Orthocentrus zebra 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 : 237-238

Orthocentrus zebra Veijalainen , sp. nov.

Figs 5 E, 6 Q, 10 F, 11 Q, 14 O.

Fore wing length 4.0– 4.1 mm.

Face medially 0.9–1.0.x wider than high, upper face faintly and sparsely papillate with hairs, lower face almost smooth and polished, with some coriaceous-strigose microsculpture. Eyes not setose. Dorsal ridge of face inbetween antennal sockets without a median prominence but with a faint somewhat sharply vertical raised area in middle of upper face, below the ridge between antennal sockets. Face in profile almost straight and slightly impressed dorsally, edge of clypeus lightly impressed and concave, antennal sockets not on a shelf. Malar groove distinct but not deep, almost straight. Maxillary palps long, reaching to mid coxa. Head in dorsal view posteriorly slightly concave, temples distinct, posterior ocellus separated from eye by 1.3–1.7x ocellar diameter, anterior ocellus separated from eye by 2.0–2.3x ocellar diameter, lacking ocellar-ocular groove. Minimum distance between antennal sockets about the diameter of socket. Antenna longer than body, slender, with 39–40 elongate flagellomeres, flagellomeres gradually shortening towards apex; basal flagellomere 0.1x as wide as high, basal flagellomere about 1 1/3 the length of scape; scape slightly curved, in frontal view concave on lateral surface, convex on inner surface.

Mesosoma smooth and polished except pronotum around epomia wrinkled, propodeum with microsculpture; mesoscutum lacking notauli; in profile, scutellum moderately high, metapleuron slightly convex; propodeum without carinae, traces of carinae sometimes observable at expected location of basal lateral longitudinal carinae; spiracles medium-sized.

Legs long and slender; coxae polished, femora with coriaceous microsculpture, tibia and tarsi coriaceousgranulate; hind coxa 1.3x as long as first tergite; hind femur 3.7x as long as maximum depth; hind tibia 5.2–5.4x as long as apically wide; tibiae with spine-like setae.

Wings not particularly narrow; fore wing with areolet closed, 3rs-m sometimes weak, areolet slightly wider than high, 2m-cu meeting areolet at apical 0.7–0.8; vein Rs straight to apically slightly upcurved; hind wing cu-a not intercepted, straight.

First tergite elongate, narrow, slightly wider at spiracles, slightly widening apically, 2.1x as long as apically wide; coriaceous-strigose, with two complete or posteriorly almost complete median longitudinal carinae usually detectable amongst sculpture, with faint transverse impressions originating at about middle of tergite, sloping posteriorly, not meeting centrally. Second tergite 1.1–1.2x as long as apically wide, coriaceous-strigose; all thyridia contrastingly coloured, basal thyridia rounded-rectangular, second thyridia oval. Remaining tergites smooth and usually with coriaceous microsculpture; third tergite with second thyridia round. Ovipositor not completely visible in type specimens; straight, thin, without notch; ovipositor sheath with inconspicuous setae which not significantly different from the other metasomal setae.

Body largely setose except eyes, pronotum, mesopleuron, metapleuron, and coxae posteriorly.

Creamy to yellowish creamy except antennae, frons except inner orbits, interocellar area, occiput, mesoscutum except expected locations of notauli and anterolateral edges, pronotum and mesopleuron dorsally, propodeum completely, tergites except posterior and sometimes anterior edges of anterior tergites, and legs largely except fore and mid coxae, dorsal half of hind coxa, brown, face sometimes with faint brown patches.

Male. As female.

Biology. Hosts unknown. Specimens were collected from high-elevation localities in Costa Rica.

Etymology. Named after the conspicuous mesosomal stripes (a noun in apposition).

Comments. Orthocentrus zebra is a uniquely identifiable species. In colour pattern, it is most similar to O. alboscutellum and O. brevipilus , but differs in the more smoothly sculptured basal tergites and the propodeum that is completely lacking the posterior transverse and the median longitudinal carinae.

Material examined. Holotype female: ‘ Costa Rica, Sn José Pv, 20 km S, Empalme, Cerro de la Muerte, 2800 m, III–VI.90, Gauld’ ( BMNH).

Paratypes: 1 ♀ as holotype; 2 ♀ and 1 ♂ as holotype but II–III.90 (all BMNH); 1 ♀ as holotype but VII–IX.90, 1 ♀ Costa Rica, San José Pv., Cerro de la Muerte, Quercus forest, 2700 m, II.89, Gauld & Mitchell ( USNM); 2 ♀ Costa Rica, 2800 m, San José Pv, 20 km S Empalme, XI.88 – I.89, I. Gauld ( ZMUT).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Lateral views: Orthocentrus insularis (excluding O. albihumerus which is very similar to O. breivipilus; see descriptions) and O. zebra species-groups. A: alboscutellum, B: onkonegare, C: brevipilus, D: broadi, E: zebra, F: insularis. Scale 1.0 mm.