Sphelodon antioquensis Herrera-Florez, 2017

Herrera-Florez, Andres Fabian, 2017, A new species of Sphelodon Townes (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Banchinae) from Colombia, Zootaxa 4277 (2), pp. 289-294 : 289-293

Sphelodon antioquensis Herrera-Florez , sp. n.

Figures 1–8

Material examined. Holotype: female, “ Colombia, Antioquia San Luis N 6°02'50" W 74°59'59" 1050 m alt 23°c En Bosque Jul. 1983 A.M. del Corral.

Diagnosis. Sphelodon antioquensis sp. n. differs from S. annulicornis in color pattern (propodeum black and yellow in S. annulicornis , orange in S. antioquensis ).

It differs from the Nearctic species S.beameri in its propodeal characteristics (with an opened area superomedia in S.

beameri and with an enclosed area superomedia in S. antioquensis ), in its pronotal characteristics (pronotum forming a distinct tubercle above epomia in S. beameri and pronotum slightly swollen above epomia in S. antioquensis ), and in the occipital carina (with lower part of the occipital carina present in S. beameri and occipital carina lacking in S. antioquensis ).

The new species differs from S. boraceiensis in its propodeal characteristics (with an opened area superomedia in S. boraceiensis and with an enclosed area superomedia in S. antioquensis ), and in the lateral tooth at the base of tergite I (with margin pointing down in S. boraceiensis and pointing laterally in S. antioquensis ).

It differs from S. botucatensis in its pronotal characteristics (epomia incomplete, not reaching dorsal margin of pronotum in S. botucatensis and epomia complete, with pronotum slightly swollen above epomia in S.antioquensis ).

The new species differs from S. brunicornis in its pronotal characteristics (epomia incomplete, not reaching dorsal margin of pronotum in S. brunicornis and epomia complete, with pronotum slightly swollen above epomia in S.antioquensis ) and in the occipital carina (with lower part of the occipital carina present in S. brunicornis and occipital carina lacking in S. antioquensis ).

It differs from the Nearctic species S. concolor in its propodeal characteristics (with an opened area superomedia in S. concolor and with an enclosed area superomedia in S. antioquensis ), in its pronotal characteristics (epomia incomplete, not reaching dorsal margin of pronotum in S. concolor and epomia complete, with pronotum slightly swollen above epomia in S.antioquensis ) and in the occipital carina (with lower part of the occipital carina present in S. concolor and occipital carina lacking in S. antioquensis ).

The new species differs from S. guanacastensis in its propodeal characteristics (with an opened area superomedia in S. guanacastensis and with an enclosed area superomedia in S. antioquensis ), and in the occipital carina (with lower part of the occipital carina present in S. guanacastensis and occipital carina lacking in S. antioquensis ).

It differs from the Nearctic species S. nomene in its pronotal characteristics (epomia incomplete, not reaching dorsal margin of pronotum in S. nomene , and epomia complete, with pronotum slightly swollen above epomia in S.antioquensis ), and in the occipital carina (with lower part of the occipital carina present in S. nomene and occipital carina lacking in S. antioquensis ).

The new species differs from the New World species S. phoxopteridis in its propodeal characteristics (with an opened area superomedia in S. phoxopteridis and with an enclosed area superomedia in S. antioquensis ), and in the occipital carina (with lower part of the occipital carina present in S. phoxopteridis and occipital carina lacking in S. antioquensis ).

It differs from S. plaumanni in its propodeal characteristics (with an opened area superomedia in S. plaumanni and with an enclosed area superomedia in S. antioquensis ), in its pronotal characteristics (epomia incomplete, not reaching dorsal margin of pronotum in S. plaumanni and epomia complete, with pronotum slightly swollen above epomia in S.antioquensis ) and in the lateral tooth at the base of tergite I (with margin pointing down in S. plaumanni and pointing laterally in S. antioquensis ).

