Piasites quasimodus, Bordera & Santos, 2022

Bordera, Santiago & Santos, Bernardo F., 2022, A review of Piasites Seyrig (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae), with description of seven new species, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 90, pp. 23-57 : 23

Piasites quasimodus sp. nov.

Figs 1B , 10 , 12B , 13B , 15C

Diagnosis.

Piasites quasimodus sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from all other Piasites species by the occipital carina dorsally absent and the mesoscutum with very convex and prominent median lobe, mostly smooth with fine punctures on median lobe (Figs 10C, D , 13B ). Additionally, female and male have areolet 1.55-1.7 × and 1.3 × as high as abscissa of vein 2m-cu above bulla, respectively (Fig. 10E ).

Description.

Female. Fore wing length 3.8-5.5 mm.

Head. In dorsal view, moderately narrowed behind eyes, 0.5-0.55 × as long as wide. Gena in dorsal view rounded, moderately swollen. Posterior ocellus separated from eye 1.15-1.25 × its maximum diameter. Distance between posterior ocelli 0.8-1.0 × their diameter. Occipital carina absent dorsally, weakly present laterally above base of mandible. Face smooth and shiny, convex in the central part, with very few and fine setiferous punctures. Clypeal suture absent. Clypeus 1.75-1.90 × as broad as medially long, very convex, with few and relatively long setae in the central part, prominent in lateral view, ventral margin sharp and rounded, without a median denticle. Malar space 0.60-0.65 × as long as basal mandibular width. Mandible 1.65 × as long as basal width; dorsal tooth distinctly longer than ventral one. Antenna with 23-25 flagellomeres, strongly tapered towards apex; flagellomeres from f11 to apex conspicuously flattened ventrally; f1 7.00-7.25 × as long as its maximum width.

Mesosoma. Pronotum smooth and shiny, with coarse longitudinal striae at the dorsal lateral part, parallel to the dorsal margin; epomia moderately strong and very short. Mesoscutum 1.10 × as long as wide, with very convex and prominent median lobe, predominantly smooth with very fine and dense setiferous punctures on median lobe, lateral parts smooth; middle part with posteriorly convergent strigosity; notaulus very deep and wide anteriorly, reaching about 0.5 length of mesoscutum, anterior part with coarse and strong transverse keels, which are parallel to the pronotum striae. Scutellum smooth with very fine inconspicuous setiferours punctures, lateral carinae strong, reaching 0.8 its anterior length. Mesopleuron shiny, with longitudinal striae dorsally, densely punctate ventrally, less dense posteriorly; sternaulus deep, with small transverse carinae; epicnemial carina weak, reaching the anterior margin of mesopleuron at mid length of pronotum. Metapleuron predominantly smooth and shiny, with very weak and transverse inconspicuous striation; juxtacoxal and submetapleural carinae strong and complete. Propodeum predominantely smooth and shiny, with very fine and sparse setiferous punctures; transverse carinae complete, anterior one centrally angled towards anterior part, posterior one straight, without lateral elevations. Hind leg with femur 5.5-5.8 × as long as high. Areolet pentagonal, 0.65-0.80 × as high as wide, relatively big, 1.55-1.70 × as high as abscissa of vein 2m-cu above bulla. Hind wing with vein cu-a 0.45-0.60 × length of first abscissa of CU.

Metasoma. T1 2.1-2.3 × as long as posteriorly broad, weakly granulate at base, posteriorly smooth, weakly curved dorsally in lateral view, dorso-lateral carina very weak, somewhat erased in mid part. T2 0.85-1.00 × as long as posteriorly broad, smooth and shiny as the following tergites. Ovipositor sheath 0.45-0.60 × as long as hind tibia.

Colour. Body mostly orange. Head black with clypeus, labrum, malar space, mandible except theeth, palpi, face, frons except periphery of antennal sockets and stemmatium, vertical orbits, and ventral 3/4 of outer ocular orbits, yellow cream; antenna dark brown, distal part of f6 to f9(10) dorsally yellow cream. Mesosoma orange, ventrally tending to be infuscate to dark brown. Tegula basally white, distally hyaline. T1 yellow, T2 anteriorly dark brown, yellow posteriorly; T3 yellow, T4 brownish black, T6 and T7 white. Front leg predominantly yellow cream, dorsal part of tibia and tarsus infuscate. Mid leg with coxa, trocanter and trochantellus yellow cream; femur, tibia and tarsus light brown. Hind leg with coxa dark brown, trochanter yellow cream, femur tibia and tarsus light brown to brown. Wings hyaline, pterostigma yellow.

