Polyphrix atlantica, Nogueira & Aguiar, 2005

Nogueira, Liana K. & Aguiar, Alexandre P., 2005, Generic definition, key, and two new species of Polyphrix Townes (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Cryptinae) from the Atlantic Forest, Zootaxa 1010 (1), pp. 25-35 : 27-29

Polyphrix atlantica , sp. n. ( Figs 1–3 , 7, 9–11, 14, 17 )

Etymology. The specific epithet atlantica is a reference to the Atlantic Forest, where the holotype was collected.

Description. Holotype female. Length of fore wing: 7.9 mm. Head: antenna with 28 flagellomeres; clypeus 1.8 wider than high, strongly convex, projecting ventrally, without median tooth, sparsely punctate; mandible teeth of equal length, ventral tooth slightly more robust than dorsal tooth; supra­antennal area near ocelli slightly convex, with distinct median longitudinal carina, ventrally concave, without carina; occipital carina moderately high, sharp, uniform; malar space 0.4 longer than basal width of mandible. Mesosoma: epomia absent; pronotum with long, strong wrinkle along posterior margin of collar, fading before reaching ventral corner, latero­centrally with two distinct transverse wrinkles, followed ventrally by short, weak transverse wrinkles; dorsal margin of pronotum with submarginal, low, transverse protuberance near mid­length ( Figs. 1 , 11 ); mesoscutum and scutellum glabrous, polished, shiny; mesoscutum subcircular; notaulus delicate, faint, in dorsal view distinct approximately in the anterior 0.3, in lateral view swollen median lobe of mesoscutum makes notaulus visible up to slightly past center of mesoscutum; scutoscutellar groove smooth, polished; mesopleuron, smooth, shiny; sternaulus upcurved, incomplete, reaching about 0.4 the distance to middle coxa; epicnemial carina restricted to ventral 0.70 of mesopleuron, almost straight, mesopleuron dorsad of carina giving rise to short, transverse strigulation; mesopleural suture straight, narrow and crenulate; metapleuron with sparse punctures with hairs; all tibiae with numerous bristles; all pre­apical tarsi weakly bilobed; hind femur 7.5 times as long as wide. Propodeum: transverse furrow at base laterally with two longitudinal, short wrinkles; distance from anterior transverse carina to anterior margin 1.36 longer than width of transverse furrow at base, measured centrally; scarcely pilose, its anterior margin laterally regular, centrally weakly concave; anterior transverse carina strong, straight, complete, area in front of it smooth, shiny, area behind it with about 13 strong, regular, sharp, transverse wrinkles ( Figs. 2 , 17 ); posterior transverse carina and apophyses absent; spiracle about twice as long as wide. Fore wing crossveins cu­a and Cu1b vertical, straight; vein 2­Cu1 0.2 length of crossvein Cu1b; ramellus absent; areolet pentagonal, 1.17 wider than high ( Fig. 9 ); 3rs­m as long as 2rs­m, both vertical; bulla of fore wing crossvein 3rs­m on posterior 0.70 of vein. Hind wing vein 1­Cu1 about same length as crossvein cu­a; vein 2­1A reaching about 0.7 the distance to posterior margin. Metasoma: first tergite smooth, shiny, spiracle at center, moderately prominent; metasomal tergite 1 about 4.8 longer than wide; tergite 2 smooth, shiny, with sparse pilosity, apex 2.3 as wide as base; thyridium longer than wide; tergites 3–8 smooth, shiny, pilose; ovipositor sheath 0.83 as long as hind tibia; ovipositor strong, thick, sparsely punctate, basal half almost cylindrical, apical half laterally weakly compressed; dorsal valve without nodus, ventral valve with seven apical teeth ( Fig. 3 ).

Color. Head, pronotum and mesoscutum generally black, remainder of mesosoma deep yellow (239,194,014), metasoma mostly black ( Fig. 14 ). Head: scape dark brown (045,030,030), with inner apical subcircular white spot; pedicel, flagellomeres dark brown, except 9 and 16 dorsal half and 10–15, white; supraclypeal area, clypeus, mouth parts, base of mandible and malar space, white; apex of mandible dark brown. Mesosoma: pronotum black, collar from middle to ventral corner, white; mesoscutum, scutellum dorsally, and postscutellum, black; scutellum laterally yellow (255,216,063); tegula brownish, marginally yellow; basal and lateral areas of propodeum, deep yellow; propodeum laterally, behind anterior transverse carina, with two lateral, oval, large, undefined dark brown spots; fore and mid coxae yellow, hind coxa deep yellow; fore and mid femora, mid trochantellus outer side brownish; hind trochanter, trochantellus and femur, dark brown; hind tarsi pale yellow (215,210,155), with apical tarsomere light brown (155,135,060). Metasoma: black; first tergite basal 0.26 yellow; tergites 1–7 posterior margin white, widest on T2 and T7; ovipositor dark red (095,055,045); sheaths dark brown; wings hyaline.

Comments. Similar to P. varians , from which it can be differentiated by the shorter fore wing (7.9–8.3 mm vs. 9.0– 9.7 mm); para­ocular white stripe interrupted from supraclypeal area to posterior orbit (vs. complete); pronotum with submarginal protuberance weak (vs. small and sharp); anterior margin of propodeum weakly sinuous (vs. centrally clearly concave); transverse furrow at base of propodeum centrally narrower than width of propodeum between anterior margin and anterior transverse carina (vs. distinctly wider) (compare Figs. 17 and 19 ); pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum black (vs. dark orange); hind trochanter, trochantellus and femur dark brown (vs. yellowish); ovipositor strong, thick, dorsal valve without nodus.

Variability. Paratype specimen with fore wing length 8.3 mm; areolet approximately rectangular, 1.33 wider than high ( Fig. 10 ), crossvein 2rs­m almost opposite 2m­cu; scape dark brown, laterally dusty white. Distance from anterior transverse carina to anterior margin of propodeum 1.31 longer than width of transverse furrow at base of propodeum, measured centrally. First tergite yellow on basal 0.30.

Male. Unknown.

Host. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype female: “ Brazil: ES, Santa Teresa , Estação Biológica Santa Lúcia, 17–20.VI.1997, Yellow Pans, WAHoffmann & RRibeiro.” Hind right tarsomeres 2– 5 missing; metasoma crumpled; otherwise in good shape . Paratype female: same locality and collector, 28–30.IV.1997. Right hind coxa, posterior apical tarsus, and apex of ventral valve of ovipositor missing; otherwise in good shape . Holotype and paratype in the collection of the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil .

Distribution. Brazil (ES).

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. Polyphrix atlantica sp. n., Holotype ♀. 1, Pronotum and mesonotum, dorsal, left; 2, Propodeum and transverse furrow at base of propodeum, dorsal; 3, Ovipositor tip, left. Drawings by Rogério Lupo. Illustrations not to scale.

FIGURES 7–19. Female Polyphrix spp. Head, dorsal: 7, P. atlantica n. sp., holotype; 8, P. cristata n. sp, holotype. Areolet: 9, P. atlantica n. sp., holotype; 10, P. atlantica n. sp., paratype. Pronotum, left: 11, P. atlantica n. sp., holotype; 12, P. cristata n. sp., holotype; 13, P.varians. Head, mesosoma and metasoma, dorsal: 14, P. atlantica n. sp., paratype; 15, P. cristata n. sp., holotype; 16, P.varians. Propodeum and transverse furrow at base of propodeum, dorsal: 17, P. atlantica n. sp., holotype; 18, P. cristata n. sp., holotype; 19, P. varians. Illustrations not to scale.