Alastor (Alastor) temperatus Selis, 2020

Selis, Marco, 2020, Notes on the Afrotropical species of Alastor Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Vespidae Eumeninae), with description of nine new species, Zootaxa 4822 (3), pp. 361-388 : 381-384

Alastor (Alastor) temperatus Selis , sp. nov.

( Figs. 34–38 , 48 )

Diagnosis. This species belongs to the groups of species characterized by T1 small and narrower than T2, and can be recognized by the following characters: pronotal carina angulate on humeri and right angled in dorsal view, tegulae strongly transverse and almost wider than long, sides of propodeum parallel basally and then strongly curved, apical teeth of propodeum simple and short, S2 convex basally and then almost flat, female clypeus narrowed with apical margin less than half interantennal distance ( Fig. 35 ), male clypeus with very short free apical part, apical margin slightly narrower than interantennal distance ( Fig. 37 ), F1–F9 longer than wide, F 11 in dorsal view nearly oval, in lateral view digitiform and straight with rounded apex ( Fig. 38 ), T3 and S3 large.

Material examined. Holotypus, ♂, labeled “Willowmore / Capland / Dr. Brauns / 11. / 1917 // HOLOTYPUS / Alastor / temperatus // Alastor (A.) temperatus / Selis, sp. nov. / HOLOTYPUS ♂ / Det. Marco Selis 2018” ( MSNVE) . PARATYPES: South Africa, Capland , Willowmore, 1.XII.1901, leg. Dr. Brauns, 1♂ ( MSVI) ; South Africa, Capland , Willowmore, 17.II.1916, leg. Dr. Brauns, 1♀ ( MSNVE) .

Description. Holotype, male. Body length 7.1 mm; fore wing length 5.4 mm.

Head in frontal view about 1.2 × as wide as long ( Fig. 37 ), in dorsal view broader than mesosoma. Clypeus in frontal view 1.18 × as wide as long, dorsal margin evenly convex, lateral margin of free apical part sinuate and strongly converging, apically concave and delimiting a subrectangular apical portion, apical margin shallowly emarginate and narrower than interantennal space, emargination 0.27 × as wide as clypeus width, apical teeth triangular and pointing out with rounded apex; free apical part of clypeus shorter than half of basal part; clypeus in lateral view convex, shallowly depressed apically. Interantennal space with a dull median carina. Vertex long, distance from posterior ocellus to occipital margin 1.55 × as long as distance from posterior ocellus to inner eye margin, longer than dorsal lobe of eye; gena in lateral view 1.27 × as long as width of eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina obsolete dorsally, shortly lamellate on sides and forming an obtuse angle below level of antennal insertion. Scape 2.35 × as long as apically wide; F1 1.6 × as long as wide and weakly longer than F2; F2–F9 weakly longer than wide; F10 small and subquadrate; F11 digitiform and apically rounded, almost straight in lateral view, parallel sided in dorsal view, not reaching base of F9 ( Fig. 38 ). Mandible elongate and narrow, 5-toothed, fourth tooth longer than other teeth; carinae on outer face elevated in translucent dull ridges. Mesosoma in dorsal view 1.25 × as long as wide. Pronotal carina absent on median third of dorsal face, distinct but not lamellate, strongly projecting on humeri where it forms an horizontal projection; pronotum in dorsal view parallel sided, with right-angled humeri; lateral faces of pronotum depressed and separated from dorsal face by dull margin. Mesoscutum in dorsal view 1.2 × as wide as long; evenly convex in lateral view. Scutellum oblique and weakly convex anteriorly in lateral view, with indefinite median furrow on anterior margin. Metanotum entirely vertical and shallowly concave, with short transverse ridge in middle of anterior margin. Mesepisternum broad and strongly convex, lamellate along foramen, epicnemial carina absent. Propodeum in dorsal view about as long as pronotum, broader than long, sides parallel basally and then strongly curved, apical teeth sharp and conical, pointing out, with a short transverse carina below; median depression of posterior face deep and broad, occupying about half surface of propodeum, median triangular area not reaching mid length of propodeum; when propodeum in lateral view, dorsal margin evenly convex basally, strongly concave before apical teeth and apical teeth pointing upward. Tegula strongly transverse, much broader in anterior half, outer margin strongly convex and nearly horizontal posteriorly, posterior lobe elongate and apically rounded, surface weakly convex. T 1 in dorsal view semicircular, broadly rounded anteriorly, 1.75 × as wide as long; in lateral view anterior face convex, horizontal portion occupied by shallow and broad preapical furrow, apical margin inflated. T 2 in dorsal view 1.37 × as wide as long, sides rounded anteriorly, then parallel, 1.7 × as wide as width of T1; T 2 in lateral view distinctly convex basally, apical margin translucent. T7 apically rounded. S2 about as long as T2, in lateral view convex basally and then flattened.

