Polysphincta teresa Padua & Saeaeksjaervi, 2021

Padua, Diego G., Saeaeksjaervi, Ilari E., Spasojevic, Tamara, Kaunisto, Kari M., Monteiro, Ricardo F. & Oliveira, Marcio L., 2021, A review of the spider-attacking Polysphincta dizardi species-group (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae), with descriptions of seven new species from South America, ZooKeys 1041, pp. 137-165 : 137

Polysphincta teresa Padua & Saeaeksjaervi sp. nov. Fig. 10A-F

Diagnose.

Polysphincta teresa sp. nov. can be distinguished from other species of the P. dizardi species-group by the combination of the following characters: (1) epomia present, about 0.9-1.0 times length of proximal mandibular width (Fig. 10B ); (2) malar space 0.4-0.6 times as long as proximal mandibular width (Fig. 10B ); (3) fore wing with vein 1 cu-a postfurcal relative to M&RS (0.25-0.35 times its own length) or 1 cu-a more or less interstitial relative to M&RS (Fig. 10A ); (4) mesosoma orange, except posterior carinae of propodeum darkish brown (Fig. 10A ); (5) fore wing hyaline (Fig. 10A ); (6) hind leg whitish with proximal region of trochanter, longitudinal spot in subdistal region of inner and outer margin of femur, distal part of tibia and first tarsal segment distally and remaining tarsal segments brownish (Fig. 10A ); (7) metasoma darkish brown, with posterior margins of tergites II-V narrowly black (Fig. 10A, C ); (8) ovipositor slightly slender, [1.7] 1.4-1.7 times as long as hind tibia.

Description.

Female. Body [7.75] 7.0-9.0 mm. Head. Clypeus weakly convex, posterior margin thin and straight centrally; malar space [0.4] 0.4-0.6 times as long as proximal mandibular width; lower face about [1.1] 0.9-1.1 times as broad as high, weakly convex centrally, polished, with fine sparse setiferous punctures; head in dorsal view with margin of gena very weakly convex behind eyes, and its margin [0.55] 0.4-0.6 times length of eye; ocelli moderately large, lateral ones separated from compound eyes by [0.9] 0.75-1.0 times their own maximum diameter. Mesosoma. Pronotum with epomia distinct, about [0.9] 0.9-1.3 times length of proximal mandibular width; shelf-like projection, in dorsal view, developed in anterolateral part of apex, apex bilobed, and in lateral view, with anterolateral part in apex rounded and weakly decurved; mesoscutum robust, in dorsal view, smooth and polished, with notauli weakly impressed anteriorly; scutellum convex, not laterally carinate; mesopleuron highly polished, virtually impunctate; epicnemial carina reaching almost level of lower corner of pronotum; epicnemium with vestigial vertical carina near lower corner of pronotum; metapleuron convex, smooth and polished, with sparse, fine bristles evenly spaced, without discernible submetapleural carina. Propodeum mediodorsally smooth and polished, with longitudinal carinae present only posteriorly and laterally with scattered fine bristles. Fore wing length [6.0] 5.0-7.0 mm; 1 cu-a postfurcal relative to M&RS by [0.35] 0.25-0.35 times its own length; base of 1 m-cu&M separated from CU by more than length of 2 cu-a; hind wing with distal abscissa of CU present and complete but weakly pigmented; first abscissa of RS subequal to rs-m. Tarsal claw with proximal lobe quadrangular, with claw apex slightly overtaking distal margin of lobe. Metasoma. Tergite I [1.1] 1.1-1.7 times as long as posteriorly broad, dorsally with lateromedian longitudinal carinae only discernible at extreme anterior part; sternite I with weak swelling near hind rim, and with weak median longitudinal ridge anteriorly; tergite II about [1.3] 1.1-1.3 times as long as posteriorly broad, highly polished, at most with only fine setiferous punctures laterally; tergite III [1.0] 1.0-1.3 times as long as posteriorly broad, highly polished, at most with only fine setiferous punctures laterally; subgenital plate subquadrate. Ovipositor slightly slender, [1.7] 1.4-1.7 times as long as hind tibia, posteriorly evenly tapered to sharp point.

Color.

