Epitheronia vinhanensis, Pham & Broad & Wägele, 2013

Pham, Nhi Thi, Broad, Gavin R. & Wägele, Wolfgang J., 2013, A review of the Theronia genus-group (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae) from Vietnam with descriptions of five new species, Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 47 (23 - 24), pp. 1501-1538 : 1509-1513

Epitheronia vinhanensis sp. nov.

( Figure 4 )

Material examined

Holotype (♀). Dong Nai, Vinh Cuu, Vinh An , 100 m a.s.l., 28 July 2008, hand net, T. V. Hoang leg. ( IEBR).

Diagnosis

Scutellum strongly convex, lateral carina strong to middle then weak to apex, at middle with transverse carina connecting to lateral carina; propodeum with area superomedia wider posteriorly, area petiolaris with striations below posterior transverse carina; first tergite 1.5 × as long as apical width; ovipositor straight, 1.6 × as long as hind tibia.

Description of holotype

Body length 11.7 mm, fore wing 10.2 mm, ovipositor 10.7 mm. Head. Antenna with first flagellomere 1.5 × length of second; diameter of lateral ocellus 0.9 × ocellar– ocular distance; frons smooth and impunctate, with carina between antennal sockets; inner margins of eyes distinctly concave opposite antennal sockets, convergent ventrally; face 0.7 × as high as wide, rugose punctate, pubescent, upper margin broadly concave between antennal sockets; clypeus flat with sparse, long hairs, about 0.45 × as high as wide, apical margin rounded; malar space about 0.3 × basal width of mandible; mandible broad, upper tooth broader than and about 1.7 × length of lower tooth; gena punctate, pubescent; occipital carina complete, meeting hypostomal carina about 0.4 × basal mandible width from base of mandible.

Mesosoma

Epomia present, length 0.5 × mandible basal width; pronotum impunctate and polished, except dorsal margin and posterior corner pubescent; mesoscutum with dense short hairs, 1.2 × as long as wide at front edges of tegulae, notauli distinct on anterior 0.4 of mesoscutum; scutellum strongly convex, pubescent, lateral carina forming high flange from base to middle, then weaker to apex, transverse carina connecting to lateral carina at summit of scutellum; mesopleuron subpolished, pubescent, epicnemial carina strong on lower half, lateral section of postpectal carina present as short stub in front of mid coxa, sternaulus impressed on anterior half of mesopleuron; metapleuron subpolished, with sparse hairs, submetapleural carina complete, forming large anterior lobe, juxtacoxal carina present; propodeum convex, very strongly raised carinae, costula absent, area superomedia wider posteriorly, as long as wide, posterior transverse carina curved medially, area petiolaris with striations below posterior transverse carina; propodeal spiracle elongate, about 2.5 × as long as wide; fore femur 2.8 × as long as wide; hind femur 2.8 × as long as wide, 0.8 × tibia length, tibia 6.3 × as long as apical width; basitarsus 0.35 × hind tibia, 0.35 × tarsus, 2 × second tarsomere; fourth tarsomere extremely short; fifth tarsomere 2.2 × third. Fore wing with vein Rs & M basad of cu-a, 2 rs-m about half length of 3 rs-m, vein Cu 1 a separated from 1 mcu by 1.7 × length of vein Cu 1 b; hind wing with vein M + Cu straight posteriorly, first abscissa of vein Cu 1 about 0.6 × vein cu-a.

Metasoma

Tergites subpolished, with basal and apical oblique grooves deep; first tergite 1.5 × as long as apical width, dorsolateral carina strong from base to spiracle then weak to apex, median longitudinal carina extending to oblique groove; second tergite 0.6 × length of first tergite, 0.6 × as long as apical width, third tergite shorter than second; ovipositor straight, 1.6 × as long as hind tibia, tip of lower valve slightly broader than tip of upper valve, with six oblique ridges.

Colour

Yellow. Antenna blackish dorsally, brown ventrally, scape and pedicel yellow ventrally; frons with two black spots behind antennal sockets, posterior margin of vertex and occipital area marked with black; mesoscutum with three longitudinal black stripes, lateral black stripes joined posteriorly to black spot in front of scutellum; mesopleuron with black stripe along anterior margin and with black spot at lower half of posterior margin; propodeum black basally; fore and mid legs with black stripes extending about 0.67 × length of posterior face from base of femur and tibia, mid tarsus black; outer side of hind coxa with large black spot, inner side with small black spot apically, hind femur and tibia with black bands basally and apically, hind tarsus black; wings hyaline, pterostigma and veins black, except basal 0.7 of costa yellowish; first tergite with median black band, tergite 2 onwards each with basal black band; ovipositor reddish, ovipositor sheath black and hairy.

Distribution

Currently known only from Vinh An, Vinh Cuu, Dong Nai Province, South Vietnam ( Figure 5 ).

Ecological note

The single specimen was collected in lowland evergreen forest at an elevation of 100 m a.s.l.

Comparison

This new species is most similar to E. tomeus (Gupta) in general appearance. It differs from the latter by its more convex scutellum, lateral carina extending to the apex, with a short, transverse carina connecting to the lateral carina at the summit, propodeum with some striations in the area petiolaris, right below the posterior transverse carina, the broader first tergite (1.5 × as long as apical width versus 1.8 ×), and shorter ovipositor (1.6 × as long as hind tibia versus 2.3 ×).

Etymology

This species is named after the type locality.

Figures

Figure 4. Epitheronia vinhanensis sp. nov. (holotype female). (A) Dorsal view; (B) mandible; (C) wings; (D) face; (E) dorsal view of scutellum; (F) dorsal view of propodeum; (G) ovipositor tip.

Figure 5. Map showing the type localities of Epitheronia vinhanensis sp. nov (Ɨ); Nomosphecia carinicurvata sp. nov. (•); Theronia ferruginaterga sp. nov. (I); Theronia longihastata sp. nov (♣) and Theronia tahuythinhi sp. nov. (-).