Diaparsis (Diaparsis) mostovskii, Khalaim, 2013

Khalaim, Andrey I., 2013, Afrotropical species of Diaparsis Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Tersilochinae), African Invertebrates 54 (1), pp. 127-127 : 146-149

Diaparsis (Diaparsis) mostovskii sp. n.

Figs 43–49

Etymology: Named in honour of the collector of the type material, Dr Mike Mostovski (KwaZulu-Natal Museum, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa).

Diagnosis: It is the only species of the genus that has the basal 0.7 of tergite 1 white, strongly contrasting with the black apical 0.3. Like D. interstitialis sp. n., it has a dorsolateral area of the propodeum densely punctate, but unlike the latter species, it has a second recurrent vein postfurcal. The new species also has conspicuous tarsal claws that are finely pectinate basally; within the genus, pectinate tarsal claws are otherwise present only in the East Palaearctic D. improvisator Khalaim , but unlike D. mostovskii sp. n., that species possesses tarsal claws with very strong and dense teeth.

Description:

Female.

Body length 4.7 mm.

Head strongly rounded behind eyes in dorsal view; temple 0.73× as long as eye width. Flagellum of antenna weakly tapered towards apex, slender, with 19–28 segments (23 in holotype); flagellomere 2 almost twice, mid and subapical flagellomeres 1.2–1.5× as long as broad. Mandible slender, with upper tooth much longer than lower tooth. Malar space 0.7–0.8× as long as basal width of mandible. Clypeus about twice as broad as long, densely and evenly punctate except at extreme lower margin. Face and frons very densely punctate, dull. Vertex and temple finely and densely punctate, finely granulate, dull. Occipital carina complete. Hypostomal carina absent, surface polished.

Mesosoma with mesoscutum densely punctate, dull. Notaulus substituted by a short wrinkle. Mesopleuron very densely punctate, dull. Foveate groove in anterior part of mesopleuron, strongly oblique, moderately impressed, with more or less distinct transverse wrinkles. Propodeal spiracle very small, separated from pleural carina by 2.0–4.0 diameters of spiracle (2.0 diameters in holotype). Propodeum with distinct basal keel which is 0.5–0.7× (0.63× in holotype) as long as apical area; dorsolateral area densely granulate, dull, very densely punctate (sometimes, especially in small specimens, punctures are indistinct); apical area rounded or roundly pointed anteriorly, densely granulate, uneven, usually without distinct punctures; apical longitudinal carinae weak anteriorly, generally not reaching transverse carina.

Fore wing length 3.3 mm. First abscissa of radius curved, longer than width of pterostigma. Metacarp not reaching apex of fore wing. Second recurrent vein almost interstitial (in holotype) to distinctly postfurcal. Intercubitus moderately long. Hind wing with nervellus vertical to slightly reclivous.

Legs slender. Hind femur 5.0× as long as broad and 0.88× as long as tibia. Spurs of hind tibia slender, inner spur 1.5–1.8× as long as outer spur. Tarsal claws small, finely pectinate at extreme base.

Tergite 1 of metasoma very slender, round in cross-section, entirely smooth, 4.4× as long as broad posteriorly, without glymma. Second tergite 1.7× as long as broad anteriorly; thyridial depression very shallow, more than 2.0× as long as broad. Ovipositor short and robust, weakly upcurved, without teeth, with very shallow dorsal subapical depression; sheath about 0.65× as long as hind tibia and 0.6× as long as first tergite.

Head and mesosoma predominantly black. Flagellum blackish, basally yellowish brown. Palpi, mandible (except for blackish teeth), scape and pedicel of antenna, clypeus (sometimes blackish in upper part), tegula and legs (hind and sometimes mid tarsus more or less infuscate) brownish yellow. Propleuron, pronotum, lateral margin of mesoscutum and anterodorsal part of mesopleuron usually reddish brown. Pterostigma brown. Tergite 1 of metasoma white in basal 0.7, blackish in apical 0.3. Metasoma behind tergite 1 predominantly yellow to brownish yellow, dorsally and dorsolaterally brown to dark brown (usually only tergite 2 conspicuously brown-marked dorsally).

Male. Flagellum with 21–24 segments, basally less slender than in female. Malar space shorter. Metasomal tergites 2+ generally more extensively brown-marked. Otherwise similar to female.

Variation: The size varies rather markedly, with body length 3.8–5.8 mm and fore wing length 2.6–3.9 mm. Flagellum usually with 23–28 segments, in small specimens with 19 segments. Mesosoma entirely black (in smallest specimen) to black with varying amounts of reddish brown. Propodeum distinctly to rather weakly punctate. Second recurrent vein almost interstitial to strongly postfurcal.

Holotype: ♀ SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu­Natal: Cathedral Peak Nature Reserve, Rainbow Gorge , 28°57.60'S 29°13.61'E, 1480 m, 30.i–28.v.2006, M. Mostovski, Malaise trap ( SAMC).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu­Natal: 1♀ 1♂ same data as holotype but 29.v–21.ix.2006 ( ZISP) ; 1♀ Cathedral Peak, Education Camp , 28°57.4'S 29°14.4'E, 1420 m, 11–12.ix.2004, M. Mostovski, yellow pan trap ( ZISP) ; 1♀ Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve , 30°17.4'S 30°36.9'E, 250 m, 24.i–10.v.2006, M. Mostovski, Malaise trap ( ZISP) ; 1♀ Ramsgate, Butterfly Sanctuary , 30°53.3'S 30°20.4'E, 3–30.x.2004, M. Mostovski, Malaise trap ( BMNH) . Western Cape: 2♂ ‘ Mossel Bay SA Museum [South African Museum]’, ‘ R. Turner 28­11­41 [28.xi.1941]’ [underside of label; both sides contain handwritten illegible text], SAM­HYM­P001296 ( SAMC) ; 1♂ Witte River, Wellington , 1500 ft (= 460 m), xi.1922, K.H. Barnard, SAM­HYM­P006178 ( SAMC) ; 1♀ Table Mountain National Park, Silvermine , 34°04.665'S 18°24.501'E, 440 m, rocky area, 10.x.2006, J.G.H. Londt ( SAMC) . UGANDA: 1♀ Central Region, Mulange , xi.1922, R. Dummet, SAM­HYM­P006175 ( SAMC) ; 1♀ Kibale National Park, Kanyawara Biological Station , 0°33'55.6"N 30°21'29.0"E, 15 m, 13–21.iii.2010, S. Katusabe et al., Malaise trap ( ZMUT) .

Figures

Figs 43–49. Diaparsis mostovskii sp.n., ♀ holotype:(43) habitus,lateral view; (44) head, dorsal view; (45) head, frontal view; (46) antenna and mesosoma, anterolateral view; (47) posterior part of mesosoma and tergite 1, dorsolateral view; (48) propodeum, dorsal view; (49) tarsal claw.