Dismodix colai, Supeleto & Aguiar, 2024

Supeleto, Fernanda A. & Aguiar, Alexandre P., 2024, Two new Dismodix Townes (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae) with an exceptionally broad occipital carina, Zootaxa 5448 (3), pp. 430-438 : 431-435

Dismodix colai sp. nov.

( Figs 1–9 )

Diagnosis. Clypeus distinctly convex, without a median tooth or irregularity; clypeus and supraclypeal area brown; occipital carina widely projected, apically truncate; upper margin of pronotum strongly swollen; longitudinal groove on mesal lobe of mesoscutum deep and wide; mesoscutum with two longitudinal yellow marks; propodeum with a large yellow spot on each side behind ATC; PTC complete, distinctly arched forwards, laterally raised as short blunt crests; areolet open (3r-m absent); T1 without longitudinal carinae or distinct ridges; T2–8 polished smooth; T2 progressing from basally dark brown to apically light brown; remaining tergites changing from T3 light brown or orangeish to T8 dark brown; ovipositor slightly curved, apex without serrations.

Description. Female HOLOTYPE ( Figs 1–5 ). Fore wing 5.96 mm. Head ( Figs 1–3 ). Clypeus distinctly convex, sparsely punctate; supra-clypeal area coarsely transversely striate; paraocular area along supra-clypeal area swollen, finely allutaceous.Antenna with 29 flagellomeres. Gena narrow but appearing to be wide because of widely projected occipital carina; occipital carina ending ventrally into a 90 degrees border ( Fig. 1 , inset).

Mesosoma ( Figs 1, 3–5 ). Pronotum along and above collar distinctly striate, otherwise polished smooth. Epomia delicate but distinct, ending on dorsal margin of pronotum. Mesoscutum polished, except by a few punctures along its elongate yellow stripes; notauli distinctly convergent; middle lobe of mesoscutum with a deep and wide longitudinal suture; scuto-scutellar groove moderately deep and carinate. Mesopleuron polished-smooth, except striate anteriorly along hypoepimeron and along epicnemial carina. Epicnemial carina weakly sinuate, reaching subalar ridge. Sternaulus anteriorly shifted ventrally, ending at epicnemial carina near base of fore coxa ( Fig. 5 ), anteriorly with distinct vertical wrinkles, posteriorly almost indistinct; sulcus between sternaulus and scrobe absent; mesopleural suture distinctly crenulate. Metapleuron weakly punctate.

Wings ( Fig. 1 ). Fore wing vein 1M+Rs posteriorly weakly curved, anteriorly straight; crossvein 1cu-a straight, arising distinctly basad of 1M+Rs origin; limit between veins 1m-cu and 1-Rs+M weakly bent, thus more or less traceable; vein 2Cua 0.2 × as long as crossvein 2cu-a; 3r-m absent (areolet open); vein 3-M about as long as 2-M. Hind wing with one single hamulus; vein M+Cu strongly convex; veins 2-1A and Cub ending before reaching wing margin; vein Cub apically weakly convex.

Propodeum ( Figs 1, 3–5 ). Propodeal spiracle circular. Propodeum anterior transversal sulcus wide and deep, centrally strongly crenulate, laterally more weakly so; area anterior to ATC polished smooth, centrally weakly concave; ATC centrally weakly bent, strongly carinate behind its entire length; central black area behind ATC rugulose, lateral yellow areas polished smooth; PTC complete, distinctly arched forwards, laterally raised as short blunt crests.

Metasoma ( Figs 1, 3 ). T1 spiracle in dorsal view slightly but distinctly prominent, located at the basal 0.48 of T1; T1 without longitudinal carinae or distinct ridges; thyridium a little longer than wide; T2–8 polished smooth. Ovipositor in lateral view slightly convex centrally; 0.66 × as long as maximum length of hind tibia; apex without serrations.

