Lochetica ramii sp. nov.

Figs 6, 7

Material examined.

Holotype Finland • 1 ♀ (pinned); Sb [Savonia borealis], Kuopio, Mökinoja; “ 6966126: 3529339 ” [62.7976 ° N, 27.575 ° E]; 18 Jun 2021; Juuso Paappanen leg.; “ niitty, hirsirakennuksen seinä ” [meadow, on a wall of a log barn]; COI sequence GP. 113446; MZH GP. 113446.

Paratypes (37 ♀♀, 1 ♂) Finland • 1 ♀; “ Finby ” [Särkisalo], [Finnarv, Vedudden]; [60.1143 ° N, 22.9485 ° E]; 14 Jul 1950; R. Elfving leg.; MZH GP. 109724 • 4 ♀; “ Keuru ” [Keuruu]; [62.257 ° N, 24.708 ° E]; [1928]; Hellén leg.; MZH GP. 109731, MZH GP. 109732, MZH GP. 109733, MZH GP. 109779 • 1 ♀; Aitolahti; [61.5481 ° N, 23.8825 ° E]; 13 Jul 1932; V. Saarinen leg.; MZH GP. 109725 • 1 ♀; “ H: fors ” [Helsinki]; [60.1797 ° N, 24.9393 ° E]; Hellén leg.; MZH GP. 109734 • 1 ♀; Helsinki; [60.1797 ° N, 24.9393 ° E]; 11 Sep 1965; V. J. Karvonen leg.; MZH GP. 109727 • 1 ♀; Ilomantsi, Koitajoki; 62.93310 ° N, 31.43978 ° E; 18 Jun – 8 Aug 2023; Juuso Paappanen leg.; ~ 2 years ago dead standing Picea abies; [Tereshkin trap]; MZH GQ. 7565 • 7 ♀; Ilomantsi, Koitajoki; 62.93390 ° N, 31.44084 ° E; 18 Jun. – 8 Aug. 2023; Juuso Paappanen leg.; dying ø 39 cm standing Picea abies; [Tereshkin trap]; MZH GQ. 7566, MZH GQ. 7567, MZH GQ. 7568, MZH GQ. 7569, MZH GQ. 7570, MZH GQ. 7571, MZH GQ. 7572 • 1 ♀; Karjalohja; [60.2609 ° N, 23.7138 ° E]; 25 Jul 1969; J. Perkiömäki leg.; MZH GP. 109729 • 1 ♀; Kb [Karelia borealis], Ilomantsi, Koitajoki, Palokangas; 6989825: 3724830 [62.9419 ° N, 31.4305 ° E]; 13 Jun – 11 Jul 2022; Seppo Karjalainen & Maarit Similä leg.; [prescribed burn of a Pinus sylvestris dominated forest]; MZH GP. 109742 • 1 ♀; Kb [Karelia borealis], Ilomantsi, Patvinsuon kansallispuisto, Raanisuo; 7003901: 3694317 [63.0855 ° N, 30.8475 ° E]; 11 Jul – 17 Aug 2022; Seppo Karjalainen & Maarit Similä leg.; COI sequence BOLD sample id GP. 113447; MZH GP. 113447 • 1 ♀; Kb [Karelia borealis], Joensuu, Kuhasalo; 62.58126 ° N, 29.73376 ° E; 14 Aug 2017; Juuso Paappanen leg.; [ Picea abies dominated forest]; MZH GP. 109738 • 1 ♀; Kb [Karelia borealis], Lieksa, Kuikkasuo; 7034335: 3673955 [63.3683 ° N, 30.4779 ° E]; 18 Aug – 17 Sep 2021; Sampsa Malmberg & Maarit Similä leg.; [prescribed burn of a Pinus sylvestris dominated forest]; MZH GP. 109743 • 1 ♂; Kn [Ostrobottnia kajanensis], Ristijärvi, pappilan peltoaukea; 71571: 35582 [64.5074 ° N, 28.2125 ° E]; em. 30 Apr. 2008; Reima Leinonen leg.; koivupölkkykasvatus [reared from trap nest (birch wood