Grotea

Mazón, Marina, Bordera, Santiago & Broad, Gavin R., 2024, New Species of Grotea (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Labeninae) from Ecuador, with New Records and a Key to the Neotropical Species, Neotropical Entomology 53 (4), pp. 868-879 : 875-878

Key to the Neotropical species of Grotea

1. Postgenal process extended downwards or backwards, laterally distinct ( Fig. 4a , arrow)………………………………2

-. Postgenal process horizontally extended, laterally indistinct ( Figs. 1d , 3f , 4b , 5c , arrows)……………………………14

2. Mesopleuron with black and white stripes, or mostly black with yellow marks. Flagellum with white band. Postgenal process with acute apex…………………………………3

-. Mesopleuron entirely yellow, orange or red, or mostly yellow with longitudinal orange or black stripes, or with red or black spots anteriorly and posteriorly. Flagellum with or without white band. Postgenal process various……………………4

3. Gena short, slightly concave in dorsal view. Mesopleuron black in the middle, with anterior and posterior yellow spots. Fore wing with distal dark spot. Flagellum dark brown to black with white band on flagellomeres 32-40… …………………… G. surinamese Herrera-Flórez, 2019

-. Gena slightly convex in dorsal view. Mesopleuron with longitudinal black and white stripes.Fore wing entirely hyaline. Flagellum dorsally black, white ventrally, with a white band on flagellomeres 24-42…… G. superba Schmiedeknecht, 1907

4. Mesopleuron entirely red. Flagellum dark brown or black without white band…………………………………..…5

-. Mesopleuron entirely yellow, or mostly yellow with orange, black or red marks. Flagellum with or without white band………………………………………………………6

5. Gena convex in dorsal view. Antenna with 40 flagellomeres. Anterior transverse carina of propodeum not indented, gently arched………… G. ambarosa Sandoval and Santos, 2021

-. Gena straight in dorsal view. Antenna with 49 flagellomeres Anterior transverse carina of propodeum indented in the center…………………… G. paulista Herrera-Flórez, 2019

6. With the following combination of characters: antenna with 46-47 flagellomeres, flagellum yellowish brown to dark brown, distally grading to black, with a short subdistal white band; gena narrowed posterior to compound eye, not convex in dorsal view; postgenal process elongate, rounded apically ( Fig. 4a , arrow); mesopleuron yellow with a posterior black mark……………… G. gracillea Gauld, 2000

-. Not all those characters combined………………………7

7. Gena convex in dorsal view. Flagellum yellow-brown with a subapical black band and white apex…………………… ………………………… G. athenae Slobodchikoff, 1970

-. Gena straight or slightly concave in dorsal view. Flagellum without a white band, sometimes brown-yellow with black apex………………………………………………………8

8. Fore wing with distal black spot. Mesopleuron yellow with 1-2 black marks. Antenna very long, with 52-56 flagellomeres…………………………………………………9

-. Fore wing entirely hyaline, without distal black spot. Mesopleuron entirely yellow, or yellow with red marks (sometimes yellow with black spots anteriorly and posteriorly in G. claudiae ). Antenna not as long, with fewer than 50 flagellomeres (except for G. fulva , and unknown for G. claudiae )…………………………………………10

9. Pleural carina weak or absent from the transverse carina to the posterior rim of propodeum. Postgenal process wide at the base, tapering towards apex. Antenna dark brown to black………………………… G. carara Gauld, 2000

-. Pleural carina strong along its entire length. Postgenal process subrectangular. Antenna brown-yellow with black apex…………………………… G. vanessae Gauld, 2000

10. Ovipositor very long, 2.7-2.9 times length of hind tibia. Area lateralis of propodeum more than 3 times as long as wide. Gena straight in dorsal view. Antenna brown-yellow with black apex………… G. djinnae Gauld, 2000

-. Ovipositor less than 2.2 times length of hind tibia. Area lateralis of propodeum less than 2.5 times as long as wide. Gena from straight to slightly concave in dorsal view. Antenna from yellow to dark brown or black, without a black apex………………………………………………11

11. Ovipositor very short, about 1.3-1.4 times length of hind tibia. Mesopleuron entirely yellow. Postgenal process subrectangular………… G. delicator Thunberg, 1822

