Orthocentrus malaris, Humala, 2019

Humala, Andrei E., 2019, Mexican species of the genus Orthocentrus (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae: Orthocentrinae), Zootaxa 4709 (1), pp. 1-83 : 37-38

Orthocentrus malaris sp. nov.

( Figs 3 E , 9 K , 13 K , 16 K , 19 )

Material examined. Holotype ♀: México, Hidalgo, Huasca de Ocampo , rancho Sta. Elena, MT3, 25.I–23.II.2006, leg. A.Contreras et al. ( UNAM).

Description. Female. Fore wing length 3.6 mm.

Face medially 1.4 × as wide as high; face smooth, polished, sparsely punctate, eyes not setose, dorsal ridge of face inbetween antennal sockets sometimes without prominence; face profile straight except dorsally very slightly impressed, edge of clypeus straight, antennal sockets not on a distinct high shelf (Hw/Fp = 10.2); subocular sulcus distinct, sharp, strongly bent towards occiput; maxillary palp reaching slightly beyond fore coxa. In dorsal view, head posteriorly moderately concave, temples distinct, about 0.4 × eye width, posterior ocellus separated from eye by ocellar diameter, anterior ocellus separated from eye by 2.2 × ocellar diameter, ocellar-ocular grooves somewhat developed. Minimum distance between antennal sockets about 2/3 diameter of socket; antenna with 23 flagellomeres which gradually shortening towards apex of antenna; basal flagellomere 1.8 × as long as wide and about half of length of scape; scape in frontal view a little concave on lateral surface, convex on inner surface.

Mesosoma smooth and polished except for few striae postero-ventrally on pronotum, with weak microsculpture on propodeum; mesoscutum anteriorly with short notauli; in profile, scutellum somewhat high, metapleuron not particularly convex with striae and coriaceous scuplture posteriorly; propodeum with posterior transverse carina complete and strong, median longitudinal carinae complete, lateral longitudinal carinae complete, spiracles small.

Legs moderately stout; coxae and femora polished, femora with coriaceous microsculpture especially on posterior side, tibiae and tarsi coriaceous-granulate; hind coxa 1.0 × as long as first tergite, hind femur 3.1 × as long as high, hind tibia 4.1 × as long as apically wide; tibiae with spine-like setae.

Wings not particularly narrow; fore wing with areolet narrowly sessile, vein Rs straight; hind wing with nervellus inclivous, intercepted at lower 0.2.

First tergite slightly widening apically, 1.4 × as long as apically wide; coriaceous, with two strong median longitudinal carinae almost to posterior edge, with shallow transverse impressions originating at about middle of tergite, sloping posteriorly, not meeting centrally. Second tergite 0.95 × as long as apically wide; coriaceous, strigose medially; transverse groove near apical margin bending anteriorly near lateral margins, forming a somewhat oval uplifted area medially; basal thyridia large, round, contrastingly coloured, second thryridia indistinct; apical margin posterior to transverse furrow polished. Remainder of metasoma unsculptured, polished, lacking thyridia; third tergite with coriaceous longitudinal sculpture basally. Ovipositor thin, nearly straight, without distinct dorsal notch; ovipositor sheath with sparse, long, backwards-directed setae.

Body setose except eyes, frons, pronotum, mesopleuron and metapleuron, setae very scattered on metasoma and posterior sides of coxae.

Dark to blackish brown; frontal orbits light yellow from antennal sockets to mid-height of frons, upper edge of face yellowish creamy; mouthparts except for fuscous apical palpomeres and malar area posterior to subocular sulcus, small spot in the hind corner of pronotum and tegula creamy; clypeus and base of antenna ventrally light brown; fore and mid legs yellowish-brown, hind legs dark brown to brown except trochanter, trochantellus and subbasal band on tibia, narrow apical margin of second tergite yellow to orange; metasoma from third tergite brown.

Male. Unknown.

Biology. Hosts unknown. The only specimen was collected in high-elevation forest.

Distribution. Mexico (Hidalgo).

Etymology. Named after the contrastingly creamy malar space.

Comments. Compared with the other species that have a complete posterior transverse carina, short notauli, and closed areolet, head strongly transverse and frontal orbits with yellow marks not reaching level of anterior ocellus, unlike in O. khalaimi , O. montanus , O. montezuma and O. sierrae ; subocular sulcus strongly bent towards occiput and basal flagellomere comparatively short, unlike in O. tlaxcalensis .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Lateral views: Orthocentrus shieldsi (in part) and O. montanus (in part) species-groups.A: ocampo, B: vulgaris, C: zaldivari, D: khalaimi, E: malaris, F: montanus, Scale 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 9. Faces: Orthocentrus shieldsi and O. montanus (in part) species-groups. A: areolatus, B: dorsofuscus, C: fuscipes, D: kasparyani, E: lostuxtlasi, F: microphthalmus, G: ocampo, H: vulgaris, I: zaldivari, J: khalaimi, K: malaris, L: montanus. Scale 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 13. Heads in dorsal view: Orthocentrus shieldsi and O. montanus species-groups. A: areolatus, B: dorsofuscus, C: fuscipes, D: kasparyani, E: lostuxtlasi, F: microphthalmus, G: ocampo, H: vulgaris, I: zaldivari, J: khalaimi, K: malaris, L: montanus, M: montezuma, N: sierrae, O: tlaxcalensis. Scale 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 16. Basal tergites: Orthocentrus shieldsi and O. montanus species-groups. A: areolatus, B: dorsofuscus, C: fuscipes, D: kasparyani, E: lostuxtlasi, F: microphthalmus, G: ocampo, H: vulgaris, I: zaldivari, J: khalaimi, K: malaris, L: montanus, M: montezuma, N: sierrae, O: tlaxcalensis. Scale 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 19. Distribution map of Orthocentrus in Mexico. O. areolatus, O. dorsofuscus, O. hispidus, O. malaris