Neotheronia tequila Khalaim & Ruíz-Cancino, 2021

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 : 422-424

21. Neotheronia tequila Khalaim & Ruíz-Cancino , sp. nov.

( Figs 5–7 , 41–44 )

Material examined. Holotype female (UAT), Mexico, Jalisco, 8 km S of Tequila, Volcán de Tequila , 20°49.2’N, 103°51.6’W, 1800–2000 m, 9.ii.2009, coll. A.I. Khalaim.

Paratypes. MEXICO. Sinaloa: 1 ♂ ( AEIC) 50 mi NE of Mazatlán , 9.ix.1970, coll. W.J. Hanson & T.L. Whitworth. Jalisco: 2 ♀, 1 ♂ (1 ♀ and 1 ♂ in UAT, 1 ♀ in ZISP) same data as holotype . 1 ♂ (UAT) same locality and collector, 20°50.274’N, 103°51.100’W, 1500 m, 5.ii.2009 . 1 ♂ ( EMEC) La Floresta, Lago de Chapala , 1510 m, 4.ix.1977, coll. E. Schlinger. Mexico: 1 ♀ ( FSCA) Chalma , 14.vi.1974, coll. C. Porter & C. 1 ♀ ( FSCA) Calmbacher. Ixtapantongo , 19–21.vi.1974, coll. C. Porter & C. Calmbacher. Morelos: 1 ♀ ( CIUM) Parque Nacional de el Tepozteco, Tepoztlán , 21.x.1990, coll. G. Peña. 1 ♂ ( ZISP) N of Tepoztlán, path to El Tepozteco , 1800–2000 M, 11.x.2014, coll. A.I. Khalaim. 1 ♂ ( CIUM) Tepalcingo , El Limon, 1192 m, 9.xi.1991, coll. G. Peña. 1 ♂ ( ZISP) Yautepec de Zaragoza , 26.ix.1991, coll. G. Peña. Puebla: 2 ♀ ( CIUM, ZISP) Chietla, Atencingo, Campo Nuevo , 11.x.1990, coll. G. Peña. Guerrero: 1 ♂ ( UNAM) “ Rio Cocula , Gro. XII” . Oaxaca: 1 ♀ ( IPN) Cuilapam, Nogal , Malaise trap, 26.iii.2005, coll. J.M. Maldonado.

Description. Female ( Fig. 42 ). Fore wing length 11.5 mm.

Mandible moderately long, evenly and rather weakly tapered, with upper tooth slightly longer and broader than lower tooth ( Fig. 41 ). Clypeus in anterior view strongly transverse, 2.3× as long as wide, with lower half somewhat impressed and lower margin slightly truncate ( Fig. 41 ), without median transverse ridge, in profile concave. Face 1.25× as broad as long, weakly convex, with a pair of weak lateromedian vertical impressions. Lateral ocellus separated from eye by 1.5× its own maximum diameter ( Fig. 43 ). Occipital carina mediodorsally moderately dipped. Occiput with mediodorsal notch.

Pronotum with upper end of epomia long and sharp, about as long as basal mandibular width; lower portion of epomia (that parallel with the anterior margin of the pronotum) distinct. Notauli anteriorly strongly impressed. Subalar prominence roundly convex. Epicnemial carina distinctly concave above lower corner, with upper end distinct, not reaching anterior margin of mesopleuron. Scutellum, in profile, convex, laterally carinate on anterior third. Submetapleural carina strongly raised, broadened anteriorly. Pleural carina complete, thin. Propodeum in profile long, abruptly declivous posteriorly; transverse carina strong, a little behind the centre, laterally and mediodorsally quite strongly raised; median longitudinal carinae virtually absent, only discernible as tubercles anteriorly; other propodeal carinae entirely absent ( Fig. 44 ). Flange on hind margin of propodeum strongly raised laterally, moderately raised dorsally.

