Lymeon scitula Kasparyan 2021, sp.n.
Creators: name: Kasparyan, D. R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Ichneumonidae
Lymeon
Lymeon scitula

description: Lymeon scitula Kasparyan, sp.n.
Figs 4–8.
MATERIAL EXAMINED. Holotype: ♀, Mexico, Veracruz, Municipio Teocelo, Tejerias, Malaise trap, November 2016 (M. López-Ortega) (UNAM).
COMPARISION. Lymeon scitula sp.n. is similar to L. xalapensis sp.n. in general habitus, colouration (pale reddish metasoma and legs, mesosoma predominantly black with white markings), and lack of the apical transverse carina which in both species is represented by a pair of low and wide obtuse apophyses (Figs 7, 12). Lymeon scitula may easily be distinguished from L. xalapensis by black speculum and mesosternum, completely black mesoscutum (Fig. 6), longer petiole (compare Figs 7 and 12) and tergites 7 and 8 with white dorsal spot (compare Figs 4 and 9). Lymeon scitula is also similar to L. maculipennis Kasparyan, 2017 and L. yanegai Kasparyan, 2004 as all these species possess the apical transverse carina reduced, metasoma reddish, and clypeus with a pair of small median teeth on its lower margin; the two latter species can easily be distinguished from all other known species by entirely pale reddish body with head mainly yellow. The differences from these and other North American species with reddish metasoma are given below in the key.
DESCRIPTION. Female (holotype). Fore wing length 4.5 mm. Antenna with 22 flagellomeres; flagellomeres 1 and 2 almost subequal and combined about 1.52 times as long as maximum diameter of eye; flagellomeres 4–9 weakly compressed and broadened, 1.3 as wide as flagellomeres 1 and 2. Flagellomeres 10–21 are subcylindrical, about 1.33 times as long as wide; the apical one 2.5 times as long as wide, it is of same diameter as previous ones. Face mat, evenly finely granulate with sparse inconspicuous setiferous punctures, the setae very fine and moderately long. Clypeus rather strongly and evenly convex in profile, smooth with scarce punctures; its lower margin sharp and with two small median teeth. Frons mat, with weak median longitudinal carina, evenly granulate with dense and moderately fine punctures, its lower half above antennal sockets with a pair of superficial concavities; ocellar area rugose-punctate. Head very strongly narrowed behind eyes (dorsal view). Temple broadened to mandibles, in profile their maximum length about 2 times more than its minimum length at level of dorsal 0.25 of eye. Occipital carina weakly sinuate before its connection with hypostomal carina; oral carina as high as occipital carina and about 0.5 times as long as basal width of mandible. Malar space 0.8 times as long as basal width of mandible. Mandible rather narrow at apex, its upper tooth 1.3 times as long as lower tooth.
Epomia distinct, rather short. Notauli distinct. Mesoscutum mat, very finely granulose, covered with moderately dense short setae. Prescutellar groove without transverse rugae. Scutellum polished with scarce punctures. Mesopleuron mat, covered with dense longitudinal rugosity and with inconspicuous rather sparse setiferous punctures, the setae moderately short; rugae rather coarse in upper half of mesopleuron and finer in lower half; rugae absent below sternaulus. Speculum large and polished. Mesosternum finely granulate with very fine transverse striation, covered with fine and sparse setiferous punctures. Metapleuron finely granulate, in lower 0.4 with thin oblique fine striae; its upper division (just behind upper part of epimeron) smooth with moderately sparse punctures. Postscutellum in basal 0.7 with lateral carinae and with a deep pit in basal corner. Groove between propodeum and metanotum just behind postscutellum narrow and deep. Propodeum with the basal transverse carina thin and complete; the apical transverse carina absent and represented by a pair of large apophyses; apophyses conical, wide, obtuse, 0.5 times as long as wide at base (Fig. 7). Propodeum before the basal transverse carina evenly finely granulate, beyond this carina to apophyses with fine granulation with fine transverse rugosity; beyond apophyses level with coarse transverse rugae and with coarse reticulation between apophyses; basal area very narrow posteriorly and broad anteriorly. Propodeum behind basal transverse carina entirely scabrous (in irregular small rugosity); apical transverse carina absent.
Areolet small, about half as long as 2nd recurrent vein above the bulla (Fig. 4). Nervulus about interstitial (shortly antefurcal); postnervulus intercepted at anterior 0.33. Nervellus intercepted at posterior 0.36; brachiella present, reaching about 0.5 of distance to wing margin. Hind femur 5.7 times as long as wide. Proportions of length of hind tarsomeres 1–5: 7.2: 3.1: 2.2: 0.8: 1.8.
Metasomal segment 1 slender, 2.9 times as long as wide at posterior margin and 7 times as long as minimum width of petiole; first tergite evenly covered with dense granulation except for its extreme base and apex, dorsolateral and ventrolateral carinae absent. Tergite 2 at posterior margin 2.2 times as wide as at anterior margin and 1.15 times as long as maximum width; its surface mat, very evenly and finely granulate with very scarce short setae; sculpture of following tergites rather similar to that of tergite 2 but finer and smoother on each subsequent tergite and becomes hardly discernible on tergite 7. Tip of dorsal valve of ovipositor behind the nodus rather slender, as long as segment 2 of hind tarsus and about 5.0 times as long as height of ovipositor on nodus (Fig. 8). Ovipositor 1.3 times as long as hind tibia, ovipositor sheath about as long as tibia.
Antenna black, flagellomeres 4–10 white dorsally, blackish ventrally; scape and pedicel blackish, scape whitish ventrally. Head with face, clypeus, mouthparts and orbits completely whitish; black are broad median longitudinal band from antennal sockets to occipital carina, hind half of temple and vertex, and entire occiput. Mesosoma black with white markings and reddish in posterior third of propodeum beyond apophyses (Figs 4, 6–7); propleuron white, mesoscutum and mesosternum entirely black; scutellum whitish with hind margin black, apophyses of propodeum white. Fore wing weakly infuscate in apical 0.2, on brachial cell and on posterior half of discomedian cell. Fore and mid coxae and their trochanters white; their trochantelli light brownish with white marking on anterior side. Fore and mid femora and tibiae light brownish, tarsi brownish. Hind coxa, trochantellus and femur completely reddish, hind trochanter blackish with reddish dorsal marking; hind tibia light brownish with blackish extreme base and obscure subbasal pale marking; hind spurs brown. Hind tarsus white with basal 0.25–0.3 of basitarsus and entire tarsomere 5 blackish. Metasomal tergites pale reddish with apical 0.15 of tergite 1 whitish, and tergites 7 and 8 with white apical spot (Fig. 4), sternites 2–4 predominantly dark brown, sternites 5 and 6 light brown.
Male. Unknown.
ETYMOLOGY. The name “ scitula ” emphasizes the similarity of the new species in habitus and colouration with the abundant Mexican species Diapetimorpha scitula (Cresson, 1873).
REMARKS. Diapetimorpha scitula (Cresson, 1873) may be distinguished from L. scitula sp.n. in having the first metasomal tergite with lateral tooth at base (such tooth is typical for Diapetimorpha and many other genera of Goryphina), in having mesoscutum with two median yellowish stripes, white spot covering apophyses larger and extending from basal transverse carina to hind edge of propodeum, and the apophyses longer and depressed.
description: Published as part of Kasparyan, D. R., 2021, Three new ichneumonid species of the genus Lymeon Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Cryptinae) from Mexico, pp. 84-92 in Russian Entomological Journal 30 (1) on pages 87-88, DOI: 10.15298/rusentj.30.1.10, http://zenodo.org/record/10978441