Westwoodia gauldi Wharton and Roeder

Wharton, Robert A., Roeder, Karl & Yoder, Matthew J., 2008, A monograph of the genus Westwoodia (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Zootaxa 1855, pp. 1-40 : 9-11

Westwoodia gauldi Wharton and Roeder , n. sp.

( Figs 3–4 , 12 , 22 , 24 , 28 , 32 , 36 , 44–45 , 55–56 , 59 )

Description

Female. Head ( Figs 3–4 , 12 , 22 ): Face polished, densely punctate and setose medially, sparsely and finely punctate laterally. Clypeus relatively densely punctate, punctation weaker than on face and tending to coalesce; ventral margin weakly convex, nearly truncate, carinate, weakly angled laterally; epistomal sulcus indistinct. Eye relatively long and narrow, in lateral view 1.4–1.5X longer than temple; malar space in frontal view 0.3X eye height, about 0.7X basal width of mandible; malar space moderately punctate and setose, gena sparsely and weakly punctate. Frontal depression distinct; lateral swelling of frons well-developed, smoother and broadly tuberculate anteriorly, lower and rugulose to strigose posteriorly, inner margin carinate; frons medially with median carina tall and flangelike anteriorly, low but distinct to median ocellus posteriorly, with pair of carinae diverging posteriorly from posterior side of flange. Occipital carina complete and well-developed throughout, abruptly upcurved mid-dorsally, curving abruptly towards mandible ventrally, with sharply angled junction of occipital and hypostomal carinae relatively short. Antenna with 36 flagellomeres, flagellum approximately 1.2X longer than fore wing; first flagellomere 3.0X longer than wide, 1.1X longer than second, densely setose; second flagellomere 3.1X longer than wide; 10th flagellomere 1.9X longer than wide.

Mesosoma ( Figs 24 , 28 , 36 , 44–45 , 55–56 , 59 ): Dorsolateral margin of pronotum densely and distinctly punctate. Notauli broad, deep at anterior margin, gradually becoming shallow posteriorly, ending in broad, very shallow median depression; median lobe of mesoscutum strongly elevated above lateral lobes. Mesopleuron densely punctate and setose except smooth and polished posteriorly above and below mesopleural fovea. Propodeum densely setose medially; pleural carina distinct, well-developed throughout; longitudinal carinae well-developed apically, extending anteriorly almost to level of spiracle, absent anteriorly. Fore wing areolet weakly petiolate, stalk very short and broad, 2m-cu arising beyond middle, from proximal 0.65; 1cu-a interstitial; CU1a inclivous, forming distinct angle with more nearly vertical 2cu-a. Fore basitarsus 5.7X longer than mid-width, 1.7X longer than fifth tarsomere; second tarsomere of fore leg 2.6X longer than wide; hind basitarsus 9.6–9.7X longer than wide, 2.7X longer than fifth tarsomere; second tarsomere of hind leg 3.4–3.5X longer than wide; fore tibia densely setose, setae slightly more stout and slightly less dense anteriorly than posteriorly, hind tibia densely setose throughout; fore and especially hind tarsomeres 1–4 compressed, slender, densely setose throughout, with small pads at apex of each tarsomere distinct but easily obscured by dirt.

Metasoma: Petiole with distinct groove or depression between spiracle and posterior remnant of dorsal carina.

Color: Head orange; mandibular teeth, frons medially, and ocellar triangle black, frons laterally and vertex medially dark reddish brown; scape and pedicel black, flagellum dark brown. Mesosoma black; fore and hind wings distinctly infumate, stigma dark brown; fore leg coxa brown, remainder yellow with apical tarsomere yellow-brown, tarsus of middle leg yellow-brown; hind leg dark reddish brown from coxa to femur, otherwise dark brown. Metasomal tergites dorsally black with apical margin very pale yellow; sternites very pale yellow to almost white and at least some with black blotches laterally.

Male as in female except: Clypeus less densely punctate; ventral margin more weakly convex than truncate; epistomal sulcus more distinct. Eye in lateral view 1.2–1.5X longer than temple; malar space in frontal view 0.2–0.3X eye height. Median carina on frons better developed posteriorly (behind flange). Occipital carina dorsomedially not abruptly upcurved in one specimen. Antenna with 36–37 flagellomeres; first flagellomere 3.3X longer than wide. Fore wing 2m-cu arising from proximal 0.4–0.5 of areolet, areolet more distinctly stalked in one specimen; 1cu-a postfurcal in same specimen. Fore basitarsus 6.2–6.4X longer than mid-width, 1.5–1.6X longer than fifth tarsomere; third and fourth tarsomeres of fore leg 3.1–3.4 and 1.8–2.1X longer than wide, respectively; hind basitarsus 9.8–10.0X longer than wide; hind tarsus not quite as distinctly compressed. Head yellow-orange with frons medially and ocellar triangle black (dark reddish brown halo absent); mesosoma yellow-orange except propodeum and metapleuron varying from black to dark brown with traces of orange coloration anteriorly; fore leg coxa yellow-orange.