block)]; COI sequence BOLD sample id FICH- 001702; RJK FICH- 001702 • 1 ♀; Ok [Ostrobottnia kajanensis], Kuhmo, Elimyssalo, Risulampi; 7122708: 3660871 [64.1659 ° N, 30.3083 ° E]; 29 Jul – 26 Aug 2022; Sampsa Malmberg et al. leg.; [prescribed burn of a Pinus sylvestris dominated forest]; COI sequence BOLD sample id GP. 113448; MZH GP. 113448 • 1 ♀; Ok [Ostrobottnia kajanensis], Paltamo, Itkonpuro; 7147421: 526944 [64.45127 ° N, 27.55991 ° E]; 9 Jul – 27 Jul 2023; I. Immonen & M. Laaksonen leg.; [moist / shaded forest next to a stream]; MZH GQ. 7563 • 1 ♀; Ok [Ostrobottnia kajanensis], Talaskangas, Sopenjoki; 7098580: 503358 [64.01405 ° N, 27.06866 ° E]; 22 Jul – 6 Aug 2021; I. Immonen leg.; [moist / shaded forest next to a stream]; MZH GQ. 7564 • 1 ♀; Parikkala, [Laurila]; [61.56718 ° N, 29.51232 ° E]; 12 Jul 1945; Hellén leg.; MZH GP. 109726 • 1 ♀; Sa [Savonia australis], Mäntyharju, Kousa; 68022: 34674 [61.327 ° N, 26.3922 ° E]; 23 Aug 2019; Juuso Paappanen leg.; Pinus sylvestris dominated forest; MZH GP. 109741 • 1 ♀; Sa [Savonia australis], Ruokolahti, [Inkilänsaari]; [61.32062 ° N, 28.75517 ° E]; 26 Jul 1948; W. Hellén leg.; MZH GP. 109735 • 1 ♀; Sb [Savonia borealis], Savonranta; 69077: 6026 [62.261 ° N, 28.9761 ° E]; 13 Jul – 10 Aug 1996; P. Martikainen leg.; dead aspen; Window trap; MZH GP. 109730 • 1 ♀; Sb [Savonia borealis], Vieremä, Luvejoki; 63.98762 ° N, 26.74378 ° E; 21 Jul – 17 Aug 2022; Juuso Paappanen leg.; a large, ~ 2 years ago dead standing Picea abies (shaded); MZH GP. 109739 • 1 ♀; Ta [Tavastia australis], Vanaja; [60.978 ° N, 24.562 ° E]; 1954; Erkki Valkeila leg.; e Passaloecus monilicornis; MZH GP. 109736 • 2 ♀; same as preceding; 1955; MZH GP. 109737, MZH GP. 109780 • 1 ♀; Tb [Tavastia borealis], Jyväskylä, Kotalamminmäki; 69028: 34311 [62.2248 ° N, 25.6763 ° E]; 4 Jul 2019; Juuso Paappanen leg.; dying Picea abies; COI sequence BOLD sample id GP: 113445; MZH GP: 113445 • 1 ♀; Tb [Tavastia borealis], Jyväskylä, Roninmäki; 69014: 34326 [62.2125 ° N, 25.7056 ° E]; 5 Jul – 18. Jul 2019; Juuso Paappanen leg.; recently dead standing Picea abies; MZH GP. 109740 • 1 ♀; V [Regio aboënsis], Nousiainen, Tepastus; 6735: 344 [60.6991 ° N, 24.1525 ° E]; 4 Jul – 8 Jul 2006; Reijo Jussila leg.; RJK FICH- 001012 • 1 ♀; V [Regio aboënsis], Turku, Paattinen; 6727: 244 [60.5763 ° N, 22.3374 ° E]; 29 Oct 2006; Reijo Jussila leg.; RJK FICH- 001013 • 1 ♀; Vihti, Siikajärvi; [60.2882 ° N, 24.5214 ° E]; 22 Aug 1965; V. J. Karvonen leg.; MZH GP. 109728 .

