Sycaonia bicoloratus, Riedel, 2023

Riedel, Matthias, 2023, Notes on Ichneumoninae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) from southern China, with descriptions of one new genus and twelve new species, Contributions to Entomology 73 (2), pp. 223-248 : 223

Sycaonia bicoloratus sp. nov.

Figs 48-52

Type material.

Holotype: (♀) China, Yunnan, Gongshan 18 km NW, 27.798°N, 98.503°E, 3000 m elev., 11.VI.2009, leg. Blank, Liston & Taeger.

Etymology.

The species name refers to the bi-coloured metasoma.

Description.

Female. Body length 17 mm. Flagellum with 45 segments, bristle-shaped; 1st flagellar segment 2.9 × as long as wide; about 9th segment square; widest segments 1.2 × as wide as long. Temple distinctly and almost linearly narrowed behind eye. OED 1.3 × and OOD 1.0 × ocellar diameter. Frons finely and transversely rugose-punctate. Face densely punctate and finely granulate, partly rugose-punctate para-medially. Clypeus almost flat, 2.0 × as wide as long, with dense punctures and fine granulation; apical margin blunt and slightly bi-convex. Mandible rather slender, with two large teeth; ventral tooth much smaller than dorsal tooth. Malar space 1.0 × as long as width of mandibular base. Gena densely punctate ventrally. Genal carina reaching hypostomal carina far from mandibular base, both carinae low.

Notaulus shortly impressed at anterior margin of mesoscutum. Mesoscutum finely and densely punctate and finely granulate, dull. Mesopleuron and metapleuron densely rugose-punctate; speculum punctate; juxtacoxal carina present. Scutellum moderately and almost pyramidally elevated, 1.3 × as wide as long, densely punctate, in centre with slightly bulging sides and slightly impressed medially, without lateral carina. Propodeum finely rugose; spiracle slit-shaped. Area basalis very wide, slightly bulging frontally, but without median tubercle. Area superomedia hexagonal, 1.4 × as wide as long. Costula obsolete. Apical transverse carina with blunt denticular elevation at posterolateral edge of area dentipara, but without distinct apophysis. Area petiolaris slightly impressed, with transverse rugae and complete lateral carina. Hind coxa finely and densely punctate, without scopa. Hind femur densely punctate, 4.7 × as long as wide. External surface of hind tibia with few stronger spines. Tarsal claws simple. Areolet pentagonal, frontal distance between veins 2rs-m and 3rs-m 5 × diameter of these veins; vein 2m-cu slightly distal to its middle. Vein 1cu-a s postfurcal by 2 × its width.

Metasoma oxypygous. Postpetiole moderately widened, with weak latero-median carina basally; median field with very fine longitudinal rugae, lateral field granulate. Gastrocoelus distinctly impressed and with coarse ridges. Thyridium oblique, 0.7 × as wide as interval between thyridia. 2nd to 4th sternites with median folds. 2nd tergite 1.2 × as wide as long. 2nd and 3rd tergites very finely and densely rugose-punctate, ± dull; 2nd tergite with fine longitudinal rugae between gastrocoeli. Following tergites with fine superficial punctures, ± shining. Ovipositor sheath short, not reaching beyond metasomal apex.

Colour. Black with extensive yellow colouration. Mandibular palp ochreous. Maxillary palp and postpetiolus ivory. Yellow are ventral stripes of flagellar segments 2-4 and segments 5-12 entirely, mandible, except teeth, lateral spots of clypeus, face, except black median stripe, gena and outer orbit, wide frontal and vertical orbits, propleuron, wide stripes on collar, upper margin and ventral spot of pronotum, long paramedian stripes of mesoscutum, tegula, wing base, subtegular ridge, large spot of ventral mesopleuron, upper division and frontal spot of metapleuron, propodeum, expect black area basalis, area superomedia and area petiolaris, large lateral spots of 2nd to 6th tergites, median spot of 6th tergite and entire 7th tergite, lateral spots of all sternites. Legs black; all coxae, except black bases, apical half of femora and tibiae yellow; tarsi yellow, except black bases of metatarsi and black apical half of distal tarsomeres. Wings with slight yellowish tint; pterostigma red.

Male. Unknown.

Remarks.

This new species belongs to a group of Oriental genera which were all included under the name Cratichneumon by Townes et al. (1961). Heinrich (1980) separated several genera which had been synonymised under Cratichneumon , such as Lareiga Cameron and Sycaonia Cameron and described several new genera belonging to his subtribe Cratichneumonina . In his key of this group, the new species runs to Sycaonia Cameron, but the form of the scutellum resembles the genus Togeella Heinrich, although the lateral swellings are much weaker than those found in Togeella and the areolet is pentagonal, not rhombic. Here, I provisionally include the new species in the genus Sycaonia Cameron, but the taxonomy of the Oriental genera belonging this group needs extensive revision. In the key of Oriental Sycaonia species ( Heinrich 1980: 171-172), the new species runs to S. rufofacies Cameron, but differs by its colour pattern.

Figures

Figures 48 - 52. Sycaonia bicoloratus sp. nov. HT: 48. Face, frontal view; 49. Head, dorsal view; 50. Propodeum, dorsal view; 51. Basal tergites, dorsal view; 52. Scutellum, dorso-lateral view.