Stethantyx guanacasteca Khalaim et Broad

Khalaim, Andrey I. & Broad, Gavin R., 2013, Tersilochinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) of Costa Rica, part 2. Genera Megalochus gen. nov. and Stethantyx Townes, Zootaxa 3693 (2), pp. 221-266 : 241-243

Stethantyx guanacasteca Khalaim et Broad , sp. nov.

( Figs 3 , 32, 33 )

Comparison. Belongs to the group of four species with a white-banded flagellum. In this group it resembles S. puntarenasa sp. nov. as both have a predominantly orange head and mesosoma, notaulus weak or absent, and propodeal carinae without adjacent wrinkles, but differs from this species by the propodeum with the basal part long and narrow, apical area anteriorly pointed, second metasomal tergite longer, legs and metasoma darker, and the longer ovipositor.

Description. Female. Body length about 8.6 mm. Fore wing length 5.85 mm.

Head strongly rounded behind eyes in dorsal view; temple 0.44× as long as eye width. Mandible with upper tooth longer than lower tooth. Clypeus broad, lenticular, flat in lateral view, smooth, with sparse punctures on its upper half. Malar space half as long as basal width of mandible. Flagellum of antenna with (28)32–39 flagellomeres (35 flagellomeres in holotype), distinctly narrowed towards apex, basal flagellomeres slightly elongate, subapical flagellomeres subsquare. Inner eye orbits very weakly convergent ventrally. Face with conspicuous, elongate central prominence. Face and frons very finely granulate, dull, very densely but indistinctly punctate. Vertex and temple densely but indistinctly punctate, smooth and shining between punctures.

Notaulus as small tubercle distant from anterolateral margin of mesoscutum ( Fig. 32 ). Mesoscutum finely granulate, dull, with dense, very fine punctures. Scutellum with lateral longitudinal carinae developed in its anterior 0.7. Foveate groove of mesopleuron strongly oblique, moderately broad, sharp and crenulate, not reaching neither anterior nor hind margin of mesopleuron ( Fig. 32 ). Mesopleuron above foveate groove densely punctate, smooth and shining between punctures. Propodeum dull, dorsolateral area usually very finely punctate, without conspicuous wrinkles adjacent to carinae. Basal area of propodeum long and narrow (basal longitudinal carinae often developed only posteriorly), distinctly widened anteriorly, 0.45× as long as apical area ( Fig. 33 ). Propodeal spiracle rather big, separated from pleural carina by 0.5× diameter of spiracle. Apical area flat, roundly pointed anteriorly ( Fig. 33 ).

Fore wing ( Fig. 3 ) with veins Rs +2 r and Rs angled about 120°. Vein 2 rs-m more than twice as long as abscissa of M between 2 rs-m and 2 m-cu. Hind wing with cu 1& cu-a slightly inclivous. Hind femur 6.1× as long as broad, 0.87× as long as tibia.

First tergite slender, 4.3× as long as posteriorly broad, entirely smooth. Glymma situated near middle of tergite 1, small, joining by shallow furrow to ventral part of postpetiole. Second tergite 2.3× as long as anteriorly broad. Thyridial depression very long, more than 6.0× as long as broad. Ovipositor weakly upcurved, with shallow dorsal subapical depression; sheath about 2.1× as long as first tergite and 1.95× as long as hind tibia.

Head, mesosoma (including tegula) and petiole of first metasomal segment reddish orange, interocellar area blackish, clypeus and malar space yellow, palpi and mandible (teeth black) whitish. Antenna black, scape and pedicel ventrally yellowish brown, 6–11 (usually 8) flagellomeres somewhat distal to middle of flagellum white. Pterostigma brownish black. Fore and mid legs brownish yellow, fore coxa and trochanters whitish. Hind leg with coxa and trochanters reddish orange (sometimes with fuscous marks), femur dark brown to black, tibia black, tarsus fuscous basally to brownish yellow apically. Postpetiole of first metasomal segment and tergites 2+ dorsally dark brown, tergite 2 with hind margin and anterolateral marks white, hind margins of tergites 3+ with subtriangular white marks, apex of metasoma more or less entirely white.

Male. Similar to female. Flagellum of antenna with 34–39 flagellomeres, pale band consists of 3–6 segments.

Variation. This is a rather uniform species with minor variation in structure and colour pattern. Two small females from Miravalles are paler and have the flagellum with only 28 and 30 segments.

Etymology. Named after the type locality, Guanacaste province of Costa Rica.

Material examined. Holotype female (BMNH), Guanacaste Prov., Guanacaste National Park, Estación Mengo (=Cacao), volcano Cacao, 1000 m, II–V.1989, coll. I.D. Gauld & D. Janzen.

