Thaictenopelma Ranjith, Reshchikov & Quicke 2024, gen. nov.
Creators: name: Ranjith, Avunjikkattu P.
name: Quicke, Donald L. J.
name: Reshchikov, Alexey
name: Butcher, Buntika A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Ichneumonidae
Thaictenopelma

description: Thaictenopelma Ranjith, Reshchikov & Quicke gen. nov.
Figs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, see Suppl. material 2
Type species.
Thaictenopelma splendida Ranjith, Reshchikov & Quicke gen. et sp. nov.
Diagnosis.
Thaictenopelma gen. nov. can be separated from all other ctenopelmatine genera by its putatively autapomorphic carination pattern of T 1 and T 2. In particular, the pairs of complete latero-median and dorso-lateral carinae on T 2 are completely unknown for the subfamily (Townes 1970). Additionally, the new genus can be distinguished from other ctenopelmatines by a combination of characters viz., the lower tooth of mandible being longer than upper tooth, propodeum with distinct carination, fore wing with rhombic areolet, T 2 and T 3 with posteriorly diverging groove basally, and T 3 with distinct medio-basal protuberances.
Description.
Female. Head. Eyes glabrous (Fig. 1 B, C). Clypeus flat separated from face only by series of punctures (clypeal groove indistinct to absent), apical margin slightly concave (Fig. 1 B). Mandible bidentate, lower tooth longer than upper tooth, the former more acute (Fig. 1 B, C). Face with a short protuberance between antennal sockets (Fig. 1 B). Malar space short, subocular sulcus absent (Figs 1 B, C, 2 B). Occipital carina complete (Fig. 2 A, B, Suppl. material 2), joining with hypostomal carina just above base of mandible (Fig. 2 B). Ocellar triangle with broad base, anterior ocellus slightly larger than posterior ocellus (Fig. 2 A). Frons anteriorly depressed without median sulcus or carina (Fig. 2 A). Terminal antennomere acute (Fig. 1 A).
Mesosoma. Mesosoma longer than high, setose (Fig. 2 C). Epomia absent (Fig. 2 C). Mesoscutum closely punctate (Fig. 2 D). Notauli slightly impressed anteriorly, largely absent posteriorly (Fig. 2 D). Mesopleuron closely punctate, smooth medially including speculum (Fig. 2 C). Epicnemial carina extending to half height, not joining anterior margin of mesopleuron (Fig. 2 C), complete ventrally (see Suppl. material 2). Scuto-scutellar groove smooth, not divided (Fig. 2 D). Scutellum slightly bulged in lateral view, lateral scutellar carina present only anteriorly (Fig. 2 D). Metanotum closely punctate medially, with irregular wrinkles laterally (Fig. 2 E). Metapleuron punctate, setose, submetapleural carina strong forming distinct lobe anteriorly, juxtacoxal carina absent (Fig. 2 C). Posterior transverse carina complete ventrally. Propodeum with distinct carinae, area basalis transverse, area superomedia hexagonal, as long as wide, smooth, area externa transverse, closely punctate, area dentipara subtriangular, closely punctate, setose, area petiolaris hexagonal, smooth, setose, area posteroexterna smooth, setose, anterior and posterior transverse carinae present, complete, pleural and lateral longitudinal carinae present, spiracle oval (Fig. 2 E).
Wings. Fore wing with rhombic areolet (Fig. 4 C). Vein 2 r & RS originating from the middle of pterostigma (Fig. 4 C). Vein 2 m-cu with single, rather wide bulla, joining areolet medially (Fig. 4 C). Vein 1 cu-a interstitial and declivous (Fig. 4 C). Vein CU originating below middle of first subdiscal cell (Fig. 4 C). Hind wing with CU & cu-a receiving distal abscissa of CU at middle (Fig. 4 C).
Legs. Fore tibia with acute lobe apically, with short spine on dorsal margin (Fig. 4 A). Fore and mid coxae smooth, hind coxa punctate (Figs 1 A, 3 A). Tarsal claw sparsely pectinate to middle (Fig. 4 B).
Metasoma. Metasoma coarsely punctate (Figs 2 F, 3). T 1 setose, transversely, coarsely rugose punctate with dorso-lateral carina (dmc) and latero-median carina (lmc) complete to apex, latero-median carinae with a trace of transverse carina extending laterally at apical 2 / 3 rd, ventro-lateral carina (vlc) present, complete, glymma present basally extending dorsally to join basal depression of tergite (not extending horizontally so that both glymmae are only separated from the dorsal depression by a thin, translucent partition), baso-dorsal depression separated by longitudinal tubercle, posterior margin of T 1 convex medially, spiracle located slightly anterior to mid-length (Figs 2 F, 3 A, B). S 1 present in basal ¼ th, divided from T 1 posteriorly (Fig. 3 A, B). T 2 coarsely punctate with dorso-lateral and latero-median carinae with a trace of transverse carina extending laterally at apical 2 / 3 rd, pair of posteriorly diverging grooves present baso-laterally, spiracle situated at basal 1 / 3 rd below lateral longitudinal carina, setose posteriorly (Fig. 3 A, C). T 3 punctate to rugose punctate (less coarse than T 2) with posteriorly diverging groove baso-laterally and a pair of protuberances medio-basally, sparsely setose medially and distinctly setose posteriolry (Fig. 3 C). T 4–7 closely punctate (less coarse than T 3) without carinae, setose (Fig. 3 A, C). Ovipositor sheath setose (Fig. 3 A). Ovipositor with distinct dorsal notch, without dorsal nodus dorso-apically (Fig. 3 A, Suppl. material 2).
Etymology.
The generic name derived from a combination of ‘ Thai ’ for Thailand and ‘ Ctenopelma ’, type genus of the subfamily Ctenopelmatinae.
Distribution.
Thailand.
Species included.
The genus is described as monotypic.
description: Published as part of Ranjith, Avunjikkattu P., Quicke, Donald L. J., Reshchikov, Alexey & Butcher, Buntika A., 2024, A new enigmatic genus of the ichneumonid subfamily Ctenopelmatinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) from Thailand, pp. 491-504 in Journal of Hymenoptera Research 97 on pages 491-504, DOI: 10.3897/jhr.97.121436