Pristomerus yakoma, Rousse & Noort, 2015

Rousse, Pascal & Noort, Simon van, 2015, Revision of the Afrotropical species of Pristomerus (Ichneumonidae: Cremastinae), with descriptions of 31 new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 124, pp. 1-129 : 115-117

Pristomerus yakoma sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5394BBA9-A538-4FFA-986E-63A348D5B1BF

Fig. 45

Diagnosis

Small; yellow overall; trochanters and femora apically white-dotted; flagellum multicolour, pale brown to brown, sometimes with flagellomeres 11–21 pale yellow; face moderately punctate-granulate; inner margins of eyes subparallel; clypeus strongly transverse, almost smooth; malar line very short; remainder of head coriaceous; flagellum basally thin, slightly widening toward apex, with 29–30 flagellomeres, penultimate flagellomere subquadrate; mesosoma laterally punctate with entire pronotum and ventral half of speculum smooth; mesoscutum coriaceous with notaulus punctate; scutellum quite smooth; propodeum densely punctate; area superomedia rather stout; femoral tooth strong and acute; ovipositor moderately short, apically curved and strongly sinuous. Male unknown.

Differential diagnosis

Small, entirely yellow with flagellum bicoloured or tricoloured; otherwise differentiated from most Afrotropical species by the combination of the very short malar line, the strongly transverse clypeus, the coriaceous to smooth mesonotum and the strong female femoral tooth. Pristomerus yakoma sp. nov. seems closely related to P. swahili sp. nov., whose flagellum is uniformly dark and clypeus significantly narrower.

Type material

Holotype

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: ♀, “ Central African Republic, Préfecture Sangha-Mbaéré, Réserve Spéciale de Forêt Dense de Dzanga–Sangha, 12.7 Km 326°NW Bayanga, 3°00.27’N 16°11.55’E, 420m, 11.v.2001, S van Noort, Sweep, CAR01–S161, Lowland Rainforest, SAM–HYM–P049431” ( SAMC).

Paratype

MOZAMBIQUE: ♀, “Mozambique Nhica “Ligne 34”, 20–27.xi.2008, C. Villemant, S10°42.418’ E40°12.761 alt. 92m Malaise M2” ( MNHN).

Description

Female (2 specimens)

B 5.4–6.0; A 3.4–3.8; F 3.4–3.7; CT 2.1; ML 0.3; POL 0.6; OOL 0.8; Fl n-1 1.0; ASM 1.7; OT 1.5–1.6; FFT 2.

COLOUR. Yellow to pale yellow overall with mandible, clypeus, orbits and legs paler; tergites 1–3 barely infuscate basally; trochanters and femora apically white-dotted; flagellum dark brown, basally strongly lighter yellowish, with flagellomeres 11–21 whitish yellow in holotype only; wings hyaline, venation pale brown, anterior half of pterostigma whitish.

HEAD. Face medially bulging, moderately and shallowly punctate-granulate; inner margins of eyes subparallel; clypeus strongly transverse, sparsely punctate; malar line very short; frons, vertex and temple coriaceous; occipital carina joining hypostomal carina at mandible base; antenna with 29–30 flagellomeres, slightly widening toward apex, penultimate flagellomere quadrate.

MESOSOMA. Pronotum almost entirely smooth; mesopleuron moderately punctate with most of speculum smooth; punctation on metapleuron slightly denser and coarser; mesoscutum coriaceous, finely punctate-rugose along notaulus; notaulus moderate; scutellum quite smooth, its posterior vertical face longitudinally striate; propodeum densely and shallowly punctate, area superomedia medially smoother

and relatively short, area petiolaris transversely striate. Legs. Femoral tooth acute, longer than basally wide, followed by a row of distinct denticles.

METASOMA. Tergite 2 and apical half of tergite 1 longitudinally aciculate, following tergites coriaceous; thyridium subcircular; ovipositor moderately short, apically distinctly sinuous.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

Central African Republic, Mozambique.

Figures

Fig. 45. Pristomerus yakoma sp. nov. Holotype, ♀. A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Head, mesosoma, dorsal view. C. Head, anterior view. D. Propodeum, dorsal view. E. Mesosoma, lateral view. F. Hind tibia, lateral view (inset: data labels).