Trathala flavoorbitalis ( Cameron 1907 )

Rousse, Pascal, Villemant, Claire & Seyrig, Andre, 2011, Ichneumonid wasps from Madagascar. V. Ichneumonidae Cremastinae, Zootaxa 3118, pp. 1-30 : 27

Trathala flavoorbitalis ( Cameron 1907)

( Figs. 13a–b )

Tarytia flavo-orbitalis Cameron 1907: 589; Cremastus hymeniae Viereck 1911: 189 ; Cremastus (Tarytia) coreanus kigaonis Ushida 1932: 196 ; Diaparsis coreanus Uchida 1928: 285 ; Diaparsis coreanus kondonis Uchida 1928: 286

Diagnosis. Predominantly orange species recognizable by its yellow scutellum and unique metasomal coloration with tergites 1 and 2 black brown.

Description. FEMALE. L: 4.1, 4.0 (3.8–4.5) (10 specimens).

Head. Strongly constricted behind eyes. Temples short and slightly rounded. Face densely punctate-shagreened, clypeus smoother; vertex and frons granulate, center of frons smoother. Clypeus transverse (Ci = 1.8). Malar space short (MLMi = 0.6). Interocellar distances larger (IOi = 1.2), and oculo-ocellar distance shorter (OOi = 1.2) than the greatest diameter of ocellus; IOi = 1). Antenna longer than head and mesosoma with 30–33 flagellomeres.

Mesosoma . Mesonotum and pleurae densely punctate-shagreened, scutellum and post scutellum more sparsely punctate, pleurae smoother medially. Prescutellar groove almost smooth. Scutellum rounded without dorsal lateral carinae. Propodeum more densely punctate-shagreened dorsally than laterally. Propodeal carination complete, area basalis small but distinct, area superomedia 1.2x longer than wide, area petiolaris transversally wrinkled.

Metasoma. Tergite I a little longer than tergite II and twice longer than tergite III. Tergite I almost smooth, slightly longitudinally strigose at apex. Tergite II three times longer than apically wide, longitudinally striated. Ovipositor shorter than abdomen (OTI = 1.8–1.9), barely decurved.

Color. Yellow orange more or less stained with brown. Head yellow, median part of frons, vertex and occiput orange brown to dark brown, antenna brown, scape and pedicellus sometimes clearer ventrally. Mesonotum yellow orange to orange, often with dorsal brown marking on mesoscutal lobes, around scutellum and at the base of propodeum. Notauli often well marked with yellow. Tegula and scutellum yellow. Metasoma orange, tergites 1–2 and basal triangle on tergite III dark brown. Legs yellow, hind tibia slightly infuscate basally and apically; wings hyaline, pterostigma brown, its anterior half yellow. Sheath and ovipositor brown. A darker form of the species is represented by a female with pleurae and propodeum dark brown and 3–6 abdominal tergites basally infuscate.

MALE. L: 4.1. Similar to female. Ocelli larger (IOi = 0.7, OOi = 0.3). Mesonotum without dark marking, propodeum infuscate, scape and pedicel yellow.

Host records. 78 host records, all Lepidoptera (Gelechoidea, Noctuoidea, Pyraloidea, Tineoidea and Tortricoidea) .

Distribution records. Widespread through Indo-Pacific and Eastern Oriental regions, also introduced into USA and Canada for biological control purpose. Madagascar (Toliara, Toamasina, Fianarantsoa and Antsiranana provinces) (new record).

Material examined. Holotype Ƥ ( BMNH): Verbatim label data: B.M. TYPE HYM. 3b.1769, Deesa 10.98, India Col Nurse 1914-39.

Other speciments. 45ƤƤ ( MNHN EY 6137 to EY 6182; EY 6160 head lacking), Bekily February 1934 and 1937, March 1932 –33 and 1937, April 1932; 1Ƥ ( MNHN EY 6136), Bekily, April 1933; 23 ( MNHN EY 6182–83), Bekily, March 1932 and 1933 1Ƥ ( MNHN EY 6184), Betroka, February 1933; 1Ƥ ( MNHN EY 6185), Analandravaka, 25/03/1936; 2ƤƤ ( MNHN EY 6186–87), Nosy Be, November 1933 (coll. Olsoufieff); 1Ƥ ( MNHN EY 6188), Ivondro, January 1939; 1Ƥ ( MNHN EY 6189), Behara, November 1938; 16ƤƤ, Bekily, March, April and December 1933 (a pair to each of above mentioned institutions). Dark form: 1Ƥ ( MNHN EY 6190), Bekily, June 1936.

Figures

FIGURE 13. a – b: Trathala flavoorbitalis (Cameron); c – d: Trathala mimouna sp. nov. e – f: Trathala orchestotrichias sp. nov. (left: habitus, right: face).