Ishtarella Martens, 2021

Martens, Abigail P., Buffington, Matthew L., Quicke, Donald L. J., Raweearamwong, Marisa, Butcher, Buntika A. & Johnson, Paul J., 2021, Ishtarella thailandica Martens, new genus, new species (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) of aphid parasitoid from Thailand, with a country checklist of Aphidiinae, Insecta Mundi 2021 (904), pp. 1-6 : 2

Ishtarella Martens , new genus

Figures 1A–D , 2A–B

Diagnosis. This new genus is closely related to Binodoxys Mackauer, 1960 based on the presence of both primary spiracular tubercles and secondary tubercles on the petiole, the fusion of the tergite and sternite (T1 & S1) from the apex of the petiole past the level of the spiracular tubercles, the hypopygium of the female with paired elongate hypopygial prongs, and the elongate, tapering, slightly arcuate ovipositor sheath. Ishtarella is distinctive and distinguished from Binodoxys and related aphidiines by the presence of a pair of horn-like protuberances on the anterior portion of the mesoscutum ( Fig. 1A ), the absence of notauli but presence of broad, shallow grooves on the outer margins of the horn-like protuberances, and the presence of two small tubercles at the apex of the ovipositor sheath.

Description. (♀). Head transverse ( Fig. 1B ). Eyes medium-sized. Maxillary palps 2-segmented, labial palps 2-segmented. Antennae filiform, 11-segmented. Mesonotum entirely smooth with a pair of horn-like protuberances ( Fig. 1A, 1C, 1D ) present on the anterior portion of the mesoscutum; notauli absent but with a broad groove on the outer margin of each horn on the anterior portion of the pronotum. Fore wing hyaline, venation reduced, pterostigma subtriangular, R1 present, less than half the length of the pterostigma length, r&RS present and extending past apex of R1 as a tubular vein but not reaching wing margin. Hind-wing hyaline, venation reduced, C+SC+R present, with no closed cells. Petiole with primary (spiracular) and secondary tubercles; sternite and tergite fused from apical portion past secondary tubercles ( Fig. 1A , 2A ). Propodeum with medium-sized pentagonal areola bordered with distinct carinae ( Fig. 2A ). Hypopygium of female with elongate prongs, slightly curved toward apex, with elongate setae present on the dorsal surface ( Fig. 2B ). Ovipositor sheath elongate, slightly arcuate, and downward-curved with two small tubercles present at the apex ( Fig. 1A , 2B ).

Type species. Ishtarella thailandica Martens new species.

Distribution. Thailand.

Biology. Unknown.

Etymology. Named after the ancient Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar. On the Akkadian Cylinder Seal of Adda from c. 2250 B.C., the winged goddess Ishtar is depicted wearing a horned helmet reminiscent of the horn-like protuberances present on the mesoscutum of the wasp. The Latin diminutive suffix “-ella” refers to the small size of the wasp. The gender of the name is feminine.

Remarks. This genus keys to Trioxys in Starý and Schlinger (1967), Starý and Ghosh (1983), and Raychaudhuri (1990), and Binodoxys in Chen and Shi (2001) but is distinctive based on the mesoscutal horns.

Figures

Figure 1. Ishtarella thailandica Martens gen. nov., sp. nov., ♀. A) Habitus, lateral view. B) Head, frontal view. C) Head and mesosoma, dorsal view; arrows indicate mesoscutal horns. D) Head and mesosoma, lateral view; arrow indicates mesoscutal horns.

Figure 2. Ishtarella thailandica Martens gen. nov., sp. nov., ♀. A) Propodeum and petiole, oblique view. B) Hypopygial prongs, ovipositor sheath, and ovipositor.