Comparative diagnosis.

The female differs from L. japonica by the vertex uniformly sloping from the ocelli to the occiput, with shallow, almost granulate sculpture (Fig. 6 A) (with a shallow transversely orientated depression, low elevation and large, rather deep punctures in L. japonica (Fig. 5 E)); shallow, transversely orientated surface sculpture of area externa of propodeum, punctures very weakly discernible (Fig. 6 F) (clearly defined deep punctures in L. japonica (Fig. 5 B)); the pronotal sulcus without transverse crenulae (present in L. japonica); predominantly red legs (almost completely black in L. japonica); black or dark brown tegulae (Fig. 6 C) (yellowish-brown in L. japonica (Fig. 5 E)); predominantly red mandibles (black with reddish tips in L. japonica).

The female differs from L. westoni by the short and weak latero-median carinae of the first tergite, not extending beyond the level of spiracles (Fig. 6 E) (strong carinae, extending beyond spiracles in L. westoni (Fig. 3 E)); shorter and weaker crenulae of the sternaulus (Fig. 6 D) (longer and stronger in L. westoni Fig. 3 A); shorter ovipositor (ovi-tib ratio 1.9–2.4) (2.6–3.1 in L. westoni); black or dark brown tegulae (Fig. 6 C) (yellow in L. westoni (Fig. 3 F)). The male differs from L. westoni primarily by the black tegulae, contrasting with the pale yellow humeral plates (Fig. 7 D, cf. Fig. 6 C) (yellow tegulae, similarly coloured to the humeral plates in L. westoni (cf. Fig. 3 F)). The sculpture of the mesopleuron and metapleuron is somewhat weaker (Fig. 7 C) (stronger in L. westoni (Fig. 3 C). The trochanters and hind tarsi dorsally darker in L. ramii sp. nov.; however, both of the latter characters are rather subtle and possibly become obsolete when more specimens are revealed.

Both sexes are differentiated from L. agonia by the long epomia ventrad to pronotal sulcus (cf. Fig. 3 A) (absent or short in L. agonia) and by the black or dark brown tegulae (Fig. 6 C) (yellow (♀) or “ ivory ” (♂) in L. agonia). The females are also distinguished by the weak, but angulate nodus of the ovipositor (Fig. 7 B) (very weak and rounded in L. agonia).

Female is differentiated from L. farta by the area petiolaris of the propodeum having rather weak transverse sculpture concentrated to the sides, usually without sculpture medially (Fig. 6 F) (the area petiolaris with very dense transverse sculpture in L. farta); strong latero-median longitudinal carina separating the area postero-externa from the area petiolaris (weak in L. farta).

Description.

Female (holotype and paratypes). Length. Body length 5.6 mm (4.6–6.3 mm (n = 36)) excluding the ovipositor, fore wing length 3.6 mm (3.2–4.3 mm (n = 37)).

Head. Punctation dense, shallow, individual punctures indistinctly delimited, coalescing, vertex more granulate than punctate (Fig. 6 A). Surface moderately matt, covered in dense, short (shorter than diameter of ocellus), white hairs, except clypeus with slightly longer, light brown hairs; hairs very dense on anterior edge of clypeus and mandibles (Fig. 6 B); antennae, including scapes, with short hairs only. First flagellar segment without plate sensillae, second with one, remaining with gradually increasing number, being almost absent from posterior side of flagellum. Eyes bare. Occipital carina complete, joining hypostomal carina 0.6 × basal length of mandible away from mandibular base. Malar space 0.8 × as long as the basal width of mandible. Face very wide, with low central prominence (Fig. 6 B). In anterior view, head 0.9 × wider than high; in dorsal view, the medial length of head from occipital carina to level of antennal sockets 0.5 × maximum width of the head; temple ratio 0.95 (paratypes: 0.9–1.0), POL: OOL 1.1, OD: OOL 0.5 (see Methods section for definitions). Both antennae with 20 flagellar segments (paratypes (n = 35): 20–23), all segments more than 1.5 × longer than wide, decreasing in length towards apex. Width of segments fairly uniform across length of flagellum, increasing only very slightly apically. First flagellar segment 5 × as long as wide and 1.3 × longer than scape. Scape 1.7 × as long as wide. Penultimate (next to last) flagellar segment 1.5 × as long as wide. Head predominantly black, mandibles medially red with proximal fourth and teeth black (paratypes: from completely red with only teeth black to about basal third of mandibles black). Maxillary and labial palpi light brown, gradually darker proximally. Anterior side of scapes red (paratypes: from predominantly black with red patches anteriorly to predominantly red with dark spot posteriorly). Anterior side of two proximal flagellar segments red (paratypes: 0 to 4 basal-most segments with red anterior faces). Pedicel with narrow red apical annulus.