Color. Black with large yellow spots, legs light to dark brown, metasoma mostly brown. Head: Mandible whitish, except light brown apex; labrum whitish, a little translucent; maxillary palpus basally pale yellow, centrally whitish, apically light brown; labial palpus whitish; clypeus and paraocular area ventrally light brown; malar space darkened, changing to gena ventrally light brown; supraclypeal area brown; supra-antennal area dorsally, vertex, and occiput dorsally and centrally, black; remainder of occiput and gena, fossa of scape and paraocular area dorsally, bright yellow. Antenna scape light brown, flagellum changing progressively from pedicel and f1–2 dark brown to flagellum centrally light brown to apically pale yellow, except last flagellomere apical 2/3 darkened; flagellum dorsally with a distinct light yellow stripe starting at apex of f6 and f7, taking all length of f8–13, ending with traces on f14–15.

Mesosoma black, with bright yellow areas as follows: Pronotum widely on latero-dorsal margin and ventroanterior margin; propleuron narrowly on lateral margin centrally; mesoscutum along posterior 0.75 of mesial margin of lateral lobe, scutellum, scutellar carina, postscutellum, subalar ridge, mesopleuron dorso-posteriorly, including entire hypoepimeron, and all of ventral portion, extending to ventral margin of epicneminum, dorsal division of metapleuron, metapleuron dorsal 0.7 except apex, propodeum laterally and longidudinally behind ATC. Wings hyaline.

Fore coxa yellow; mid coxa, except light brown dorsal apex, yellow; hind coxa black, dorsally on basal 0.7 and mesally bright yellow. Fore trochanter yellowish with small brown spot; mid trochanter brown except laterolongitudinally yellowish; hind trochanter black, dorso-longitudinally brown, apical margin yellowish. Fore and mid femora laterally light brown, dorso-lateral angle with narrow, diffuse, longitudinal yellow line, mesally brown with dorso-longitudinal, elongate, bright yellow stripe; hind femur dark brown, mesally with centro-longitudinal, elongate, bright yellow stripe. Fore and mid tibiae from basally light brown to progressively pale yellow on the correspondent apical tarsomeres; hind tibia black, basal 0.15 whitish, hind t1 basal 0.6 black, apical 0.4 white, hind t2–5 white.

Metasomal T1 basally brownish, otherwise black with apical 0.2 bright yellow; T2 progressing from basally dark brown to apically light brown; remaining tergites changing from T3 light brown or orangeish to T8 dark brown; T5–7 apical margin centrally with bright yellow mark or spot, which is triangular on T7. All sternites dark brown.

Variation ( Figs 6–7 ). Fore wing maximum length 5.78–5.96 mm. Antenna with 28–30 flagellomeres. Specimen FBB417 color lighter than others, with dark brown instead of black and face mostly yellowish ( Fig. 6 ). FBB417 and FBB154 with bright yellow marks on the posterior margin of all tergites ( Fig. 7 ).

MALE ( Figs 8–9 ). Moderately similar to female; most important differences as follows. Generally smaller, fore wing 4.06–6.06 mm (vs. 5.78–5.96). In two specimens, propodeum sculpturing coarser than in females. Color differences: antenna dorsally with a distinct central white band; clypeus and supra-clypeal area yellow; pronotum almost entirely yellow; mesopleural yellow marks larger; hind coxa dorsally on basal 0.7, mesally, and ventrally, bright yellow; hind t1 entirely black and hind t2 on basal 0.6 blackish; tergites dark brown with distinct yellow stripes on posterior margin.

Male variation. Pronotum black with dorsal margin and collar yellow on specimens FBB414, FBB160. Propodeum anterior to ATC with a lateral yellow spot (FBB158, FBB157). Hind t2 basal 0.6 blackish only ventrally (FBB413, FBB156). Hind t2 entirely whitish (FBB157). Lateral lobe of mesoscutum anterior apex with a yellow spot (FBB159, FBB413, FBB156, FBB157).

Comments. Together with D. gladiata sp. nov., differs from all other known Dismodix and Acerastes species by having a widely projected occipital carina ( Fig. 1 ) (vs. regular). Differs from D. gladiata mainly by the truncate end of the occipital carina (vs. pointy) ( Figs 1 vs. 13). The single hamulus on the posterior wing also appears to be a unique feature. Most similar to D. guaruja (Brèthes) by having the pronotum dorsal margin and collar yellow and mesoscutum with longitudinal yellow stripes but differs mainly by having a mesopleuron black with two large yellow marks and metapleuron mostly yellow (vs. meso and metapleuron orangeish), and tergites light brown to orangeish (vs. black with posterior whitish stripes).

