Chilocyrtus propodealis Varga, 2024

Varga, O., 2024, A New Species Of The Genus Chilocyrtus (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Orthocentrinae) From South Africa, Zoodiversity 58 (2), pp. 163-166 : 164-166

Chilocyrtus propodealis Varga , sp. n. ( figs 1–9 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:87A70A54-37F2-4B2E-A9B6-01AD284AE7DE

M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d. Type. Holotype ♀: SOUTH AFRICA, Cape Prov., Tsitsikamma N.P. 34°02' S, 23°53' E, Malaise trap, Now– Dec. 1995 (M. Söderlund), MZU00172936 ( MZLU). Paratypes: 3 ♀, same label as in holotype, MZU00172914, MZU00172916, MZU00172922 ( MZLU) .

Diagnosis. The new species is characterised by the following combination of characters: body generally brown with legs yellowish; antenna with 20–21 flagellomeres, first flagellomere 4.2–4.4× as long as wide; malar space 1.7× the basal width of mandible; clypeus 0.4× as long as wide, strongly projected centrally, with a median transverse carina ( figs 2–3 ); mandible unidentate, strongly bent outward, lower tooth reduced ( fig. 4 ); temples relatively long and weakly narrowed behind eyes, gently rounded (dorsal view); mesoscutum smooth, sparsely pubescent anteriorly ( fig. 6 ); propodeum granulate, with area apicalis (and sometimes area superomedia partly) enclosed ( fig. 7 ); fore wing with vein 2 rs-m about 0.8–1.0× the distance between 2 rs-m and 2 m-cu, vein 3rs-m absent; hind wing with nervellus not intercepted, strongly reclivous ( fig. 5 ); first metasomal tergite 1.4× as long as apical width, granulate; latero-median carina absent ( fig. 8 ); second tergite 0.7× as long as apical width, granulate on basal 0.8 ( fig. 9 ); ovipositor sheaths about 0.6–0.7× as long as hind tibia ( fig. 1 ).

Chilocyrtus propodealis sp. n. differs from the only known Afrotropical species, C. hortorum , in having the strongly convex centrally clypeus, with a median transverse carina (weakly swollen and lacking carina in C. hortorum ); more developed propodeal carination (only lateral longitudinal carina partly present in C. hortorum ); black vertex (yellow marked in C. hortorum ), unevenly pubescent mesoscutum (evenly and entirely pubescent in C. hortorum ), and granulate tergites 1–2 (longitudinally wrinkled in C. hortorum ).

D e s c r i p t i o n. Holotype. Female ( figs 1–3 , 5–9 ). Body length approximately 4 mm, fore wing 2.2 mm.

Head ( figs 2–3 , 6 ) generally smooth and sparsely pubescent. Antenna with 21 flagellomeres, first flagellomere 4.3× as long as wide. Face about 0.6× as long as wide, superficially aciculate; eyes parallel. Malar space 1.7× as basal width of mandible; subocular sulcus distinct. Clypeus 0.4× as long as wide, strongly projected centrally, with a median transverse carina; apical margin more-or-less straight. Mandible unidentate, strongly bent outward, lower tooth reduced. Temples relatively long and weakly narrowed behind eyes, gently rounded (dorsal view). Frons and vertex smooth; length of the ocellar-ocular distance about 2.5× maximum diameter of lateral ocellus; occipital carina absent.

Mesosoma ( figs 3 , 6–7 ) generally smooth and sparsely pubescent. Propleuron with traces of granulation. Pronotum smooth, weakly rugose centrally. Mesoscutum smooth, sparsely pubescent anteriorly; notauli absent. Scutellum densely pubescent, with carinae present only on basal 0.1. Mesopleuron smooth; epicnemial carina present laterally. Metapleuron smooth; pleural and submetapleural carinae present. Propodeum granulate; lateral longitudinal carina present on the apical half of the propodeum, lateromedian longitudinal carinae developed only in the middle of the propodeum joining the apical transverse carina; area apicalis more or less enclosed, with a longitudinal central carina reaching the apex of the propodeum.

Legs relatively stout; hind femur 4.2× as long as wide, third tarsomere of hind tarsus about as long as fifth tarsomere; tarsal claws simple.

Wings ( fig. 5 ). Fore wing with vein 2 rs-m about 0.8× the distance between 2 rs-m and 2 m-cu; vein 3rs-m absent; vein 1cu-a opposite to M & Rs; hind wing with nervellus not intercepted, strongly reclivous.

Metasoma ( figs 8–9 ) generally granulate basally and smooth apically. First tergite 1.4× as long as apical width, granulate; latero-median carina absent; subapical lateral oblique grooves present, but weak. Second tergite 0.7× as long as apical width, granulate on basal 0.8 of the tergite, with week basolateral grooves forming weakly swollen central rhombic area; thyridium present. The remaining part of metasoma smooth. Ovipositor and sheaths at rest originating far anterior of metasomal apex, capable of being hinged outwards (as in Batakomacrus ); ovipositor sheaths about 0.7× as long as hind tibia, apical part widened and pubescent.

Colour. Body generally brown except antenna from the underside, face narrowly below the antennal sockets, labrum, mandible (except apices), thyridium, and legs yellow; hind femur darker than the remaining parts of the leg.

M a l e. Unknown.

V a r i a b i l i t y. Antenna with 20–21 flagellomeres; hind femur varies from darkened to uniformly coloured with rest of the leg; fore wing with vein 2 rs-m from 0.8–1.0× as long the distance between 2 rs-m and 2 m-cu.

D i s t r i b u t i o n. South Africa.

Etymology. This species is named after its carination of propodeum unusual for representatives of the genus.

I am deeply grateful to Rune Bygebjerg (MZLU) who graciously made the specimens available for study; reviewer for the valuable comments on the early version of the manuscript; and the Armed Forces of Ukraine for providing security to perform this work during the war.

Figures

Figs 1–4. Chilocyrtus propodealis, sp. n. ♀ (1–3 — holotype, 4 — paratype): 1 — lateral view of habitus; 2 — frontal view of head (carinated clypeal projection arrowed with white); 3 — lateral view of head and mesosoma (carinated clypeal projection arrowed with white); 4 — dorsal view of mandible.Scale bar 0.5 mm (habitus) and 0.1 mm (remaining views).

Figs 5–9. Chilocyrtus propodealis, sp. n., holotype ♀; 5 — wings; 6 — dorsal view of head and mesoscutum; 7 — dorsal view of propodeum; 8 — dorsal view of first metasomal tergite; 9 — dorsal view of metasomal tergites 2–3. Scale bar 0.1 mm.