Body length: approximately 9.7–11.2 mm; fore wing 9.2–10.0 mm.

Host: Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype Ψ (ANIC): [ AUSTRALIA, ACT,] Black Mt 6 XII 29 J. W. Evans. Paratypes: 1 ɗ (MVMA) NEW SOUTH WALES, Tubrabucca, 10–23.i.1948, R.T.M.P. & A.N.B.; 1 ɗ (MVMA) VICTORIA, Launchins Place, 13.i.1913 (?), F.F.S. The species is known from only three specimens, two of which, the holotype and one paratype, have the metasoma broken and glued to a tag below the specimen. The year for date of collection of the second paratype (i.e., 1913) cannot be clearly read and represents our best estimate.

Diagnosis

First flagellomere of antenna densely setose throughout; interantennal flange tall, narrow, somewhat distant from ocelli, somewhat rectangular in profile; lateral swelling of frons with carinate inner margin especially well-developed near ocelli; face densely punctate medially, less densely punctate laterally; occipital carina complete, distinctly developed throughout; female with tarsomeres of fore leg long, slender, and flattened; fore wing stigma dark brown; fore wing areolet present, with 2m-cu usually arising near middle; fore tarsus yellow, hind tarsus dark brown, mesosoma black and orange (male) or black (female), metasoma dorsally, except for apical margin of tergites, black.

Distinguished from all other species of Westwoodia by the combination of a densely punctate face ( Figs 3–4 ), tall interantennal flange ( Fig. 12 ), strongly elevated median mesoscutal lobe ( Fig. 28 ), and sharply margined frontal depression ( Fig. 12 ).

Remarks

This species is most similar morphologically to specimens from mainland populations of W. ruficeps in which the interantennal flange is not hemispherical in outline, but the fore tarsomeres are much shorter and have larger ventral pads in females of W. ruficeps .

Etymology

The species is named for Ian Gauld for his outstanding contributions to the study of Ichneumonidae .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Head, frontal and oblique views. 1 – 2, paratype, Westwoodia rodmani, n. sp.; 3 – 4, holotype, W. gauldi, n. sp.

FIGURES 11 – 14. Frons, presence or absence of elevated flange in frontal depression. 11, Westwoodia ruficeps; 12, paratype, W. gauldi, n. sp., arrow = carinate lateral margin of frontal depression; 13, paratype, W. romani, n. sp., arrow = absence of elevated flange; 14, holotype, W. longipes, arrow = weak, indistinct frontal depression.

FIGURES 19 – 23. Antenna. 19, SEM of Westwoodia ruficeps, tyloid on first flagellomere; 20, W. ruficeps, arrow = tyloid on dried specimen; 21, W. ruficeps, sparsely setose first flagellomere; 22, holotype, W. gauldi, n. sp., arrow = densely setose first flagellomere; 23, W. ruficeps, yellow apical flagellomeres.

FIGURES 24 – 27. Lateral habitus. 24, holotype, Westwoodia gauldi, n. sp.; 25, paratype, W. rodmani, n. sp.; 26, paratype, W. romani, n. sp.; 27, neotype, W. ruficeps.

FIGURES 28 – 31. Mesosoma, lateral view. 28, holotype, Westwoodia gauldi, n. sp., elevated median lobe of mesoscutum; 29, W. ruficeps; 30, paratype, W. romani, n. sp.; 31, paratype, W. rodmani, n. sp.

FIGURES 32 – 33. Mesosoma, lateral view. 32, holotype, Westwoodia gauldi, n. sp., pattern of setae and punctation on mesopleuron; 33, W. ruficeps from Queensland, sparsely setose mesopleuron.

FIGURES 34 – 37. Propodeum. 34, holotype, Westwoodia romani, n. sp., densely setose; 35, W. ruficeps, sparsely setose; 36, holotype, W. gauldi, n. sp.; 37, paratype, W. rodmani, n. sp., arrow = well-developed pleural carina.

FIGURES 42 – 45. Wings. 42, holotype, Westwoodia romani, n. sp., areolet of normal size; 43, W. cf. longipes, arrow = relatively small areolet; 44, W. gauldi, n. sp., paratype male; 45, W. gauldi, n. sp., holotype female.

FIGURES 54 – 57. Legs. 54, Westwoodia longipes, fore leg holotype male; 55, W. gauldi, n. sp., fore leg holotype female, bar = measurement of basitarsus length; 56, W. gauldi, n. sp., hind leg holotype female; 57, W. ruficeps, fore leg neotype female, arrow = tarsal pad apically on basitarsus.

FIGURES 58 – 59. Hind coxa. 58, Westwoodia ruficeps, arrow = large, nearly glabrous patch; 59, paratype, W. gauldi, uniformly densely setose.