Temelucha picta ( Holmgren 1868 )

Rousse, Pascal, Villemant, Claire & Seyrig, Andre, 2011, Ichneumonid wasps from Madagascar. V. Ichneumonidae Cremastinae, Zootaxa 3118, pp. 1-30 : 19-21

Temelucha picta ( Holmgren 1868)

( Figs. 10 e–f)

Cremastus pictus Holmgren 1868: 419 ; Androna spilopus Cameron 1911: 187

Diagnosis. A yellow species with sharply defined black marking on head and mesosoma , the metasoma being largely infuscate.

Description. FEMALE. L: 4.3 (4.0–4.7) (10 specimens).

Head. Strongly constricted behind eyes. Temples short and rounded. Temples and vertex sparsely punctate-shagreened. Face and clypeus shining, densely punctate medially. Clypeus transverse (Ci = 2.2). Malar space long (MLMi = 1.1). Ocelli rather small (IOi = 2; OOi = 1.4). Flagellum with 30–32 flagellomeres.

Mesosoma . Entire mesosoma shining and moderately to densely punctate, except smooth speculum. Scutellum weakly convex, without lateral carina. Postscutellum longitudinally ribbed. Propodeum coarsely punctate, with thick carinae. Area basalis truncate, area superomedia 1.5x longer than wide, closed posteriorly, its posterior carina hardly distinguishable from the transverse striation of area petiolaris, area petiolaris 1.7x longer than superomedia.

Metasoma. Tergite I with shallow glymma. Postpetiole elongated, barely aciculated with sparse punctures laterally. Tergite II aciculate, about 3.5x longer than wide, remaining metasoma alutaceous with dense shallow punctures. Ovipositor long (OTi = 1.8–2.0).

Color. Head and mesosoma yellow with black markings on vertex, occiput, central frons, anterior half of median lobe and posterior half of lateral lobes of mesoscutum, prescutellar groove, lateral margins of scutellum, mesopleuron, mesosternum, meso- and metasternum, metanotum and base of propodeum. Antenna brown, scape and pedicel ventrally yellow. Coxa and trochanters yellow, hind tibia basally and apically infuscate, somewhat white dorsally, otherwise legs orange. Metasoma fuscous, petiole and tergite II dark brown, apical margin of gastral tergites lighter. Wings hyaline, pterostigma light brown, clearer at base.

MALE. 4.3 (3.6–4.7) (22 specimens). Similar to female, but black markings tend to be larger. Ocelli larger (IOi = 1.8, OOi = 1). Gonosquama long and narrow, subquadrangular, its ventral corner rounded.

Comments. This species is morphologically close to T. basiornata , but T. picta is larger and its yellow mesopleuron is maculated with black spots. The extent of black markings is very variable in this species, some specimens have a black mesopleuron with a ventro-longitudinal yellow stripe ( Zwart 1998).

Distribution records. South Africa. Madagascar (new record), widely distributed.

Material examined. LECTOTYPE Ƥ ( NRM) “Cap. B. Spei. [Cape of Good Hope], Victorin”. Malagasy specimens. 22ƤƤ, 93 ( MNHN EY 3828 to 3833, EY 3835 to 3849, EY 3859 to EY 3868), Bekily [Ampandrandava], March 1933 ( MNHN EY 3828 to 3833, EY 3835 to EY 3846, EY 3859, EY 3861 to 3864, EY 3867), April 1937 ( MNHN EY 3866) and 1941( MNHN EY 3860), May 1937 ( MNHN EY 3849) and 1939 ( MNHN EY 3868), June and July 1936 ( MNHN EY 3847–48); 4ƤƤ, 43 ( MNHN EY 3850–3853, EY 3870–3873), Betroka, February 1933; 13 ( MNHN EY 3874) Vatondrangy, January 1930; 1Ƥ ( MNHN EY 3854), Maevatanana, December 1932; 1Ƥ ( MNHN EY 3855) Behara, November 1938; 1f ( MNHN EY 3834), Tananarive (Antananavora), February 1937,1 ƤƤ ( MNHN EY 3856), Tananarive Ø, coll. Olsoufieff, no collection date; 1Ƥ ( MNHN EY 3857) env. de Tananarive, coll. Waterlot 1924; 1Ƥ ( MNHN EY 3858) Station Manankazo- km 130, prairie, bord d’eau, 6–2–48, P.C. coll.; 8ƤƤ, 83 Bekily, March 1933 (one pair of specimens to each of the above mentioned institutions).

Figures

FIGURE 10. a – b Temelucha basiornata (Cameron); c – d: Temelucha minuta (Morley); e – f: Temelucha picta (Holmgren) (left: habitus, right: face).