Thyreodon schauffi, 2004

Gauld, Ian D. & Janzen, Daniel H., 2004, The systematics and biology of the Costa Rican species of parasitic wasps in the Thyreodon genus-group (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 141 (3), pp. 297-351 : 332-333

15. THYREODON SCHAUFFI GAULD SP. NOV.

Fore wing length 18.0 mm; clypeus convex, with apex pointed medially; malar space 0.5 times basal mandibular width; maxillary palp long with second palpomere very strongly broadened and flattened; lower face centrally finely punctate; frons weakly convex between antennal sockets, unspecialized, with a short sharp carina extending from outer rim of antennal sockets upwards, close to and parallel with eye margin; frons centrally more or less smooth; ocelli large, the lateral ocellus separated from eye by about 0.5 times its own maximum diameter; head in dorsal view with gena evenly rounded behind eye, occipital carina strong, its lower end not reaching hypostomal carina; antenna setaceous, with 48 flagellomeres, the 20th elongate, 1.2 times as long as broad, the subapical ones with setae which are shorter than the diameter of the flagellomere. Pronotum short with anterior margin strongly and broadly reflexed, and with posterior margin centrally quadrately swollen, anteriorly forming an angular projecting ridge which is separated from the anterior margin by a deep U-shaped groove; epomia strong; propleuron extremely sparsely punctate, with lower corner rounded; mesoscutum moderately sparsely punctate, with narrow, deep notauli which are almost confluent posteriorly, inner anterior margin of notaulus unspecialized; scuto-scutellar groove deep, laterally margined by a raised, simple carina; scutellum punctate, convex; mesopleuron smooth and polished, more or less impunctate, without a sternaular impression and unusual in lacking lateral part of epicnemial carina; metapleuron finely punctate with a few obscure diagonal ridges peripherally; propodeum laterally weakly flattened, punctate above, with strong diagonal subparallel rugae lower down, with a sharp polished ridge above and behind the spiracle; propodeum posterodorsally with oblique centrally convergent rugae, centrally with a single, shallow, longitudinal impression. Fore leg of female rather slender, with coxa with a bluntly rounded protuberance behind trochanteral insertion, with 5th tarsomere 0.5 times as long as preceding two tarsomeres, with tarsal claw long and with fine, close pectinae; hind coxa in profile of moderate size, its hind end projecting beyond level of hind end of propodeum; hind femur slender, about 5 times as long as maximally deep; hind tarsus of male with moderately sparse, short pubescence ventrally. Fore wing with abscissa of Cu 1a between Cu 1b and 2 m-cu 1.2 times as long as abscissa of Cu 1 between cu-a and 1 m-cu. Metasoma with tergite I moderately slender, anteriorly slightly laterally compressed; tergite II, in lateral view, 2.2 times as long as posteriorly deep. Male with subgenital plate small and convex, covered with fine hair; claspers long, the dorsal apex very obliquely truncate, the lower margin rounded before apex; aedeagus in profile with apex up-turned, weakly flattened, with a sharp lateral keel.

An exceptionally highly polished blue-black species with wings uniformly blackish infumate.

Remarks: Thyreodon schauffi is named in honour of Michael E. Schauff, in recognition of his identification of thousands of Euplectrus wasps ( Eulophidae ) reared by the ACG caterpillar inventory. Thyreodon schauffi is immediately recognizable by its highly polished, blue-black integument and because the lateral part of the epicnemial carina is absent, not reaching to the level of the lower corner of the pronotum.

Biological notes: Thyreodon schauffi is only known from Costa Rica, where only two individuals have been found. An adult female was collected in a Malaise trap in forest on the lower western slopes of Volcán Orosi in Guanacaste, and a male was reared close by from the larva of Callionima denticulata found feeding on Tabernaemontana 13584 ( Apocynaceae ) [97- SRNP-1375]. The last instar caterpillar was collected on 1 July 1997, and became a prepupa on 5 July 1997; it was consumed by the wasp larva a few days later. The wasp spun a cocoon in the prepupal cocoon in the litter, from which an adult emerged on 16 October 1997. A second unidentified Thyreodon parasitized a C. denticulata caterpillar at the site of the above-mentioned Malaise trap capture [88-SRNP-495]. However, either C. denticulata is not the sole host of T. schauffi or this wasp species is restricted to the western middle-elevation slope of Volcán Orosi and Volcán Cacao. We conclude this because more than 100 C. denticulata caterpillars of all instars reared from the (yet wetter) middle-elevation rain forests on the eastern side of the same volcanoes have yielded only Tachinidae as parasites.

Material examined: Holotype ♀, COSTA RICA, Guanacaste Prov., Guanacaste National Park, Estacion Maritza, on W side Volcán Orosi , 560 m, vi.1989 (Gauld & Mitchell) ( BMNH) . Paratypes: COSTA RICA: Guanacaste Prov.: 1 ♂ , Guanacaste National Park, reared as per data above (Janzen & Hallwachs) ( JHVC); 1 ♂ , Guanacaste National Park, Sector Cacao, Sendero Nayo, 1000 m, x.1997 (Moraga) ( BMNH) .