Neotheronia bonita 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 : 406-408

2. Neotheronia bonita Khalaim & Ruíz-Cancino , sp. nov.

( Figs 22, 23 )

Material examined. Holotype female (UAT), Mexico, Jalisco, 8 km S of Tequila, Volcán de Tequila , 20°50.274’N, 103°51.1’W, 1500 m, 5.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. Nayarit: 1 ♀ ( AEIC) Tepic , 15.ix.1970, coll. G.E. & R.M. Bohart. Jalisco : 1 ♀ ( TAMU) 16 km N of Autlán [de Navarro ], 31.vii–2.viii.1978, coll. Plitt & Schaffner. 1 ♀ ( UANL) [S of] Tequila , Volcán de Tequila, 1850 m, 26.v.1997, coll. M. Vásquez. 1 ♀ ( UANL) Autlán , Puerto loy Mazoy, bosque mesóhlo, 26.iii.1994, coll. H. Fierrog. 2 ♀, 7 ♂ (UAT) La Huerta, Biological Station Chamela, 600 m, Malaise trap, 15–20.vii.1999, coll. M.A. Sarmiento. 1 ♀ (UAT) same data, but 8–13.ix.1999 . 1 ♀, 3 ♂ (3 ♂ in UAT, 1 ♀ in ZISP) same data, but altitude 300– 400 m, 15–20.vii, 14–18.viii.1999 . 1 ♂ (UAT) same data, but altitude 1400 m, 8–13.ix.1999 . 1 ♂ ( ZISP) same data, but 7–11.x.1999 . 1 ♀ ( UNAM) Biological Station Chamela, 27.viii.1990. coll. C. Mayorga, A. Cadena & J. Martinez. 1 ♂ ( UNAM) Biological Station Chamela, camino Calandria, 19.504496°, W 105.03770°, 52 m, 4.ix.2009, coll. H. Clebsch & A. Zaldívar R. Hidalgo : 1 ♀ ( UNAM) Huasca de Ocampo , Rancho Santa Elena, Hueyapan River, 20°06’N, 98°31’W, 2330–2535 m, Malaise trap, 22.ix.2010, coll. A. Contreras et al. Morelos: 1 ♀ ( CIUM) Cuautla , 25.i.1992, coll. J. Flores . 1 ♂ ( CIUM) Tepalzingo , El Limón de Cuauchichinola, 18.5476°N, 98.93534°W, 1358 m, 15.x.2010, coll. V.H. Toledo. 2 ♀ (UAT) Tepoztlán , 18°59’51”N, 99°05’55”W, 1490 m, 5.iii.2010, coll. E. Ruíz C. 1 ♀ ( ZISP) same data, but coll. A.E. Humala. 1 ♀ (UAT) Cuernavaca University , botanical garden, 1900 m, 2.iii.2010, coll. A.E. Humala. 1 ♀ ( CIUM) Tlaquiltenango , old path to Quetzalapa, Coaxitlán, 18.44792°N, 99.21123°W, 920 m, 3.vii.2011, coll. V. Rendon. 1 ♂ ( CIUM) 12 km S of Tlaquiltenango, Coaxitlán , 18.45786°N, 99.16873°W, 795 m, 29.viii.2011, coll. A.G. Torres. Guerrero : 1 ♀ ( UNAM) Cacahuamilpa , 1100–1200 m, 28–29.vii.1956, coll. C. Bolivar & D. Pelaez. Puebla : 1 ♀ ( CIUM) Chietla , 5.x.1990, coll. G. Peña. 1 ♀ ( CIUM) W of Jolalpan , Rancho El Salado, 18.33449°N, 98.96384°W, 975 m, 28.vii.2011, coll. K. Flores . 1 ♂ ( CIUM) 7 km SW of Teotlalco , 18.44158°N, 98.80902°W, 1010 m, 3.ix.2010, coll. V.H. Toledo. Oaxaca : 1 ♀, 1 ♂ ( IPN) Cuilapam , Nogal, Malaise trap, 26.iii.2005, coll. J.M. Maldonado.

Description. Female. Fore wing length 9.7 mm.

Mandible moderately long, weakly tapered, more or less equally bidentate. Clypeus in anterior view 2.4× as long as wide, in lower half somewhat impressed, with lower margin very slightly concave, without median transverse ridge. Face 1.35× as broad as long, weakly convex. Lateral ocellus separated from eye by 1.8× its own maximum diameter. Occipital carina mediodorsally rather strongly dipped. Occiput with mediodorsal notch.

