Zonopimpla sebastiani Valera

Valera, Neicy & Díaz, Francisco, 2010, Nine new Zonopimpla Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae) and key to species from Venezuela, Zootaxa 2438, pp. 37-51 : 46-47

Zonopimpla sebastiani Valera , sp. nov.

(Figs 4, 5, 12, 18)

Female: Mandibles moderately tapered, apical teeth subequal in length, upper tooth 1.7 times width of lower tooth; malar space 0.5 times basal mandibular width; lower face polished, with abundant setiferous punctures, 1.0–1.1 times as wide as medially high from supraclypeal suture to level of insertion of antenna. Head in dorsal view with genae evenly rounded behind eye; posterior ocellus separated from eye by 1.3–1.4 times its own maximum diameter; ocelli forming a wide-based isosceles triangle. Pronotum smooth, shining, with scattered hairs on anterior portion. Mesoscutum smooth, shining, with abundant fine hairs, anteriorly steeply rounded, notauli moderately impressed; mesopleuron polished, with scattered fine hairs distributed in media and lower portions; epicnemial carina reaching over level of lower corner of pronotum; metapleuron weakly convex, smooth, polished, almost impunctate; submetapleural carina absent. Propodeum in profile evenly declivous, almost impunctate, with scattered hairs on the centre and lateral portions; pleural carina present. Fore wing length 6.0– 7.5 mm; vein 3rs-m complete, enclosing an obliquely rhombic areolet; abscissa of Cu1 between 1 m-cu and Cu1b 1.1–1.5 times as long as Cu1b; hind wing with abscissa of Cu1 between M and cu- a straight, 1.8–2.5 times as long as cu-a. Metasoma moderately stout; tergite 1 about 1.0–1.2 as long as posteriorly broad, with anteriorly smooth, broadly concave, central area defined laterally by weak longitudinal carinae on anterior 0.4 of tergite, posterior part of tergite shining, with fine punctuation and scattered fine hairs centrally and laterally; tergite 1 in profile weakly convex, lateral carina present as vestige at posterior end of tergite; tergite 2 with convex central area polished, very sparsely punctuate, with scattered hairs in lateral margins; tergites 3–4 with biconvex central area, with scattered setiferous punctures. Ovipositor length 4.2–5.4 mm, projecting beyond apex of metasoma by 2.0–2.3 times the length of hind tibia; subgenital plate centrally membranous, ovipositor shaft straight, slender and cylindrical, apex of lower valve not dorsolaterally expanded, not enclosing upper valve, with distinct subvertical teeth; apex of upper valve slightly flattened, with weak nodus.

Color: Head with posterior orbits (even beyond the level of the interocelar area) white, posterior part and interocelar area dark brown, face white with brown band extending from the center of lower face to level of antennal scrobes, palps white, antenna brown. Mesosoma orange, hind margin of mesonotum, propodeum and metapleuron white; propodeum with two longitudinal black bands located centrolaterally; metapleuron with black triangular spot on anterior lower corner. Fore legs white with light brown spot on superior margin of femur, superior and basal margin of tibiae light brown and tarsi brown; middle legs white with light brown spot on superior margin of femur, basal and inferior margin of tibiae with dark brown spot, tarsi brown; hind legs white with dark brown spot on dorsal surface of coxae, superior and basal margin of femur and lower margin of tibia and tarsus brown. Tegula white. Wings hyaline, pterostigma brown. Metasoma black with lateral and hind margins of all tergites white. Ovipositor orange, sheath black.

Male: Similar to female, but face wholly white; lighter brown coloration in legs; white longitudinal bands in lateral margins only in tergites 1–3, transverse white bands in hind margin of tergites 2–6, are subapical, no apical. Gonoscale long, apex rounded and almost as long as last visible tergite.

Etimology: This species is named in honor of Sebastián Torrellas Valera, junior author’s son.

Comments: Z. sebastiani is recognized by being predominantly white in color in face, posterior orbits, palps and legs; submetapleural carina absent and lateral carina of tergite 1 is vestigial. Z. sebastiani is similar to Z. rodriguezi in color of face and legs being white but they can be distinguished by propodeum and metapleura coloration, being predominantly white in Z. sebastiani meanwhile they are orange with black areas in Z. rodriguezi . Besides, epicnemial carina is present in Z. sebastiani . This species is also similar to Z. duviliae in lateral carinae of tergite 1 and by leg color; however they can be distinguished by ovipositor, being fairly longer in Z. sebastiani .

Material examined: Holotype female, Venezuela, Lara state, Terepaima National Park, Sector Los Naranjos, 1200m, V-1982 (Osorio) ( UCOB). Paratypes, Venezuela, 1 female same data as holotype; Lara state, 1 female, Yacambú National Park, 1800 m, II-1993 (Díaz & Pereira) ( UCOB); 1 female Yacambú National Park, sector El Blanquito, 1200 m, V-1981, (Díaz) ( UCOB); 1 female, Yacambú National Park, sector El Blanquito, 1200 m, IV-1985, (Díaz) ( UCOB); 1 female, Río Claro, sector Fila Los Naranjos,1200, III-2003, (Díaz & Valera) ( UCOB); Mérida state, 1 female, La Mitisús, 1800 m, V-1992 (Díaz) ( UCOB); 1 male, Guamacire, 1000 m, III-1971 (Chávez) ( UCOB).