Enicospilus erebus, Johansson, 2021

Johansson, Niklas, 2021, Contribution to the subfamily Ophioninae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) of Southern Europe with the description of one new genus and 15 new species, Zootaxa 5023 (3), pp. 301-334 : 309-312

Enicospilus erebus sp. nov.

Figs 6A–F , 7A–B

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6A077FE4-BE6B-4966-9157-476DEC7B29E7

Holotype: GREECE: ♀, Crete, Iraklion, Ida-Geb, Weide Fd Skinakas , 35˚13’N, 24˚56’E, 1050–1100 m. a. s., 8 Jun. 1993, H.u. R. Rausch leg. ( OÖLM)

Paratypes: GREECE: 2♀♀, Crete, Iraklion, Ida-Geb, Weide Fd Skinakas , 35˚13’N, 24˚56’E, 1050–1100 m. a. s., 8 Jun. 1993, H.u. R. Rausch leg. ( OÖLM) ; 1♀, Peloponnesos, Arkadien S. Paparis, 37˚22’N, 22˚14’E, 800 m . a. s., 18 May 1992, H.u. R Rausch leg. ( OÖLM) ; 1♂, Peloponnes, Zachlorou , 22 May 1960, K. Kusdas leg. ( NHMW) . TURKEY: 1♀, 30 km W Gaziantep, 30 May 1998, Ma. Halada, ( OÖLM) ; 2♀♀, 30 km Osmaniye, Hasanbeyli , 10 Jun. 1998, Ma. Halada leg. ( OÖLM) .

Etymology: The name refers to Erebus, who is the personification of darkness in greek mythology, both referring to the dark coloration and nocturnal behavior of this species.

Diagnosis: Usually a very distinctive species, easily identified by the dark head and metasoma in combination with the number and shape of the alar sclerites. The species also occurs in varieties with more or less testaceous head and mesosoma. Enicospilus erebus sp. nov. is distinguished from similar species by the constitution of the alar sclerites, the polished, almost parallel sided and scarcely punctate scutellum and the quite dark colour of the body. The light form resembles Enicospilus cederbergi Johansson, 2018 , but differs in the number of alar sclerites, the polished scutellum and face and the the less numerous flagellomeres. Notably specimens from Greece have the mesosoma and head mostly dark while the Turkish specimens are less strongly infuscate.

Description: Fore wing length 14–15 mm. Body length 18–20 mm. Number of flagellomeres 48–51. Temples slightly buccate, in lateral view about 0.4–0.5 × the width of compound eye ( Fig 6D ). In male wider, about 0.9 × the width of the compound eye. Face moderately wide ( Figs 6A–B ), distinctly wider in the male. Malar space narrow, about 0.1 × the width of the mandibular base. Gap between lateral ocelli and inner margin of compound eye about 0.1 × the diameter of ocellus or virtually absent. Clypeus flat, anterior margin weakly convex in anterior view, centrally straight. Mandible strongly twisted with upper tooth about 2.0 × as long as lower tooth. First flagellomere stout, about 3.5–4.0 × as long as apically wide. Mid- and preapical flagellomeres about 1.1–1.3 × as long as wide. Mesopleuron polished, densely punctate. Interstices between punctures about equal to their diameter, punctures centrally sometimes merging. Pleurosternal angles distinct, almost right angled. Mesoscutum mostly polished with notauli weakly indicated anteriorly, punctate. Scutellum long, almost parallel sided, polished with a few scattered punctures and lateral carinae along its entire length ( Fig. 6C ). Propodeum with anterior transverse carina distinct. Posterior to carina rugulose, anterior to carinae smooth, slightly polished. Proximal sclerite entirely pigmented, strongly sclerotised, triangular, central sclerite entirely absent. Distal sclerite crescent-shaped, weakly sclerotised ( Fig. 6E ). Radius weakly sinuate before junction with pterostigma. Hind femur quite stout, about 7.0–8.0 × longer than wide. Inner spur of hind tibia about 0.5 × as long as hind metatarsus. Hind tarsal claws in female pectinate throughout their entire length, dorsally evenly curved ( Fig 6F ).

Colouration: The species is very variable in colour. The dark form ( Figs 6A, 6D , 7A ) has the head, mesosoma and most of metasoma infuscate, while the legs (excluding coxae), antennae (including scapus), mandibles (excluding teeth) and the first and second tergite are testaceous. The pale form ( Figs 6B–C , 7B ) is testaceous with only the posterior segments of metasoma, the ovipositor, the mandibular teeth and claws black. There are intermediate specimens regarding colouration. Wing membrane slightly yellowish. Fore wing veins infuscate. Alar sclerites and pterostigma pale brown ( Fig. 6E ).

Remarks: One barcoded pale female specimen from Turkey displays about 0.55% sequence divergence in relation to two dark females from Greece.

DNA Barcode: The DNA barcode sequences of three specimens of Enicospilus erebus sp. nov. are available at the BOLD systems database: sample id. NJP727/728/729, sequence id. LNU2563-21/2564-21/2565-21.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Enicospilus erebus sp. nov. paratype females (OÖLM). A‒B) head, anterior view; C) scutellum, dorsal view; D) head, lateral view; E) alar sclerites; F) hind tarsal claws.

FIGURE 7. Enicospilus erebus sp. nov. paratype females (OÖLM). A‒B) Habitus, lateral view.