Mesoleptidea japonica Watanabe, 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Watanabe, Kyohei
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Ichneumonidae
Mesoleptidea
Mesoleptidea japonica

description: Mesoleptidea japonica sp. nov.   (SJN: Nippon-hoso-maru-himebachi)  
(Figs. 12A–G, 38G, 40G)  
 Type series. Holotype: JAPAN, KPM-NK 81351, F, Nagano Pref., Ueda City, Sugadaira-kogen, 4–25. VI. 2015, S. Shimizu leg. (MsT). Paratypes: JAPAN, KPM-NK 84862–84870, 7 F & 2 M, Hokkaido, Hidaka Town, Uenzaru-gawa, 1–28. VIII. 2007, A. Ueda leg. (MsT); KPM-NK 84871–84885, 5 F & 10 M, Hokkaido, Horokanai Town, Uryu, 11–17. VII. 2012, K. Watanabe et al. leg. (MsT); OMNH, 1 F & 1 M, ditto; TMNH, 1 F & 1 M, ditto; KPM-NK 84886, M, ditto, 16. VII. 2012, M. Ito leg.; KPM-NK 84887, M, ditto, 17. VII. 2012, K. Watanabe leg.; KPM-NK 84888, M, same data of holotype; KPM-NK 84889, F, Nagano Pref., Fujimi Town, Sakai-Hirohara, 23. VII. 2019, T. Amano leg.; KPM-NK 84890, M, Nagano Pref., Kawakami Vil., Azusayama, 14. VI. 2015, K. Watanabe leg.; KPM-NK 84891, 84892, 1 F & 1 M, Toyama Pref., Toyama City, Arimine, Inonedani, 7–14. VII. 2009, M. Watanabe et al. leg. (MsT); KPM-NK 84893, F, ditto, 14–21. VII. 2009.   
 Description. Female (n = 18). Body length 7.1–10.6 (HT: 10.0) mm, covered with silver setae.   
Head 0.6 × as long as wide in dorsal view, matt and finely punctate. Clypeus 2.4–2.6 (HT: 2.5) × as broad as high, densely punctate dorsally, sparsely punctate ventrally, lower margin with a sharrow median concavity (Fig. 40G). Face 1.7–1.8 (HT: 1.8) × as broad as high, densely punctate, flat. Dorsal profile of gena as Fig. 38G. Occipital carina complete. Length of malar space 0.9–0.95 (HT: 0.9) × as long as basal width of mandible. POL 0.7–0.8 (HT: 0.75) × as long as OD. OOL 1.2–1.4 (HT: 1.3) × as long as OD. Antenna with 35–40 (HT: 39) flagellomeres. FL I 5.7–6.65 (HT: 6.65) × as long as maximum depth, 1.55–1.8 (HT: 1.8) × as long as FL II.  
Mesosoma polished, finely and densely punctate. Epomia short or absent (HT: short). Epicnemial carina present laterally and ventrally, its dorsal end situated near anterior margin of mesopleuron. Speculum with smooth area. Mesopleuron with oblique rugae in front of speculum. Interspace of punctures of mesopleuron and propodeum subpolished (Fig. 12E). Metapleuron without distinct punctures (Fig. 12D). Propodeum matt, without carinae except for pleural carina, area superomedia and area petiolaris defined by rugulose surface, without longitudinal smooth area dorsally (Fig. 12E). Fore wing length 6.5–8.9 (HT: 8.9) mm. Areolet absent. Fore wing vein 1cu-a postfurcal or interstitial (HT: postfurcal) to vein M&RS. Nervellus subvertical, intercepted posterior the middle. Tarsal claws simple. Hind femur 5.95–6.2 (HT: 6.0) × as long as maximum depth in lateral view. Ratio of length of hind first to fifth tarsomeres 4.0–4.2 (HT: 4.2): 2.0: 1.5–1.6 (HT: 1.5): 0.9–0.95 (HT: 0.9): 1.0–1.05 (HT: 1.05).  
Metasoma matt. T I 2.9–3.3 (HT: 2.9) × as long as maximum width. T II 1.05–1.4 (HT: 1.4) × as long as maximum width. Ovipositor sheath 0.18–0.25 (HT: 0.2) × as long as hind tibia.  
Colouration (Figs. 12A–E). Body (excluding wings and legs) black. A pair of markings of frontal orbit and facial orbit, a pair of longitudinal stripes below antennal sockets on face (partly obscured), lower part of clypeus, mandible except for basal part and teeth, ventral surface of antennal, and postero-dorsal corner of pronotum yellowish brown. Palpi and tegula yellow to whitish yellow. Posterior margins of metasomal tergites narrowly tinged with whitish yellow (this area of T II and T III wider than other tergites). Lateral sides of T II to T VII more or less tinged with whitish yellow (sometimes T V to T VII entirely black). Yellowish brown area of face sometimes reduced (Fig. 12C). Ventral surface of scape sometimes yellow. Wings hyaline. Veins and pterostigma yellowish brown except for yellow wing base. Fore and mid legs and hind coxa reddish brown. Hind trochantellus, subbasal part of hind tibia, and tibial spurs whitish yellow. Hind trochanter, femur, tibia except for subbasal whitish yellow area, and hind tarsus blackish brown to black.  
 Male (n = 19). Similar to female. T I 3.0–3.4 × as long as maximum width. T II 1.3–1.5 × as long as maximum width. Antenna with 35–41 flagellomeres. Ratio of length of hind first to fifth tarsomeres 3.8–3.9: 2.0: 1.5: 0.9–0.95: 0.9. A pair of markings of frontal orbit, face, clypeus, malar space, lower part of gena, mandible except for teeth, ventral surface of scape, lower part of pronotum, a pair of triangle markings of antero-lateral part of mesoscutum, a spot of scutellum (sometimes indistinct), subtegular ridge, ventral part of mesopleuron, and mesosternum yellow (Figs. 12F, G). Fore and mid legs paler than female (Fig. 12F).   
 Distribution. Japan (Hokkaido and Honshu).   
 Bionomics. Unknown.   
 Etymology. The specific name is from Japan.   
 Remarks. This species resembles Mesolep. cingulata (Gravenhorst, 1829) in the absence of the areolet, the red hind coxa, and the partly white-margined metasomal tergites. However, this species can be distinguished by the predominantly black female face (predominantly yellow in Mesolep. cingulata), the entirely black female mesosoma (with yellow markings on collar and mesoscutum in Mesolep. cingulata), the entirely black mesoscutum (sometimes red in Mesolep. cingulata), and the darkened and usually blackish brown hind femur.
description: Published as part of Watanabe, Kyohei, 2024, Taxonomic Study of Japanese Ctenopelmatinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), with Descriptions of 22 New Species, pp. 39-102 in Bulletin of the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum (Natural Science) 53 on pages 58-60, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13237363