Zonopimpla puebla Khalaim & Ruíz-Cancino, 2023

Khalaim, Andrey I. & Ruíz-Cancino, Enrique, 2023, Darwin wasps of the subfamily Pimplinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) of Mexico: Camptotypus genus-group, Zootaxa 5330 (1), pp. 47-72 : 64-66

7. Zonopimpla puebla Khalaim & Ruíz-Cancino , sp. nov.

( Figs 37–44)

Material examined. Holotype female ( TAMU), Mexico, Puebla, 13 mi. N of Zaragoza , 4600 ft. (= 1403 m), 22.vii.1987, coll. R. Wharton.

Paratypes. MEXICO. 1 ♀ ( AEIC) Oaxaca, 96.5 km SW of Tuxtepec, Vista Hermosa , 1200 m, 17.x.1962 , coll. H. &. M. Townes. 1 ♁ ( AEIC) same data as holotype, but 1450 m, 20.x.1962 . 2 ♁ ( UAT, UNAM) Veracruz, Xalapa , 19°30’N, 96°55’W, 1279 m, 2.x–2.xi.2015, coll. M. López-Ortega.

Description. Female. Mandible moderately stout, with upper tooth somewhat longer and broader than lower tooth. Malar space about 0.25× as long as basal mandibular width. Head smooth; face with scattered fine punctures; gena, vertex and gena with very fine and sparse punctures. Face 1.05× as wide as long ( Fig. 38). Head in dorsal view with genae strongly and roundly constricted behind eyes. Posterior ocellus separated from eye by about one its own maximum diameter ( Fig. 42).

Mesosoma polished, with very fine and very sparse punctures on anterior part of mesoscutum and lower part of mesopleuron, remainder impunctate. Epomia small. Notaulus weakly impressed. Epicnemial carina present ventrally and laterally, reaching the level of lower corner of pronotum. Epicnemium without secondary carina. Metapleuron convex. Submetapleural carina complete, quite strong ( Fig. 41). Propodeum in profile evenly rounded ( Fig. 41). Pleural carina present, complete.

Fore wing length almost 6.4 mm. Hind wing with nervellus intercepted in lower 0.3–0.4, distal section of CU fine but distinct ( Fig. 37).

Metasoma depressed; all tergites polished, with rare, scattered punctures centrally ( Fig. 43). First tergite 1.5× as long as posteriorly broad; lateromedian carinae absent ( Fig. 43); dorsolateral carinae distinct anteriorly and posteriorly, weak or obliterated centrally. Tergites 2–5 with a pair of lateral swelling on each tergite. Ovipositor 2.65× length of hind tibia; ovipositor sheath 2.2× as long as hind tibia. Ovipositor flexible, straight or weakly upcurved ( Fig. 37), subcylindrical, without nodus, apex of lower valve distinctly expanded dorsally to partially enclose the upper valve, with 7–8 teeth, without scabrous area proximal to teeth ( Fig. 39).

Head in upper half predominantly brown to dark brown; mandible white in basal half, reddish brown in apical half, teeth blackish; clypeus yellow; entire face, frontal and dorsal eye orbits and lower part of gena whitish yellow. Antenna pale brown basally to brown apically, scape yellowish ventrally. Mesosoma predominantly white; pronotum white in lower part, blackish centrally and orange in upper part; entire mesoscutum and upper anterior part of mesopleuron (except white subtegular ridge) orange; scutellum orange with posterior end medially white; postscutellum white; propodeum predominantly brownish black with lateral sides and median longitudinal mark in anterior 0.7 white ( Figs 41, 42). Legs predominantly white with brownish markings on outer side of hind coxa, ventral sides of mid and hind trochanters, outer and inner sides of hind femur; all tibiae slightly brownish, darkened at bases and apices; all tarsi slightly brownish ( Fig. 37). Metasoma predominantly black; lateral sides of all tergites white; first tergite with posterior end centrally white; tergites 2–6 with posterior white bands ( Figs 37, 43, 44); ovipositor sheath black. Wings hyaline, pterostigma brown.

Male. Similar to female ( Fig. 40).

Variation. Paratypes are generally paler than the holotype, with markings mostly pale brown or brown rather than brown and dark brown; median white stripe on the propodeum usually weaker and shorter; fore wing with pterostigma pale brown to brown.

Etymology. The species is named after the type locality, [State of] Puebla.

Distribution. Mexico (Puebla, Veracruz, Oaxaca).

Comparison. In the key to the Costa Rican species of Zonopimpla ( Gauld et al. 1998: 30) , the new species runs to couplet 8 but does not correspond with any part of this couplet as it has hind leg completely white ( Fig. 37) while in Z. carolinae Gauld , Z. humbertoi Gauld et al. and Z. snortumi et al. the hind leg is entirely or extensively black. Zonopimpla puebla sp. nov. is most similar to Z. nutabilis sp. nov. but differs from this species by its punctate centrally second tergite, longer and sinuate apically ovipositor ( Fig. 35) with apex of lower valve distinctly expanded dorsolaterally to partially enclose the upper valve ( Fig. 39).