Priotomis Townes

Tedesco, Anazélia M. & Aguiar, Alexandre P., 2011, Revision and phylogeny of the rare Priotomis Townes (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae), with three new species and first description of the male, Zootaxa 3031, pp. 14-36 : 19

Priotomis Townes

Priotomis: Townes, 1970: 292 –293, 488. Description, figure. Type species: Priotomis rana Townes , by monotypy and original designation.

Diagnosis. All Priotomis can be recognized by the following combination of features: mandible apex twisted; clypeus rectangular; dorsal valve of ovipositor with a series of teeth; posterior transverse carina of propodeum completely absent; notaulus absent; epomia absent; posterior margin of pronotum not swollen.

Description. Female. Medium to large size, usually stout; fore wing length 0.91–1.10 cm.

Head. Mandible long, 1.94–2.27 as long as basal width (Figs 25, 26), twisted so that teeth are almost horizontally aligned (Fig. 25); mandible apex much narrower than base; ventral tooth distinctly shorter than dorsal one. Clypeus always rectangular, 1.88–2.22 as wide as high, always punctate; apical margin often weakly convex, without median tooth or irregularity. Antenna with 27–32 flagellomeres. Supra-antennal area near ocelli sometimes with longitudinal sulcus. Vertex without sulcus. Occipital carina usually incomplete, dorsally faint, reaching hypostomal carina (except some specimens of P. rana with occipital carina incomplete, ending far from mandible base – Fig. 26). Malar space 0.94–1.08 as long as basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma . In dorsal view 1.68–2.00 as long as wide, in lateral view middle width 0.29–0.39 cm. Epomia absent. Lateral part of dorso–posterior margin of pronotum not swollen. Mesoscutum densely punctate, usually densely pilose. Notaulus absent (Figs 11, 13, 19). Scuto-scutellar groove smooth to strongly corrugated. Scutellum 0.93–1.11 as long as wide. Hind margin of metanotum without teeth (except P. r an a, with two lateral teeth). Hypoepimeron glabrous, polished (Fig. 12). Posterior transverse carina of mesothoracic venter usually absent. Sternaulus weak or moderately strong, reaching about 0.5 of distance to mid coxa. Transverse furrow at base of propodeum laterally 0.09–0.67 as long as anterior portion of propodeum, smooth to strongly corrugated, shallow to deep. Propodeum 0.99–1.26 as long as wide medially. Anterior transverse carina of propodeum distinct and complete (except in P. r a n a, medially absent). Sculpturing on area in front of anterior transverse carina often weaker than sculpturing on remaining of propodeum. Propodeal spiracle subcircular ( Fig. 23 ), 0.64–0.85 as wide as long. Posterior transverse carina of propodeum completely absent ( Figs 9 and 13). Wings ( Figs 8 , 13, 18, 22): always mostly hyaline. Fore wing: ramellus absent. Vein 1cu-a straight, sometimes posteriorly curved, arising far from vein 1M+Rs base. Cell 1+2Rs small to medium sized, 0.57–1.08 as high as pterostigma, pentagonal to rectangular, always apically open (vein 3r-m absent). Vein 2-M 1.00–4.40 as long as vein 3-M. Hind wing: vein 1-Cu 0.64–1.17 as long as vein cu-a. Vein 2-1A reaching 0.41–0.56 of distance to posterior margin.

Metasoma. T1 0.43–0.52 as long as hind femur, without longitudinal carinae, usually smooth, polished. T1 moderately slender (Figs 11, 19), approximately 5 times as long as its width at the apex. Spiracle of the first tergite placed at about anterior 0.7, sometimes slightly prominent in dorsal view. T2 0.72–0.85 as long as wide at apex, usually distinctly coriarious, mat, sparsely pilose. T2 apex 1.70–2.14 as wide as base. Ovipositor sheath 0.22–0.25 as long as hind tibia. Ovipositor tip compressed, with weak, low nodus. Dorsal valve of ovipositor apically with 6– 10 teeth. Ventral valve apically with 9–12 small teeth.

Male. Only the males of P. r a n a (Figs 10, 11) and P. echyrus are known. Some secondary sexual differences, however, are characteristic. The most important are the following: antenna with significantly fewer flagellomeres than in female (unusual for Cryptini ); white band of flagellum starting more apically, usually covering more articles than in female of same species; first metasomal segment more slender when compared with the same segment in the female; overall color patterns darker brown.

Comments. The twisted apex of mandible, with the teeth horizontally aligned, instead of vertically, is found only in species of Priotomis .

Hosts. Unknown.

Distribution records. ARGENTINA: Salta; BRAZIL: Espírito Santo, Paraná, Santa Catarina; COSTA RICA: Guanacaste; MEXICO: Chiapas; PANAMA: Darién.

Figures

FIGURES 20 – 23. Priotomis flammatus, sp. nov. 20, Head in frontal view; 21, Ovipositor; 22, Habitus; 23, Lateral view of propodeum, pleural carina absent. Figures 24 – 26. 24, Priotomis echyrus, sp. nov., Lateral view of propodeum, pleural carina complete; 25, P. r a n a Townes, head, lateral view; 26, P. r a n a Townes, head, ventral view.

FIGURES 7 – 9. Priotomis rana Townes, female. 7, Head in frontal view; 8, Habitus; 9, Dorsal view. Photographed by Berthil B. Longo.