Chirotica maraca Lima & Fernandes, 2024

Lima, Adriane G. M. & Fernandes, Daniell R. R., 2024, Synopsis of the Darwin wasp Chirotica Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Phygadeuontinae) in Brazil, Zootaxa 5418 (2), pp. 101-139 : 122-124

Chirotica maraca Lima & Fernandes sp. nov.

( Figures 9A ; 10A ; 24 )

Material examined. 1 female. Holotype. Brazil. RR [Roraima], Alto Alegre / ESEC Maracá. 03°21’59”N, - / 61°26’04”W Malaise , 01–/ 15.iii.2016. Boldrini & J.A. / Rafael. Rede Bia (1 female, INPA).

Diagnosis. Chirotica maraca sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other Neotropical Chirotica species by the combination of the following characters: (1) mandibular teeth with sparse punctuation near the base and striae on the apex; (2) pronotal collar white ( Fig. 24A ); (3) tergite 2 with lateromedian carinae; (4) tergite 3 with diagonal reticulate rugae on the center and sides ( Fig. 24E ).

Description. Holotype female. Body length (head to T8) 4.82 mm.

Head. Antenna length 1.69 mm (broken antenna); 25 flagellomeres. Frons convex, polished, with rugae, dense fine setae and median longitudinal sulcus present. Face polished, with punctuation with dense setae, median tubercle prominent. Clypeus convex, polished, with very sparse punctuation with long fine setae. Mandibular teeth with sparse punctuation near base and striae at apex, sparse setae. Median longitudinal sulcus between posterior ocelli extending to apex. Frons width 0.49 mm. Face width 0.53 mm. Eye height 0.70 mm. Basal mandible width 0.07 mm. Malar space 0.16 mm. Ocellus diameter 0.09 mm. Shortest distance between anterior and posterior ocelli 0.06 mm. Shortest distance between posterior ocellus and compound eye 0.09 mm. Shortest distance between posterior ocelli 0.17 mm ( Figs 24B and 24C ).

Mesosoma . Pronotum polished, rugose-punctuate with dense fine setae. Epomia present anteriorly. Epicnemium polished, with dense punctuation and short dense setae. Mesoscutum, polished, rugose with granulated areas, sparse punctuation and posterocentral striae. Notaulus with rugae along their length ( Fig. 24D ). Scuto-scutellar groove polished, with striae and sparse short setae. Scutellum polished, with punctuation, sparse setae and without rugae. Propodeum polished, with rugae and sparse punctuation, long dense setae; area dentipara without teeth. Mesopleuron polished, with rugae and short dense setae. Metapleuron polished, rugose-punctuate, with long dense setae; area below juxtacoxal carina with punctuation. Legs polished with punctuation and long dense setae; fore femur and fore tibia and mid tibia with fine punctuation and short setae; hind tibia and hind tarsus with dense punctuation; fore legs with one tibial spur, mid and hind legs with two asymmetrical tibial spurs; tibia and tarsus with denticles; tarsal claws simple. Fore wing length 3.60 mm. Hind wing length 2.54 mm.

Metasoma. Tergite 1 polished, with weak rugae and sparse punctuation on apicolateral part, apex sparsely punctuated; lateromedian carina present only centrally, sparse long setae. Tergite 2 polished, strigose, apex sparsely punctuated ( Fig. 24E ). Tergite 3 with transverse reticulate rugae centrally and laterally, sparse punctuation and sparse setae ( Fig. 24E ). Tergite 4 onwards polished, with sparse punctuation and long sparse setae. Ovipositor with upper valve smooth, lower valve with proximal fine teeth clustered at apex ( Fig. 24F ). Tergite 1 length 0.86 mm. Basal width of tergite 1 0.17 mm.Apical width of tergite 1 0.57 mm. Tergite 2 length 0.52 mm. Basal width of tergite 2 0.68 mm. Apical width of tergite 2 0.81 mm. Tergite 3 length 0.48 mm. Basal width of tergite 3 0.79 mm. Apical width of tergite 3 0.77 mm. Ovipositor length 1.71 mm.