-. Ovipositor longer, at least 2 times length of hind tibia. Mesopleuron yellow with or without black marks or red and yellow. Postgenal process tapered towards the apex……………………………………………………12

12. Antenna yellow or light brown. Gena straight in dorsal view, occipital carina not raised in the middle, pronotum not particularly exposed. Posterior corner of area lateralis very acute…………… G. fulva Cameron, 1886

-. Antenna dark brown to black (sometimes proximally lighter). Gena in dorsal view slightly concave, with occipital carina slightly rised into a lamella in the middle and pronotum very exposed. Posterior corner of area lateralis right angled……………………………………………………13

13. Mesopleuron red and yellow. Fore wing with abscissa of Cu 1 between 1 m-cu and Cu 1 a forming a distinct obtuse angle with Cu 1 b ………………………………………… ………………… G. goianiense Herrera-Flórez, 2019

-. Mesopleuron yellow with black marks. Fore wing with abscissa of Cu 1 between 1 m-cu and Cu 1 a + Cu 1 b straight or forming an even arch…… G. claudiae Kumagai, 2024

14. Mesopleuron red with yellow or black marks. Antenna dark brown to black, without white band……………………15

-. Mesopleuron mostly yellow with red or black marks, or white with black marks, or black with yellow marks. Antenna with or without white or yellow marks………17

15. Mesopleuron red with two large black spots. Ovipositor long, about 2.7-2.9 times length of hind tibia. Gena rounded in dorsal view………………………………… ………………… G. villosissima Herrera-Flórez, 2014

-. Mesopleuron red with yellow marks. Ovipositor shorter, less than 2.4 times length of hind tibia. Gena straight or slightly concave in dorsal view…………………………………16

16. Mesopleuron red with a yellow spot on antero-dorsal part. Ovipositor about 2 times as long as hind tibia. Anterior transverse carina of propodeum gently arched, not indented medially. Gena slightly concave in dorsal view………………… G. perplexa Slobodchikoff, 1970

-. Mesopleuron red with a longitudinal central yellow band. Ovipositor about 2.4 times length of hind tibia. Anterior transverse carina of propodeum indented medially. Gena straight in dorsal view…………………………………… ……………… G. santandereana Herrera-Flórez, 2018

17. Mesopleuron mostly yellow with black marks………18

-. Mesopleuron black and white, or mostly black with yellow marks ( Figs. 1c , 2a , 3d , 5a )……………………………20

18. Malar space long, about 0.9 times basal mandibular width. Antenna with 31 flagellomeres, without white band…… ……………………………… G. fernandoi Lima, 2024

-. Malar space shorter, less than 0.5 times basal mandibular width. Antenna with more than 31 flagellomeres, with white band………………………………………………19

19. Mesopleuron yellow with two longitudinal black bands. Gena convex in dorsal view. Antenna with 40 flagellomeres, white band on flagellomeres 22-31. Area lateralis of propodeum rectangular, about 3 times as long as wide. Pleural carina of propodeum absent. Ovipositor about 1.7 times length of hind tibia…………………… ……………………… G. llanera Herrera-Flórez, 2018

-. Mesopleuron yellow with black spots on anterior and posterior parts. Gena slightly concave in dorsal view. Antenna with 51 flagellomeres, white band on flagellomeres 32-40. Area lateralis about 1.5 times as long as wide. Pleural carina of propodeum present. Ovipositor 2.2-2.5 times length of hind tibia…………… G. manausi Herrera-Flórez, 2019

20. Postgenal processes long, almost touching ( Fig. 1d , arrow)…………………………………………………21

-. Postgenal process very short ( Figs. 3f , 5c arrows)………24

21. Mesopleuron black with two yellow spots separated by a reddish one ( Fig. 1c ). Ovipositor very long, about 3 times length of hind tibia ( Fig. 1a ). Antenna long, about 45 flagellomeres, without white band ( Fig. 1a )………………… ……………………………………… G. akakana sp. nov.

