trochantellus yellow. Tegula similar in color to the mesosoma. Fore wings slightly infumate with apical brown band extending from areolet to apex; pterostigma dark brown. Metasoma black with transversal white stripes on hind margin of all tergites, white stripes on lateral areas of tergites 2–8. Ovipositor reddish, sheath dark brown.

Male: Unknown.

Variations: One specimen showed two little brown spots on the center of propodeum.

Etimology: This species is named in honor of entomologist José Morales in recognition of his remarkable performance in Applied Entomology studies.

Comments: Z. moralesi is distinguished by the following feature combinations: metasoma slender, ovipositor projecting 2.1–2.2 times the length of hind tibia and fore wings slightly infumate with apical brown band. Z. moralesi is similar to Z. torrellasi in being yellowish in color of head and mesosoma, wings slightly infumate with apical dark band, but they can be differentiated by stouter metasoma and apex of ovipositor is slightly flattened with weak nodus in Z. torrellasi .

Material examined: Holotype female, Venezuela, Aragua state, Henry Pittier National Park, km 18 via Ocumare, 1000 m, III-1985 (Díaz) ( UCOB). Paratype female, same data as holotype.