Chirotica mariua Lima & Fernandes, 2024

Lima, Adriane G. M. & Fernandes, Daniell R. R., 2024, Synopsis of the Darwin wasp Chirotica Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Phygadeuontinae) in Brazil, Zootaxa 5418 (2), pp. 101-139 : 125-127

Chirotica mariua Lima & Fernandes sp. nov.

( Figures 5A ; 6A–B ; 25 )

Material examined. 1 female. Holotype. BRA [ Brazil]. AM [Amazonas], Barcelos / 02°83’8”S / 63°28’18”W / Campina malaise / VII–VIII.2007 / A. Filho & T. Krolow leg. (1 female, INPA).

Diagnosis. Chirotica mariua sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other Neotropical Chirotica species by the combination of the following characters: (1) pronotum with a posterolateral crest ( Fig. 25A ); (2) pronotal collar whitish-yellow ( Fig. 25A ); (3) mesopleuron on the posterior part without punctuation and/or rugae; (4) tergite 3 slightly granulated with sparse punctuation ( Fig. 25E ); (5) lower valve of ovipositor with small proximal teeth scattered at apex ( Fig. 25F ).

Description. Holotype female. Body length (head to T8) 3.95 mm.

Head. Frons convex, polished, with rugae and punctuation, long sparse setae, median longitudinal sulcus absent. Face polished with punctuation with long dense setae, small median tubercle. Clypeus convex, polished, with sparse punctuation with long fine setae. Mandibular teeth with punctuation and sparse long setae. Median longitudinal sulcus between posterior ocelli present. Frons width 0.41 mm. Face width 0.47 mm. Eye height 0.57 mm. Basal mandible width 0.07 mm. Malar space 0.14 mm. Ocellus diameter 0.06 mm. Shortest distance between anterior and posterior ocelli 0.05 mm. Shortest distance between posterior ocellus and compound eye 0.10 mm. Shortest distance between posterior ocelli 0.12 mm ( Figs 25B and 25C ).

Mesosoma . Pronotum polished, with dorsoposterior punctuation, striae in middle and lower part, sparse fine setae. Epomia present anteriorly. Epicnemium polished, with rugae and punctuation, long dense setae. Mesoscutum polished, granulate, with rugae in posterocentral part. Notaulus with rugae along their length ( Fig. 25D ). Scuto-scutellar groove polished with sparse fine punctuation. Scutellum polished, with sparse punctuation and long setae, without lateral rugae. Propodeum polished, with rugae and sparse punctuation, sparse long setae; area dentipara without teeth. Mesopleuron rugose-punctuate, long dense setae, without punctuation and/or rugae on the posterior part. Metapleuron rugose-punctuate and with long dense setae; area below juxtacoxal carina with punctuation. Legs polished with fine punctuation and dense setae; fore legs with one tibial spur, hind legs with two asymmetrical tibial spurs; tibiae and tarsus with denticles; tarsal claws simple. Fore wing length 2.85 mm. Hind wing length 2.17 mm.

Metasoma. Tergite 1 polished with apicolateral fine rugae and sparse punctuation; lateromedian carina absent and long sparse setae. Tergite 2 polished, weakly strigose with sparse punctuation, 0.4 of apex with very sparse punctuation, sparse setae ( Fig. 25E ). Tergite 3 polished, weak granulate with sparse punctuation and sparse long setae ( Fig. 25E ). Tergite 4 onwards polished, with sparse punctuation, long dense setae. Ovipositor with smooth upper valve and lower valve with small proximal teeth scattered at apex ( Fig. 25F ). Tergite 1 length 0.61 mm. Basal width of tergite 1 0.09 mm. Apical width of tergite 1 0.45 mm. Tergite 2 length 0.34 mm. Basal width of tergite 2 0.72 mm. Apical width of tergite 2 0.55 mm. Tergite 3 length 0.43 mm. Basal width of tergite 3 0.67 mm. Apical width of tergite 3 0.65 mm. Ovipositor length 0.88 mm.

Coloration. Yellowish-orange. Head black. Base and apex of the mandible and clypeus reddish-brown. Pronotal collar whitish-yellow; legs yellowish-orange with brown-blackened tarsal apex; hind trochanter and hind tibiae brownish; 0.2 of the base of hind tibiae whitish brown. Wings subhyaline, veins and pterostigma brown; fore wing with dark brown band pre-median and a dark brown band post-median; hind wing with slightly brownish band apically. Tergites 1–4 orange-yellow with 0.1 of apex with whitish-yellow band; tergites 5 onwards blackish-brown with 0.1 of apex with whitish-yellow band.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Brazil (Amazonas) ( Fig. 25G ).

Host. Unknown.

Etymology. Referring to Mariuá corresponding to the old name of the municipality of Barcelos, where the holotype was collected. Noun in apposition.

Holotype condition. Antennae and left fore, mid and hind legs missing. Specimen glued to entomological pin on the lateral part of the mesosoma.

Discussion. Chirotica mariua sp. nov. is morphologically similar to C. maraca sp. nov. having metapleuron rugose-punctuate; area below the juxtacoxal carina with punctuation; and tergite 2 strigose ( Fig. 25E ). However, C. mariua sp. nov. differs from C. maraca sp. nov. in the following characters: ovipositor with lower valve with small proximal teeth scattered at apex ( Fig. 25F ) (versus C. maraca sp. nov. which has ovipositor with lower valve with fine proximal teeth clustered at apex); tergite 1 has lateromedian carinae absent (versus C. maraca sp. nov. which has lateromedian carinae only centrally); and mesopleuron rugose-punctuate, without punctuation and/or rugae on the posterior part (versus C. maraca sp. nov. which has mesopleuron with rugae).

Figures

FIGURE 5. A–B: Pronotum, female, lateral view. A: Chirotica mariua sp. nov.. B: Chirotica juquia sp. nov..

FIGURE 6. A–D: Mesopleuron, female, lateral view. A: and B: Chirotica mariua sp. nov. (SEM). C: and D: Chirotica juquia sp. nov. (SEM).

FIGURE 25. A–G: Chirotica mariua Lima & Fernandes sp. nov.. Holotype female. A: habitus; B: head, dorsal view; C: head, frontal view; D: mesoscutum, dorsal view; E: tergites 2 and 3, dorsal view; F: ovipositor, lateral view; G: distribution map (pink triangle for type locality).