Paratypes. Alajuela Prov.: 1 Ƥ (BMNH) Guanacaste National Park, Estación Pitilla, 680 m, VI.1988, coll. I.D. Gauld & P. Mitchell. 1 Ƥ (INBio) Biological Reserve San Ramón, 1100 m, VIII.1995, coll. G. Carballo. 1 Ƥ (INBio) Sector Colonia Palmareña, 9 km SE of Bajo Rodriguez, 700 m, I.1996, coll. G. Carballo. 1 Ƥ (INBio) Sector Cerro Chato, La Fortuna, 1100 m, II–III.1998, coll. G. Carballo. 1 Ƥ (INBio) Sector Cerro Chato, San Carlos, 1100 m, X.2001, coll. G. Carballo. 1 Ƥ (INBio) Monteverde, Estación Aleman, 1200–1300 m, coll. J.A. Azofeifa & E. Cruz. National Park Volcán Tenorio, 1.5 km SW of Cerro Camela, Estación El Pilón, 700–800 m, coll. J.A. Azofeifa: 3 3 (2 3 INBio, 1 3 ZISP) VI–VII.2006, 1 Ƥ & 1 3 (INBio) XII.2006 – II.2007. 2 Ƥ (INBio, ZISP) National Park Volcán Tenorio, Estación Alrededores, 800–900 m, VI.2006, coll. B. Gamboa & M. Moraga. 2 Ƥ (INBio) National Park Volcán Tenorio, N of volcano Tenorio, Guatuso, 1500–1600 m, V–VII.2005, coll. J.A. Azofeifa. National Park Guanacaste, 9 km S of Santa Cecilia , Estación Pitilla, 700 m, coll. E. Araya, P. Ríos & C. Moraga: 1 Ƥ (INBio) X.1993, 2 Ƥ (INBio) II.1994, 1 Ƥ (INBio) V.1995. 2 Ƥ (INBio) 30 km N of Liberia, National Park Guanacaste, Francisca Jenny, 1990. Cartago Prov.: 1 Ƥ (INBio) National Park Tapantí, La Represa, 1800 m, VI.1995, coll. R. Delgado. Guanacaste Prov.: 1 Ƥ (ZISP) Las Pailas, 2.75 km S of Cerro Braun, 1250 m, II.1996, coll. J.A. Ugalde. Guanacaste National Park, Estación Mengo (=Cacao), volcano Cacao, 1000 m, coll. I.D. Gauld & D. Janzen: 3 Ƥ (BMNH) I–V.1987, 1 Ƥ (BMNH) I–V.1988, 1 3 (ZISP) V.1988, 1 Ƥ (BMNH) V.1988, 1 Ƥ (BMNH) VI–VIII.1988, 1 Ƥ (BMNH) VIII.1988 (head absent), 2 Ƥ (BMNH) IX.1988, 1 Ƥ (BMNH) II.1989, 1 Ƥ (BMNH) II–V.1989, 3 Ƥ (BMNH) VI–VIII.1989. 2 Ƥ (BMNH, ZISP) Guanacaste National Park, Estación Pitilla, 680 m, IV–V.1989, coll. I.D. Gauld. 2 Ƥ (BMNH) Guanacaste National Park, Estación (Casa) Maritza, volcano Orosi, 560 m, X.1988, coll. I.D. Gauld & P. Mitchell. Guanacaste National Park, SW of volcano Cacao, Estación Mengo (=Cacao), 1000–1400 m: 3 Ƥ (2 Ƥ INBio, 1 Ƥ ZISP) III–VIII.1990, 2 3 (INBio, ZISP) IV.1991, 1 Ƥ (INBio) V.1991, 4 Ƥ & 14 3 (4 Ƥ & 13 3 INBio, 1 3 ZISP) V–VI.1991. Macizo Miravalles, Estación Cabro Muco, 1100 m, VI–VII.2003, coll. J.A. Azofeifa et al.: 2 Ƥ & 2 3 (INBio) VI–VII.2003, 1 Ƥ (INBio) III.2003, 1 Ƥ (INBio) IX–X.2003. 5 Ƥ (4 Ƥ INBio, 1 Ƥ ZISP) Macizo Miravalles, Azufral, 1200–1300 m, XI.2005 – I.2006, coll. J.A. Azofeifa. Heredia Prov.: 1 Ƥ (BMNH) same data, but 1989. 2 3 (BMNH) La Selva Biological Station, 3 km S of Puerto Viejo, 10º26ʹ N, 84º01ʹ W, primary rain forest, V.1988, coll. B.V. Brown. Limón Prov.: 1 Ƥ (ZISP) Sector Cerro Cocori, Francisca de Elías Rojas, 150 m, X–XII.1992. Puntarenas Prov.: Las Cruces, 6 km S of San Vito de Java, 1200 m, coll. I.D. Gauld & P. Mitchell: 1 Ƥ (BMNH) VII–VIII.1988, 1 Ƥ (BMNH) VIII–IX.1988, 1 Ƥ (BMNH) I–II.1989. 1 Ƥ & 1 3 (INBio) path to Cerro Pittier, 600 m NW of Estación Pittier, 1750 m, II.1998, coll. M. Moraga.

Distribution. Costa Rica ( Alajuela , Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia , Limón, Puntarenas).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Wings of Stethantyx spp., Ƥ: 1 — S. ajajuela sp. nov.; 2 — S. curvator sp. nov.; 3 — S. guanacasteca sp. nov.; 4 — S. heredia sp. nov.; 5 — S. niger sp. nov.; 6 — S. notaulator sp. nov.

FIGURES 30 – 35. Stethantyx curvator sp. nov., Ƥ: 30 — propodeum, dorsal. Stethantyx altamira sp. nov., Ƥ: 31 — ovipositor, left. Stethantyx guanacasteca sp. nov., Ƥ: 32 — mesosoma, left; 33 — propodeum, dorsal. Stethantyx heredia sp. nov., Ƥ: 34 — mesosoma, left; 35 — mesoscutum and scutellum, dorsal. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.