Aplomerus phamae Broad

Varga, Oleksandr, Reshchikov, Aleksey & Broad, Gavin R., 2014, First record of the genus Aplomerus Provancher, 1886 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Xoridinae) from the Oriental region, with descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 3815 (4), pp. 591-599 : 595-598

Aplomerus phamae Broad , sp. n.

( Figs 4–5 )

Type material. Holotype: female, VIETNAM, Lam Dong, BidoupNulba N.P., nr Da Lat, Malaise trap 1–12, 1650– 1700m, 11–19.x.2005, leg. C. van Achterberg & R. de Vries. RMNH.

Description. Body length c. 8.7 mm, fore wing 6.7 mm. Whole insect: Fig. 4 . Head ( Fig. 5 a, b) depressed, 0.85 times as long as wide, with long, sparse setae except almost glabrous on gena; clypeus 0.27 times as high as wide, covered with dense punctures on upper 2/3, setae denser than on face, apical margin with blunt median tooth; face distinctly convex centrally, 0.5 times as high as wide, transversely striate and punctate, sculpture stronger centrally; malar space 1.0 times basal width of mandible, with subocular sulcus for c.1/3 distance from eye; frons densely punctate, antennal scrobes with diagonal striation; gena with long, sparse setae, denser ventrally and along outer orbits, with longitudinal striation for c.0.4 times gena breadth from orbits in lateral view, otherwise polished, impunctate ( Fig. 5 b); vertex polished, very sparsely punctate, with very sparse setae; OOL 2.09 times OD; POL 2.27 times OD; occipital carina absent dorsally; antenna with 26 flagellomeres, each flagellomere densely setose with several longer setae apically.

Mesosoma with sparse setae; pronotum long, rather flat dorsally but posteriorly with rather sharply projecting lateromedian prominences ( Fig. 5 c), sharply defining median groove, strongly rugulose/trans-striate; mesoscutum with narrow, sharply defined, strongly foveolate notauli, polished, with dense longitudinal striae medio-posteriorly ( Fig. 5 d); scutellum and postscutellum rather densely setose, polished; scuto-scutellar groove polished with slight rugosity; mesopleuron covered with long setae, denser than other parts of mesosoma; epicnemial carina distinct, upper end close to posterior margin of pronotum, joining anterior end of subalar prominence; subalar prominence distinctly separated by wide and strong crenulate depression, mesopleuron dorsally transversely striate, except speculum polished ( Fig. 5 c); sternaulus weak, present on about anterior 0.2 of mesopleuron; metapleuron polished, with sparse, very shallow punctures; propodeum dorsally weakly transversely striate, striae strongest in area basalis and area lateralis; longitudinal carinae distinct, posterior transverse carina strong ( Fig. 5 e). Legs robust and relatively short, coxae and femora with sparse, long erect setae and extensive, dense, short setae; tibiae bulging apically, mid tibia with V-shaped groove ventrally at middle; fore tibia with dense patch of short, spine-like setae over distal 0.6 of outer side, mid tibia with more restricted patch of five spine-like setae in arc over outer side in distal 1/3; fore trochanter longer than mid and hind trochanters; tarsal claws simple.

Metasoma polished, unsculptured, with sparse setae on first and second tergites, becoming more densely setose on posterior tergites, first tergite extensively glabrous medially, second with small median glabrous patch; first metasomal tergite 1.4 times as long as apically wide; median dorsal carinae absent ( Fig. 5 e); second metasomal tergite 0.5 times as long as apically wide; ovipositor in unique specimen curved, difficult to measure, but approximately 1.3 times as long as fore wing and about 7.5 times as long as hind femur; ovipositor sheath slightly expanded over about apical 1/4 and with long setae apically ( Fig. 4 ).

Colour. Head and mesosoma black; antenna black with basal segments brown; all coxae and femora dark brown, trochanters, trochantelli and tibiae basally (up to level of transverse groove) white, fore tibia, apex of mid and hind tibiae and all tarsi dull yellow, mid and hind tibiae otherwise dark brown; metasoma dark brown; ovipositor sheath dull yellow with fuscous apical 1/4.

Distribution. South Vietnam ( Fig. 3 b).

Etymology. Named after Dr Nhi Thi Pham, in recognition of her work on the taxonomy of pimpline ichneumonids of Vietnam.

Comments. Very similar to Aplomerus orientalis sp. nov. but differing in the partly striate gena and darker legs. As with A. orientalis , the propodeum of A. phamae has less sharply defined carinae than A. japonicus .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Distribution map of A) A. plomerus orientalis sp. nov., and B) A. phamae sp. nov.

FIGURE 4. Aplomerus phamae sp. nov., holotype female, habitus, lateral view.

FIGURE 5. Aplomerus phamae sp. nov., holotype female: a) head, frontal view; b) head, lateral view; c) mesopleuron; d) mesoscutum; e) propodeum and first metasomal segment; f) ovipositor tip.