Clistopyga meridae Bordera & Palacio, 2025

Bordera, Santiago, Palacio, Edgard & Herrera-Flórez, Andrés Fabián, 2025, The Neotropical species of Clistopyga (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae). Part VI: the C. calixtoi species group, with the description of twenty-four new species, Zootaxa 5662 (1), pp. 1-115 : 64-68

22. Clistopyga meridae Bordera & Palacio , sp. nov.

( Figs 33 , 51B , Appendix I)

Diagnosis. Clistopyga meridae may be distinguished from other species of the C. calixtoi species group by the following combination of characters: genal orbits widely interrupted with dark brown or black ( Fig. 33D ); mesosoma entirely black (or dark brown) and white ( Figs 33A, 33D ); metasoma orange without posterior white cream or yellow isolated spots on tergites ( Figs 33A, 33F ); ventral part of gena in frontal view rounded ( Fig. 33B ); metapleuron about 2.1× as long as high ( Fig. 33E ); submetapleural carina extended on anterior 0.3 of metapleuron ( Fig. 33E ); propodeum in dorsal view about 1.1 as long as medially wide.

Description. Female: Body length about 9.5 mm. Fore wing length about 7 mm.

Head ( Figs 33A–D ). In dorsal view, strongly narrowed behind eyes. Gena shiny with sparse setiferous punctures, denser laterally, in dorsal view slightly rounded, about 0.3× as long as eye, in frontal view moderately constricted below eyes, slightly rounded and convex. Frons and vertex smooth and shiny, with very sparse setiferous punctures. Posterior ocellus separated from eye about 1.0 its maximum diameter. Distance between hind ocelli about 0.75× maximum diameter of posterior ocellus. Hypostomal carina not lamelliform behind mandible. Face with shallow, fine and dense punctures, distance between them less than twice its diameter. Clypeal suture strongly curved. Clypeus 2.15× as broad as medially long, weakly convex and punctate dorsally, slightly concave and smooth ventrally, ventral margin straight medially. Malar space about 1.1× as long as basal mandibular width, with a smooth narrow subocular sulcus. Antenna with 31 flagellomeres, first flagellomere about 5.65× as long as medially wide.

Mesosoma ( Figs 33A, 33C–E, 33G ). Pronotum smooth and shiny with few setiferous punctures on posterior corner. Epomia as a very short carina at the bottom of the submarginal depression of pronotum. Mesoscutum shiny, with evenly sparse shallow and fine setiferous punctures, denser on anterior part of median lobe; anterior half of median lobe not conspicuously prominent, confluent with posterior half. Notaulus deep, reaching about 0.5 the length of mesoscutum. Mesopleuron shiny, with evenly sparse shallow setiferous punctures, except at mid and dorsal posterior part. Epicnemial carina weak, its dorsal end straight, ending at level of centre of pronotum. Metapleuron, smooth and shiny, glabrous, about 2.1× as long as high. Submetapleural carina, extended on anterior 0.3 of metapleuron. Propodeum shiny with evenly sparse fine setiferous punctures, denser laterally, in dorsal view about 1.1× as long as medially wide. Propodeal spiracle about 0.15 the length to anterior end of pleural carina. Hind leg with femur 4.3× as long as high, about 0.95× as long as tibia. Fore wing with vein cu-a opposite to Rs & M; vein 2 rs-m 0.35× as long as abscissa of M between 2 rs-m and 2 m-cu; abscissa of Cu 1 between 1 m-cu and Cu 1 a 1.45× as long as Cu 1 b. Hind wing with vein cu-a 0.25 × as long as abscissa of Cu 1 between M and cu-a, vein cu-a reclivous, first abscissa of Cu 1 inclivous; distal abscissa of Cu 1 present, slightly pigmented.

Metasoma ( Figs 33A, 33F, 33H ). Tergite I 1.7× as long as posteriorly broad, shiny, with relatively dense and shallow setiferous punctures, spiracle near its anterior 0.3; lateromedian longitudinal carinae present at anterior 0.3 of tergite; lateral longitudinal carinae absent. Sternite I extending posteriorly about 0.45 the length of tergite. Tergite II about 1.15× as long as posteriorly broad, with relatively dense shallow setiferous punctures, distance between punctures about its diameter; remaining tergites same microsculpture. Ovipositor evenly up-curved at 0.3 distal, about 1.65× as long as hind tibia. Ovipositor sheath about 1.35× as long as hind tibia, ventral margin basally without denticles, length of setae on average 1.8× the sheath basal width.

Colouration ( Fig. 33 ). Head mostly white cream with apex of mandibles, sides of clypeal suture, narrow longitudinal stripe at middle of face, frons and vertex medially, genal orbit medially and dorsally, posterior part of gena and occipital region, dark brown to black; antenna dark brown, scapus, pedicel, annellus and first to third flagellomeres, ventro laterally whitish. Mesosoma mostly yellow cream; middle lateral part of pronotum, longitudinal band under subalar prominence of mesopleuron, a rounded spot on mesopleural fovea, axillae, dorsal part, and anterior and posterior margins of propodeum, pleural sulcus, and anterior margin and ventral part of metapleuron, dark brown to black; mesoscutum mostly dark brown with two dorsal longitudinal stripes (interrupted by dark notauli), and longitudinal marks sublaterally on the lateral lobes, white cream. Metasoma mostly orange; tergite I mostly and posterolateral spots on tergites II–IV dark brown to black. Lateral and posterior part of tergite I and sublateral posterior marks on tergite II, anterior to the brown spots, yellow; ovipositor dark orange; ovipositor sheaths dark brown. Legs predominantly white cream; front leg with dorsal and ventral stripe on femur and tibia and distal part of tarsi brown; mid leg with base of trochanter, dorsal and ventral stripes on femur and tibia and distal part of tarsi brown; hind leg with anterior and posterior spots on coxa, base of trochanter, base, dorsal stripe and anterior mark on femur, basal and distal part of tibia, and distal part of tarsi brown. Wings hyaline, pterostigma blackish brown.

Male: Unknown.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the locality of Merida ( Venezuela), where the holotype was collected.

Type material ( 1 ♀). Holotype. Venezuela: 1 ♀, S. above Merida, 2500m, VIII.1977, Adams & Benard ( NHMUK).

Distribution. Venezuela ( Fig. 51B , Appendix I).

Figures

FIGURE 33. Clistopyga meridae sp. nov., female (holotype): (A) habitus (lateral view); (B) head (frontal view); (C) head and anterior part of mesosoma (dorsal and dorsolateral view, respectively); (D) head and mesosoma (lateral view); (E) metapleuron and propodeum (lateral view); (F) metasoma (dorsal view); (G) wings; (H) ovipositor (lateral view). Scale bar: 1 mm (A, F, G); 0.5 mm (C, D, H); 0.2 mm (B, E).

FIGURE 51. Geographic distribution of C. calixtoi species group: (A) C. nasa sp. nov., C. nubiphila sp. nov.; (B) C. carvajali Gauld, Ugalde & Hanson, C. meridae sp, nov., C. stanfordi Gauld.