Triclistus amazopeikkus Sääksjärvi & Bordera, 2015, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Sääksjärvi, Ilari Eerikki
name: Bordera, Santiago
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Ichneumonidae
Triclistus
Triclistus amazopeikkus

description: Triclistus amazopeikkus sp. nov.
(Figs 1 A–B, 2A–F, 3A–E)
Diagnosis. The species is easily identified as Triclistus by the specialized form of the subgenital plate which is modified to support the thin ovipositor (Fig. 3 E). In addition, the species is dark colored (Figs 1 A–B) whereas most Colpotrochia Holmgren / Cubus Townes are mostly orange and black in coloration. Triclistus amazopeikkus sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from all other species of the genus by its extremely specialised face which is centrally projecting and forming an extraordinary sub-pyramidal prominence, ending anteriorly with two apical points (Figs 1 B, 2B–C). These in turn arise from lamellae, which are separated by vertical grooves from the antennal sockets (Fig. 2 B).
Description. Female: Body size, 4.9–5.4 mm. Fore wing length 3.2–3.6 mm.
Head: antennae with 20 flagellomeres, gradually narrowed towards the apex (Figs 1 A, 1B), first, second and subapical flagellomeres 5.0–5.3, 1.4 and 2.0 × as long as centrally broad, respectively; combined face and clypeus 1.0–1.1 × as long (from clypeal apex to level of antennal sockets) as wide (shortest distance between eyes) (Fig. 2 D); face centrally projecting, forming an extraordinary sub-pyramidal prominence (Fig. 2 A–C), ending apically with two points which arise from lamella and both vertical grooves separating it from antennal sockets (Fig. 2 B), shiny very densely and coarsely punctate at the prominence, gradually sparse ventrally (Fig. 2 C); prominence with strong longitudinal striae ventrally (Fig. 2 E); clypeus smooth and shiny, clypeal margin concave (Fig. 2 C); labrum exposed when mandibles closed (Fig. 2 C), 2.3–2.5 × as wide as long, shiny, with few sparse setiferous puctures, apical rim somewhat bilobed; mandible strongly tapered, somewhat bent upward at the apex, with upper tooth conspicuously longer than lower tooth; malar space 1.0–1.2 × as long as basal mandibular width; lateral ocellus separated from compound eye by 1.5–1.7 × maximum ocellar diameter; distance between posterior ocelli about 1.0 × maximum ocellar diameter (Fig. 2 B); head in dorsal view with gena slightly rounded and moderately constricted behind eyes (Fig. 2 B); gena, on lateral view 0.7–0.8 × as long as compound eyes, upper part mostly smooth and shiny, sparsely punctate behind ocelli, lateral part smooth and shiny, with a line of 5–6 brown small sensillae close and parallel to the posterior margin of eye, posteriorly with a group of 6–7 sensillae (Fig. 2 F, arrows); lower part gradually densely punctate (Fig. 2 C); vertex quite prominent, coarsely and densely punctate in interocellar space (Fig 2 A–B); frons coarsely and densely punctate, very leaning forward and confluent with the dorsal part of the facial subpiramidal prominence, crest between antennal toruli wide, laterally with two deep grooves to house the antennae when directed backwards (Fig. 2 B).
Mesosoma: pronotum shiny, very densely punctate on upper medial and lateral part, setae long; femoral concavities smooth and hairless; mesoscutum flat, coarsely and densely punctate (Fig. 1 A); notauli extending beyond centre, very weak (Fig. 1 B); scuto-scutellar groove deep and smooth; scutellum slightly convex, almost flat, with longitudinal lateral carinae reaching to about 0.4 × its length (Fig. 1 B); mesopleurum smooth and shiny, densely punctate anteriorly, impunctate posteriorly (Figs 1 A, 3A); mesosternal region with a flattened subtriangular process projecting backwards over the basis of the mid coxa (Fig. 3 A); metapleuron smooth and shiny, with isolated setae in anterior and posterior area, posterior upper corner forming a right angle (Fig. 3 A); submetapleural carina smooth, anteriorly expanded into a conspicuous triangular lobe (Fig. 3 A). Propodeum quite long and slightly convex, weakly declivitous and abruptly down-turned posteriorly with longitudinal carinae strong; confluent area basalis and area superomedia smooth and shiny, hairless (Fig. 3 B), confluent area externa and dentipara smooth and shiny with fine and sparse setiferous punctures (Fig. 3 B), confluent area spiracularis and area lateralis slightly rugulose-granulate, with very dense white pubescence (Fig. 3 A); posterior transverse carina strong; area peciolaris and area posteroexterna confluent, slightly rugulose-granulate with white pubescence; area coxalis forming a deep concavity with white setae (Fig. 3 A); spiracle elongate (Fig. 3 A). Front leg with tibial spur stout and claw-like (Fig. 3 C, arrow); mid leg with anterior tibial spur 0.8–0.9 x length posterior spur, not specialized; hind leg with anterior spur short and stout about 0.5 × length of posterior spur, both spurs strongly sclerotized apically, claw-like (Fig. 3 D); distal hind tarsomere without apparent hooked lobe on the inner side. Fore wing with vein 3 rs-m absent.
Metasoma: tergite I smooth and shiny, with fine and very sparse setiferous puctures laterally, 1.45 × as long as posteriorly broad, lateral longitudinal carinae reaching to spiracle, lateromedian carinae extending 0.5 × length of tergite (Fig. 3 B); tergite II smooth and shiny, with very fine and moderately dense setiferous punctures, denser laterally, about 0.92 × as long as posteriorly broad; rest of tergites with same microsculpture but punctures somewhat denser in last ones; subgenital plate with hind margin modified into deeply V-shaped concavity centrally (Fig. 3 E).
Colouration (Figs 1 A–B). Black. Antennae, central part of mandibles front and mid legs, and hind tibia basally yellow; hind coxa and femur, and distal apex of front and hind tibial spurs, dark brown; hind trochanters, distal part of hind tibia, hind tarsi, labrum and base of mandibles light brown; maxillae and labium entirely white.
Male. Unknown
Etymology. We are pleased to name the species as “ amazopeikkus ” which is a combination of names suggested by the children studying in the Kuparivuori School (class 4B), Naantali, Finland. The word “ amazo ” refers to Amazonia and the word “ peikkus ” is derived from the Finnish word “Peikko” (Peikko is a troll in Finnish). The name “ amazopeikkus ” means “the troll of Amazonia”. In our opinion, it describes well the extraordinary morphology and unknown habits of this species.
Material examined. Holotype female: Peru, Department of Loreto, National Reserve of Allpahuayo- Mishana, Malaise trap E1 (12), 14.IX.2000, Ilari E. Sääksjärvi et al. leg. (UNSM).
Paratype female: Peru, Department of Loreto, National Reserve of Allpahuayo-Mishana, Malaise trap C1, VIII–XII.1998, Ilari E. Sääksjärvi et al. leg. (ZMUT).
description: Published as part of Sääksjärvi, Ilari Eerikki & Bordera, Santiago, 2015, A bizarre new species of Triclistus Förster (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae; Metopiinae) from Amazonia, pp. 595-600 in Zootaxa 3955 (4) on pages 596-600, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3955.4.10, http://zenodo.org/record/240918