Epirhyssa leonoreae Zúñiga & Hanson, 2024

Zuñiga, Ronald & Hanson, Paul, 2024, Two new species of Epirhyssa (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Rhyssinae) from Costa Rica, Zootaxa 5406 (3), pp. 441-450 : 444-445

Epirhyssa leonoreae Zúñiga & Hanson , sp. n.

( Figs. 4 , 7 )

Diagnosis. Epirhyssa leonoreae is very similar to Epirhyssa oranensis , but the former differs in having different colour patterns on the propodeum and metasoma. In the key to Peruvian species ( Gómez et al., 2015), E. leonorae goes to couplet 16, but differs from the included species in having the occipital carina joining the hypostomal carina and having tergite I about 1.5 × as long as wide. The darkened shallow groove extending from the subalar prominence to the mesopleural fovea is unusual among Epirhyssa species.

Description. Female. Fore wing length 10–16 mm. Head with occipital carina more or less complete, interrupted dorsally behind ocelli and often weak ventrally, but joining the hypostomal carina above base of mandible; posterior ocellus separated from eye by about 1.2–1.3 × its diameter; clypeus small, trapezoidal, with ventral margin straight to slightly convex; face as broad as medially high (from supraclypeal suture to base of antenna), smooth; antenna with 31 flagellomeres, apical flagellomeres much shorter and slightly wider than basal flagellomeres; gena smooth with sparse long setae ventrally. Mesosoma with strong epomia diverging from anterior margin of pronotum; mesoscutum with central lobe not overhanging pronotum; mesopleuron polished; subalar prominence strongly inflated; epicnemial carina quite weak, laterally reaching just above level of the lower corner of pronotum; hind coxa flat dorsally; fore wing with cu–a more or less opposite the base of Rs & M; 1st subdiscal cell moderately broadened distally, its width near outer end about 1.8–2.2 × it basal width; abscissa of M between 2 rs–m and 2 m –cu 0.2–0.4 × as long as 2 rs–m; Rs weakly and evenly bowed; propodeum 2.4 times as long (measured along midline) as width of propodeal orifice, polished with sparse setae laterally, without evident median longitudinal depression. Metasoma with tergite I 1.5–1.8× as long as posteriorly broad, dorsal surface mostly smooth; tergites II–VII with alutaceous sculpture over entire surface and more or less uniformly covered with short hairs; suranal cornus short, covered with dark hairs dorsally, apex circular; ovipositor projecting beyond apex of metasoma by 4.2–5.2× the length of the hind tibia.

Coloration. Antenna mostly brownish with first and part of second flagellomeres black. Head yellow with black on apical 2/3 of mandibles and with a transverse black band between inner eye margins and passing through ocellar triangle; dark brown arc above occipital carina. Mesosoma yellow except black (or dark brown) on following: hind margin of propleuron; median posterior part of pronotum, extending back near dorsal margin of lateral pronotum but not reaching hind margin; three longitudinal stripes on mesoscutum, scuto-scutellar groove and hind margin of scutellum; tegula; anterior margin of mesopleuron, on a very shallow groove extending from subalar prominence to mesopleural fovea and on mesopleural groove; anterior and posterior margins of propodeum, and with a broad posteromedial mark on dorsal surface. Metasoma with tergite I entirely yellow, tergites II–VII with anterior 0.7 (approximately) brownish and posterior part yellow, except extreme posterior margin dark brown; ovipositor sheath brown. Legs predominantly yellow, with some light brown markings on femora, distal tarsal segments blackish; hind coxa dark brown to black on ventral and dorsal surfaces. Wings light yellowish.

Male. Structure similar to female, metasoma with extensive yellow.

Material. Holotype F: Costa Rica, Puntarenas Prov.: Est. La Casona, Monteverde, Sendero Orquideas , 1520 m, iv.1995, A. Azofeifa, INBIOCRI002543759 ( USNM) . Paratypes: 1F, Puntarenas Prov.: Buen Amigo, San Luis Monteverde, 1000–1350 m, xi.1994, Z. Fuentes, INBIOCRI002111842 ( MZUCR); 1F, same data, ii. 1995, INBIOCRI002543222 ( USNM) ; 1F, same data, iii.1993, INBIOCRI001123780 ( USUC) ; 1F, same data, xi. 1995, INBIOCRI002358054 ( MNCR) ; 1F, same data, ii. 1993, INBIOCRI002130120 ( MZUCR) ; 1F, Guanacaste Prov.: Río San Lorenzo, Tierras Morenas , Z.P. Tenorio, 1050 m, vii.1993, G. Rodriguez, INBIOCRI001954443 ( USUC) ; 1F, Guanacaste Prov.: Arenales, Estación Cacao , 1100 m, vi.1990, Malaise, INBIOCRI001692526 ( MZUCR) ; 1F, Guanacaste Prov.: la Cruz, Estación Cacao , 1000–1150 m, xi–xii. 1996, A. Masis, INB0003138652 ( MZUCR) ; 1F, same data, xi. 1994, J.F. Corrales, INBIOCRI002023075 ( USNM) ; 1M, Puntarenas Prov.: Estación Altamira , 1 km S Cerro Bioley, 1450 m, i. 1998, R. Villalobos, INBIOCRI002413553 ( USUC) .

Comments. This species has been collected on the western side of the Tilaran and Guanacaste mountain ranges. Nothing is known about its hosts.

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Leonore Ortega Fonseca, a brilliant and tenacious woman, full of life, for her love and patience, companion of the first author.

Figures

FIGURES 3–4. Epirhyssa spp., lateral habitus. 3. E. curtisi Gauld. 4. E. leonoreae Zuñiga & Hanson.

FIGURES 7–8. Epirhyssa spp., mesoscutum, dorsal view. 7. E. lewisi Zuñiga & Hanson. 8. E. praecincta Porter.