Heterischnus mfongosi Rousse & van Noort

Rousse, Pascal, van Noort, Simon & Diller, E., 2013, Revision of the Afrotropical Phaeogenini (Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae), with description of a new genus and twelve new species, ZooKeys 354, pp. 1-85 : 46-49

Heterischnus mfongosi Rousse & van Noort sp. n. Figs 25-26

Type material.

HOLOTYPE. Female: South Africa, Zululand, Mfongosi, Apr–May 1934, WE Jones, SAM–HYM–P 001720 (SAMC). PARATYPES. 1 female: R.S.A. [Republic of South Africa] Karoo. Nat Park, 14.xi.1993 32°19'S, 22°30'E leg.: F. Koch (MNHU). 1 female: Zimbabwe: Salisbury [Harare] Chishawasha iii.1981. A. Watsham (BMNH); 1 female: same data as previous specimen, except: v.1981 (BMNH).

Diagnosis.

Head mostly black, mesosoma mostly yellowish orange, metasoma testaceous; antenna with a pale median ring; most of microsculpture densely punctate to punctate–reticulate but mesoscutum transversely striate; clypeus apico–laterally bluntly pointed; hypostomal carina joining occipital carina shortly but distinctly above mandibular base; propodeum without carination; gastrocoelus and thyridium deep, inter–thyridiae interval narrow. HdWi 1.7; HfWi 1.1; Ci 1.6; Mi 0.8; IOi 1.5; OOi 1.5; Fli15.8; Fli151.3; Fli301.0; OTi 0.3. Male unknown.

Description.

FEMALE (4 specimens). B 7.5-7.6; A 5.5-5.7; F 4.7-4.9 (Holotype B 7.6; A 5.6; F 4.8).

Color. Head black with lower face and clypeus tending to dark red, mouthparts dark yellowish, scape and pedicel pale yellow, flagellum fuscous with basal flagellomeres lighter and flagellomeres 7-10 white; mesosoma yellowish–orange with mesoscutum somewhat darker and dorsal margin of pronotum yellow; legs yellowish–orange with all trochanters, fore and middle coxae pale yellow; wings hyaline, venation light brown; metasomal tergites testaceous with median black maculae of variable extent on tergites 3-5.

Head. Hemispherical, entirely densely and coarsely punctate to puncto–striate; mandible regularly tapered toward apex; malar line moderately long; clypeus triangular, its apical margin convex with two strong blunt teeth apico–laterally; face slightly transverse with a very weak median tubercle between toruli; ocellar triangle distinctly wider than high; temple long, regularly rounded behind eyes; hypostomal carina joining occipital carina distinctly above mandibular base; antenna hardly enlarged medio–apically, with 30-31 flagellomeres.

Mesosoma. Shining; pronotum rugulose, epomia weak; mesopleuron and metapleuron densely punctate–reticulate but speculum smooth; sternaulus moderate, reaching mid–length of mesopleuron; epicnemial carina ventrally moderately raised, slightly kinked medio–ventrally; postpectal carina interrupted in front of mid coxae; mesonotum transversely striate; notaulus anteriorly moderate, posteriorly obsolete; scutellum weakly convex, carinate to apical quarter; propodeum without carination, transversely aciculo–rugose, sculpture anteriorly weaker. Wings. Hind wing with distal abscissa of Cu1 joining 1/Cu& cu–a below its middle.

Metasoma. All tergites punctate–reticulate; tergite 1 moderately slender, regularly widened to apex; gastrocoelus within basal 1/5, wide and deep, thyridium transverse, inter–thyridiae interval very narrow; ovipositor straight.

MALE. Unknown.

Etymology.

Named after the type locality. Noun in apposition.

Distribution.

South Africa ( Kwazulu–Natal, Western Cape), Zimbabwe.