Nonnus barnesae Wahl & Bennett 2020, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Wahl, David B.
name: Bennett, Andrew M. R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Ichneumonidae
Nonnus
Nonnus barnesae

description: Nonnus barnesae Wahl & Bennett, sp. nov.
(Figs. 3–5, 15)
Diagnosis. Nonnus barnesae is easily distinguished from other North and Central American species by its mesosomal pattern of black areas on a brownish-red background (Figs. 3–5).
Description. Female. Structure. 1. Supraclypeal area centrally smooth and punctate, punctures deep and ranging from adjacent to separated by 0.5× their diameter; supraclypeal width just below antennal sockets: width just above clypeal suture = 1.0: 0.7–0.8; eyes strongly convergent ventrally. 2. Supra-antennal area without projections; antenna with 42–46 flagellomeres. 3. Mesosoma elongate, about 1.7× as long as deep. 4. Lateral face of pronotum with posterodorsal area centrally weakly to moderately granulate with small scattered shallow punctures, dorsal and posterior margins granulosopunctate. 5. Mesopleuron centrally smooth to weakly granulate, punctures 15–30 μm in diameter and separated by 0.3–1.0× their diameter. 6. Mesoscutum with lateral lobe granulate with shallow punctures separated by 0.3–1.0× their diameter; median lobe defined by shallow notauli extending about 0.7× length of mesoscutum. 7. Ventral division of metapleuron granulate, punctures about 15 μm in diameter and separated by 0.3–0.5× their diameter. 8. Propodeum granulate and with scattered punctures; carinae absent except for posterior transverse carina (PTC) and sections of median longitudinal carinae between PTC and propodeal apex; area anterad PTC with numerous strong rugulae, longitudinal near PTC then becoming transverse, extending about 0.8 distance to anterior propodeal margin and confined to median 0.3 of propodeum. 9. MS1 slender, usually with weak dorsal convexity on petiole (Fig. 3). 10. Thyridium ovoid, granulate and of lighter color than surrounding tergite, and connected to base of T2 by narrow ridge (as in Fig. 11). 11. Ovipositor 2.4–2.8× as long as length as hind femur, straight with apical 0.3 slightly decurved (occasionally flexed to form gentle curve). Color. Head black to fuscous, with apical 0.5 of mandible dark brown; antenna dark brown to fuscous except for white dorsal surfaces of flagellomeres 1–4 (becoming progressively reduced until flagellomere 4 with only narrow short strip or sometimes with strip absent) and white band on flagellomeres 10–16 (comprising 4–6 flagellomeres for any one individual; note band is symmetrical, not extending further on dorsal surface than on ventral). Mesosoma brownish-red with following areas black/fuscous: propleuron, median region of median mesoscutal lobe, ventral 0.3 of mesopleuron and mesothoracic venter, ventral anterior region of metapleural ventral division, paired ovoids on propodeum immediately adjacent to propodeal-metanotal sulcus. Legs brownish-red. Wings with membrane with weak brown tint, and veins brown to dark brown. Metasoma: MS1 varying from completely brownish-red to having basal 0.2, ventral area, and apical 0.2 of postpetiole dark brown/fuscous; T2–3 varying from completely brownish-red to being dark brown with only apicolateral areas dark brownish-red to being completely dark brown; T4+ light brown to fuscous except for yellowish-white median mark on T7 posterior margin. Measurements. Body 14.8–16.3 mm (14.8 mm); fore wing 8.3–10.4 mm (8.5 mm).
Male. Structure. 1. Supraclypeal area smooth and punctate, punctures deep and ranging from adjacent to separated by 0.5× their diameter; supraclypeal width just below antennal sockets: width just above clypeal suture = 1.0: 0.7–0.8; eyes strongly convergent ventrally. 2. Supra-antennal area without paired median lamellar projections below median ocellus; antenna usually with 49–52 flagellomeres (Arizona specimen with 45 flagellomeres). 3. Mesosoma elongate, about 1.7× as long as deep. 4. Lateral face of pronotum with posterodorsal area centrally smooth, ranging from impunctate to having small scattered punctures dorsally and posteriorly, dorsal margin puncatate and posterior margins crenulate. 5. Mesopleuron centrally smooth, punctures 10–30 μm in diameter and separated by 0.5–1.0× their diameter. 6. Mesoscutum with lateral lobe weakly granulate to smooth, with deep punctures separated by 0.5–2.0× their diameter; median lobe defined by shallow notauli extending about 0.7× length of mesoscutum. 7. Ventral division of metapleuron smooth, punctures 7–15 μm in diameter and separated by 1.0–4.0× their diameter. 8. Propodeum smooth to weakly granulate, lateral margins usually with weak punctures separated by 0.3–0.5× their diameter; carinae absent except for PTC and sections of median longitudinal carinae between PTC and propodeal apex; area anterad PTC with numerous strong rugulae, longitudinal near PTC then becoming transverse, extending about 0.8 distance to anterior propodeal margin and confined to median 0.3 of propodeum. 9. MS1 slender, without weak dorsal convexity on petiole. 10. Thyridium extremely elongate and almost effaced; not connected to base of T2 by narrow ridge (as in Fig. 11). Color. Head black to fuscous, with apical 0.5 of mandible dark brown, clypeus rarely with 0.3 of apical margin dark brown; antenna dark brown to fuscous except for white (completely or partially) flagellomeres 15–21 (comprising 2–7 flagellomeres for any one individual). Mesosoma brownish-red with following areas black/fuscous: anterior 0.8 of median mesoscutal lobe, ventral 0.3 of mesopleuron and mesothoracic venter, ventral division of metapleuron except for dorsal lateral region, ovoid on dorsal division of metapleuron, paired ovoids on propodeum immediately adjacent to propodeal-metanotal sulcus (occasionally absent); propleuron dark brown on basal 0.5. Fore and middle legs brownish-red except for brownish-yellow trochanter and trochantellus of fore leg, and occasional brown ventral surface of fore and middle coxae. Hind leg with coxa, trochanter, trochantellus, and femur brownish-red except for occasional dark brown of coxal ventral surface; tibia with basal 0.7 brownish-red, apical 0.3 dark brown; tarsus with basal 0.8 of tarsomere 1 and tarsomeres 4–5 dark brown, remainder of tarsus white. Wings with membrane with weak brown tint, and veins brown to dark brown. Metasoma: MS1 brownish-red, with brown anterior 0.2 and dorsal and ventral surfaces; T2–4 usually brownish-red except for brown of median 0.9 of T2 and apical 0.3 of T4; T5 ranging from completely dark brown to mottled with brownishred; T6+ dark brown/fuscous. Measurements. Body 11.8–18.0 mm; fore wing 7.3–9.0 mm.