Mesosoma. Mesoscutum and scutellum moderately densely and shallowly punctate, similarly to head. Notauli not crenulate, weakly impressed, but long, extending to middle of mesoscutum. Posterior half of mesoscutum obscured by pin in the holotype. Scuto-scutellar groove smooth, without crenulae. Pronotum with same superficial punctures as rest of body, with stronger rugosity posteriorly and medially with larger shiny interstices between sculpture (about 2 × wider than the punctures); pronotal sulcus without transverse crenulae; epomia not particularly strong, long, extending near posterior margin of pronotum ventrad to pronotal sulcus. Mesopleuron covered with denser, stronger, coalescing punctures, especially dorsad to sternaulus coalescing to form rugose areas (Fig. 6 D); Dorsal part ventrad to subtegular ridge, with larger and distinctly shinier interstices between small punctures, interstices about 2 × diameter of punctures. Sternaulus long, almost reaching posterior margin of mesopleuron, crenulae rather weak, longest distinctly weaker and only slightly longer than crenulae on mesopleural furrow (Fig. 6 D) (paratypes: from short and weak to as highly raised and slightly longer than longest crenulae on mesopleural furrow). Epicnemial carina and posterior transverse carina of mesosternum complete. Mediosternal groove rather deep, not widened posteriorly with uniformly strong crenulae across its length. Metapleuron strongly rugosepunctate, juxtacoxal carina and metapleural carina distinct and complete (Fig. 6 D). Sculpture of propodeum shallow, with indistinct transverse rugosity, individual punctures difficult to discern (Fig. 6 F) (paratypes: rugosity variable, but never distinctly punctate); densely hairy. Area petiolaris differs in sculpture from rest of propodeum: shiny and sparsely scattered with longer setae, laterally with faint transverse sculpture, which is absent medially (Fig. 6 F). Propodeal carination strong and complete; area superomedia slightly longer than wide (as long as wide in a few paratypes), pentagonal with very short, weak, parallel lateral carinae (paratypes: nearly absent lateral carinae in some specimens and less parallel in others); spiracles circular; apophyses not evident, carina somewhat enlarged in this position. Mesosoma 0.7 × length of metasoma. Mesosoma (excl. legs and wings) black, including posterior corner of pronotum and tegulae (paratypes: black in most, but dark brown in a few and reddish-brown in one reared and evidently teneral specimen); humeral plates contrastingly pale yellow (Fig. 6 C).

Legs. Hind femora 3.8 × as long as wide. Lengths of tarsal segments in mm from first to fifth: 0.53, 0.27, 0.18, 0.10, 0.02. Claws moderately curved, simple, without teeth, basal lobe or pecten, few longer hairs present at base of claw. Arolium rather small, slightly more than half length of claw. Middle and hind tibiae with two reddish tibial spurs each, subequal in length and very slightly bent at apex. Coxae mainly black, fore and middle coxae with reddish spot on inner side (paratypes: from mostly red with dark patches to black with only small red patches on the inner side of middle coxae). Trochanters black with suffused red colouration, fore trochanters more red than black. Trochantelli, femorae and tibiae red, tibiae with darker outer surface, only weakly in fore leg. Tarsi with mixture of red and dark, with segments darker on outer surface and apically with narrow, indistinct reddish annuli.

Wings. The fore wing vein 3 rs-m present, weakly pigmented, areolet symmetrical, pentagonal; vein 2 m-cu rather long, straight, with one short bulla, forming acute angle with vein CU; vein RS straight; radius anterior (RA) slightly longer than pterostigma; pterostigma 2.8 × as long as wide; vein 1 cu-a slightly postfurcal relative to M & RS. Nervellus of hind wing intercepted at lower fifth (paratypes: from one fifth to one fourth below middle). Wing veins, including the pterostigma, uniformly dark brown, excluding narrow zone at the base of the wings with pale yellow veins; humeral plates pale yellow.

Metasoma. Punctation generally more well defined than on rest of body. First metasomal tergite with strong punctation (shiny interstices smaller than diameter of punctures), posterior part with weakly punctured area, interstices several times diameter of punctures. Dorso-lateral carinae sharp, complete, with spiracle situated just ventrad to carina (Fig. 6 E). Glymmae absent. Latero-median carinae present as faint striae not extending up to level of spiracles (Fig. 6 E) (paratypes: varying in length from virtually absent to extending up to level of spiracles as faint striae). Second and third terga with very strong, dense, coalescing punctures, posterior margins of terga with punctures slightly smaller and more superficial. Rest of terga somewhat densely punctulate with shiny interstices distinctly larger than punctures. Metasoma black, except for narrow, translucently brownish posterior margins of first and second terga (paratypes: first tergite from completely black to black with indistinctly delimited red patches laterally; second from completely black to black with anterior fourth red. Terga 1–3 with posterior margins from completely black to black with narrow reddish-brown translucent zones); covered with dense, short, light brown hairs. Thyridia of second metasomal tergite small, shiny, oval and red (black in some paratypes). Unsclerotised parts of metasomal sterna more or less brown, except for yellowish sclerite of first sternite. Sclerotised part of first metasomal sternite extends half way up length of sternite and up to level of spiracles on first tergite, suture between it and first tergite straight. First tergite 3.7 × wider posteriorly than anteriorly, 1.6 × longer than its maximum (posterior) width (paratypes: 1.1–1.7 × its width (n = 32)). Second tergite 0.8 × as long as wide.

