Allophrys tractor Khalaim

Khalaim, A. I., 2013, Discovery of the South African fauna of Allophrys Förster (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Tersicochinae), Zootaxa 3701 (3), pp. 329-343 : 340-342

Allophrys tractor Khalaim , sp. nov.

Figs 33–38 , 42 .

Comparison. Differs from other Afrotropical species of the genus by the mandible with the upper tooth as long as the lower tooth ( Fig. 36 ). It resembles A. excavator sp. nov. as both have a shortened upper mandibular tooth but differs from this species, besides the structure of the mandible, by the paler flagellum ( Fig. 34 ) and hind femur ( Fig. 33 ), smooth (or sometimes very weakly granulate) and shining vertex ( Fig. 35 ), shorter basal area of the propodeum ( Fig. 37 ), fore wing with the second recurrent vein distinct posteriorly ( Fig. 42 ), and a shorter ovipositor sheath ( Fig. 38 ).

Description. Female. Body length almost 3.0 mm. Fore wing length 2.15 mm.

Mandible with upper tooth as long as lower tooth ( Fig. 36 ). Clypeus 3.4× as broad as long, smooth and shining with some punctures on upper and lower margins. Malar space 0.7–0.9 as long as basal width of mandible. Bases of antennae conspicuously displaced ventrally; flagellum basally slender, second flagellomere 2.8–3.0× and subapical flagellomeres 1.1–1.3× as long as broad ( Fig. 34 ). Face, frons and vertex usually without distinct punctures, very finely granulate, dull or weakly shining (vertex sometimes smooth laterally). Temple smooth and shining, with very fine and sparse punctures. Occipital carina mediodorsally absent ( Fig. 35 ).

Mesosoma granulate (partly almost smooth), dull to weakly shining; mesoscutum and mesopleuron above foveate groove also finely punctate. Foveate groove well developed, broad, with strong transverse wrinkles, extending over anterior 2/3 of mesopleuron, weakly upcurved anteriorly. Propodeum with basal longitudinal carinae more or less parallel (basal area rectangular) ( Fig. 37 ), sometimes indistinct; basal area 0.5–0.6× as long as apical area ( Fig. 37 ). Apical area flat.

Fore wing ( Fig. 42 ) with second recurrent vein posteriorly distinct. Brachial cell posteriorly closed. Hind wing with nervellus slanted about 35° from horizontal. Legs moderately slender; hind femur 4.2× as long as broad.

First tergite 4.6× as long as posteriorly broad, its upper margin in lateral view rather strongly and evenly rounded ( Fig. 38 ); petiole strongly striate laterally and usually also dorsally ( Fig. 38 ). Second tergite about 2.5× as long as anteriorly broad. Ovipositor sheath about 0.9× as long as first tergite ( Fig. 38 ).

Head black; clypeus yellowish brown in lower 0.8–0.9, palpi and mandible (teeth reddish) yellowish brown. Antenna with scape and pedicel yellow, flagellum pale brown basally to dark brown apically ( Fig. 34 ). Mesosoma and first metasomal segment black. Tegula yellow or pale brown. Pterostigma brown. Legs brownish yellow, hind coxa brown basally or entirely; hind femur and tibia sometimes slightly brownish. Metasoma behind first tergite dark brown.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. From the Latin tracto (to draw, haul, pull).

Material examined. Holotype female (SAMC), South Africa, Kwazulu-Natal, Good Hope Estate, 9.3 km 281° NW of Boston, S 29°41.7′, E 29°55.9′, 1350 m, afromontane forest, winter bag extraction of leaf litter, 25.VIII1998, coll. B.L. Fisher, SAM-HYM-P 020668.

Paratypes. South Africa. Kwazulu-Natal: 1 ♀ (ZISP) Louwsberg, Sanyati Farm, S 27°34′, E 31°17.9′, 1090 m, Malaise trap, 19–31.VIII.2005, coll. M. Mostovski. 1 ♀ (BMNH) Louwsberg, Gwale, S 27°34′, E 31°17.9′, 1090 m, yellow pan trap, 2–3.VI.2005, coll. M. Mostovski. 1 ♀ (ZISP) Ramsgate, Butterfly Sanctuary, S 30°53.3′, E 30°20.4′, Malaise trap, 10.VII–8.VIII.2004, coll. M. Mostovski. 1 ♀ (SAMC) “Stella Bush” (This coastal climax forest once covered most of Durban’s Berea Ridge) [handwritten illegible text], “ Ichneumonidae det. L. Masner 1994”, SAM-HYM-P006176.

Distribution. South Africa (Kwazulu-Natal).

Acknowledgements

I am thankful to Dr Simon van Noort (SAMC), Dr Mike Mostovski (KwaZulu-Natal Museum, South Africa) and Viktor Kolyada (Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia) for the loan of valuable material, and Dr Gavin Broad (BMNH) for language corrections. The work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grant no. 13-04-00026).

Figures

FIGURES 33 – 38. Allophrys tractor sp. nov., ♀: 33 — habitus, lateral (holotype); 34 — head with antenna and anterior part of mesosoma, dorso-lateral (paratype); 35 — head and mesoscutum, dorso-lateral (holotype); 36 — head, ventro-lateral (paratype); 37 — propodeum, dorso-postero-lateral (holotype); 38 — metasoma with ovipositor, lateral (paratype).

FIGURES 39 – 42. Wings, paratype, ♀: 39 — A. astafurovae sp. nov.; 40 — A. broadi sp. nov.; 41 — A. granulata sp. nov.; 42 — A. tractor sp. nov.