Verruca Sheng & Sun, 2018

Sheng, Mao-Ling, Sun, Shu-Ping, Wang, Xi-Nan & Wu, Hai-Wei, 2018, A new genus and species of subfamily Banchinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) from China, Zootaxa 4413 (3), pp. 541-550 : 542

Verruca Sheng & Sun , gen. nov.

Type species: Verruca dentia Sheng & Sun , sp. nov.

Description. Fore wing length 15 to 16 mm. Ovipositor sheath length 28 to 31 mm. Inner margins of eyes almost parallel. Clypeus evenly convex, median portion of apical margin distinctly elevated. Upper tooth of mandible slightly longer than lower tooth. Malar space 0.7 × as long as basal width of mandible. Occipital carina complete. Genal carina reach hypostomal carina above base of mandible. Epomia absent. Posterior portion of mesosternum with large sublateral tubercle. Posterior transverse carina of mesosternum absent. Metasternum in front of posterior coxae with strong sublateral longitudinal carina. Fore wing with vein 1cu-a distal of 1/M by 0.4 × as long as 1cu-a. Areolet oblique quadrangular, petiolate. Distance from vein 2rs-m to 2m-cu approximately 2.2 × as long as distance from 2m-cu to 3rs-m. Hind wing vein 1-cu about 1.5 × as long as cu-a. Claw pectinate ( Fig. 11). Propodeum evenly convex, without carina except indistinct pleural carina. Propodeal spiracle elliptical. Metasoma elongate. First tergite 1.9 to 2.3 × as long as apical width, with glymma. Second tergite about as long as first tergite. Third tergite distinctly longer than apical width. Ovipositor sheath longer than body length, 4 to 5 × as long as hind tibia. Dorsal valve of ovipositor with deep subapical notch. Subapical portion of ventral valve of ovipositor with distinct vertical ridges ( Fig. 14 ).

Etymology. The name of the new genus is based on the large sublateral tubercle of mesosternum. The gender is feminine.

Remarks. This new genus can be easily distinguished from other genera of tribe Atrophini by the following combination of characters: Apical median portion of clypeus distinctly elevated. Posterior portion of mesosternum with large sublateral tubercle. Metasternum in front of posterior coxae with strong sublateral longitudinal carina. Subapical portion of ventral valve of ovipositor with distinct vertical teeth.

In Townes’s (1970) key to genera, the new genus can be inserted as follows:

23. Nervellus weakly inclivous, vertical, or weakly reclivous. Tarsal claws short to long, usually pectinate. First tergite stout to slender, near base usually with some traces of longitudinal ridges.............................................. 23’ -. Nervellus strongly reclivous, intercepted far below the center. Tarsal claws long, pectinate. First tergite slender, mat, without longitudinal ridges, its punctures fine and weak. Mexico and Southwestern United States.............. 6. Loxodocus (P.27) 23’. Epipleurum of tergite 5 not separated by a crease. Posterior portion of mesosternum with large sublateral tubercle ( Fig. 6 ). Apical portion of ventral valve of ovipositor with distinct teeth ( Fig. 14 ). China.............. Verruca Sheng & Sun , gen. nov. -. Epipleurum of tergite 5 separated by a crease. Mesosternum without tubercle. Apical portion of ventral valve of ovipositor without teeth................................................................................ 5. Lissonota

It should be noted that two genera of Atrophini , Helotorus Townes 1978 and Wahlamia Ugalde & Gauld 2002 , also have ovipositor with ridges. The new genus can be distinguished from them by the following key.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Verruca dentia Sheng & Sun, sp. nov., holotype female.Mesosoma in lateral view.

FIGURE 14. Verruca dentia Sheng & Sun, sp. nov., holotype female.Apical portion of ovipositor in lateral view.