Orthocentrus albihumerus Broad

Veijalainen, Anu, Broad, Gavin R. & Sääksjärvi, Ilari E., 2014, Twenty seven new species of Orthocentrus (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae; Orthocentrinae) with a key to the Neotropical species of the genus, Zootaxa 3768 (3), pp. 201-252 : 229-230

Orthocentrus albihumerus Broad , sp. nov.

Fore wing length 3.6–4.0 mm.

Face medially 0.9x as wide as high; face densely punctate, shining, eyes with long, fairly sparse setae, dorsal ridge of face inbetween antennal sockets without a median prominence; face profile gently curved, edge of clypeus impressed, margin straight, antennal sockets not on a distinct high shelf; malar groove a little curved; maxillary palp very long, reaching back to mid coxae. In dorsal view, head posteriorly moderately concave, temples distinct, posterior ocelli distant from eye by 1.0x ocellar diameter, anterior ocellus separated from eye by 1.8x ocellar diameter, ocellar-ocular grooves absent. Minimum distance between antennal sockets 0.5x diameter of socket; antenna distinctly longer than body, slender, with 38–43 (39 in holotype) thin, elongate flagellomeres which gradually shorten towards apex of antenna; basal flagellomere 0.2x as wide as long and 1.25x scape; scape slightly curved, in frontal view a little concave on lateral surface, convex on inner surface.

Mesosoma smooth, polished, impunctate except mesoscutum, some faint coriaceous/rugose microsculpture on propodeum; mesoscutum with dense, small punctures, lacking notauli; in profile, scutellum not particularly high, convex, metapleuron slightly convex; propodeum with posterior transverse carina strong and raised, present between lateral longitudinal carinae, median longitudinal carinae complete, lateral longitudinal carinae present posterior to spiracles, spiracles rather large.

Legs stout, hind leg massive; coxae ventrally granulate, femora, tibiae and tarsi coriaceous-granulate except hind femur smooth on anterior-ventral surface; hind coxa 1.1x as long as first tergite, hind femur 3.4x as long as maximum depth, hind tibia 4.7x as long as apical width; tibiae lacking spine-like setae.

Wings not particularly narrow; fore wing with areolet closed, slightly wider than high, vein Rs straight; hind wing with vein cu-a intercepted, angulate, first abscissa of Cu inclivous.

First tergite somewhat elongate and apically widening, 1.8x as long as apically wide; heavily foveolate-rugose with two complete, high median longitudinal carinae, with transverse impressions originating at about middle of tergite, sloping posteriorly, not meeting centrally. Second tergite 1.2x as long as apically wide; heavily foveolaterugose with less conspicuous strigosity, with slight transverse impressions originating at about middle of tergite, sloping anteriorly and posteriorly, not meeting centrally; second thyridia present as raised ovals, only visible on specimen with paler tergites. Third tergite with foveolate-rugose sculpture reaching apical ¾ of tergite, sculpture towards posterior edge smoother, slightly punctate, with transverse impressions originating at about middle of tergite, sloping anteriorly, not meeting centrally; basal and second thyridia not contrastingly coloured, basal thyridia large, narrow, oval/rectangular, second thyridia small circular. Apical tergites slightly coriaceous, especially at base of fourth tergite. Ovipositor thin, straight, without notch; ovipositor sheaths short, concealed by large hypopygium.

Setae over whole body (including metasoma) except pronotum, mesopleuron, metapleuron, scattered on propodeum and dorsal sides of coxae.

Flagellomeres dark brown, hardly paler basally; face, outer and inner orbits creamy, frons, dorsal vertex/ occiput brown, inner orbit creamy in broad stripe reaching behind posterior ocellus, pronotum creamy ventrally and dorso-posteriorly, otherwise dark brown dorsally, mesopleuron creamy below and on subalar prominence, dull yellow medially, dark brown dorsally, metapleuron dark brown; mesoscutum dark brown on lateral lobes and medially, anterior to scutellum, reddish brown antero-medially, with creamy stripes along antero-lateral margins and extending posteriorly as longitudinal stripes across length of mesoscutum, scutellum yellow, propodeum dark brown/black; legs basically creamy white, tibiae and tarsi yellow-brown, hind femur brown apically, yellow proximally, apex of hind coxa, broad basal and apical bands on hind tibia dark brown. Tergites dark brown to black, third tergite with white hind margin, hypopygium (except medio-basally) varying brown. Sternites white with yellow more sclerotized patches.

Male. Very similar to female.

Biology. Hosts unknown. Collected at fairly high altitudes in Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

Etymology. Named after the white ‘shoulders’ of the mesoscutum.

Comments. Morphologically very similar to O. brevipilus but differing in the white ‘shoulder-stripes’ emanating from the antero-lateral edges of the mesoscutum, as well as some other minor but consistent colour differences (particularly the more extensive dark marks laterally and wider bands on the hind tibia) and in the sculpture of metasomal tergites 1–3, which have less distinct striae than in O. brevipilus , with more foveolate sculpture. The Costa Rican paratype is paler, with the metasoma mid-brown, darker basally, paler apically, and with white margins to both the second and third tergites. The metasomal sculpture is also weaker than on the Nicaraguan paratypes.

Material examined. Holotype female: ‘ Nicaragua, Jinotega: RN Cerro Kilambé, 1400± 10m 13.56675 - 85.69664 23–26May2011, Malaise trap cloud forest LLAMA #Ma-D- 05-2-02 ’ ( BMNH).

Paratypes: 1 ♀ San José Pv., Zurquí de Moravia, 1600m nr to Braulio Carillo NP, IV.1991, Gauld ( BMNH); 1 ♀ Nicaragua, N. Segovia: 9km NW Jalapa, 1440± 10m 13.98055 -85.18245 27.V–1.VI.2011, Malaise trap Oak cloud forest LLAMA #Ma-D- 06-1-01 ( ZMUT); 1 ♀ Nicaragua, N. Segovia: 9km NW Jalapa, 1450± 10m 13.97777 -85.18872 28.V–1.VI.2011, Malaise trap secondary cloud forest LLAMA #Ma-D- 06-1-02; 1♂ Nicaragua, Jinotega: PN Cerro Soslaya, 1110± 20m 13.77194 -85.01465 12.16. V.2011, Malaise trap ridgetop cloud forest LLAMA #Ma- D- 03-3-01 (both USNM).