Forrestopius nasutus Palacio, 2021

Alvarado, Mabel & Palacio, Edgard, 2021, Forrestopius Gauld & Sithole, 2002 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Metopiinae) in South America, Zootaxa 5040 (2), pp. 265-282 : 272-273

Forrestopius nasutus Palacio sp. nov.

( Figs 4 , 10C )

Holotype. ♀, “ COLOMBIA: Boyacá, Arcabuco, finca El Edén, 5°25’N 73°27’W, 4-6.v.2001, 2800m, Malaise trap, T. Angarita” ( MPUJ _ ENT).

Diagnosis. This species can be recognized by the following combination of characters: mandibles with three teeth ( Fig. 4E ), labrum exposed when the mandibles are closed, clypeus strongly swollen with a nose-like prominence ( Fig. 4B ), with lower part concave ( Fig. 4C ), face transversely striate (Fig, 4C), antenna with 30 flagellomeres, pronotum with a short wrinkle arising from pronotal pit reaching less than one third of way to anterior margin, body with intense blue to purple reflections. This species looks similar to F. judyae , both have mandibles with three teeth, head subquadrate behind ocellar triangle, vertex long and almost flat, and occiput abruptly declivous. F. nasutus can be differentiated by having the clypeus nasute and the exposed labrum.

Description. Female: Body length 13.9 mm. Fore wing length 9.0mm.

Head. Face and clypeus 0.7× as long as wide, face transversely striate ( Fig. 4C ), centrally granulate, clypeus strongly swollen with a nose-like prominence, clearly differentiated from face ( Fig. 4B ), sparsely punctate dorsally, ventrally concave and granulate with transverse wrinkles centrally; labrum exposed when mandibles are closed; mandibles stout, with three teeth ( Fig. 4E ); malar space 0.4× as long as basal mandibular width; lateral ocellus separated from compound eye by about 2.0× maximum ocellar diameter; distance between ocelli 1.0× maximum ocellar diameter; vertex behind ocellar triangle almost flat, occiput abruptly declivous far back; gena in lateral view about 2.2× as long as compound eye; antenna with 30 flagellomeres, ratio of length from second to fourth flagellomeres: 1.0:0.9:0.8, subapical flagellomere 0.8× as long as centrally broad.

Mesosoma . Pronotum with a short wrinkle arising from pronotal pit reaching less than one third of way to anterior margin ( Fig. 4B ); metapleuron smooth and polished with sparse setae over its entire surface; submetapleural carina smooth, anteriorly expanded into a punctate triangular lobe. Propodeum with lateromedian longitudinal carina strong, slightly closer to each other anteriorly ( Fig. 4D ); area basalis+superomedia 3.6× as long as wide; lateral longitudinal carina complete; posterior transverse carina complete, enclosing area petiolaris and area coxalis. Fore wing with vein Cu 1 a between Cu 1 b and 2 m-cu 1.0× as long as Cu 1 between Rs & M and 1 m-cu; 2 rs-m 0.8× as long as abscissa of M between 2 rs-m and 2 m-cu. Hind wing with distal abscissae of M, Cu 1 and 1 A sclerotized throughout. Outer metatibial spur 0.7× as long as inner spur.

Mesosoma . Tergite I 1.7× as long as posteriorly wide, lateromedian carina weak, extending about 0.3× length of tergite, smooth, with isolated punctures laterally on the apical half; tergite II 1.6× as long as posteriorly wide; laterotergite II very narrow, about 0.1× as wide as long; laterotergite III about 0.3× as wide as long, wedge-shaped, mesal edge straight.

Colour. Body entirely black with intense blue to purple reflections ( Figs 4A, 4D ) except on clypeus, lower head, mandibles, palpi, antennae, tibiae, tarsi, laterotergites and sterna. Ovipositor valvae testaceous.

Male. Unknown

Remarks. This species occurs in Cloud forest of Colombia at 2800m ( Fig. 10C ).

Etymology. The specific epithet nasutus refers to the strongly prominent clypeus that distinguishes this species from all other in the genus.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Details of Forrestopius nasutus, sp. nov. A. Habitus of female, in lateral view (scale bar = 2 mm) B. Head and pronotum, in lateral view C. Facial view D. Head and mesosoma, in dorsal view. E. Mandibles.

FIGURE 10. Geographic distribution of the Forrestopius species