Pronotum with upper end of epomia short and moderately strong, 0.3× as long as basal mandibular width; lower portion of epomia virtually absent. Notauli anteriorly impressed. Subalar prominence roundly convex. Epicnemial carina weakly concave above lower corner, with upper end far from anterior margin of mesopleuron, reaching to about level of lower corner of pronotum. Scutellum, in profile, weakly convex, laterally carinate on anterior 0.2. Submetapleural carina raised, broadened anteriorly. Pleural carina complete, weak, slightly bowed. Propodeum in profile moderately long, abruptly declivous posteriorly; transverse carina near the centre, mediodorsally rather strong, laterally evanescent; median longitudinal carinae absent, only discernible as tubercles anteriorly; lateral longitudinal carinae absent ( Fig. 22 ). Flange on hind margin of propodeum strongly raised laterally and rather weak dorsally.

Fore wing with areolet moderately large, emitting vein 2m-cu well distal to centre, with upper corner pointed. Hind leg with outer surface of tibia bearing 8–10 brownish bristles. Third segment of hind tarsus about 2.3× as long as broad.

Metasoma with first tergite 2.0× as long as posteriorly broad, lateromedian longitudinal carinae present only anteriorly, but with a slightly angulate ridge extending back to about level of spiracle. First tergite, in profile, dorsally evenly rounded in apical 0.6. Second tergite with gastroceli moderately large, not clearly delineated. Ovipositor straight, subcylindrical, projecting beyond hind margin of subgenital plate by 1.8× length of hind tibia; apex of lower valve with 6–7 distinct oblique teeth, apex of upper valve smooth.

A generally yellow species with few blackish and brownish markings. Head yellow; teeth of mandible black; stripe from lateral ocellus to eye blackish, hind margin of vertex weakly brownish. Antenna black; scape and pedicel ventrally yellow. Mesosoma yellow. Pronotum with narrow black stripe along hind margin on its upper half. Mesoscutum with three longitudinal brown stripes. Scutoscutellar groove black. Propodeum with anterior margin very narrowly blackish. Tegula yellow with pale brown mark extero-posteriorly. Wings distinctly infumate with yellow-brown; fore wing somewhat stronger infumate near distal end of marginal cell. Pterostigma pale yellowbrown. Legs yellow; hind tarsus with distal tarsomere blackish ( Fig. 23 ). First tergite more or less brownish marked centrally. Tergites 2 and 3 with transverse subproximal brownish band. Tergite 4 with transverse brownish band anteriorly, tergites 4+ with this band very pale, vanishing. Ovipositor sheath mostly fuscous, yellowish basally.

Male. Similar to female, but with lateral longitudinal carinae often partly or completely developed behind transverse carina.

Variation. Some specimens have areas of black coloration reduced or pale. Basal flagellomeres of antenna often brownish ventrally. Propodeum sometimes with median longitudinal carinae more or less distinct anteriorly, and lateral longitudinal carinae behind transverse carina complete or partly developed. Groove between propodeum and postscutellum sometimes yellow.

Etymology. The species is named after the Spanish bonita (beautiful, graceful).

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

Comparison. The new species belongs to the lineata species-group by having a black stripe joining the lateral ocellus to the eye and a strong median notch in the occiput. Neotheronia bonita sp. nov. differs from N. tacubaya by the mesopleuron entirely yellow, propodeum without transverse black mark along anterior margin of transverse carina, flagellum black, and legs yellow, without brown or black marks on coxae and femora, but with the tarsomere 5 of hind tarsus blackish ( Fig. 23 ). Additionally, in N. bonita sp. nov. propodeum is with median and lateral longitudinal carinae nearly completely absent ( Fig. 22 ), while in N. tacubaya these carinae are partly developed ( Fig. 40 ).

Figures

FIGURES 20–24. Neotheronia altacima sp. nov., ♀: 20—head, dorso-postero-lateral; 21—propodeum, dorsal. Neotheronia bonita sp. nov., ♀: 22—propodeum, dorsal; 23—hind tarsus, lateral. Neotheronia charli, ♀: 24—propodeum, dorsal.

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.