Head black except lower face and clypeus brownish; antennae brown, except apex of scape and pedicel whitish; mouthparts white, except apex of mandible black. Mesosoma orange, except posterior carinae of propodeum darkish brown. Metasoma entirely darkish brown, with posterior margins of tergites II-V narrowly black. Legs whitish, fore leg with 0.7 distal of femur, tibia and tarsus weakly rufescent; mid leg with 0.3 distal of femur and tibia weakly rufescent, 0.2 distal of tarsomere I, distal half of tarsomere II, 0.8 distal tarsomere III and tarsomeres IV+ brownish; hind leg with proximal region of trochanter, longitudinal spot in subdistal region of inner and outer margin of femur, distal part of tibia and first tarsal segment distally and remaining tarsal segments brownish. Wings hyaline, pterostigma brown. Ovipositor brown, with anterior and posterior portions slightly whitish.

Male. Unknown.

Variation.

Some specimens with clypeus whitish and fore and mid legs with femur and tibia whitish, others have the fore leg entirely orange; the mid leg orange with tarsomeres brownish; the hind leg whitish, with inner margin of coxa, trochanter, trochantellus, proximal region and longitudinal spot in subdistal region of inner and outer margin of femur, proximal and distal part of tibia and all tarsus darkish brown.

Type materials.

Holotype ♀. Brazil, RJ [= Rio de Janeiro], Teresópolis, PARNASO [= Parque Nacional Serra dos Órgãos], Pto. 9A, 1236 m, 22°26'57.8"S, 43°00'13.7"W, I.2015, [Malaise trap] (R.F. Monteiro et al. leg.), DCBU. Paratypes: same data of holotype, 2♀♀, DCBU; idem, but Pto. 11A, 1681 m, 22°27'07.9"S, 43°00'53.8"W, I.2015, 2♀♀, MZUSP; Pto. 11B, 1649 m, 22°27'03.7"S, 43°00'54.0"W, I.2015, 1♀, DCBU; idem, but Pto. 7A, 952 m, 22°27'24.8"S, 42°59'07.2"W, IX.2015, 1♀, MZUSP; idem, but Pto. 10A, 1444 m, 22°26'51.0"S, 43°00'46.4"W, XI.2015, 1♀, INPA; idem, but Pto. 12A, 1812 m, 22°27'18.2"S, 43°00'58.9"W, 1♀, INPA; idem, but Guapimirim, Pto. 3A, 332 m, 22°29'40.5"S, 42°59'52.6"W, 1♀, DCBU; SP [= São Paulo], Luiz Antônio, Est. Ecológica de Jataí, Mata ciliar, Point 1, 21°36'47.00"S, 47°49'49.04"W, 30.I.2008, Light trap (Lara and team leg.), INPA; Amazonas, Manaus, WWF, Reserve 1208, Rede Central Norte, 12.XII.1984, Malaise trap (Bert Klein leg.) 1♀, INPA; MG [= Minas Gerais], Belo Horizonte, Estação Ecológica, 19°52'30"S, 43°58'20"W, 842 m, 02.VI.1999 (A.F. Kumagai leg.), 1♀, IHY 1500544, UFMG; idem, but Capitólio, Trilha do Sol, Ponto III, 01.VI.2012, Malaise trap (J.F. Nunes and team leg.), 1♀, INPA; [Santa Catarina], Nova Teutônia, 27°11'S, 52°23'W, 30.VIII.1938 (Fritz Plaumann leg.), 1♀ [without hind legs], BMNH.

Distribution.

Brazil (Fig. 13 ).

Biological note.

Host unknown.

Etymology.

The specific name (in apposition) refers to the "Cidade de Teresa", informal name of the type locality, Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil.

Remarks.

Polysphincta teresa sp. nov. closely resembles P. shabui Gauld, 1991 mainly by coloration, with mesosoma entirely orange and propodeum blackish with anterior parts whitish. It differs from P. shabui by having epomia present (absent in P. shabui ).

Figures

Figure 10. Polysphincta teresa sp. nov., ♀, holotype A habitus, lateral view B head and pronotum, lateral view C habitus, dorsal view D face, anterior view E head, dorsal view F shelf-like projection, dorsal view.

Figure 13. Distribution of Polysphincta dizardi group in the Neotropical Region.