Zonopimpla pseudoatriceps Valera & Diaz, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Valera, Neicy
name: Díaz, Francisco
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Ichneumonidae
Zonopimpla
Zonopimpla pseudoatriceps

description: Zonopimpla pseudoatriceps Valera & Díaz, sp. nov.
(Figs 3, 7, 11, 16)
Female: Mandibles moderately tapered, upper tooth longer, stouter than lower tooth, upper tooth 1.3–1.4 times length, 2 width of lower tooth; malar space 0.3 times basal mandibular width; lower face polished, with sparse fine punctuation and fine hairs, 1.3–1.4 times as wide as medially high from supraclypeal suture to level of insertion of antenna. Head in dorsal view with genae evenly rounded behind eye; posterior ocellus separated from eye by 1.0–1.1 times its own maximum diameter; ocelli forming a wide-based isosceles triangle. Pronotum shining, with evident punctuation. Mesoscutum with sparse fine punctuation, glabrax, anteriorly steeply rounded, notauli moderately impressed; mesopleuron shining, very finely punctuate, with fine hairs spread evenly over 2/3 lower; epicnemial carina reaching to level of lower corner of pronotum; metapleuron smooth, with long and fine hairs scattered over lower posterior corner; submetapleural carina complete. Propodeum in profile abruptly declivous, with fine punctuation, with scattered long hairs laterally; pleural carina absent. Fore wing length 10.8–13.5 mm; vein 3rs-m complete, enclosing an obliquely rhombic areolet; abscissa of Cu1 between 1 m-cu and Cu1b 1.9–2.3 times as long as Cu1b; hind wing with abscissa of Cu1 between M and cu-a straight, 3.1–3.8 times as long as cu-a. Metasoma stout; tergite 1 about as long as posteriorly broad, with anteriorly smooth, broadly concave, central area defined laterally by longitudinal carinae extending almost to end of tergite, posterior part of tergite smooth, with long and fine hairs on lateral margins and posterior corners; tergite 1 in profile steeply rounded, lateral carina present, but inconspicuous; tergite 2 with convex central area, surface almost smooth, with long hairs on lateral margins and on posterior corners; tergites 3–5 with biconvex central area, with fine punctures. Ovipositor length 8.8–11.3 mm, projecting beyond apex of metasoma by 2.4–2.6 times the length of hind tibia; subgenital plate centrally membranous, ovipositor shaft straight, slender and subcylindrical, apex of lower valve not dorsolaterally expanded, not enclosing upper valve, with distinct oblique teeth; apex of upper valve slightly flattened, with weak nodus.
Color: Head black, antennae black with the last three segments orange; palpi white; mesosoma predominantly orange, pronotum black, sometimes mesopleura with dark brown spots on central area and inferoposterior angle and metapleura with dark brown spots on lower area. Propodeum with sparse dark brown spots unevenly distributed. Fore legs orange, with coxae entirely or partially dark brown; middle legs orange, coxae dark brown. Hind legs orange with coxae, trochanter, apex of tibiae and tarsus black. Tegula similar in color mesosoma. Wings with apical dark band occupying 1/3 of its length and subtriangular infuscate spot close to vein Rs&M, pterostigma yellow. Metasoma orange, last four segments black. Ovipositor reddish, sheath black.
Male: Unknown.
Variations: One specimen presented just two metasoma segments black. Similarly, a steeply change in color pattern of mesosoma was observed from dark areas, almost black, up to totally black areas on mesosoma.
Etimology: This species is named by its resemblance to Z. atriceps.
Comments: Z. pseudoatriceps and Z. atriceps are unique in genus by showing the following combination of characters: presence of strong lateromedial carina projecting up to end of tergite 1 and absence of pleural carina. Both species could be distinguished by Z. pseudoatriceps has apical dark band on wings and has the last four metasomal segments black in comparison with Z. atriceps which has wings uniformly blackish infumate and metasoma orange.
Material examined: Holotype female, Venezuela, Lara state, Pico Pico, 1200 m, IX-1981 (Morales) (UCOB). Paratypes, Venezuela, Amazonas state, 1 female, Santa Rosa de Amandona, XI-1982 (Chacón & Yépez) (MIZA); Aragua state, 1 female, Rancho Grande, 1100 m, V-1951 (Fernández) (MIZA); 1 female, Rancho Grande, Portachuelo, 1100 m, V-1980 (Clavijo) (MIZA); 1 female, Tiara, 1200 m, VI-1993 (Chacón) (MIZA); Bolívar state, 1 female, Río Caura, Salto Par, IV-1984 (Bechyn) (MIZA); 1 female, San Joaquín de Navay, 400 m, VI-1979 (Chacón) (MIZA); Yaracuy state, 1 female, La Virgen, vía Chivacoa, 660 m, IX-1984 (JM Osorio) (UCOB).
description: Published as part of Valera, Neicy & Díaz, Francisco, 2010, Nine new Zonopimpla Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae) and key to species from Venezuela, pp. 37-51 in Zootaxa 2438 on pages 43-44, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.194900