Ovipositor. Dorsal valve with weak, but angulate nodus, tip beyond nodus gradually tapering, sharp (Fig. 7 B). Lower valves with about five visible teeth (apical-most too small to distinguish), widely spaced, slanted, extending further towards apex ventrally than dorsally. Ovipositor sheaths covered with rather dense black hairs, about as long as diameter of sheaths. Portion of ovipositor projecting beyond metasomal apex 2.2 × length of hind tibia, 0.5 × length of body and 0.7 × length of fore wing (paratypes: 1.9–2.4 × length of hind tibia, 0.4–0.6 × body and 0.6–0.9 × fore wing (n = 36 for all).

Male (paratype). Length. Body length 4.9 mm, fore wing length 3.5 mm.

Head. Mandibles whitish-yellow with black teeth, reddish colouration next to mandibular teeth and mandibular base. Palpi pale reddish-yellow. Malar space 0.8 × as long as basal width of mandible. Temple ratio 1.0, POL: OOL 1.3, OD: OOL 0.5. Anterior halves of scapes white, antennae otherwise black, with 21 flagellar segments, conversely to female, apical flagellomeres gradually narrower apically (Fig. 7 D). Scape 1.8 ×, first flagellar segment 1.8 × and penultimate flagellar segment 1.4 × as long as wide. First flagellar segment 1.2 × as long as scape; segments 8 to 12 with tyloidea, very narrow, strongly raised, more so apically, with acute apical end, almost as long as segments, except in 8 th segment with medially situated tyloid about one fourth of length of segment.

Mesosoma. Generally rougher surface sculpture than in female: mesopleuron medially strongly rugose; sternaulus with longer, stronger crenulae than in female, longest crenulae as strong as and longer than crenulae on mesopleural furrow (Fig. 7 C); metapleuron and propodeum rugose, no punctures discernible. Propodeal carination is strong, stronger than in female. Tegulae black, contrasting with pale yellow humeral plate. Pterostigmae of the fore wings dark brown. Coxae and hind trochanters mainly black with suffused red colouration, especially evident in fore coxae, about half red, half black; femorae, tibiae, trochantelli, fore- and mid-trochanters and tarsi, except fifth tarsal segment, red; hind tibiae and tarsi dorsally suffused with blackish (Fig. 7 D). Hind femora 4.2 × as long as wide; lengths of hind tarsal segments from first to last in mm: 0.59, 0.30, 0.18, 0.15, 0.14.

Metasoma. Latero-median carinae of first tergite long and rather strong, extending beyond level of spiracles. First tergite 1.5 × and second tergite 0.7 × as long as wide. Genitalia somewhat obscured. Parameres slightly narrowed apically and slightly downcurved, ventral margin slightly concave in lateral view, small parallel-sided gap between two parameres ventrally. Aedeagus not visible.

Etymology.

L. ramii sp. nov. is my first species description. Thus, I take the opportunity to name the species in the honour of my grandfather Raimo “ Rami ” Konga (1936–2009) who had a profound impact on the development of my love for nature, which eventually led to the discovery of this species. The specific epithet is to be treated as a noun in the genitive case.

Distribution.

Finland. Mainly in the Palearctic boreal forest biome sensu Olson et al. (2001). In addition, few specimens originate from the northernmost margin of the temperate broadleaf and mixed forest biome.

Ecology.

The specimens have been collected from both open biotopes (Fig. 8 A) and coniferous forests (Fig. 8 B). More details are available for each specimen in the Material Examined section. Although both L. ramii sp. nov. and L. westoni occur frequently in the same habitats (and locations), it seems that L. ramii sp. nov. is more common in shaded, usually Picea abies L. dominated, forests (such as the one in Fig. 8 B), while the opposite seems to be the case in the more exposed habitats. However, more data are needed for reliable comparisons.

Three examined specimens (MZH GP. 109737, MZH GP. 109736, MZH GP. 109780) have been reared from Passaloecus monilicornis Dahlbom, 1842 ( Crabronidae). The pins do not include the host remains and the labels do not state how the host was confirmed; however, considering the strong preference of L. westoni to parasitise Passaloecus, these rearing records are in line with expectations. The holotype was collected together with Passaloecus monilicornis and Passaloecus eremita on the same wall of a log barn (Fig. 8 A).

There are not enough data to postulate whether a smaller subset of Passaloecus species is utilised as hosts (opposed to L. westoni, which seems to utilise most species) or whether additional genera of cavity-nesting aculeates are used.