Polyphrix cristata, Nogueira & Aguiar, 2005

Nogueira, Liana K. & Aguiar, Alexandre P., 2005, Generic definition, key, and two new species of Polyphrix Townes (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Cryptinae) from the Atlantic Forest, Zootaxa 1010 (1), pp. 25-35 : 30-31

Polyphrix cristata , sp. n. ( Figs 4–6 , 8, 12, 15, 18 )

Etymology. The specific epithet cristata is from the Latin crista, meaning ridge, a reference to the large, laminar dorso­lateral projection on the pronotum.

Description. Holotype female. Length of fore wing: 8.5 mm. Head: clypeus 1.4 wider than high, strongly convex, projecting ventrally, without median tooth, sparsely weakly punctate; mandible teeth of equal length, ventral tooth slightly more robust than dorsal tooth; supra­antennal area near ocelli slightly convex, with distinct median longitudinal carina, ventrally concave; occipital carina moderately high, sharp, uniform; malar space 0.5 longer than basal width of mandible. Mesosoma: epomia absent; pronotum with long, strong wrinkle along posterior margin of collar, fading before reaching ventral corner, latero­centrally with three weak transverse wrinkles, dorsally with submarginal lamellar protuberance clearly exceeding dorsal margin mid­length ( Figs. 4 , 12 ), projecting upwards ( Fig. 15 ); mesoscutum and scutellum glabrous, polished, shiny; mesoscutum subcircular; notaulus delicate, faint, in dorsal view distinct approximately in the anterior 0.3, in lateral view swollen median lobe of mesoscutum makes notaulus visible up to slightly past center of mesoscutum; scuto­scutellar groove smooth, polished; mesopleuron smooth, shiny; sternaulus upcurved, incomplete, reaching about 0.4 the distance to middle coxa; epicnemial carina restricted to ventral 0.60 of mesopleuron, almost straight, mesopleuron dorsad of carina giving rise to short, transverse strigulation; mesopleural suture straight, narrow and crenulate; metapleuron smooth, shiny, with sparse hairs; all tibiae with numerous bristles; fore and middle pre­apical tarsi weakly bilobed; hind femur 7.2 times as long as wide. Propodeum: transverse furrow at base smooth, shiny; distance from anterior transverse carina to anterior margin 1.00 longer than width of transverse furrow at base, measured centrally; scarcely pilose, its anterior margin laterally prominent, centrally concave; anterior transverse carina strong, straight, complete, area in front of it smooth, shiny, with sparse hairs, area behind it with about 10 strong, complete or incomplete, sharp, transverse wrinkles ( Figs. 5 , 18 ); posterior transverse carina and apophyses absent; spiracle about twice as long as wide. Fore wing crossveins cu­a and Cu1b vertical, straight; vein 2­Cu1 0.2 length of crossvein Cu1b; ramellus absent; areolet rectangular, 1.80 wider than high; 3rs­m as long as 2rs­m, both vertical; bulla of fore wing crossvein 3rs­m on posterior 0.75 of vein. Hind wing vein 1­Cu1 about 0.8 length of crossvein cu­a; vein 2­1A reaching about 0.7 the distance to posterior margin. Metasoma: first tergite smooth, shiny, with very sparse pilosity, spiracle at center, prominent; metasomal tergite 1 about 5.8 longer than wide; tergite 2 smooth, shiny, with sparse pilosity, apex 2.50 as wide as base; thyridium longer than wide; tergites 3–8 smooth, shiny, pilose; ovipositor sheath 0.75 as long as hind tibia; ovipositor slender, sparsely punctate, laterally strongly compressed; dorsal valve with nodus, ventral valve with nine apical teeth, the last 3–4 faint ( Fig. 6 ).

Color. Head, pronotum and mesoscutum generally black, remainder of mesosoma deep yellow (239,194,014), metasoma mostly black ( Fig. 15 ). Head: scape dark brown; pedicel, flagellomeres dark brown (045,030,030), except 9 apical and 17 dorsal half and 10–16, white; supraclypeal area, clypeus, mouth parts, base of mandible and malar space, white; apex of mandible dark brown. Mesosoma: pronotum black, collar and the distance from middle to ventral corner, white; mesoscutum, scutellum dorsally, and postscutellum, black; scutellum apex and lateral 0.3, and tegula, pale yellow (215,210,155); axillary trough of mesoscutum with ventral, subcircular, dark spot near scutellum; area in front of anterior carina of propodeum brownish, except centrally narrowly yellowish, area behind anterior carina with large, brownish, undefined spot on each side; fore and mid coxae yellow (255,216,063), hind coxa deep yellow; hind trochanter, trochantellus and femur, dark brown; hind tarsi pale yellow; all apical tarsomeres light brown (155,135,060). Metasoma: black; first metasomal tergite basal 0.23 yellowish, remainder black, apical margin narrowly white; tergites 1–7 posterior margin white, tergite 8 black; ovipositor dark red (095,055,045); sheaths dark brown; wings hyaline.

Comments. Similar to P. atlantica sp. n., from which it can be differentiated by showing para­ocular white stripe complete (vs. interrupted from supraclypeal area to posterior orbit); pronotum with strong and distinct submarginal protuberance (vs. weak); anterior margin of propodeum centrally clearly concave (vs. weakly sinuous); transverse furrow at base of propodeum distinctly wider than width of propodeum between anterior margin and anterior transverse carina (vs. centrally narrower) (compare Figs. 17 and 18 ); first metasomal tergite 5.8 longer than wide (vs. 4.8); ovipositor slender, dorsal valve with nodus.

Male. Unknown.

Host. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype female. “ Brazil: ES, Santa Maria de Jetibá: Fazenda Paulo Seick, 06–12.XII.2002, Malaise, MTTavares & COAzevedo & eq. col.” Right antenna apical half and left antenna apex, hind right tarsomeres 3–5, missing; metasoma crumpled; otherwise in good shape. Deposited in the collection of the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Brazil.

Distribution. Brazil (ES).

Figures

FIGURES 4–6. Polyphrix cristata sp. n., Holotype ♀. 4, Pronotum and mesonotum, dorso­lateral, left; 5, Propodeum and transverse furrow at base of propodeum, dorsal; 6, Ovipositor tip, left. Drawings by Rogério Lupo. Illustrations not to scale.

FIGURES 7–19. Female Polyphrix spp. Head, dorsal: 7, P. atlantica n. sp., holotype; 8, P. cristata n. sp, holotype. Areolet: 9, P. atlantica n. sp., holotype; 10, P. atlantica n. sp., paratype. Pronotum, left: 11, P. atlantica n. sp., holotype; 12, P. cristata n. sp., holotype; 13, P.varians. Head, mesosoma and metasoma, dorsal: 14, P. atlantica n. sp., paratype; 15, P. cristata n. sp., holotype; 16, P.varians. Propodeum and transverse furrow at base of propodeum, dorsal: 17, P. atlantica n. sp., holotype; 18, P. cristata n. sp., holotype; 19, P. varians. Illustrations not to scale.