Zonopimpla torrellasi Valera

Valera, Neicy & Díaz, Francisco, 2010, Nine new Zonopimpla Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae) and key to species from Venezuela, Zootaxa 2438, pp. 37-51 : 47-48

Zonopimpla torrellasi Valera , sp. nov.

(Figs 2, 19)

Female: Mandibles strongly tapered, apical teeth subequal in length, upper tooth 1.7 times width of lower tooth; malar space 0.4–0.5 times basal mandibular width; lower face polished, with sparse setiferous punctures, about as wide as medially high from supraclypeal suture to level of insertion of antenna. Head in dorsal view with genae evenly rounded behind eye; posterior ocellus separated from eye by 1.3–1.4 times its own maximum diameter; ocelli forming a wide-based isosceles triangle. Pronotum smooth, shining. Mesoscutum smooth, shining, with isolated fine hairs, anteriorly evenly rounded, notauli moderately impressed; mesopleuron polished, smooth, with sparse fine hairs; epicnemial carina reaching over level of lower corner of pronotum; metapleuron weakly convex, smooth and polished, with scattered hairs in posterior margin; submetapleural carina complete. Propodeum in profile abruptly declivous, with fine punctuation and scattered hairs especially on anterior and lateral margins; pleural carina present. Fore wing length 7.0– 8.5 mm; vein 3rs-m complete, enclosing an obliquely rhombic areolet; abscissa of Cu1 between 1 m-cu and Cu1b 1.3–1.5 times as long as Cu1b; hind wing with abscissa of Cu1 between M and cu-a straight, 1.5–1.7 times as long as cu-a. Metasoma moderately stout; tergite 1 about 1.0–1.2 times as long as posteriorly broad, with anteriorly smooth, broadly concave, central area defined laterally by longitudinal carinae on anterior 0.3 of tergite, posterior part of tergite shining, with fine punctuation and scattered fine hairs; tergite 1 steeply rounded in profile, lateral carina present at anterior and posterior ends of tergite; tergite 2 with convex central area, polished, very sparsely punctuate and with scattered hair especially in lateral margins; tergites 3–5 with biconvex central area, almost impunctate, with sparse hairs. Ovipositor length 5.0– 5.9 mm, projecting beyond apex of metasoma by 1.9–2.4 times the length of hind tibia; subgenital plate centrally membranous, ovipositor shaft straight, slender and subcylindrical, apex of lower valve not dorsolaterally expanded, not enclosing upper valve, with distinct oblique teeth; apex of upper valve slightly flattened, with weak nodus.

Color: Head yellow, interocellar area black; antennae dark brown with apex orange, palps yellow. Mesosoma yellow, fore and middle legs yellow; hind legs dark brown, coxae yellow with dorsal apical margin brown, trochantellus light brown. Tegula similar in color mesosoma. Fore wings slightly infumate with darker area on 0.25 apexes, pterostigma dark brown. Metasoma black with lateral and hind margins of all tergites white. Ovipositor orange, sheath black.

Male: Unknown.

Variations: Two specimens showed head and mesosoma dark yellow.

Etimology: This species is named for Franklin Torrellas, junior author’s husband.

Comments: Yellowish coloration, apical dark band in anterior wings and moderately long ovipositor distinguish Z. torrellasi . This species is similar to Z. moralesi but differing in having metasoma stouter and by ovipositor features mentioned in the key.

Material examined: Holotype female, Venezuela, Lara state, Humocaro Alto, vía Paramito, sector La Palomera, 1500 m, XII-2002 (Díaz & Valera) ( UCOB). Paratypes, Venezuela, Lara state, 1 female, Yacambú National Park, sector El Blanquito, 1450 m, V-1981 (Díaz & Townes) ( UCOB); 1 female, Terepaima National Park, 1200 m, IX-1993 (Chávez) ( UCOB); 2 females, same locality and collectors as holotype, XI-2002 and I- 2003.