-. Mesopleuron black and white. Ovipositor shorter. Antenna shorter, fewer than 38 flagellomeres, with white band……22

22. Postgenal process acute. Antenna black on dorsal part, white on ventral part, white band on flagellomeres 22-28. Mesopleuron white with a longitudinal black band, usually interrupted in the middle……… G. eburnea Porter, 1989

-. Postgenal process subrectangular.Antenna entirely dark brown or black, white band longer or starting before. Mesopleuron with different colour pattern………………………………23

23. Lateral longitudinal carina of propodeum weak or absent posteriorly to spiracle. White band on antenna long, present on flagellomeres 18(20)-34(35). Mesopleuron mostly black with white marks………… G. chiloe Porter, 1989

-. Lateral longitudinal carina of propodeum complete. White band on antenna shorter, present on flagellomeres 24-30(32). Mesopleuron mostly white with black marks… …………………………………… G. oneilli Porter, 1989

24. Mesopleuron white with longitudinal black bands. Ovipositor very long, about 5.4 times length of hind tibia, ovipositor sheath white. Lateral longitudinal carina of propodeum only present posterior to transverse carina, very weak. Antenna with about 41 flagellomeres and white band on flagellomeres 25-34……………………… ………………………………… G. gayi Spinola, 1851

-. Mesopleuron black with yellow marks. Ovipositor shorter, less than 2.5 times length of hind tibia, ovipositor sheath from white to dark brown to black. Lateral longitudinal carina of propodeum complete. Antenna without white band, or with distal 16-17 flagellomeres yellow…………………………………………………25

25. Ovipositor sheath white ( Fig. 5a ). Mesopleuron mostly black, with only a couple of small yellow spots ( Fig. 5a ). Eye orbits narrowly yellow, briefly interrupted at vertex ( Fig. 5b, c ). Ovipositor about twice length of hind tibia ( Fig. 5a )……………………… G. cortesi Porter, 1989

-. Ovipositor sheath brown or black. Mesopleuron with one or more yellow marks covering more than 25% of the surface ( Figs. 2a , 3d, e ). Eye orbits widely yellow, not interrupted at vertex. Ovipositor about 2.4-2.5 times length of hind tibia……………………………………………………26

26. Antenna black with 39 flagellomeres, distal 16-17 flagellomeres yellow. Mesopleuron black with longitudinal yellow stripes ( Fig. 2a ). Area lateralis of propodeum about 1.3 times as long as wide………………………………… …………… G. cundinamarquesa Herrera-Flórez, 2018

-. Antenna black with 36 flagellomeres, without any white or yellow band ( Fig. 3a, e ). Mesopleuron black with a yellow spot in the middle ( Fig. 3d, e ). Area lateralis of propodeum more than 2 times as long as wide……… ……………………………………… G. romeri sp. nov.

Figures

Fig. 4 Grotea heads showing postgenal process in lateral view: a – G. gracillea Gauld with postgenal process extended backwards (arrow); b – G. eburnea Porter with postgenal process horizontally extended, laterally indistinct (arrow). Scale bar: 0.2 mm (a, b)

Fig.1 Grotea akakana sp. nov., female holotype: a – habitus; b – head (frontal view); c – head and mesosoma (lateral view); d – head, postgenal process (arrows); e – head and mesosoma (dorsal view); f – propodeum. Scale bar: 2 mm (a); 1 mm (c, e); 0.5 mm (f); 0.3 mm (b); 0.2 mm (d)

Fig.3 Grotea romeri sp. nov., female holotype (a – d) and male paratype (e – f): a – habitus (lateral view); b – head (frontal view); c – head and mesosoma (dorsal view); d – head and mesosoma (lateral view); e – habitus (lateral view); f – head, postgenal process (arrow). Scale bar: 2 mm (a, e); 1 mm (c, d); 0.3 mm (b, f)

Fig. 5 Grotea cortesi Porter, female holotype: a – habitus (lateral view); b – head and mesosoma (dorsal view); c – head, postgenal process (arrow). Scale bar: 2 mm (a); 0.5 mm (b, c)

Fig. 2 Grotea cundinamarquesa, male nov.: a – habitus (lateral view); b – head, frontal view; c – head, (lateroventral view); d – head (dorsal view) and mesosoma (lateral view); e – propodeum (lateral view); f – head, mesosoma and metasoma (dorsal view). Scale bar: 2 mm (a, f)); 0.5 mm (d, e); 0.3 mm (b); 0.2 mm (c)