Zonopimpla malevola Khalaim, 2023

Khalaim, Andrey I. & Ruíz-Cancino, Enrique, 2023, Darwin wasps of the subfamily Pimplinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) of Mexico: Camptotypus genus-group, Zootaxa 5330 (1), pp. 47-72 : 58-60

4. Zonopimpla malevola Khalaim , sp. nov.

( Figs 19–27 )

Material examined. Holotype female ( UNAM), Mexico, Hidalgo, Huasca de Ocampo, Rancho Santa Elena, Hueyapan River , 20°06’N, 98°31’W, 2330–2535 m, Malaise trap, 25.i–23.ii.2006, coll. A. Contreras et al.

Paratype. MEXICO. 1 ♀ ( TAMU) Oaxaca, 19 mi. S of San Miguel Suchixtepec , 17.viii.1985, coll. J.B. Woolley & G. Zolnerowich.

Description. Female. Mandible moderately stout, with upper tooth slightly longer and broader than lower tooth ( Fig. 20 ). Malar space about 0.3× as long as basal mandibular width. Head smooth; face (except central part), vertex and gena (except posterior eye orbits) with fine and sparse punctures. Face 1.2× as wide as long ( Fig. 20 ). Head in dorsal view with genae strongly and roundly constricted behind eyes. Posterior ocellus separated from eye by 1.3× its own maximum diameter ( Fig. 22 ).

Mesosoma polished, with very fine and sparse punctures on anterior part of central lobe of mesoscutum, on mesopleuron (except speculum) and lateral sides of propodeum, remainder impunctate. Epomia small. Notaulus very weakly impressed. Epicnemial carina fine, present ventrally and laterally, extending above the level of lower corner of pronotum. Epicnemium without secondary carina. Metapleuron distinctly convex. Submetapleural carina complete, quite strong ( Fig. 21 ). Propodeum in profile evenly rounded ( Fig. 21 ). Pleural carina present ( Fig. 21 ).

Fore wing length almost 8.0 mm. Hind wing with nervellus intercepted in posterior 0.25, distal section of CU unpigmented ( Fig. 23 ).

Metasoma depressed. First tergite almost 1.4× as long as posteriorly broad; lateromedian carinae present in anterior 0.4–0.5 of tergite ( Figs 24, 26 ); dorsolateral carinae present at extreme base and near hind margin of first tergite ( Figs 24, 26 ). Second tergite with distinct punctures centrally, with oblique anterolateral grooves and with a pair of lateral swellings ( Figs 25, 26 ). Tergites 3–5 similar but with anterolateral grooves weaker; posterior black bands of tergites 5 and 6 medially reduced ( Fig. 19 ). Ovipositor 2.6× length of hind tibia; ovipositor sheath almost twice as long as hind tibia. Ovipositor decurved ( Fig. 19 ), weakly compressed laterally, without nodus, apex of lower valve not expanded dorsally, with about eight teeth, without scabrous area proximal to teeth ( Fig. 27 ).

Head predominantly brownish orange; clypeus and face laterally and frontal eye orbits yellowish; mandible white in basal half, reddish brown in apical half with teeth black ( Fig. 20 ). Antenna with scape and pedicel brownish yellow ventrally and laterally, black dorsally; flagellomere brown basally do dark brown apically. Mesosoma predominantly brownish orange with propleuron and pronotum anteriorly, vertical stripe on posterior margin of pronotum, upper margin of mesopleuron and ventral part of metapleuron black; propodeum black centrally, with lateral and posterior parts brownish orange ( Fig. 21 ); posterior part of scutellum and entire postscutellum white ( Fig. 22 ). Legs predominantly yellowish white; hind coxa and all femora more or less marked with orange; hind tibia slightly infuscate basally, apically and on anterior side ( Fig. 19 ). Metasoma predominantly reddish brown; anterior part of first tergite mediodorsally blackish ( Figs 24, 26 ); tergites 2–4 with blackish sublateral swellings and black posterior transverse bands ( Figs 25, 26 ); tergites 5 and 6 with black posterolateral margins ( Fig. 19 ); ovipositor sheath black. Wings very weakly infumate with brown, pterostigma pale brown.

Male. Unknown.

Variation. The paratype female is much smaller than the holotype with fore wing length 4.6 mm; head dorsally and posteriorly partly darkened; metasoma darker, more or less uniformly dark reddish brown with posterior tergites paler; hind wing with nervellus intercepted in posterior 0.4.

Etymology. The species is named after the Latin “malevolus” (spiteful, malevolent).

Distribution. Mexico (Hidalgo, Oaxaca).

Comparison. The new species may easily be recognized by its yellow and reddish orange head ( Fig. 20 ), predominantly brownish orange metasoma and dark reddish brown metasoma without white markings ( Fig. 19 ), yellowish white with brownish markings legs ( Fig. 19 ), and distinctly decurved ovipositor ( Fig. 19 ).

Figures

FIGURES 19–22. Zonopimpla malevola sp. nov., holotype (19–21) and paratype (22), ♀: 19—habitus, lateral; 20—head, front; 21—head, mesosoma and base of metasoma, lateral; 22—head and mesosoma, dorsal.

FIGURES 23–27. Zonopimpla malevola sp. nov., holotype, ♀: 23—wings; 24—posterior part of mesosoma and base of metasoma, dorso-postero-lateral; 25—metasomal tergites 2 and 3, dorsal; 26—base of metasoma, lateral; 27—apex of ovipositor, lateral.