Also resembles Acerastes femoralis (Szépligeti) in having the mesopleuron with two large yellow spots, a nearly entirely yellow metapleuron, mesoscutum with two longitudinal yellow stripes, and hyaline wings, but differs mainly by having T2–8 light brown to brown (vs. black with apical yellow stripes), clypeus and supraclypeal area brown (vs. yellow), and by occurring in a much lower elevation (70 m vs. 650 m).

Etymology. This species is dedicated to Camilo Cola, a Brazilian businessman and World War II veteran. Camilo left an influential legacy of environmental stewardship, resulting in the establishment of various preserved areas, including the site where all specimens of the new species were found.

Material examined. Total of 12 specimens, 5♀♀, 7♂♂. Holotype: BRAZIL, 1♀, ES, São Gabriel de Baunilha , Reserva Ambiental Camilo Cola , Point 5, 67m, -19.6022833, -40.4848667, 2023-01-16, 12/17-0300/17/50-0300, A.P.Aguiar expedition, 40 YPTs, FBB155 , UFES, About five days after trail treated with glyphosate • Paratypes: BRAZIL, 1♀, ES, São Gabriel de Baunilha, Reserva Ambiental Camilo Cola, Point 1, 67m, -19.5968833, - 40.4856333, 2023-04/05-22/07,?, A.P.Aguiar expedition, Malaise, FBB417 , UFES,? • 5ib, Point 4, ib, -19.6009333, -40.48505, 2023-01-16, 11/52-0300/17/44-0300, ib, 40 YPTs, FBB154 , ib, About five days after trail treated with glyphosate • 5ib, Point 5, ib, -19.6013833, -40.4849833, 2023-04-22, 10/29-0300/17/42h-0300, 2ib, FBB416 , 2 ib • 5ib, Point 6, ib, -19.6025167, -40.4848333, ib, 10/50-0300//17/51-0300, 2ib, FBB415 , ib,? • ib, 1♂, 3ib, Point 2, ib, -19.6003333, -40.4851333, 2023-01-16 /31,?, ib, Malaise, FBB156 , ib, Malaise installed about five days after trail treated with glyphosate • 13ib, FBB157 , 2 ib • 13ib, FBB158 , 2 ib • 13ib, FBB159 , 2 ib • 13ib, FBB160 , 2 ib • 5ib, Point 3, ib, -19.6021333, -40.4846167, 2023-04/05-22/07, 3ib, FBB413 , ib,? • 5ib, Point 4, ib, -19.6036333, -40.4843833, 4ib, FBB414 , 2 ib .

Holotype in triangle mount. Right antenna beyond flagellomere 5 missing, specimen otherwise in good condition.

Distribution. Southeastern Brazil.

Ecology. Specimens were gathered over a year-long sampling initiative in the 270-hectare Reserva Ambiental Camilo Cola, previously a pasture area, reforested in 2004. Four field expeditions, one per season, resulted in a combined sampling effort of 240 trap-days with Malaise traps and 300 trap-days with YPTs (yellow pan traps). Male specimens were solely collected with Malaise traps, while most females (4 out of 5) were captured in YPTs, consistent with observations by Aguiar & Santos (2010). Table 1 illustrates the temporal co-occurrence of males and females, while revealing exclusive collection during summer and autumn. This observation is intriguing as spring, by far the most productive season for Ichneumonidae and Hymenoptera in that ongoing study, did not yield any specimens of Dismodix .

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. Holotype female of Dismodix colai sp. nov., FBB155. 1, Habitus, with inset showing head in lateral view. 2, Head, frontal. 3, Body, dorsal. Scale = 1 mm.

FIGURES 4–7. Female of Dismodix colai sp. nov. 4, Mesosoma and propodeum, dorsal. Holotype. 5, Mesosoma, lateroventral. Holotype. 6, Head, frontal. Paratype FBB417. 7, Metasoma, dorsal. Paratype FBB154. Scale = 1 mm.

FIGURES 8–9. Male paratypes of Dismodix colai sp. nov. 8, Habitus of specimen FBB158. 6, Body, dorsal, specimen FBB156. Scale = 1 mm.