Orthocentrus luteoclypeus Veijalainen

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 : 214-215

Orthocentrus luteoclypeus Veijalainen , sp. nov.

Figs 2 C, 6 I, 8 I, 11 I, 13 I.

Fore wing length 2.4–2.7 mm.

Face medially 1.3x as wide as high; face smooth and polished, punctate dorsally, eyes not setose. Dorsal ridge of face inbetween antennal sockets without a median prominence; face profile straight except dorsally very slightly impressed, edge of clypeus almost straight, very slightly impressed, antennal sockets not on a distinct high shelf; malar groove distinct, sharp, strongly bent towards occiput; maxillary palp reaching slightly beyond fore coxa. In dorsal view, head posteriorly moderately concave, temples very narrow, very slightly protruding posterior of eye, hind ocellus separated from eye by c. 0.8x ocellar diameter, anterior ocellus separated from eye by c. 1.5x ocellar diameter, lacking ocellar-ocular grooves. Minimum distance between antennal sockets about half diameter of socket, slender, with 19–20 elongate, rather stout flagellomeres which not gradually shortening towards apex of antenna; basal flagellomere 0.6x as wide as long and about half of length of scape; scape with internal surface slightly convex, outer side slightly concave.

Mesosoma largely smooth and polished except for some small striae on ventro-posterior corner of pronotum and coriaceous microsculpture on propodeum, especially laterally; mesoscutum anteriorly with short notauli; in profile, scutellum somewhat high, metapleuron slightly convex; propodeum with posterior transverse carina complete, strong and raised between lateral longitudinal carinae, median longitudinal carinae complete, lateral longitudinal carinae complete or obsolescent anterior to spiracles; spiracles small to medium-sized.

Legs somewhat stout; coxae and femora polished, femora with inconspicuous alutaceous-coriaceous sculpture, tibiae and tarsi coriaceous-granulate; hind coxa 1.0–1.2x as long as first tergite, hind femur 3.0x as long as high, hind tibia 3.6x as long as apically wide; tibiae with spine-like setae.

Wings not particularly narrow; fore wing with areolet open, vein Rs straight to slightly sinuous; hind wing with vein cu-a angulate at lower third.

First tergite slightly widening apically, 1.2–1.4x as long as apically wide; coriaceous, strigose apically, with complete or posteriorly almost complete median longitudinal carinae, with transverse impressions originating at about middle of tergite, sloping posteriorly, not meeting centrally. Second tergite 0.8x as long as apically wide; coriaceous, median transverse groove near apical margin bending anteriorly near lateral margins; basal thyridia quadrate-elongate, paler than surrounding cuticle, second thyridia round, same colour as surrounding cuticle. Third tergite with coriaceous microsculpture, more conspicuous basally; second thyridia small, round second thyridia usually visible. Remainder of metasoma impunctate, polished. Ovipositor more or less straight, ovipositor without notch; ovipositor sheath with sparse, long, backwards-directed setae.

Body setose except eyes, pronotum, mesopleuron and metapleuron, setae scattered on metasoma and posterior sides of coxae.

Dark to blackish brown except antenna with yellow proximally, ventrally, clypeus yellow to orange, mouthparts, small area of malar space behind malar sulcus, top of face between antennal sockets, large spot on inner orbit at level of antennal sockets, tegula and sternites creamy; fore and mid legs yellow with creamy trochanter and trochantellus; hind coxa, and femur dark brown, coxa apically, trochanter, trochantellus, femur basally and apically, yellowish, hind tibia and basitarsomere yellowish, dark apically; apical margins of second and third tergites narrowly yellowish, sometimes also narrow basal margin of third tergite.

Male. Unknown.

Biology. Hosts unknown. Has been collected at middle and high elevations in Central America.

Etymology. Named after the orange clypeus.

Comments. Compared with other species that have notauli and a complete posterior transverse carina, the malar groove is bent (unlike in O. rectus and O. saaksjarvii ), the ovipositor lacks a notch, and the orbits are creamy only near the antennal sockets (unlike O. maculae ).

Material examined. Holotype female: ‘ Guatemala, Suchitepéq., 4 km S Vol. Atitlán, 1575± 4 m, 14.54807ºN, 91.19188ºW, cloud forest, 14–18 Jun 2009, Malaise, LLAMA #Ma-B- 09-1-02 ’ ( BMNH).

Paratypes: 1 ♀ Guatemala, Sacatepéq., 5 km SE Antigua, 2145± 4 m, 14.53650 ºN, 90.69483 ºW, hardwood forest, 10–13.VI.2009, Malaise, LLAMA #Ma-B- 08-1-02 ( ZMUT); 1 ♀ Costa Rica, Puntarenas Pv., San Vito, Las Alturas, 1500 m, VII.1991, K. Gaston; 2 ♀ Costa Rica, San José Pv., Sn Antonio Escazu, 1300 m, IX–X.88, Gauld (both BMNH).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Lateral views: Orthocentrus shieldsi (in part) and O. maculae species-groups. A: scurra, B: teres, C: luteoclypeus, D: maculae, E: saaksjarvii, F: rectus. Scale 0.5 mm except in E 1.0 mm.