Perithous escondidus Khalaim & Ruiz-Cancino 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Khalaim, Andrey I.
name: Ruíz-Cancino, Enrique
name: Coronado-Blanco, Juana María
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Ichneumonidae
Perithous
Perithous escondidus

description: 2. Perithous escondidus Khalaim & Ruíz-Cancino, sp. nov.
(Figs 1–10)
Material examined. Holotype female (TAMU), Mexico, State of Nuevo León, 5.3 mi. S of La Escondida, 8.VII.1986, coll. Kovarik & Schaffner.
Description. Female. Body length (without ovipositor) 8.7 mm. Fore wing length 7.1 mm.
Head strongly tapered behind eyes in dorsal view. Mandible robust, with upper tooth broader and longer than the lower tooth (Fig. 3). Malar space almost 0.25× as long as basal mandibular width (Fig. 3). Clypeus 1.85× as broad as long, apically bilobate (Fig. 3), slightly convex in upper 0.4, impressed in lower half. Face transverse, about 1.4× as broad (minimum distance between inner margins of eyes) as long (distance from clypeal sulcus to the level of bases of antennae). Antenna with scape very obliquely truncate, angled at about 50°; flagellum with 31 flagellomeres. Lateral ocellus separated from eye margin by 1.5× maximum diameter of lateral ocellus. Face, frons, vertex and gena very finely punctate on polished background (lower part of frons impunctate).
Epomia distinct, curved (Fig. 6). Pronotum entirely polished, impunctate (Fig. 6). Mesoscutum subpolished, with very fine, indistinct punctures (Fig. 5). Notaulus distinct on anterolateral side of mesoscutum (Figs 5, 6). Epicnemial carina present ventrally and laterally. Mesopleuron polished, with very fine and sparse punctures (Fig. 6). Metapleuron polished, impunctate (Fig. 6). Submetapleural carina complete (Fig. 6). Propodeum (Figs 4, 5) with weak dorsomedian impression anteriorly, almost ecarinate, with only posterior transverse carina distinct laterally and vestigial medially; propodeum smooth, punctate in anterior part (punctures sparser anteriorly and denser centrally), impunctate posteriorly. Metapleuron separated from propodeum by distinct carina (Fig. 6). Propodeal spiracle round, situated distinctly above pleural carina (Fig. 6).
Fore wing (Figs 1, 2) with 1cu-a (nervulus) slightly distad M&RS (basal vein). Areolet pentagonal. Hind wing (Fig. 1) with nervellus intercepted in anterior 0.4, distal section of CU distinct. Tarsal claw large, strongly curved, simple (Fig. 8).
Metasoma depressed. First tergite 1.45× as long as posteriorly broad, without basolateral teeth (Fig. 9); lateromedian longitudinal carinae developed in basal 0.25, dorsolateral longitudinal carinae strong and complete. Second tergite almost 1.3× as long as broad (Fig. 9). Tergites 1–3 smooth, distinctly punctate except posterior 0.2 (Fig. 9). Tergites 2–4 with lateral swellings (Fig. 9). Ovipositor long and very slender (Fig. 1), upcurved, compressed laterally, apically with weak but distinct nodus and teeth, most distal ends of tooth-bearing parts of lower valves free (Fig. 10); sheath almost 1.3× as long as fore wing (Fig. 1).
Head black; anterior eye orbits (from clypeus to level of lateral ocelli) white (Figs 3, 5); clypeus in upper 0.3 and laterally whitish (Fig. 3); mandible white, teeth dark reddish brown (Fig. 3). Palpi whitish. Antenna brown to dark brown, scape and pedicel ventrally whitish. Mesosoma predominantly black (Figs 5, 6); pronotum with upper lateral margin white (Fig. 6); mesoscutum orange-brown, peripherally blackish (Fig. 5); scutellum orange-brown, laterally blackish, posteriorly white (Fig. 5); postscutellum white (Fig. 5); mesopleuron predominantly orangebrown, paler ventrally, darkened in upper part, with subtegular prominence widely white (Fig. 6); propodeum with posteromedian arcuate white mark (Fig. 4). Tegula white. Wing hyaline, veins and pterostigma pale brown (Fig. 2). Fore and mid legs predominantly whitish; mid femur pale orange; apex of fore tarsomere 5 and apices of all mid tarsomeres blackish. Hind leg (Fig. 7) with coxa, trochanter, trochantellus and femur orange; tibia white with subbasal and apical fuscous bands; tarsus white, all tarsomeres apically blackish. Metasoma (Figs 1, 9) reddish brown to dark brown; first tergite with median white mark posteriorly; tergites 2–6 with posterior transverse white bands. Ovipositor sheath dark brown basally to pale brown apically.
Male. Unknown.
Etymology. The species is named after the type locality, [La] Escondida.
Distribution. Northeast Mexico (Nuevo León).
Comparison. The new species is morphologically similar to P. scurra and P. divinator but differs from the both species by having hind leg with tibia and tarsus white with blackish markings (predominantly red in two other species); also differs from P. scurrai by lack of anteromedian keel on the second tergite (Fig. 9) and shorter ovipositor (Fig. 1), and from P. divinator by longer second tergite (Fig. 9). See also the key to species.
description: Published as part of Khalaim, Andrey I., Ruíz-Cancino, Enrique & Coronado-Blanco, Juana María, 2023, First records of Perithous Holmgren (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae) and Neoxorides Clément (Poemeniinae) from Mexico, pp. 440-450 in Zootaxa 5264 (3) on pages 442-443, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5264.3.11, http://zenodo.org/record/7836635