Fore wing with areolet moderately large, emitting vein 2m-cu well distal to centre, with upper corner distinctly truncated. Hind leg with outer surface of tibia bearing isolated small bristles. Third segment of hind tarsus about 2.4× as long as broad.

Metasoma with first tergite 2.4× as long as posteriorly broad, lateromedian longitudinal carinae present only anteriorly, but with a slightly angulate ridge extending back almost to the level of spiracle. First tergite, in profile, dorsally abruptly rounded in basal 0.4. Second tergite with gastroceli large, oval, rather clearly delineated, separated medially by a distance which is 1.7× as long as gastroceli broad. Ovipositor straight, subcylindrical, projecting beyond hind margin of subgenital plate by 1.1× length of hind tibia; apex of lower valve with 7 oblique teeth, apex of upper valve smooth.

A generally yellow species with black markings ( Figs 6 , 42, 44 ). Head yellow; teeth of mandible, spots above antennal sockets, area around ocelli and stripe behind anterior ocellus, hind margin of vertex and occiput dorsally black. Antenna black; scape and pedicel yellow ventrally. Mesosoma predominantly yellow. Pronotum with transverse black band dorsally. Mesoscutum with three longitudinal black stripes. Scutoscutellar groove black. Mesopleuron with black area along the anterior margin, upper end of this area turns backwards dorsally and reaching to dorsoposterior corner of mesopleuron, posterior margin black ventrally from base of mid coxa to level of episternal scrobe. Anterior margin of propodeum, anterior and posterior margins of metapleuron narrowly black. Tegula yellow with brownish mark extero-posteriorly. Wings slightly infumate; fore wing with distal margin more darkened, and with a black spot near the distal end of the marginal cell. Pterostigma black with small pale spot basally. Legs yellow, fore claws dark brown to blackish, mid and hind claws black. Mid leg with tibia narrowly infuscate apically, spurs and tarsus entirely black. Hind leg with coxa narrowly banded with black apically, trochanters black, femur black in apical third, tibia narrowly black basally and in apical 0.15, spurs and tarsus entirely black. First tergite black in anterior 0.65. Second tergite with transverse subproximal black band. Tergites 4–7 with D-shape median black spot anteriorly. Ovipositor sheath black.

Male. Generally similar to female but with wings distinctly darkened with brownish.

Etymology. The species is named after the type locality [Volcán de] Tequila, and a traditional Mexican tipple.

Comparison. Neotheronia tequila sp. nov. belongs to the tolteca species-group by having a strong median notch in the occiput, a long epomia, and upper end of epicnemial carina joining the anterior margin of mesopleuron. The new species may be easily distinguished from species of this species group, and also from all other Central American species, by its colour pattern with extensive black markings.

Remarks. One female of a closely related undescribed species was examined in the collection of NHMUK (Khalaim pers. comm.). That female has a similar colour pattern and differs from N. tequila sp. nov. only by a very short ovipositor. This specimen is badly preserved and therefore we do not describe this species here (see also Remarks section under N. juanitae sp. nov.).

Distribution. Mexico (Sinaloa, Jalisco, Mexico, Morelos, Puebla, Guerrero, Oaxaca).

Figures

FIGURES 3–7. Neotheronia tacubaya, ♀: 3—head, front; 4—propodeum, dorso-posterior. Neotheronia tequila sp. nov., holotype, ♀: 5—head, dorso-postero-lateral; 6—habitus (without apices of antennae and wings), lateral; 7—head and mesosoma, lateral.

FIGURES 37–41. Neotheronia mellosa, ♀: 37—head, dorso-postero-lateral. Neotheronia rosai, ♀: 38—head, antero-ventral; 39—mesosoma, dorsal. Neotheronia tacubaya, ♀: 40—propodeum, dorsal. Neotheronia tequila sp. nov., ♀: 41—head, front.

FIGURES 42–44. Neotheronia tequila sp. nov., ♀: 42—habitus, lateral; 43—head, dorsal; 44—mesosoma and metasoma, dorsal.