Phycitiplex peralta Porter, 2008

Porter, Charles C., 2008, New Phycitiplex Porter (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) from Subandean Desert in northwest Argentina, Insecta Mundi 2008 (56), pp. 1-13 : 8-9

Phycitiplex peralta Porter , new species

( Fig. 4 )

Description. Female Holotype. Color: scape dull reddish brown with a white spot below near apex, flagellum black with a white band above on segments 6-9; head black with slight reddish staining toward clypeus and mandibles and with the following white: large blotch on basal 0.5 of mandible, most of clypeus, broad band throughout on orbits becoming very broad in and behind malar space but with a slight break just in front of malar space, and with a large blotch that covers most of face and is partly confluent with orbital white band above; mesosoma black with white broadly on anterior and humeral margins of pronotum, weakly on prepectus dorsad, dully on subalarum, faintly on upper end of mesepimeron, conspicuously on tegula and on basal 0.6 of scutellum, dull reddish white on upper metapleuron and on apex of lower metapleuron, propodeum with the usual white bars on each side of hind face from cristae to apex; gaster light red, faintly dusky on tergites 5 and following, with a very broad white band on apex of first tergite, a narrow white subapical band on tergite 2, a very broad apical band on tergite 4, and variably developed lateral bands on tergites 5-7; fore and mid leg as in P. tricinctus but with tarsi generally paler and without black on last tarsomere; hind leg with a small white spot above on base of coxa, more dusky on tibia and slightly so on tarsus.

Length of forewing: 4.4 mm. Flagellum: first segment 5.1 times as long as deep at apex. Malar space 0.44 times as long as basal width of mandible. First gastric tergite: postpetiole strongly expanded, 2.0 times as wide at apex as long from spiracle to apex; dorsal carinae obsolete, surface of postpetiole shining, finely but rather strongly micro-reticulate on basal 0.6 and more weakly so toward apex and with a few very inconspicuous small, shallow punctures, especially laterad and on apical 0.3. Second gastric tergite: rather mat with fine, dense micro-reticulation and numerous small but well defined shallow punctures which are quite sparse near base but become subadjacent to adjacent rearward. Ovipositor decurved throughout, sheathed portion 0.40 times as long as forewing; nodus scarcely defined, its position indicated by a minute notch, with a long, straight taper between notch and apex, 0.14 times as high at notch as long from notch to apex.

Type material. Holotype female, ARGENTINA, La Rioja Province, Sierra de Velasco, Santa Vera Cruz , 1700 m, 31-I-2004, P. Fidalgo, Malaise trap [ IMLA].

Relationships. In its decurved, relatively short ovipositor and strongly expanded postpetiole this species resembles P. charieis ( Porter 1967) from which it differs by having a complete subapical white band and shallow but well defined punctures on the second gastric tergite.

Specific name. This species is named for Sr. Daniel Peralta who owns a farm at Santa Vera Cruz and in recognition of his enthusiastic help in maintaining our Malaise traps at this locality. The name is treated as a masculine Latin noun in apposition.

Figures

Figure 4. Phycitiplex peralta, female, holotype. Santa Vera Cruz, La Rioja, Argentina. Lateral view of entire insect.