Trachysphyrus fidalgoi Porter, 2008

Porter, Charles C., 2008, New Trachysphyrus Haliday (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) in the albomarginatus species group from northwestern Argentina, Insecta Mundi 2008 (55), pp. 1-9 : 3-4

Trachysphyrus fidalgoi Porter , new species

( Fig. 1 )

Description. Female Holotype. Color: antenna black with orange brown below on scape and a white band above on flagellomeres 5-8; head, mesosoma, and gaster black with a whitish blotch near base of mandible, a narrow white line on much of facial and frontal orbit, and a similarly inconspicuous white line toward apex on vertical orbit and continuing below on a little more than upper half of hind orbit, white obscurely on pronotal collar, faintly on humeral margin of pronotum at upper end of epomia, faintly also on apices of tergites 5-6, and with a broad pure white band on apex of tergite 7; fore and mid legs shining black on coxa and trochanter, orange stained on trochantellus, light orange on femur, more dully orange on tibia with apex slightly blackish, and tarsus dull orange with a little dusky staining on apices of segments 1-4 and with segment 5 mostly blackish; hind leg similar except for whitish on tarsomeres 3- 4; wings hyaline with faint brownish staining.

Length of fore wing: 6.1 mm. Flagellum very long and slender, first segment 8.0 times as long as deep at apex. Clypeus in profile moderately high, a little asymmetrically subpyramidal with basal face gently convex and apical face a little concave, faces quite distinct in anterior view, apical margin slightly convex with a pair of tiny median tubercles. Malar space 0.8 as long as basal width of mandible. Fore tibia long and slender, only slightly inflated. Mesoscutum notauli fine and narrow, traceable, 0.7 times length of mesoscutum but becoming very weak toward apex; surface dull, finely and granularly reticulo-punctate with some transverse wrinkling mesad along notauli. Mesopleuron mat, finely reticulo-punctate, speculum smooth and shining except invaded by strong punctures dorsally, sternaulus weak, barely traceable on apical half of mesopleuron. Wing venation with radial cell 4.0 times as long as wide; areolet large, rather high with intercubiti strongly convergent above, second abscissa of radius 0.5 times as long as first intercubitus; second recurrent a little outcurved on upper half, straight and slightly reclivous below. Propodeum with spiracle 1.4 times as long as wide; basal transcarina sharp throughout; apical transcarina obsolete except for the much projecting, bluntly subcuneate cristae. First gastric tergite with postpetiole strongly expanded,1.1 times as wide at apex as long from spiracle to apex; dorsal longitudinal carinae faintly suggested toward apex of petiole and on base of postpetiole, enclosing a weakly elevated median area; surface of postpetiole basally mat with minute puncto-reticulation but toward apex becoming smooth and polished with scattered larger punctures. Second gastric tergite mat with dense micro-reticulation and tiny, mostly a little sparser than subadjacent punctures emitting short setae that equal or a little exceed the length of their interspaces. Ovipositor sheathed portion 0.40 times as long as fore wing; straight, subrobust, compressed, nodus distinct, quite high, with a minute notch at summit, dorsal valve in profile strongly and directly tapering to apex; tip 0.25 times as high at notch as long from notch to apex.

Variation. Length of fore wing 6.3 mm. First flagellomere 7.6-7.8 times as long as deep at apex. Malar space 0.9 as long as basal width of mandible. Wing venation with second abscissa of radius 0.4 times as long as first intercubitus. First gastric tergite with postpetiole 1.2 as long as wide at apex. Ovipositor 0.35 times as long as fore wing; tip 0.20-0.30 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 , 1700m, 6-IV-2003, P. Fidalgo, Malaise trap [ IMLA] . Paratypes: 5 females, ARGENTINA , 1 female, same data as holotype [ IMLA] ; 3 females, Catamarca Province, 6 km N. Belén, 1240 m, 1-15-VI-1969, 1-15-VIII- 1969, 16-30-IX-1968, Willink, Terán, Stange , Malaise trap [ AEIC, FSCA, IMLA] ; 1 female, Salta Province, Tacuil, 2400 m, 1-15-I-1969, Willink, Terán, Stange [ IMLA] .

Relationships. The strongly projecting propodeal cristae, finely reticulate mesoscutal sculpture, and very long first flagellomere distinguish this species from other sympatric members of the albomarginatus species group. Its closest relative is the central Chilean T. metargas ( Porter 1967) which differs in having the white flagellar band limited to segments 5-6 or 7; the legs darker, without orange coloration; the first flagellomere shorter, 6.1-6.7 times as long as deep at apex; no tubercles on apical margin of the clypeus; the fore tibia inflated; the notauli shorter, reaching 0.5 times or less the length of mesoscutum; and the postpetiole more weakly expanded, 0.90 times as wide at apex as long from spiracle to apex.

Specific name. This species is named for Dr. Patricio Fidalgo of the CRILAR, distinguished hymenopterist, who has helped enthusiastically in this and other projects over a period of many years.

Figures

Figure 1. Trachysphyrus fidalgoi, female, paratype. Santa Vera Cruz, La Rioja, Argentina. Lateral view of entire insect.