Neotheronia veracruzana Khalaim, 2018

Khalaim, Andrey I. & Ruíz-Cancino, Enrique, 2021, Darwin wasps of the subfamily Pimplinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) of Mexico: genera Neotheronia Krieger, Nomosphecia Gupta and Xanthopimpla Saussure, Zootaxa 4950 (3), pp. 401-440 : 425

23. Neotheronia veracruzana Khalaim, 2018

( Figs 33–36 )

Neotheronia veracruzana Khalaim in Khalaim et al. 2018: 21 [holotype ♀ (UNAM), Mexico, Veracruz, Xalapa , 19°30’N, 96°55’W, 1279 m, Malaise trap, 14–25.vii.2015, coll. M. López-Ortega; ♀].

Material examined. MEXICO. Nuevo León: 2 ♀ ( FSCA) Cola de Caballo , ca. El Cercado, 15–23.vi.1976, coll. C. Porter. 1 ♂ (UAT) Cola de Caballo , 28.iii.1981, coll. E. Ruíz C. Tamaulipas: 1 ♀ (UAT) 8 km W of Mainero , 4.iv.2008, coll. A.I. Khalaim. 1 ♀ (UAT) Cd. Victoria, Cañon Libertad , 770–880 m, 2.ii.1988, coll. R. Meza V. 1 ♀ (UAT) same locality and collector, 1000–1100 m, 21.ii.1988 . 2 ♂ (UAT) Cd. Victoria, Cañon Novillo , 17.vi, 22.vii.1985, coll. H. Serna T. 1 ♀ ( ZISP) 15 km SSW of Cd. Victoria, El Madroño , 23°36.307’N, 99°13.558’W, 1400–1450 m, 2.xi.2011, coll. A.I. Khalaim. 2 ♀ (UAT) Gómez Farías, Alta Cimas , Malaise trap, 24.vii–7.viii.1999, coll. S. Hernández A. 1 ♂ (UAT) Gómez Farías , El Cielo, 1.xi.1990, coll. H. Ruíz C. 1 ♀ (UAT) Ocampo , Ejido El Bejuco, 900 m, Malaise trap, 26.vi–8.vii.2016, coll. E. Ruíz-Cancino et al.

Comparison. According to its original description ( Khalaim et al. 2018), N. veracruzana differs from four other Mexican and Central American species with very short ovipositor which does not project beyond the apex of the metasoma ( N. brandtae Gauld , N. charli Gauld , N. lizzae Gauld and N. lloydi Gauld ) by its propodeum lacking any longitudinal carinae, with only transverse carina present ( Fig. 35 ). It also differs from N. brandtae and N. lloydi by its first tergite with short lateromedian longitudinal carinae (extending to almost hind margin of the tergite in N. brandtae and N. lloydi ) and small gastrocoeli (exceptionally large in N. brandtae and N. lloydi ), and from N. charli and N. lizzae by its predominantly yellow body with black markings (orange in N. charli and N. lizzae ).

In the key to Costa Rican species of Neotheronia ( Gauld 1991) , N. veracruzana runs to N. lizzae in couplet 30, but may easily be distinguished from this species by characters given above.

Diagnosis. Propodeum with all longitudinal carinae completely absent ( Fig. 35 ). Occiput black marked dorsally ( Fig. 33 ). Mesoscutum with a long central blackish stripe and short lateral blackish stripes anteriorly on notaular impressions ( Fig. 34 ); scutoscutellar groove black; propodeum with anterior margin narrowly blackish ( Fig. 35 ). Metasomal tergite 1 blackish anteriorly, second and following tergites with transverse black subbasal bands ( Fig. 36 ). Female with mesopleuron posteroventrally black marked.

Variation. In several specimens (mainly poorly preserved and decoloured) black markings are partly weak or completely absent.

Distribution. Mexico (Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Veracruz).

Figures

FIGURES 31–36. Neotheronia lineata, ♀: 31, 32—propodeum, dorsal. Neotheronia veracruzana, ♀ (Tamaulipas): 33—head, dorso-posterior; 34—mesoscutum, dorsal; 35—propodeum, dorsal; 36—posterior part of metasoma, lateral.