Coloration. Reddish-brown. Head black. Scape and pedicel yellowish-orange. Flagellum apically blackened. Mandibular teeth yellowish-orange, apex reddish-brown. Palps whitish-yellow. Tegula and posterior corner of the pronotum whitish-yellow. Fore and mid legs yellowish-orange. Apex of the hind femur, of hind tibia and hind tarsus entirely brown, base of the tibia and tarsus with a white band; and tibia with brown basal band below the white band. Wings subhyaline, veins and pterostigma dark brown; fore wing with a large dark brown band pre-median and post-median; hind wing brown subapically. Abdomen blackish reddish-brown; apical margin of tergites 2–4 whitish-yellow; tergites 3–4 onwards brown with ferruginous yellow apical area; tergites 5 onwards brown.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Brazil (Roraima) ( Fig. 24G ).

Host. Unknown.

Etymology. Refers to the Maracá Ecological Station, where the holotype was collected. Noun in apposition.

Holotype condition. Antennae broken and part of the right hind leg missing. Specimen glued to entomological pin on the lateral part of the mesosoma.

Discussion. Chirotica maraca sp. nov. is morphologically similar to C. brevilabris having granulated areas on the mesoscutum and rugae on posterior part, very sparse punctation and sparse setae ( Figs 24D and 21D ); and mesopleuron rugose-punctuate with sparse setae. However, C. maraca sp. nov. differs from C. brevilabris in the following characters: metapleuron rugose-punctuate (versus C. brevilabris which has mesopleuron with rugae, except in the area juxtacoxal); tergite 1 has apicolateral part with weak rugae and sparse punctuation, apical part only sparse punctuation and lateromedian carinae centrally present (versus C. brevilabris which has tergite 1 with small very sparse punctuation, striae on apicolateral part and weak on central part, apex with sparse punctuation and lateromedian carinae absent); tergite 2 strigose with sparse punctuation ( Fig. 24E ); tergite 3 with diagonal reticulate rugae centrally and laterally, sparse punctuation and sparse setae ( Fig. 24E ) (versus C. brevilabris which has tergites 2 and 3 with very sparse striae and apex with small sparse punctuation ( Fig. 21E )); and has tergite 4 onwards with sparse punctuation and long sparse setae (versus C. brevilabris which has tergites 4 onwards with punctuation with setae).

Chirotica maraca sp. nov. is also similar to C. mariua sp. nov. having metapleuron rugose-punctuate, area below the juxtacoxal carina with punctuation and tergite 2 strigose ( Fig. 24E ). However, C. maraca sp. nov. differs from C. mariua sp. nov. in the following characters: ovipositor with lower valve with fine proximal teeth clustered on the apex ( Fig. 24F ) (versus C. mariua sp. nov. which has ovipositor with lower valve with small proximal teeth scattered at apex ( Fig. 25F ); tergite 1 has lateromedian carinae only centrally (versus C. mariua sp. nov. which has lateromedian carinae absent); and mesopleuron rugose (versus C. mariua sp. nov. which has mesopleuron rugose-punctuate,, without punctuation and/or rugae on the posterior part).

Figures

FIGURE 9. A–B: Mandibular teeth, female, frontal view. A: Chirotica maraca sp. nov.. B: Chirotica parallela Townes, 1983.

FIGURE 10. A–B: Tergite 1, female, dorsal view. A: Chirotica maraca sp. nov.. B: Chirotica parallela Townes, 1983.

FIGURE 21. A–G: Chirotica brevilabris Townes, 1983. Female. A: habitus; B: head, dorsal view; C: head, frontal view; D: mesoscutum, dorsal view; E: tergites 2 and 3, dorsal view; F: ovipositor, lateral view; G: distribution map (pink triangle for type locality, yellow circle for new record).

FIGURE 24. A–G: Chirotica maraca Lima & Fernandes sp. nov.. Holotype female. A: habitus; B: head, dorsal view; C: head, frontal view; D: mesoscutum, dorsal view; E: tergites 2 and 3, dorsal view; F: ovipositor, lateral view; G: distribution map (pink triangle for type locality).

FIGURE 25. A–G: Chirotica mariua Lima & Fernandes sp. nov.. Holotype female. A: habitus; B: head, dorsal view; C: head, frontal view; D: mesoscutum, dorsal view; E: tergites 2 and 3, dorsal view; F: ovipositor, lateral view; G: distribution map (pink triangle for type locality).