Meggoleus whartoni Khalaim, 2020

Khalaim, Andrey I. & Ruiz-Cancino, Enrique, 2020, Contribution to the taxonomy of Mexican Tersilochinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), with descriptions of five new species, ZooKeys 974, pp. 1-21 : 1

Meggoleus whartoni Khalaim sp. nov. Figures 9-14

Differential diagnosis.

The new species is easily distinguished from all other species of Meggoleus by the flagellum with distal end white (Fig. 10 ). It is very similar to M. hidalgoensis sp. nov. as both have small propodeal spiracles but differs from this species, in addition to color pattern of the flagellum, by scutellum with shorter lateral longitudinal carinae and fore wing with short and thick intercubitus (2rs-m).

Description.

Female. Body length 3.7 mm. Fore wing length 2.8 mm.

Head, in dorsal view, strongly constricted, weakly rounded posterior to eyes; gena 0.6-0.65 × as long as eye width. Eyes glabrous. Clypeus relatively large, almost lenticular (slightly truncated ventrally), ca. 2.5 × as broad as long (Fig. 11 ), very weakly convex in lateral view, separated from face by fine furrow; smooth, with very fine punctures in upper 0.3-0.5. Mandible slender, not constricted, with upper and lower margins mostly subparallel; upper tooth almost twice longer than the lower. Malar space approximately as long as basal mandibular width. Antennal flagellum (Fig. 10 ) with 15 flagellomeres, basally very slender; basal flagellomeres almost 2.5 × as long as broad, subapical flagellomeres distinctly elongate; flagellomeres 4 to 6 bearing long and thin subapical finger-shaped structures on outer surface. Face weakly convex. Face and frons subpolished, weakly shining, with very fine punctures. Vertex polished, with very fine and sparse punctures. Gena polished, impunctate. Occipital carina complete, somewhat dipped mediodorsally, evenly arcuate in dorsal view. Hypostomal carina present in upper part, weak or completely obliterated in lower part.

Mesoscutum granulate, impunctate, dull. Notaulus with distinct wrinkle on anterolateral side of mesoscutum (Fig. 10 ). Scutellum with lateral longitudinal carinae at basal 0.1-0.2. Epicnemial carina not reaching front margin of mesopleuron, continuing above along front margin of mesopleuron towards subtegular ridge, and vanishing there (Fig. 12 ). Foveate groove long, narrow and sharp, anteriorly upcurved, with distinct transverse wrinkles (Fig. 12 ). Mesopleuron smooth, with very fine inconspicuous punctures. Propodeal spiracle round, slightly enlarged, separated from pleural carina by 1.0-1.5 × diameter of spiracle (Fig. 12 ). Propodeum with narrow median longitudinal furrow which is more or less enclosed laterally by a pair of longitudinal carinae, and ca. 0.8 × as long as apical area (Fig. 13 ). Dorsolateral area polished, impunctate (Fig. 13 ). Apical area flat, anteriorly rounded (Fig. 13 ); apical longitudinal carinae complete, reaching transverse carina anteriorly.

Fore wing with second recurrent vein (2m-cu) postfurcal, weakly pigmented in anterior part and distinct posteriorly. First abscissa of radius (Rs+2r) straight, longer than width of pterostigma. First and second abscissae of radius (Rs+2r and Rs) meeting at slightly acute angle. Intercubitus (2rs-m) short and very thick, much shorter (0.5 × or less) than abscissa of cubitus between intercubitus and second recurrent vein (abscissa of M between 2rs-m and 2m-cu). Metacarpus (R1) almost reaching apex of fore wing. Second abscissa of postnervulus (Cu&2cu-a) present, thus brachial cell is closed posteriorly. Hind wing with nervellus (cu1&cu-a) weakly reclivous. Legs slender. Tarsal claws long and slender, not pectinate.

First tergite ca. 4.4 × as long as posteriorly broad, predominantly smooth, with weak striae laterally before glymma; petiole trapeziform in cross-section centrally; in dorsal view, postpetiole widened at base, distinctly broader than petiole and clearly separated from it; in lateral view, upper margin of tergite weakly arcuate in basal 0.6 and somewhat stronger arcuate in apical 0.4. Glymma distinct, situated in apical 0.6 of tergite, joining by weak (sometimes vestigial) groove with lower part of postpetiole (Fig. 12 ). Second tergite approximately twice as long as anteriorly broad. Thyridial depression deep, ca. 2.5 × as long as broad, with posterior end rounded. Ovipositor weakly and nearly evenly bent upwards over its total length, with weak dorsal subapical depression; sheath approximately as long as first tergite.

Head, mesosoma and first tergite of metasoma orange-brown to dark reddish brown. Palpi and mandible (teeth red) yellow. Clypeus yellow-brown or reddish brown, unicolorous or slightly darkened in upper part. Tegula brownish yellow. Scape and pedicel of antenna yellow-brown ventrally and brown dorsally; flagellum brownish black with two or three distal flagellomeres white (Fig. 10 ). Pterostigma brown. Legs brownish yellow, hind coxa slightly brownish at base. Metasoma posterior to first tergite predominantly brown, yellow ventrally.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology.

The species is named in honor of the American entomologist, expert in Braconidae and Ichneumonidae , Robert Wharton.

Material examined.

Holotype female (TAMU), Mexico, “Chiapas”.

Paratypes. Panama: 2 females (TAMU), Chiriquí Prov., National Park Volcan Baru, 3 km E of Cerro Punta, 08°50'55"N, 82°32'36"W, 7060 ft. (= 2155 m), 31.VII-4.VIII.1999, coll. A. Gillogly & J. Woolley, Malaise trap, 99/072.

Distribution.

South Mexico (Chiapas), Panama.

Figures

Figures 9 - 14. Meggoleus whartoni sp. nov., holotype (9 - 13) and paratype (14) females 9, 14 habitus lateral view 10 head with antennae and mesosoma, lateral view 11 head, front view 12 mesosoma and base of metasoma, lateral view 13 propodeum, dorsal view.