Digonocryptus zatheos Santos et Aguiar

Aguiar, Alexandre P. & Santos, Bernardo F., 2012, Additions to the revision of Digonocryptus Viereck (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae), with nine new taxa, new males, and distribution maps for all known species, Zootaxa 3282, pp. 1-41 : 29-31

Digonocryptus zatheos Santos et Aguiar , sp. nov.

( Figs 40–44 , 98 )

Description. Holotype FEMALE. Fore wing 7.83 mm.

Head ( Figs 40–41 ). Ventral tooth of mandible longer than dorsal tooth. Clypeus apical area delimited by smooth border, medially almost indistinct; clypeal margin medially faintly thickened but without distinct tooth. Antenna with 23 flagellomeres; white band starting at flagellomere V; five flagellomeres at least 50% white.

Mesosoma ( Figs 40, 42 ). Pronotum glabrate, medially with strong longitudinal wrinkles; mesopleuron with scarce, short hairs; strigation turning from dorsally fine to ventrally strong. Subalar prominence narrow, elongate, somewhat keeled. Sternaulus very deep, crenulate. Sulcus between sternaulus and scrobe absent. Posterior transverse carina of mesosternum imperfectly developed medially (as a wrinkle). Lower metapleuron ventrally densely pilose, entirely rugulose. Propodeum: scarcely pilose; area in front of anterior transverse carina sparsely foveolate, medially with two weak longitudinal ridges; area between anterior transverse carina and petiolar foramen with distinct, somewhat irregular transverse wrinkles. Propodeal apophyses present as distinct scale-like structures, posterior transverse carina raised medially as a crest, interrupted between crest and apophyses. Wings hyaline; fore wing cell 1+2Rs slightly higher than wide, pentagonal, 2r-m and 3r-m slightly convergent, with about the same length, 3r-m mostly spectral; 2-M about as long as 3-M; vein 3-Cu 1.92 length of 4-Cu; hind wing vein Cub apically slightly convex.

Metasoma ( Figs 40, 44 ). Postpetiole dorsally with very weak subcircular concavity just posteriorly to spiracle level; dorsolateral and ventrolateral carinae complete and strong; median dorsal carina distinct at spiracle level; petiolar spiracles in dorsal view distinctly prominent. Ovipositor 1.25 length of hind tibia. Apex of lower valve apex with 13 teeth.

Color. Head and mesosoma brownish orange and yellow; metasoma blackish, orange and yellow. Head: brownish orange; base of mandible, clypeus centrally, supra-clypeal area dorsally, scape ventrally and orbital band interrupted only on malar space, yellow; apex of mandible and flagellum except white band, blackish. Mesosoma: brownish orange; mesoscutum with central blackish spot; collar, small mark on dorsal margin of pronotum, most of scutellum, small mark on postscutellum, subalar prominence, small marks on ventral mesopleuron and just ventrad to sternaulus, carinal triangle and somewhat W-shaped mark on propodeum, yellow; lateral face of fore and mid coxa with large whitish spots; fore and mid trochanters marks with brown and whitish; fore and mid femora orange, dorsally with brown longitudinal mark, anterior face with whitish mark; fore and mid tibia anteriorly whitish, posteriorly brownish; fore tarsus light brown; mid t1 and t3–4 blackish; t2–3 whitish; hind coxa with large posterior whitish spot; ventral face near apex with blackish mark; hind trochanter and trochantellus mostly blackish; hind femur dorsally orange, ventrally blackish; basal 0.2 of hind tibia whitish, apical 0.8 gradually changing from light brown to blackish; basal 0.4 of t1 and t5 blackish; apical 0.6 of t1 and t2–4 whitish. Metasoma: T1–7 with posterior yellow stripe, otherwise sparsely marked with blackish and orange; T8 and S1 entirely orange; S2–6 marked with light brown and yellow.

MALE. Unknown.

Morphological variation. Paratypes fore wing 8.12–8.70 mm; vein 3-Cu 1.57–1.80 length of 4-Cu; and ovipositor 1.28–1.36 length of hind tibia. Antenna with 22 flagellomeres, white band with 9, starting at flagellomere III. Cell 1+2Rs about as wide as long; mesopleuron strigate-rugulose; ventral valve of ovipositor with 13 teeth. Color: generally darker than holotype; clypeus not distinctly yellow, somewhat buff; orbital band interrupted on 1h and 5–7h; yellow mark on dorsal margin of pronotum absent; mesopleuron without yellow marks; median portion of yellow mark of propodeum absent in one specimen ( Fig. 43 ); mid and hind coxae without distinct white marks; hind femur almost entirely dark brown; posterior yellow stripe almost indistinct on T6–7.

Comments. Readily distinct from all other Digonocryptus spp. by the unique combination of (1) structure + color pattern of the propodeum, particularly the shape and degree of differentiation of the posterior transverse carina & apophyses, (2) shape of the yellow stripe on propodeum accompanying the posterior transverse carina, and (3) the very regular pattern of yellow stripes on the metasoma (somewhat similar only to that of D. mettus ). In the key by Aguiar and Ramos (2011) the new species runs easily to dichotomy 10, where color of mesosoma might be an issue. The holotype of the new species has a more characteristically reddish mesosoma, but it is considerably darker on the paratypes; close observation with proper fluorescent or led illumination will reveal the more characteristic reddish hue. That leads to dichotomy 19 of the mentioned key, with two species. The present species is quite distinct from both of them by having moderately developed, scale-shaped propodeal apophyses (vs. very weak in D. inermis , and long, stout thorns in D. pulchripes ), and propodeum orange with a contrasting yellow stripe along posterior transverse carina (vs. propodeum monocolorous on both other species).

Etymology. From the Greek zatheos , meaning “sacred, sainted.” In reference to the shape of the yellow mark on the propodeum, similar to the portico of the numerous baroque period churches in the Brazilian states of Bahia and Minas Gerais, from where all specimens were collected.

Material examined. 4 females. Holotype Ƥ from BRAZIL, Bahia, Firmino Alves, Fazenda Santo Antônio, Pt. 6, 14°59’51” S 39°55’55” W, 9.IV.2003, Malaise trap, JCardoso & JMaia ( UFES). Triangle mount; left hind t2–5 missing, otherwise complete, well preserved. Paratypes: 1 Ƥ from BRAZIL, Minas Gerais, Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, Trilha do Vinhático, Pt. 1, 14.XI.2002, Malaise trap, JCRFontenelle; 1 Ƥ, same data except 28.X–4.XI.2007; 1 Ƥ, same data except Área da Tereza, MT1, 3–10.XI.2004 ( UFES). Triangle mount, complete, in good condition.

Distribution. Brazil (BA, MG) ( Fig. 98 ).

Figures

FIGURES 40 – 44. Digonocryptus zatheos Santos et Aguiar, sp. nov. Holotype female, except paratype female on Fig. 40. 40, Left side of body. 41, Head, anterior. 42 – 43, Propodeum, dorsal. 43, Paratype female. 44, Metasoma, dorsal.

FIGURES 96 – 100. Distribution maps for species of Digonocryptus. 96, D. yacamus Aguiar et Ramos. 97, D. yunus Aguiar et Ramos. 98, D. zatheos Santos et Aguiar. 99, D. zopheros Santos et Aguiar. 100, Digonocryptus Viereck, all records.