''Zelostemma thorpei'' is a species of

parasitoid wasp Parasitoid wasps are a large group of hymenopteran Superfamily (zoology), superfamilies, with all but the wood wasps (Orussoidea) being in the wasp-waisted Apocrita. As parasitoids, they lay their eggs on or in the bodies of other arthropods, ...

belonging to the family

Platygastridae The hymenopteran family Platygastridae (sometimes incorrectly spelled Platygasteridae) is a moderate-sized group (about 2000 described species) of exclusively parasitoid wasps, mostly very small (1–2 mm), black, and shining, with genicul ...

. First described by Peter Neerup Buhl in 2017, it is endemic to New Zealand.

Taxonomy

The species was identified by Danish entomologist Peter Neerup Buhl in 2017, during a review of the genus '' Zelostemma'' during which Buhl identified 30 new species from New Zealand entomology collections based on morphological differences. ''Z. thorpei'' was identified based on specimens collected from

Huia The huia ( ; ; ''Heteralocha acutirostris'') is an extinct species of New Zealand wattlebird, endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. The last confirmed sighting of a huia was in 1907, although there was another credible sighting in 1924 ...

, West Auckland in December 1980 by P. A. Maddison and B. M. May. Buhl named the species after New Zealand entomologist Stephen E. Thorpe.

Description

Females of ''Z. thorpei'' have a body length of , and light brown legs and coxae. The species can be differentiated from '' Z. laevicornu'' due to having a differently shaped

metasoma The metasoma is the posterior part of the body, or tagma (biology), tagma, of arthropods whose body is composed of three parts, the other two being the prosoma and the mesosoma. In insects, it contains most of the digestive tract, respiratory sy ...

Distribution

The species is endemic to New Zealand. As of 2024, specimens have only being identified in the vicinity of Huia and the

Manukau Harbour The Manukau Harbour is the second largest natural harbour in New Zealand by area. It is located to the southwest of the Auckland isthmus, and opens out into the Tasman Sea. Geography The harbour mouth is between the northern head ("Burnett ...

in the Auckland Region.

References

{{Authority control Insects described in 2017 Platygastridae Endemic insects of New Zealand Hymenoptera of New Zealand Endemic biota of the Auckland Region, New Zealand Fauna of the North Island