Material. Holotype F: MEXICO, Durango: 24 mi. west of La Ciudad, 7000 ft., 25.vi.1964, W.R.M. Mason (CNCI). Condition of holotype: intact except for missing left hind tarsus. Paratypes. MEXICO, Colima: 3FF, 1M, 9 mi. NE Comala, 17–18.vii.1983, Kovarik-Harrison-Schaffner (TAMU); Durango: 1F, 3 mi. east of El Salto, 8400 ft., 21.vi.1964, W.R.M. Mason (EMUS); 1F, same data as preceding except 8500 ft. and 10.vii.1964 (CNCI); 1M, 8 mi. east of El Salto, 8500 ft., 23.vi.1964, W.R.M. Mason (CNCI); 1F, 10 mi. west of El Salto, 9000 ft., 8.vii.1964, W.R.M. Mason (CNCI); Jalisco: 1F, Nevado de Colima road, 8 mi. west of highway junction (near Atenquique), 3.viii.1988, Ferreira & Schaffner (TAMU); Michoacan: 1M, Tancitaro, 6586 ft., 15.vii.1940, Hoogstraal & Knight (EMUS); Morelos: 1F, 15 km. north of Cuernevaca, 4.vii.1951, H.E. Evans (EMUS); Oaxaca: 1F, Vista Hermosa (17° 37’ 59.0”N, 96° 20’ 31.6”W), 1450 m, 20.x.1962, H. & M. Townes (EMUS); Sinaloa: 1F, 15 mi. west of El Palmito, 5000 ft., 25.vii.1964, W.R.M. Mason (CNCI); 1M, same data as preceding except 30.vii.1964 (CNCI); 3M, same data as preceding except 4.viii.1964 (CNCI, EMUS). USA, Arizona: Coconino Co., Coconino National Forest, Kinder Crossing (34° 33.93’N, 111° 08.7’W), 6460 ft., 10.ix.2014, J.E. O’Hara (CNCI).
Comments. Nonnus barnesae is one of the most distinctive North and Central American Nonnus species. While there are quite a few species with a predominately brownish-red body coloration, such as N. antennatus Cresson (Fig. 9), none of them have the barnesae pattern of black areas on the mesosoma (Figs. 3–5).
There is some minor variation in color pattern. In females: 1) the propleuron can have the lateral margins brownish-red; 2) the mesothoracic venter in one specimen has paired elongate brownish-red ovoids; 3) the paired dark ovoids on the propodeum are occasionally absent. In males, the amount of the brownish-red on the first four metasomal segments is variable, ranging from the condition in the male description to completely brownish-red (this in only one specimen).
The range of barnesae is mostly concurrent with spurius: ranging from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec north through the Sierra Madre Orientale to Arizona (Fig. 17).
The label for the Vista Hermosa specimen reads as follows: Vista Hermosa, Oax., Mex./96.5 Km. SW of Tuxtepec/[date] 1450 m /H. & M. Townes. This led to frustration in trying to find the locality, until the Townes’ collecting notes were consulted. The locality was originally recorded by them as near kilometer marker 96 (the Townes’ estimated the fractional value) on the road from Valle Nacional to Oaxaca (city). It is not 96.5 linear kilometers southwest of Tuxtepec. The latitude and longtitude for Vista Hermosa are given above under “Material”.
Etymology. This species is named after Diana Barnes, in recognition of her many years of collaboration with the junior author on the systematics of Ichneumonidae.
description: Published as part of Wahl, David B. & Bennett, Andrew M. R., 2020, First record of Nesomesochorinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) from America north of Mexico with descriptions of two new species of Nonnus Cresson in Zootaxa 4779 (1), DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4779.1.2, http://zenodo.org/record/3831678