Temelucha talibarti Rousse, Villemant et Seyrig

Rousse, Pascal, Villemant, Claire & Seyrig, Andre, 2011, Ichneumonid wasps from Madagascar. V. Ichneumonidae Cremastinae, Zootaxa 3118, pp. 1-30 : 21-22

Temelucha talibarti Rousse, Villemant et Seyrig sp. nov.

( Figs. 11a–b )

Diagnosis. Species characterized by the tricolor pattern: the entire mesosoma and metasoma are dorsally dark brown, metasoma ventrally reddish brown and head and legs predominantly yellow. Additionally, and mandibles have subequal teeth.

Description. FEMALE. L: 3.5, 3.3 (2.2–3.8) (10 specimens).

Head. Constricted behind eyes. Temples short and rounded. Vertex and central part of frons granulate, orbit margins shagreened. Face densely punctate-shagreened, clypeus smoother. Clypeus slightly transverse (Ci = 1.2), malar space rather long (MLMi = 0.9). Lateral ocelli distant from eyes by about their greatest diameter and more distant from each other (OOi = 0.9; IOi: 1.3). Antenna with 22–28 flagellomeres.

Mesosoma . Densely shagreened punctate, twice longer than high. Mesoscutum centrally matt. Notaulus weekly impressed but distinct and reaching beyond middle of mesoscutum. Mesopleuron with an oblique striate hollow ventral to smooth speculum. Pleurae and lateral margins of propodeum granulate punctate and with fine adpressed silver pilosity. Postpectal carina thick and sinuate. Propodeum dorsally transversally strigose. Area basalis truncate, wider than long; area superomedia a little less than twice as long as wide, area superomedia granulate, its posterior margin lacking, area petiolaris densely transversally wrinkled. Forewing with M+Cu entirely pigmented and marginal cell rather long, with vein Rs+2r about as long as posterior internal edge of pterostigma.

Metasoma. Tergite I slender, longer than tergite II, glymma shallow, postpetiole swollen; edges of tergite I almost meeting ventrally just before postpetiolar enlargement. Postpetiole and tergite II finely striate with sparse punctures laterally. Following tergites densely but weakly granulate punctate. Ovipositor long (OTi = 1.9–2.4), slightly swollen and decurved apically.

Color. Head yellow, with frons, ocellar area, vertex, occiput, posterior half of temple black brown. Center of face brown. Antennae brown, flagellar segments with a yellow apical ring, scape and pedicel ventrally yellow. Mesosoma predominantly black-brown; ventral margin and postero-dorsal corner of pronotum, tegula, subalar ridge and small spot above insertion of middle and hind coxae, yellow. Two specimens have pronotum almost entirely, antero-lateral margin of mesoscutum, notaulus, scutellum, longitudinal strip on mesopleuron and mesosternum, yellow. Leg yellowish, all coxae and trochanters white. Metasoma brown dorsally, reddish brown ventrally, with tergite I and II darker. Wings hyaline, pterostigma light brown.

MALE. L: 3.3. Similar to yellow marked female, face entirely yellow. Ocelli wide and prominent (OOi = 0.6; IOi = 0.9). Antenna with 27 flagellar segments.

Comments. The type series includes 9 small females with shorter ovipositors (OTi = 1.9–2.1) and less numerous flagellar segments (22–24) and 7 larger ones (OTi = 2.1–2.4; 26–28 flagellar segments). However, all of them and the male have identical cuticular microscupture. We consider that these morphometric differencies could be due to allometry, and therefore that both series belong to the same species. Dark and small specimens of T. talibarti are similar in size and color to T. minuta but the former’s fore wing has vein M+Cu entirely pigmented and radial cell not shortened, and the ventral margins of tergite I are not fused with the sternite.

Distribution records. Madagascar (Toliara province)

Etymology. Named for Nicolas Talibart.

Distribution records. Madagascar (Toliara province).

Type material. HOLOTYPE Ƥ ( MNHN EY 2465) “ Madagascar, Bekily [Ampandrandava], sud de l'île”, May 1937, antennae with last flagellomers laking. PARATYPES: 6ƤƤ ( MNHN EY 2466–2471), Bekily, May 1937 ( MNHN EY 2466, EY 2468 à 2470) and 1939 ( MNHN EY 2467, EY 2471); 7ƤƤ ( MNHN EY 6070 à EY 6076), Bekily, February 1940; 2ƤƤ ( MNHN EY 6077–78) Bekily, November 1936 and April 1940 (yellow form); 13 ( MNHN EY 6079), Bekily, December 1936, head lacking; 1Ƥ ( CAS) “ Madagascar, Tulear [Toliara] Prov. - Mikea Forest, NW of Manombo, 22° 54.80’ S, 43° 28.93’ E ”, “Spiny forest – 37m, Malaise trap MA-02–18B-10, 16–17/ I/2002, Irwin & Harin'Hala colls”.

Figures

FIGURE 11. a – b: Temelucha talibarti sp. nov.; c – d: Temelucha teloloko sp. nov. (left: habitus, right: face).