Diaparsis (Diaparsis) deimos Khalaim, 2021

Khalaim, Andrey I., 2021, Diaparsis phobos sp. nov. and D. deimos sp. nov., two amazing new species of Tersilochinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) from Madagascar, Zootaxa 4985 (1), pp. 118-124 : 119

Diaparsis (Diaparsis) deimos Khalaim , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–7 )

Material examined. Holotype female ( MNHN) Madagascar, Amoron’i Mania Region , Ambositra, “II-[19]44”, [coll.] A. Seyrig. Apex of right antenna, apices of both mid tarsi and both hind legs beyond trochanters are missing ( Fig. 1 ).

Description. Female. Body length 4.0 mm. Fore wing length almost 3.5 mm.

Head strongly and roundly constricted behind eyes in dorsal view ( Fig. 3 ); gena 0.7× as long as eye width. Clypeus 2.6× as broad as long, lenticular, separated from face by distinct impression ( Fig. 2 ), smooth in lower half, with sharp and moderately dense punctures in upper half; clypeus slightly convex in lateral view. Mandible robust, strongly constricted in basal half; upper tooth twice longer than lower tooth. Malar space about 0.4× as long as basal mandibular width. Antennal flagellum ( Fig. 7 ) slender, weakly constricted towards apex, with 19 flagellomeres; flagellomeres 2–8 about twice as long as broad, subapical flagellomeres 1.6–1.8× as long as broad; flagellomeres 4–6 bearing small subapical finger-shaped structures on outer surface. Face weakly convex, with slight median prominence. Face, frons, vertex and gena finely granulate, dull, finely punctate but with punctures mostly indistinct because of granulation ( Figs 2, 3 ). Occipital carina complete, arcuate in dorsal view, slightly flattened dorsally.

Mesoscutum granulate, dull, with fine and dense punctures ( Fig. 3 ). Notaulus completely absent ( Fig. 3 ). Scutellum with lateral longitudinal carinae present in basal 0.2. Upper end of epicnemial carina reaching front margin of mesopleuron at level of lower 0.3 of pronotum; epicnemial carina joining front margin of mesopleuron at very acute angle, i.e. without abrupt curvation ( Fig. 1 ). Foveate groove of mesopleuron absent. Mesopleuron finely granulate and finely punctate (centrally granulation is very shallow and punctures are more distinct), dull peripherally and weakly shining centrally. Propodeum with distinct basal keel which is about half as long as apical area ( Fig. 5 ). Propodeal spiracle separated from pleural carina by almost 1.0× diameter of spiracle. Apical area flat, pointed anteriorly; apical longitudinal carinae reaching transverse carina anteriorly ( Fig. 5 ).

Fore wing ( Fig. 4 ) with second recurrent vein (2m-cu) postfurcal. First abscissa of radius (Rs+2r) straight, much longer than width of pterostigma. First and second sections of radius (Rs+2r and Rs) meeting at angle about 80°. Intercubitus (2rs-m) slender, as long as abscissa of cubitus between intercubitus and second recurrent vein (abscissa of M between 2rs-m and 2m-cu). Metacarpus (R1) not reaching tip of the wing. Second abscissa of postnervulus (Cu&2cu-a) present, thus brachial cell is closed posteriorly. Hind wing with nervellus (cu1&cu-a) slightly reclivous. Fore and mid legs slender, tarsal claws not pectinate.

First tergite 3.5× as long as posteriorly broad, trapeziform in cross-section centrally, with distinct glymma centrally; petiole striate laterally before glymma, postpetiole smooth dorsally; in dorsal view, petiole with lateral margins subparallel and postpetiole distinctly widened; upper margin of tergite, in lateral view, weakly arcuate in basal 0.7 and stronger arcuate in apical 0.3 ( Fig. 6 ). Second tergite 2.5× as long as anteriorly broad. Thyridial depression distinct, about 2.5× as long as broad. Ovipositor robust, slightly decurved, with neither dorsal subapical notch nor depression, with very fine teeth ventrally ( Fig. 6 ); sheath as long as first tergite.

Head black; clypeus almost entirely brownish yellow, slightly darkened with brown in upper part. Mouthparts and mandible (except reddish brown teeth) brownish yellow. Scape and pedicel of antenna yellowish brown, flagellum brownish black. Dorsal parts of mesosoma (mesoscutum, scutellum, postscutellum and propodeum) predominantly black, lateral and ventral parts of mesosoma predominantly red-brown (propleuron, pronotum and mesopleuron); metapleuron dark reddish brown, mesopleuron anteriorly and ventrally partly darkened with brown ( Fig. 1 ). Tegula yellow. Pterostigma brown. Wings slightly infumate with brown. Fore and mid legs yellowish brown, mid tarsus fuscous; mid coxa yellowish brown. Metasoma dark brown ( Fig. 6 ).

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The species is named after Deimos (noun), the Ancient Greek god of dread and terror, and the floating SpaceX launch platform for the heavy-lift Starship system.

Distribution. Central Madagascar.

Comparison. Diaparsis deimos sp. nov. is immediately distinguished from all congeners by its robust and slightly decurved ovipositor ( Fig. 6 ), unique within the Tersilochinae . All other known members of the subfamily possess either weakly or strongly upcurved, or sometimes a long and flexible ovipositor. The new species is also characterized by the lack of notaulus and foveate groove of mesopleuron.

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. Diaparsis deimos sp. nov., holotype, female: 1—habitus, lateral (scale bar = 1.0 mm); 2—head, front; 3—head and mesoscutum, dorsal; 4—wings; 5—propodeum, dorso-lateral; 6—metasoma with ovipositor, lateral; 7—head with antennae, dorsolateral.