Pristiboea, Broad & Sääksjärvi & Veijalainen & Notton, 2011

Broad, Gavin R., Sääksjärvi, Ilari E., Veijalainen, Anu & Notton, David G., 2011, Three new genera of Banchinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) from Central and South America, Journal of Natural History 45 (21 - 22), pp. 1311-1329 : 1319-1323

Genus Pristiboea gen. n. Broad, Sääksjärvi & Veijalainen

( Figures 6–8 )

Type species: Pristiboea leiomano Broad, Sääksjärvi & Veijalainen. Monotypic.

Diagnosis

Pristiboea seems to be most closely related to Hadeleboea Ugalde & Gauld. Like Hadeleboea , the one known specimen of Pristiboea has the clypeus notched, the frons convex and the hind rim of the metanotum strongly, triangularly produced laterally. Unlike Hadeleboea , the areolet is closed (vein 3rs-m present) in Pristiboea , the tibiae have strong spines ( Figure 7C ), the tarsal claws lack pectination and the ovipositor is strikingly autapomorphic. Unlike any previously described banchine, both lower and upper ovipositor valves of Pristiboea have paired, lateral ridges bearing rows of small teeth ( Figure 8A, B ).

Description

Medium-sized (body length c. 9 mm, excluding ovipositor, wing length 7 mm), thorax a little elongate, black and white, with strongly serrate ovipositor. Clypeus gently rounded, apically flattened and medially notched, 1.6 times as wide as high; sparse, long hairs evenly distributed. Malar space 0.7 times basal width of mandible. Mandible evenly tapered, lower tooth very slightly shorter than upper. Face transverse and with low, longitudinal, central swelling. Margins of antennal sockets not raised. Inter-antennal carina apparently absent but difficult to see on the one specimen available. Frons convex, punctate, slightly depressed near anterior border of fore ocellus. Temples strongly narrowed. Eyes and ocelli small, ocellar–ocular distance 1.5 times maximum diameter of lateral ocellus. Occipital carina complete, joining hypostomal carina distinctly above base of mandible. Antenna slim, not white-banded. Scape a little longer than wide, truncate about 40 ◦ from transverse. Flagellomeres with placoid sensilla evenly distributed. Pronotum ( Figure 7B ) with rather long anterior, dorsal surface, lacking horizontal groove. Epomia absent. Dorsal, posterior corner of pronotum slightly twisted, in dorsal view triangular and not concealing spiracular sclerite. Notauli distinct anteriorly (but not reaching front margin of mesoscutum), fading out around level of tegula. Epicnemial carina present, ending distant from front edge of mesopleurum, just above level of lower corner of pronotum. Sternaulus absent. Mesepisternal sulcus distinct, narrow and unsculptured. Posterior transverse carina of mesosternum absent. Metapleurum with submetapleural carina strongly expanded anteriorly as vaguely trapezoidal lobe ( Figure 7A ). Metanotum with lateral sections produced as blunt, triangular lobes, pointing towards small projections on anterior face of propodeum. Propodeum gently rounded, with faint longitudinal groove medially. Propodeum with pleural carina present, other carinae absent although with area of sculptural differentiation at place of posterior transverse carina. Propodeal spiracle sub-circular. Legs slender, all tibiae bearing strong, spine-like setae scattered over outer surface and with row of apical spines ( Figure 7C ). Tarsal claws slender and weakly curved, lacking teeth but with long setae basally. Tarsomeres cylindrical. Tibial spurs long, inner spur c.1.3 times as long as outer. Inner hind tibial spur 0.5 times length of hind basitarsus. Fore wing with vein 3rs-m longer than 2rs-m, areolet petiolate. Vein 2m-cu with two bullae, gap between shorter than length of bulla. Vein cu-a distal to base of Rs&M by 0.35 times length of cu-a and strongly inclivous. Hind wing with Cu1 present, much closer to 1A than to M. Upper outer corner of sub-basal cell slightly obtuse. Tergite I, in lateral view, with spiracle positioned at anterior 0.35. Dorsal and lateral longitudinal carinae lacking. Tergite evenly narrowing from base to apex. Sclerotized part of first sternite not fused with tergite and ending at about 0.2 of length of tergite. Second tergite transverse; thyridia narrow, transverse, close to anterior margin. Laterotergites II–III narrow, turned under, laterotergite IV onwards not separated. Subgenital plate large, triangular, ending some distance short of posterior level of apical tergite, with membranous, narrow triangular area postero-medially. Ovipositor straight, with dorsal, apical notch, 0.6 times length of fore wing. Upper valve with paired, longitudinal ridges apically, each ridge bearing small, low teeth over apical 0.18 of ovipositor; lower valves each with a longitudinal ridge bearing small teeth, thus giving a rectangular, serrate shape to ovipositor tip ( Figure 8A, B ). Upper valves flattened dorsally.

Etymology

Pristiboea is derived from the Greek pristis, “saw”, referring to its ovipositor morphology, and Deleboea , the banchine genus which used to encompass various genera with

an expanded postero-lateral rim of the metanotum (see Ugalde and Gauld 2002). The gender of the genus name is feminine.

Figures

Figure 6. Pristiboea leiomano holotype female, whole insect.

Figure 7. Pristiboea leiomano holotype female, (A) propodeum, lateral, (B) pronotum, lateral, (C) hind tibia, outer face.

Figure 8. Pristiboea leiomano holotype female, ovipositor tip, (A) dorso-lateral, (B) lateral.