Male. Fore wing length 4.0-4.4 mm. Head. Dorsal part of gena almost flat. Posterior ocellus separated from eye 1.0-1.1 × its maximum diameter. Distance between hind ocelli 0.8-1.1 × maximum diameter of posterior ocellus. Clypeus about 1.75 × as broad as medially long. Malar space 0.55-0.60 × as long as basal mandibular width. Antenna with 24-25 flagellomeres, flagellum distinctly enlarged subapically; flagellomeres from f13(14) to apex flattened ventrally; f1 7.5-7.7 × as long as wide. Mesosoma. Metapleuron predominantly smooth and shiny, with sparse setiferous punctures dorsally, somewhat weakly granulate ventrally. Hind leg with femur 5.7-5.8 × as long as high. Areolet about 0.9 × as high as wide; 1.3 × as high as abscissa of vein 2m-cu above bulla. Hind wing with vein cu-a about 0.4 × length of first abscissa of CU. Metasoma. T1 2.5-2.6 × as long as posteriorly broad. T2 1.2-1.3 × as long as posteriorly broad. Colour. As in female, but sometimes apex of scutellum and postscutellum yellow. Flagellum with distal part of f9 to f12(13) dorsally white. Other features as in female.

Etymology.

This name is a free latinized adaptation of the name of the character Quasimodo, the “hunchback” from the novel "Notre-Dame de Paris" (1831) by Victor Hugo. The name is a reference to the clearly projected median lobe of the mesoscutum in this species, while in all other species the mesoscutum is uniformly convex.

Material examined.

13 ♀♀ 6 ♂♂. Holotype: Madagascar • ♀; Bekily, Reg sud de L’ile; Museum Paris; X-36; A. Seyrig; MNHN . Paratypes: Madagascar • 2♀♀; Ambohimanga; Museum Paris; XI-36; A. Seyrig • 1♀; Ambositra; Museum Paris; III-38; A. Seyrig • 1♀; same data as for preceding; II-39 • 1♀; Ankaratra; alt 1800; II-38; Mus. Paris; A. Seyrig • 1♀; same data as for preceding; III-40 • 2♀♀; Bekily, Reg sud de L’ile; Museum Paris; V-36; A. Seyrig • 1♀, 1♂; same data as for preceding; X-36 • 1♀, 1♂; same data as for preceding; V-37 • 1♀; same data as for preceding; XI-38 • 2♂♂; same data as for preceding; VI-40 • 1♂; same data as for preceding; X-40 • 1♀, 1♂; Fianarantsoa, Plateau central; Museum Paris; XI-36; A. Seyrig (all them MNHN) .

Figures

Figure 1. Propodeum of Piasites, dorsal view, females (I): A P. carinatus Seyrig B P. quasimodus sp. nov. (paratype) C P. politus sp. nov. (paratype) D P. perinetensis sp. nov. (holotype). Scale bars: 0.3 mm.

Figure 10. Piasites quasimodus sp. nov., female: A habitus, lateral view (holotype) B head, front view (paratype) C head and mesosoma, lateral view (holotype) D head and mesoscutum dorsal view (paratype); E front wing, areolet and vein 2 m-cu (paratype). Scale bars: 1 mm (A); 0.5 mm (C); 0.3 mm (B, D); 0.2 mm (E).

Figure 12. Piasites species, habitus of males, lateral view: A P. carinatus B P. quasimodus sp. nov. (paratype) C P. seyrigi sp. nov. (paratype) D P. perinetensis sp. nov. (paratype) E P. nigricollis sp. nov. (paratype). Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figure 13. Piasites species, males A-E head and mesosoma, lateral view: A P. carinatus B P. quasimodus sp. nov. (paratype) C P. seyrigi sp. nov. (paratype) D P. nigricollis sp. nov. (paratype) E P. perinetensis sp. nov. (paratype) F-G metapleuron: F P. nigricollis sp. nov. (paratype) G P. perinetensis sp. nov. (paratype). Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A-E); 0.2 mm (F, G).

Figure 15. Diagrams showing distribution records for species of Piasites A P. perinetensis sp. nov. B P. politus sp. nov. C P. quasimodus sp. nov. D P. seyrigi sp. nov.