The new species differs from S. ugaldei in its propodeal characteristics (with an opened area superomedia in S. ugaldei and with an enclosed area superomedia in S. antioquensis ), in its pronotal characteristics (epomia incomplete, not reaching dorsal margin of pronotum in S. ugaldei , and epomia complete, with pronotum slightly swollen above epomia in S.antioquensis ), and in the lateral tooth at the base of tergite I (with margin pointing down in S. ugaldei and pointing laterally in S. antioquensis ).

It differs from S. wardae in its pronotal characteristics (pronotum forming a distinct tubercle above epomia in S. wardae and pronotum slightly swollen above epomia in S. antioquensis ), and in the lateral tooth at the base of tergite I (with margin pointing down in S. wardae and pointing laterally in S. antioquensis ).

The new species differs from S. zuleidei in color pattern (mesoscutum orange in S. zuleidei , black in S. antioquensis , metasoma mostly black and yellow in S. zuleidei and orange in S. antioquensis ).

Description. Fore wing length 9.8 mm; hind wing length 6.6 mm ( Fig. 5 ). Clypeus 1.4 × as broad as long; lower face without a weak median swelling; malar space 0.9 × as long as basal mandibular width; frons more or less flat, impunctate; occipital carina absent, its lower end not clearly discernible; head in dorsal view, with gena strongly constricted behind eyes. Pronotum long, not tuberculate, above upper end of epomia, the epomia itself long but not strong ( Fig. 3 ); mesoscutum with setae all over; notauli weakly impressed anteriorly; mesopleuron highly polished, with fine, inconspicuous, setiferous punctures; sternal part of mesothorax 1.1 × as long as the mid coxa; metapleuron uniformly punctulate; pleural carina complete; propodeum with area superomedia fully delineated and carinated; area basalis fully carinated; area externa fully enclosed; area dentipara externally open (i.e. confluent with area spiracularis); anterior transverse carina complete; posterior transverse carina complete; lateromedian longitudinal carina complete; lateral longitudinal carina anteriorly complete (i.e. present until just passing the anterior transverse carina, then absent). Fore tibia with spur normally developed, 2.2 × as long as breadth of tibia, and with spurs nearly equal, the longer 1.2 × the length of the shorter. Fore wing with abscissa of Cu1 between 1m-cu and Cu1a 1.7 × as long as Cu1b; hind wing with length of abscissa of Cu1 between M and cu-a 0.3 × as long as the combined lengths of this vein and cu-a. Tergite I in lateral view, with spiracle positioned anterior to the middle, about 0.3 of way along; tergite II 1.2 × as long as posteriorly broad; ovipositor 2.2 × as long as hind tibia.

Coloration. Head: gena and frons mostly black, lateral part of frons (besides the eyes) yellow ( Figs 2 and 3 ); malar space yellow, with brownish spots close to the base of mandibles; face yellow with a central longitudinal black spot; clypeus and mandibles mostly yellow; apex of mandibles blackish; radicle, scape and pedicel black. Mesosoma: pronotum black with yellow dorsal margin; mesoscutum black ( Fig. 3 ); mesopleuron mostly orange with area anterodorsal black and two yellow spots, one small spot close to the tegula, one larger spot after the black part ( Fig. 4 ); scutellum yellow ( Fig. 2 ); propodeum, metapleuron and metasoma orange ( Figs 1 and 6 ). Legs orange except for tarsi of mid leg brownish and tibia and tarsi of hind leg yellow ( Fig. 1 ). Ovipositor sheath black ( Fig. 2 ). Wings yellowish with brown stigma ( Fig. 5 ).

Etymology. The name of this new Sphelodon species refers to the Province of Colombia called “ Antioquia ”, where the holotype was collected.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Photographs of Sphelodon antioquensis sp. n., 1, Lateral habitus; 2, Dorsal habitus.

FIGURES 3 – 6. Photographs of Sphelodon antioquensis sp. n., 3, Mesoscutum; 4, Mesosoma, lateral view; 5, Wings; 6, Propodeum and metasoma, lateral view.

FIGURES 7 – 8. Photographs of Sphelodon antioquensis sp. n., 7. Tergite I, dorsal view; 8. Tergites II and III, dorsal view.