Nesodiprion flavipes Hara & Smith, 2015, sp. nov.

Nesodiprion flavipes sp. nov.

Figs 2A–D, 5G–I, 7E, 8D–E, 9E–F, 10C, 11E–F, 12F–G, 13E–F, 14A, J–K, 15G–H, 16E–F, 17E–F, 18C

Description of female [condition of holotype in brackets]. Length 5.3–6.8 [5.3] mm. Black, shiny, without metallic reflections (Figs 2A–B). Labrum pale brown. Antenna sometimes basally partly dark brown [partly dark brown]. Mandible apically red brown. Palpi yellow, basally darkened. Pronotum widely yellow or brown posterolaterally [yellow]. Mesepisternum rarely with narrow yellow spot centrally [entirely black]. Legs yellow; coxae basally darkened. Stigma black, centrally slightly pale; veins black; C dark brown.

Punctures on head and thorax predominantly fine and shallow (Figs 5G, 9E), separated. Punctures generally large and distinct on frontal area of head (Fig. 5H), mostly fused on ventral area of head capsule. Clypeus widely smooth ventrally. Labrum finely and sparsely punctured. Punctures on lateral part of mesoscutellum partly large (Fig. 9E). Those on dorsal part of mesepisternum large and distinct, partly contiguous (Fig. 11E). Dorsum of abdomen weakly and sparsely punctured posteriorly; first tergum not or faintly punctured on narrow medial area [not punctured] (Fig. 13E).

Distance between eyes 1.8–2.0 [1.9] × eye height. Postocellar area moderately convex, with width 1.8–1.9 × length (Fig. 5G). Ratio of distances between eye and lateral ocellus, between lateral ocelli, and between lateral ocellus and posterior margin of head 0.9–1.1:1.0:0.7–0.9 [1.0:1.0:0.8]; ratio of distances between eye and lateral ocellus and between lateral ocellus and posterior margin of head 1.1–1.3:1.0 [1.2:1.0]. Distance between torulus and eye 1.0–1.3 [1.1] × distance between toruli. Malar space 1.2–1.6 [1.4] × width of median ocellus. Clypeus with ventral margin rather deeply concave. Antenna (Fig. 7E) with 19–20 [19] antennomeres; first flagellomere in lateral view with length along dorsal margin 1.1–1.4 [1.4] × apical breadth except for ramus and ramus length 0.6– 0.9 [0.6] × its flagellomere length. Prepectus narrow or very small [very small] (Figs 8D–E). Anterior edge of mesoscutellum angled about 80–100° [100°] (Fig. 9E). In hind leg, first tarsomere length 1.1–1.2 [1.2] × tibia breadth (Fig. 12F). In hind wing, section of vein 1A between crossveins a and cu-a 0.8–1.1 [0.9] × width of cell 1A.

Ovipositor sheath as in Figs 14J–K. Lance as in Figs 15G–H. Lancet (Figs 16E–F) with 11 annuli, widest around fifth annulus, nearly pointed at apex with length from apex to ventral end of first row of spines 3.6–3.7 [3.7] × maximum width; first row of spines oblique and dorsally curved, with its ventral end separated from ventral margin of lancet; first annulus without serrula; serrulae of second to fifth annuli simple; sixth to more posterior annuli posteriorly angularly convex.

Description of male. Length 5.5–5.8 mm (Figs 2C–D). As in female, but differing as follows except for usual sexual differences. Labrum pale or dark brown. Pronotum entirely black or narrowly yellow along posterolateral margin.

Dorsum of abdomen scarcely punctured posteriorly.

Postocellar area with width 1.9–2.1 × length. Ratio of distances between eye and lateral ocellus and between lateral ocellus and posterior margin of head 1.3–1.5:1.0. Antenna (Fig. 2C) with 20–22 antennomeres. In hind leg, first tarsomere length 1.4–1.6 × tibia breadth (Fig. 12G). Subgenital plate in ventral view with apical margin nearly truncate (Fig. 2C).

Genital capsule (Figs 17E–F) wide in dorsal or ventral view. Parapenis in ventral view wide, apically rounded. Harpe in ventral view with medial margin nearly straight, basally rounded, and apex narrowly rounded. Valviceps in dorsal view narrow and straight, in lateral view (Fig. 18C) wide, with dorsal margin distinctly concave at apical third.

Material examined. Holotype (Figs 2A–B): ♀, “ Larval group No. 7, JAPAN, HONSHU, Nagano pref., Chino, Mts. Yatsugatake, Mt. Shimagare-yama, coll. gregarious 36 larvae on Tsuga diversifolia 29. VIII. 2013, coc. 10–13. IX., em. 2. XI. 2013, H. Kojima” (NSMT). Paratypes: JAPAN, HONSHU—1♀, Akita Pref., Hachimantai, 27. VII. 1950, Takeuchi (OPU); 12♀ 4♂, Nagano pref., Tomi, Mt. Kagonoto-yama, coll. gregarious larvae (larval group No. 1) on Tsuga diversifolia 31. VIII. 2013, coc. 1–16. IX., em. 13. X. 2013 – 13. IV. 2014, H. Kojima (NSMT); 24♀ 11♂, do. but larval group No. 2, em. 5. X. 2013 – 11. III. 2014 (NSMT, USNM); 8♀ 2♂, Nagano pref., Chino, Mts. Yatsugatake, Mt. Shimagare-yama, coll. gregarious 15 larvae on Tsuga diversifolia (larval group No. 2) 29. VIII. 2013, coc. 30. VIII.–9. IX., em. 6. X. 2013 – 11. III. 2014, H. Kojima (NSMT); 3♂, do. but larval group No. 3, em. 10. X. 2013 – 12. I. 2014 (NSMT); 2♀ 1♂, do. but larval group No. 5, coc. 10–17. IX., em. 24. I.–26. V. 2014 (NSMT); 2♀ 1♂, do. but larval group No. 6, coc. 30. VIII.–9. IX., em. 3–30. III. 2014 (NSMT); 2♂, do. but larval group No. 8, em. 12. XII. 2013 – 23. III. 2014 (NSMT); 4♀, Nagano pref., Fujimi, Mts. Yatsugatake, Mt. Amigasa- yama, coll. gregarious 13 larvae on Tsuga diversifolia (larval group No. 1) 14. IX. 2010, coc. 15–28. IX., em. V. 2011, H. Kojima (NSMT); 8♀, do. but larval group No. 2, coc. 15–23. IX. (NSMT); 2♀, do. but larval group No. 3, coc. 24–25. IX. (NSMT).

Etymology. The species name is from the Latin flavus + pes, meaning yellow legs or yellow feet, referring to the almost entirely yellow legs of the species.

Distribution. Japan: Honshu.

Host plant. Pinaceae: Tsuga diversifolia (Maxim.) Mast.

Life history. In mountainous regions in Honshu, one female was collected in late July, and larvae were found in late August to middle September. Larvae are yellow orange and feed gregariously on needles (Kojima, personal communication, 2015).

Remarks. Nesodiprion flavipes is easily distinguished from other congeners by the almost entirely yellow legs. Although the male of N. shinoharai has almost entirely yellow and orange legs, these two belong to different species groups and are easily distinguished as in the key below.