Epirhyssa leroyi Benoit, 1951

Hopkins, Tapani, Roininen, Heikki, Noort, Simon van, Broad, Gavin R., Kaunisto, Kari & Saeaeksjaervi, Ilari E., 2019, Extensive sampling and thorough taxonomic assessment of Afrotropical Rhyssinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) reveals two new species and demonstrates the limitations of previous sampling efforts, ZooKeys 878, pp. 33-71 : 33

Epirhyssa leroyi Benoit, 1951 Figs 21-24

Material examined.

Type material: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO:

• 1 ♀, holotype; Bambesa [03°28'N 25°43'E]; Dec. 1933; "J.V. Leroy"; RMCA RMCA-ENT-000017923

• 1 ♀, paratype; Ubangui-Bumba; Dec. 1939; H. de Saeger; RMCA RMCA-ENT-000017924.

Known material: Two specimens (2 ♀, see Rousse and van Noort 2014, data above).

Diagnosis.

This species can be distinguished from other Afrotropical Rhyssinae by the combination of converging median carinae on the frons, the absence of lateral carinae on the frons, an epicnemial carina that reaches high onto the mesopleuron, and a mostly smooth tergite 3. No other species is known to have a black mesosternum.

Head: frons with median carinae converging before continuing towards median ocellus, without lateral carinae; hypostomal carina raised into an elevated flange, its height slightly greater than the maximum width of the second maxillary palp segment.

Mesosoma: subalar prominence without a lateral flange; mesopleuron without a flange along the dorsal margin; epicnemial carina reaches the approximate height of the mesopleural pit.

Metasoma: tip of apical horn elliptical in posterior view; tergite 3 mostly smooth.

Distribution.

Democratic Republic of Congo.

Figures

Figures 21 - 24. Epirhyssa leroyi female (paratype RMCA-ENT- 000017924). This species was not found in Uganda. 21 Habitus 22 hypostomal flange 23 mesopleuron dorsal margin 24 apical horn of metasoma. Scale bars 1 mm (22 - 24), 5 mm (21). Figures courtesy of RMCA (Stephane Hanot).