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Dolichomitus menai Araujo & Pádua
& D. orejuelai Araujo & Pádua
Dolichomitus mariajosae Araujo & Pádua,
D. menai & D. orejuelai
in Araujo, Pádua, Jaramillo & Mazariegos, 2020.
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Abstract
Dolichomitus Smith is a widely distributed pimpline genus with more than seventy known species. There are eight species previously reported from South America: D. annulicornis (Cameron), D. bivittatus Townes, D. hypermeces Townes, D. jatai Loffredo & Penteado-Dias, D. longicauda Smith, D. megalourus (Morley), D. moacyri Loffredo & Penteado-Dias and D. zonatus (Cresson). In this paper, we describe five new species: D. mariajosae Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov., D. menai Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov., D. orejuelai Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov., D. pimmi Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov., and D. rendoni Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov. All have been collected in cloud forests in the Colombian tropical Andes. An illustrated key to the South American species of the genus is also provided.
Keywords: Colombia, Darwin wasps, Ephialtini, Mesenia-Paramillo, Neotropical, ovipositor, parasitoid wasps, taxonomy
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Figure 2. A–G Dolichomitus mariajosae sp. nov. (holotype female):
A habitus in lateral view (in vivo) B habitus in dorsal view C head in frontal view D head and mesosoma in lateral view E mesosoma in dorsal view F first tergite in dorsal view G wings. Scale bars: 5.00 mm (A, B); 1.00 mm (C, D, E, F); 2.00 mm (G). |
Dolichomitus mariajosae Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Dolichomitus mariajosae sp. nov. may be distinguished from other Neotropical species by the combination of the following characteristics: general color pattern (yellow with various specifics black marks); malar space 0.30× as long as basal mandibular width; areolet not petiolate; wings hyaline with strongly contrasting apical darkened area, pterostigma dark brown; hind wing with proximal abscissa of CU inclivous; ovipositor sheath ca. 1.30× as long as body, and ca. 4.20× as long as hind tibia.
Etymology: The specific epithet is in honor of Maria Jose Valencia, daughter of Carlos Eduardo Valencia, Colombian entrepreneur, who supports conservation initiatives in the Andes and Chocó ecoregions, and enjoys the natural world and the challenges of exploring the outdoors.
Dolichomitus menai Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Dolichomitus menai sp. nov. may be distinguished from other Neotropical species by the combination of the following characteristics: head mostly black with clypeus predominantly dark brown, anterior margin of clypeus, inner orbit, frontal orbit, outer orbit yellow; fore leg mostly black with ventral surfaces of femur and tibiae yellow; wings iridescent rainbow colors with strongly contrasting subapical darkened area, pterostigma black; areolet not petiolated; malar space 0.55× as long as basal mandibular width; areolet ca. 1.80× as wide as height; fore wing with vein 1cu-a vertical; hind wing with proximal abscissa of CU slightly inclivous and straight; metasoma mostly black, with posterior membranous section of first metasomal sternite, sternites II–VI and part of sternite VII white; ovipositor sheath ca. 1.25× as long as body, and ca. 3.60× as long as hind tibia.
Etymology: The specific epithet is in honor of Luis Fernando Mena for his continued support of the Mesenia-Paramillo nature reserve in the acquisition of forested areas for conservation. Mr. Mena is known for his support of important causes and has supported many NGO’s in Colombia that have an important social impact.
Dolichomitus orejuelai Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Dolichomitus orejuelai sp. nov. may be distinguished from other Neotropical species by the combination of the following characteristics: head and mesosoma mostly reddish black; metasoma mostly yellowish brown with anterior half of tergite I dorsally, posterior margin of tergites II–V, a semicircular dorsal spot based on the anterior margin of tergite V, tergites VI–VIII reddish black; face with abundant setiferous punctures; malar space 0.30× as long as basal mandibular width; mandible bidentate, 1.40× as long as basal width; hind leg with femur ca. 5.50× as long as height; wings yellowish, pterostigma light brown; areolet not petiolated; dorsolateral carinae of first metasomal tergite present on petiole and stronger on postpetiole; posterior half of tergite II and tergites III–V densely and strongly punctuate; ovipositor sheath ca. 1.10× as long as body, and ca. 3.00× as long as hind tibia.
Etymology: The specific epithet is a tribute to Jorge Enrique Orejuela Gardner, National Geographic 2007 Buffet prize winner for his work over three decades in Colombia on conservation education, protected area management and sustainable development. His accomplishments include the establishment of the cloud forest nature reserve La Planada, also helped establish Utría and Gorgona Island national parks, and the Quindío Basin and Calima River nature reserves. His mentoring for the creation of the Mesenia-Paramillo nature reserve was key to the success of this conservation project.
Dolichomitus pimmi Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Dolichomitus pimmi sp. nov. may be distinguished from other Neotropical species by the combination of the following characteristics: general pattern of general color (orange yellow with various specifics black marks; wings yellowish with strongly contrasting apical darkened area, pterostigma light brown; areolet not petiolate; malar space 0.30× as long as basal mandibular width; mandible bidentate, 2.55× as long as basal width (front view); tergite I ca. 2.20× as long as posteriorly wide; ovipositor sheath ca. 0.90× as long as body, and ca. 3.00× as long as hind tibia.
Etymology: The specific epithet is in honor of Stuart Pimm, Doris Duke Chair of Conservation Ecology in the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. Winner of the 2006 Heineken Prize for Environmental Sciences, awardee of the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement in 2010, and recipient of the 2019 International Cosmos Prize – among the most prestigious honors in the environmental field – for his research on endangered species and his work to help reverse species’ declines by protecting their shrinking habitats. His support of the Mesenia-Paramillo nature reserve conservation project to restore areas and reconnect forest fragments has been invaluable.
Dolichomitus rendoni Araujo & Pádua, sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Dolichomitus rendoni sp. nov. may be distinguished from other Neotropical species by the combination of the following characteristics: malar space 0.35× as long as basal mandibular width; mesosoma mostly red with the tegula white; wings yellowish, pterostigma dark brown; areolet slightly petiolate; fore leg with a white concavity on it postero-dorsal margin; fore and mid legs mainly white; hind wing with vein cu-a ca. 1.20× as long as proximal abscissa of CU; metasoma mostly reddish black with ventro-lateral spots on tergites III–IV, lateral of tergites V–VIII red (except for the posterior margin of tergites V and VI laterally reddish black); posterior margin of tergite I–VII with a white band dorsally (small and narrow on tergite I); posterior membranous section of first metasomal sternite ca. 0.60 of length of tergite; ovipositor sheath ca. 0.90× as long as body, and ca. 2.90× as long as hind tibia.
Etymology: The specific epithet is in honor of Ubiel Rendon, park ranger at the Mesenia-Paramillo nature reserve. A La Mesenia village native and once an avid hunter, his knowledge of the surrounding forests has been key for monitoring wildlife and helping with long-term studies using camera traps. He has made several important contributions to the scientific world, finding multiple new species of amphibians, reptiles and orchids at the reserve, including this Darwin wasp named in his honor.
Rodrigo O. Araujo, Diego G. Pádua, Jorge Jaramillo and Luis A. Mazariegos. 2020. Five New Species of
Dolichomitus Smith from the tropical Andes, with A Key for the South American Species (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae).
ZooKeys. 937: 89-113. DOI:
10.3897/zookeys.937.51361
