Zonopimpla nutabilis Khalaim, 2023

Khalaim, Andrey I. & Ruíz-Cancino, Enrique, 2023, Darwin wasps of the subfamily Pimplinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) of Mexico: Camptotypus genus-group, Zootaxa 5330 (1), pp. 47-72 : 63

6. Zonopimpla nutabilis Khalaim , sp. nov.

( Figs 35, 36 )

Material examined. Holotype female ( TAMU), Mexico, Chiapas, Lagunas de Montebello [National Park], Laguna [Lake] Cinco Lagos , 13.ix.1990, coll. Robert W. Jones.

Description. Female. Mandible stout, with upper tooth slightly longer than lower tooth. Malar space about 0.35× as long as basal mandibular width. Head smooth; face and gena with very fine and sparse punctures. Face as wide as long. Head in dorsal view with genae strongly and roundly constricted behind eyes. Posterior ocellus separated from eye by one its own maximum diameter.

Mesosoma polished, with very fine and sparse punctures on anterior part of mesoscutum and lower part of mesopleuron, remainder impunctate. Epomia small. Notaulus weakly impressed. Epicnemial carina present ventrally and laterally, reaching somewhat above the level of lower corner of pronotum. Epicnemium without secondary carina. Metapleuron convex. Submetapleural carina complete, quite strong ( Fig. 36 ). Propodeum in profile evenly rounded ( Fig. 36 ). Pleural carina present, complete.

Fore wing length almost 6.1 mm. Hind wing with nervellus intercepted in lower 0.4, distal section of CU weakly pigmented ( Fig. 36 ).

Metasoma depressed; all tergites polished, impunctate. First tergite 1.45× as long as posteriorly broad; lateromedian carinae strong in anterior 0.4 of tergite; dorsolateral carinae short and weak, present at extreme base of first tergite. Tergites 2–5 with a pair of lateral swelling on each tergite. Ovipositor 2.4× length of hind tibia; ovipositor sheath 1.95× as long as hind tibia. Ovipositor straight ( Fig. 35 ), very weakly compressed laterally, without nodus, apex of lower valve simple, not expanded dorsally, with about eight teeth, without scabrous area proximal to teeth (as in Fig. 34 ).

Head predominantly pale orange; mandible (teeth blackish), clypeus, face, frontal eye orbits and lower part of gena whitish yellow ( Fig. 36 ), interocelar space blackish. Antenna pale brown basally to brown apically, scape yellowish ventrally. Mesosoma predominantly yellowish white; upper part of pronotum, entire mesoscutum and upper anterior corner of mesopleuron orange; scutellum and postscutellum white; propodeum white laterally and medially, black on dorsolateral sides (as in Fig. 42 , but with median white mark reaching posterior end of propodeum). Legs almost entirely yellowish white; mid and hind legs with tibiae darkened basally and tarsi infuscate ( Fig. 35 ). Metasoma predominantly black; first tergite with entire lateral margins and posterior end centrally white; tergites 2–6 laterally and posteriorly widely white ( Fig. 35 ); ovipositor sheath black. Wings hyaline, pterostigma brown.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The species is named after the Latin “nutabilis” (tottering, insecure).

Distribution. Mexico (Chiapas).

Comparison. In the key to the Costa Rican species of Zonopimpla ( Gauld et al. 1998: 30) , the new species runs to couplet 8 but does not correspond with any part of this couplet as it has hind leg completely white ( Fig. 35 ) while in Z. carolinae Gauld , Z. humbertoi Gauld et al. and Z. snortumi et al. the hind leg is entirely or extensively black. Zonopimpla nutabilis sp. nov. is most similar to Z. puebla sp. nov. but differs from this species by its impunctate second tergite, shorter and straight ovipositor ( Fig. 35 ) with apex of lower valve not expanded dorsolaterally (as in Fig. 34 ).

Figures

FIGURES 35–39. Zonopimpla nutabilis sp. nov., holotype, ♀: 35—habitus, lateral; 36—head, mesosoma and base of metasoma, lateral. Zonopimpla puebla sp. nov., holotype, ♀: 37—habitus, lateral; 38—head, front; 39—apex of ovipositor, lateral.

FIGURES 33–34. Zonopimpla munifica sp. nov., holotype, ♀: 33—base of metasoma, dorsal; 34—apex of ovipositor, lateral.

FIGURES 40–44. Zonopimpla puebla sp. nov., holotype (41, 42, 44) and paratype (40, 43), ♀ (41–44) and ♁ (40): 40—habitus, lateral; 41—mesosoma, lateral; 42—head and mesosoma, dorsal; 43—base of metasoma, dorsal; 44—metasomal tergites 2–4, dorsal.