Pristomerus mirzakhaniae Zardouei & Rakhshani, 2020

Heydari, Maryam Zardouei, Rakhshani, Ehsan, Rousse, Pascal, Mokhtari, Azizollah & Schwarz, Martin, 2020, A new species of Pristomerus Curtis, 1836 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae Cremastinae) and key to the known species in Iran, Zootaxa 4809 (1), pp. 187-194 : 188-192

Pristomerus mirzakhaniae Zardouei & Rakhshani sp. nov.

Fig. 1

Diagnosis. Pristomerus mirzakhaniae sp. nov. is morphologically closely related to P. arabicus Horstmann, 1990 , as they share light color, the longitudinally striate second tergite, and punctate mesoscutum. However, in P. mirzakhaniae sp. nov. the eyes are slightly divergent in lower part ( Fig. 1C ), while P. arabicus has eyes with parallel interior outline. Metasoma is yellow in P. mirzakhaniae sp. nov., just the second tergite ( Fig. 1I ) is brownish basally, but in P. arabicus metasoma is brown and second and third tergites are black basally. Also, P. mirzakhaniae sp. nov. is similar to P. persicus Riedel et al. 2019 , both of them have body entirely pale yellow and a striate second metasomal tergite. Pristomerus persicus has mesoscutum very sparsely punctured, propodeal areola 2.8× as long as wide, fore wing with 1/M between Rs and 2m-cu distinctly shorter than (about 0.6) Rs and stout hind femur, with a weak and straight tooth-like process on ventral margin, followed by a row of rather strong denticles. In P. mirzakhaniae sp. nov. mesoscutum ( Fig. 1E ) is very densely punctured, propodeal areola ( Fig. 1F ) 1.7× as long as wide, fore wing ( Fig. 1G ) with 1/M between Rs and 2m-cu, distinctly longer than (about 1.4×) Rs and elongated hind femur ( Fig. 1H ), with a small and straight tooth-like process on ventral margin.

Type material: Holotype ♀, Iran, Sistan-o Baluchestan , Zabol (31°02‘12.81“N, 61°32‘13.66“E, 485m), Mal- aise trap mounted in Vineyard, 15– 29.06.2016, leg. M. Enayatnia. ( DPPZ).

Description— (Female): Body length 8.0 mm, length of fore wing 6.0 mm, length of ovipositor sheath 4.0 mm.

Head. Antenna with 33 flagellomeres. First flagellomere as long as the second flagellomere. Temple strongly constricted behind eyes, about 0.3× as wide as compound eye in lateral view ( Fig. 1A ). Ocelli large, the distance between hind ocelli as long as the distance between lateral ocellus and eye ( Fig. 1B ). Middle of face mainly punctate, punctures separated from each other by usually less than a puncture diameter. Clypeus width 2.4× its length, weakly separated from face by impression of transverse groove. Inner eye orbits slightly divergent below. Malar space (cheek) about 0.7× as long as basal width of mandible. Mandibular teeth of equal length. Face about 2.2× as wide as its length. ( Fig. 1C ). Occipital carina complete dorso-medially.

Mesosoma. Pronotum long (its height less than its length) ( Fig. 1D ) with short hairs. Epomia distinct. Notaulus shallow, but distinct in lateral view. Mesopleuron densely hairy and punctate. Prepectal carina present, reaching above the middle of the hind edge of pronotum. Sternaulus short, until the middle of mesosternum. Speculum shiny, hairless and almost impunctate. Metapleuron densely hairy. Mesoscutum ( Fig. 1E ) finely punctuate, its length about 1.6× its width, punctures separated from each other by more than a puncture diameter. Scutellum punctate, slightly convex in lateral view. Propodeum with complete transverse or longitudinal carina. Basal area medium in size; with lateral margins convergent posteriorly. Areola and basal area distinctly separated. Areola wide (1.7× as long as wide) and pentagonal, punctate in the anterior half and striate in the posterior half, narrower than second lateral areas. Areola and petiolar area distinctly separated. Petiolar area striate and wider than areola. First lateral area large, as wide as second lateral area. Second lateral area densely punctate ( Fig. 1F ).

Wing. Fore wing ( Fig. 1G ) without an areolet. 1/M between Rs and 2m-cu distinctly longer than Rs (about 1.3× as long as Rs). Hind wing with vein 1/Cu+cu-a broken at 0.7 of its length.

Legs. Densely hairy, length of hind femur ( Fig. 1H ) less than the hind tibia. Hind femur with a small tooth-like process on ventral margin, about 0.65 behind mid-length of femur. Tarsal claws longer than arolium.

Metasoma. First metasomal tergite ( Fig. 1I ) striate, its length 2.1× second tergite. Sclerotized part of first sternite not extending to the posterior third of the segment. Length of second tergite 2.0× of its width, with longitudinal striation as characteristic for many Cremastinae . Third tergite slightly striate. Ovipositor ( Fig. 1J ) sheath narrow with disperse hairs. Ovipositor weakly sinuate and down-curved, with a distinct subapical notch.

Colour. Body ( Fig. 1J ) pale yellow; Scapus and pedicellus, ocellar area, occiput, median area of frons, median and lateral lobes of mesoscutum yellowish-brown. Apices of mandibular teeth black. Antennal flagellomeres, ovipositor sheath, hind tarsus and second tergite basally dark brown, ovipositor dark brown with two yellow spots in dorsal valves.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The species is named after Maryam Mirzakhani, an Iranian mathematician at Stanford University, who was the only woman ever to win the “Fields Medal” in 2014. She died at the young age of 40.

Distribution: Iran, Sistan-o Baluchestan province (Sistan).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Pristomerus mirzakhaniae sp. nov.—Female: A) head, lateral view; B) head, dorsal view; C) head, frontal view; D) mesosoma, lateral view; E) mesoscutum, dorsal view; F) propodeum, dorsal view; G) fore wing; H) hind femur; I) second tergite of metasoma; J) habitus, lateral view.