Cryptopimpla orenji Reynolds & van Noort, 2023

Reynolds, Terry & van Noort, Simon, 2023, Two new species of the genus Cryptopimpla Taschenberg (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Banchinae) with an updated key to African species, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 96, pp. 667-696 : 667

Cryptopimpla orenji Reynolds & van Noort sp. nov.

Fig. 5

Type material.

Holotype ♀: South Africa, Western Cape, Banghoek Valley, Dwarsriviershoek Farm, 33°56.232'S, 18°57.711'E, 410 m, 25 April-16 May 2013, S. van Noort, Malaise trap, BH12-FYN3-M08, Burnt Mesic Mountain Fynbos, SAM-HYM-P063260 (SAMC).

Description.

Body subpolished, covered in short setae. Colour. Body mostly fulvous. Epicnecium, submetapleural carinae and dorso-lateral corners of axillary troughs of meso- and metanotum black. Paraocular area of eyes, malar space, clyeus and mandibles yellow. Head densely punctate. Frons unarmed. Clypeus profile weakly convex with a curved lip on the ventral margin. Clypeus edge convex. Upper tooth of mandible longer than lower. Setae on head and clypeus short and sparse. Tentorial pits small and indistinct. Flagellum tapered to a slender apex. Eye in lateral view 1.3 times as long as wide, maximum width in anterior view 0.75 times shortest inter-ocular distance. Mesosoma not compressed. Scuto-scutellar sulcus without dorso-lateral indentations. Mesoscutum densely punctate, median lobe distinctly raised. Epicnemial carinae present ventrally and dorsally, dorsally converging toward anterior edge of mesopleuron; area surrounding mesopleural pit punctate. Propodeum with posterior transverse carinae present but weak, its anterior margin straight, spiracle elongate. Wings hyaline. Fore wing with two bullae close together appearing as one; vein 2m-cu sinuate; areolet truncate-shaped. Hind wing with two basal hamuli and six distal hamuli. Metasoma with first tergite punctate posteriorly, strigate anteriorly, with posterior margin weakly convex; tergite II of metasoma 1.8 times as long as wide posteriorly, spiracle situated at anterior 0.30 of tergite (measured in lateral view), thyridia indistinct. Tergite IV-VIII not compressed; tergite VI as wide as tergite V. Hypopygium strongly sclerotized. Ovipositor upcurved; sheath striations present.

CT 2.2; ML 0.8; IO 1.6; OO 1.6; Fl1 5; OT 0.5; body length 6.5 mm; flagella length 9.4 mm; fore wing length 6.9 mm.

Diagnosis.

Cryptopimpla orenji is immediately distinguishable from all other Afrotropical Cryptopimpla by possessing a distinctly raised median lobe on the mesoscutum, and by having tergite I distinctly strigate in anterior three-quarters and only punctate posteriorly. The head coloration is fulvous; and the paraocular area of the eyes, malar space, clypeus and mandibles are yellow, a colour pattern that is unique to this species.

Differential diagnoses.

The area surrounding the mesopleural pit is punctate distinguishing C. orenji from C. hoerikwagga and C. fernkloofensis where the area surrounding the pit is polished. The propodeal anterior margin is straight distinguishing the species from several members of the Cryptopimpla rubrithorax species-group (excluding C. rubrithorax , C. parslactis and C. orenji ) where the margin may have a blunt medial projection or medial tooth. A scuto-scutellar sulcus without dorso-lateral indentations separates C. orenji from several closely related species (excluding C. fernkloofensis , C. parslactis and C. hoerikwagga ) where the dorso-lateral indentations are present and/or the sulcus is absent. Indistinct thyridia on tergite II distinguishes the species from several members of the Cryptopimpla rubrithorax species-group (excluding C. neili , C. hantami and C. hoerikwagga ) where the thyridia can be elongate to moderately large and circular.

Etymology.

So named owing to the colour of this species. Orenji is the Xhosa name for orange. Noun in apposition.

Distribution.

South Africa (Western Cape) (Fig. 2 ).

Comments.

A rare species known only from one specimen. Intensive sampling in the type locality and in other areas of the Cape region have so far produced no further specimens, there is, however, a major backlog of unsorted samples ( van Noort 2023b), which may produce further specimens.

Figures

Figure 2. Recorded distribution for each Cryptopimpla species plotted on topographical maps. The genus is currently only recorded from the Eastern, Northern and Western Cape provinces within South Africa. Note that when two species are present in a single locality one of the species icons is larger, but centrally covered by the second species icon A C. hantami, C. kogelbergensis, C. neili, C. orenji, and C. parslactis B C. elongatus, C. fernkloofensis, C. hoerikwagga, C. onyxi, C. rubrithorax and C. zwarti.

Figure 5. Cryptopimpla orenji Holotype A habitus, lateral view B head and mesosoma, lateral view C head, anterior view D propodeum, dorsal view E metasoma, lateral view F metasomal terga 1 and 2, dorsal view (inset: data labels).