Labena acerba Khalaim & Ruíz-Cancino, 2009

Khalaim, Andrey & Ruiz-Cancino, Enrique, 2009, Mexican species of Labena Cresson (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) with description of a new species, ZooKeys 5 (5), pp. 65-74 : 69-71

Labena acerba Khalaim & Ruíz-Cancino , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C7EA0CA3-0C68-491E-9AA8-1FF1CFA9A23C

(Figs 1-5)

Diagnosis. The new species is very similar to the Costa Rican L. guanacasteca Gauld as both have a fore wing without an apical black spot, a propodeum with area superomedia open posteriorly and broadly confluent with area petiolaris ( Fig. 5 ), and a first sternite with distinct transverse ridge centrally (Fig. 4). Unlike this species L. acerba sp. n. has a black flagellum, without a pale median band (Fig. 3), a shorter area superomedia + petiolaris of propodeum ( Fig. 5 ), and a yellow body without any black marks. The new species can be distinguished from all Mexican species of Labena by the following characters in combination: 1) mesopleuron polished, impunctate, 2) fore wing without an apical spot, 3) first sternite with a transverse ridge, 4) flagellum extensively black, without a central yellowish band.

Description. Female. Fore wing length 9.3 mm. Mandible evenly tapered towards distal end, upper tooth much longer than lower tooth. Clypeus almost flat, twice as broad as high, with lower margin distinctly convex centrally. Malar space 0.3 times as long as basal width of mandible. Face with median vertical ridge (also reaching between antennal sockets) which has radiating, parallel rugae, and with a pair of lateral vertical carinae (along eye margins). Frons flat, dull, with scattered fine punctures. Vertex and temple smooth. Head in dorsal view with gena short, abruptly rounded behind eyes (Fig. 2); lower part of gena very broad. Posterior ocellus separated from eye by 1.4 times its own maximum diameter. Inner margin of eye with a strong concavity opposite antennal insertion (Fig. 1). Occipital carina complete, reaching hypostomal carina far from base of mandible, strongly raised between base of mandible and its junction with hypostomal carina. Flagellum of antenna with 42 segments; subbasal flagellomeres more or less elongate, median and subapical ones transverse, apical flagellomere subtriangular with apex truncate.

Mesosoma, excepting mesopleuron, metapleuron and dorsal areas of propodeum, bearing yellow hairs. Pronotum and mesoscutum finely punctate, smooth between punctures. Epomiae present. Notauli absent. Scutellum flat, without lateral carinae. Mesopleuron polished, impunctate. Metapleuron convex, polished and impunctate, confluent with area spiracularis of propodeum (pleural carina absent anteriorly). Submetapleural carina raised anteriorly. Propodeum smooth and shining, partly finely punctate, in profile abruptly declivous, in dorsal view with area superomedia delineated anteriorly, posteriorly confluent with area petiolaris, very slightly transverse, 0.92 times as long as maximally broad ( Fig. 5 ), and with area basalis very short, almost 0.1 as long as wide ( Fig. 5 ); area dentipara confluent with area posteroexterna; area externa short, transverse, fully enclosed; area lateralis large, transverse, subequal to area coxalis.

Mid leg with tibia inflated in distal 0.7, with slender bristles on outer surface, second tarsomere about twice as long as broad, longer than following two tarsomeres. Hind coxa about twice as long as deep.

Fore wing with areolet transverse, with 2 rs-m longer than 3 rs-m.

First tergite 1.6 times as long as posteriorly broad, depressed, without dorsolateral carina behind spiracle; sternite short, reaching 0.3 of length of tergite, with transverse ridge centrally (Fig. 4). Second tergite strongly transverse, 0.56 times as long as posteriorly broad. Ovipositor straight, compressed, almost twice as long as hind tibia.

Coloration: Yellow species. Mandible black apically. Antenna black, with base and apex yellowish (Fig. 3). Head slightly darkened around ocelli. Face and metasomal tergites with scattered reddish specks (more dense on face). Mesoscutum with three brownish longitudinal marks. Hind leg with tibia apically and tarsus posteriorly fuscous. Pterostigma yellow-brown. Ovipositor dark red, its sheath yellowish brown basally to fuscous apically.

Male unknown.

Type material. Holotype female: México, Jalisco, La Huerta, Estacion Biologica Chamela UNAM Vereda Tejon , 19°29.941’ N, 105°02.591’ W, CIB 00-0029, 25.VII.2000, coll. Y. Castillo O.

Distribution. México (Jalisco).

Etymology. From Latin “ acerbus ” (bitter, gloomy, dark) on account of the black coloration of flagellum.

Figures

Figs 5-6. Labena spp., areolation of propodeum, dorsoposterior view: 5 – L. acerba sp. n., ♀ (holotype); 6 – L. tarsata Gauld, ♀, var. (Cañón del Novillo, 27.IV.1985).