Clypeus shiny with deep large punctures, interspaces about half as punctures diameter and sparsely micropunctate, lateral margins more densely punctured, basal fourth densely micropunctate, apical portion smooth and impunctate. Frons, vertex and gena with dense deep punctures, interspaces shorter than punctures diameter on frons and vertex, becoming larger posteriorly and on gena, bottom of ocular sinus with an unsculpted area. Mandible smooth with basal triangular area with irregular large punctures and dense micropunctures. Scape smooth with very sparse macropunctures and denser micropunctures.Anterior face of pronotum smooth and shiny, with extreme sides microreticulate; dorsal face of pronotum with large deep punctures, denser posteromedially and sparser anterolaterally, interspaces with very fine micropunctures; lateral faces of pronotum irregularly sculpted, with deep punctures and transverse striae. Mesoscutum with large deep punctures, interspaces convex and irregular, becoming larger posteriorly, with very sparse fine micropunctures. Scutellum punctured like mesoscutum, interspaces larger on sides. Metanotum smooth and shiny, with deep dense punctures on anterior corners. Proepisternum densely micropunctate, with sparse deep punctures. Mesepisternum with deep dense punctures, interspaces shorter than punctures diameter, furrows very coarsely punctured; epicnemium smooth and shiny, with sparse large deep punctures and sparse micropunctures. Metaepisternum densely micropunctate, with deep punctures on ventral margin, dorsal half of dorsal plate coarsely and irregularly punctured. Dorsal faces of propodeum deeply punctured, interspaces larger anteriorly, becoming very short on sides; median depression of propodeum entirely smooth and shiny, with some punctures on lateral margins; lateral faces of propodeum deeply punctured, with interspaces as large as punctures diameter anteriorly, becoming very short and ridge-like posteriorly. T1 with coarse oblique punctures, becoming larger posteriorly, interspaces very irregular, micropunctate on vertical anterior face and smooth on horizontal posterior face, apical margin not punctured. T2 with deep punctures, sparser medially and becoming denser laterally, punctures on apical area smaller and sparser, interspaces with dense fine micropunctures. T3 deeply punctured, interspaces as large as punctures diameter and becoming larger laterally, microreticulate. T4–T6 microreticulate, with punctures becoming sparser and shallower apically. T7 shiny with irregular sparse punctures. S1 deeply punctured, interspaces very irregular and shiny. S2 deeply punctured, punctures sparser medially where they tend to form irregular transverse series, denser laterally, interspaces micropunctate. S3–S6 densely micropunctate, with sparse punctures. S7 punctured similar to T7.

Head and mesosoma with long curved white-golden setae, longer on vertex, mesoscutum and propodeum. Clypeus densely covered by short silvery pubescence, except a median patch reaching apical margin. Posterior depression of propodeum almost bare. Metasoma with dust-like grayish pubescence, some whitish setae on T1, S1 and S2, apex of S3–S6 with dense tomentum.

Apical part of aedeagus in ventral view long and narrow, ventral margins basally expanded in subtriangular rounded lobes, then evenly converging to apex, which is rounded and weakly expanded; in lateral view dorsal margin straight, curved only at extreme apex, ventral margin sinuate; basal two thirds of ventral margin finely serrate. Ventral lobe of penis valve subtriangular with pointed apex, smoothly passing into ventral margin of aedeagus. Basal plate of aedeagus short and triangular, pointed. Basal apodeme of aedeagus in lateral view long and narrow, almost straight, weakly curved near middle, with tubercle on basal half; basal apodemes in ventral view evenly curved and weakly converging apically ( Fig. 48 ). Distal lobe of digitus long and subrectangular, parallel sided with subtruncate apex; basal lobe of digitus short and rounded; ventral root of digitus long and pointed. Long and sparse fine setae on whole basal lobe and distal lobe of digitus; few tubercles forming an arcuate area on base of digitus. Volsella with fine short setae, cuspis triangular and pointed.

Black; following parts yellow or pale yellow: apical spot on clypeus, basal half of mandible, spot at bottom of ocular sinus, short apical line on frontal face of scape, medially interrupted anterior band on pronotum, narrow apical line on T1–T2 and S2, short apical line on outer face of fore and mid femora, dorsal line on fore tibia; following parts ferruginous-red: apex of mandibles, posterior margin and middle of anterior margin of pronotum, tegula, part of tibiae and tarsi; legs brownish-red. Wings weakly and evenly infuscate.

Female ( Fig. 34 ). Differing from male as follows: head about as long as wide, clypeus 1.2 × as wide as long in frontal view with strongly converging sides of free apical part, apical margin about half as wide as interantennal space and 0.2 × as wide as clypeus width ( Fig. 35 ), clypeus in lateral view weakly convex in basal half, then flattened, mandible more robust and with teeth subequal, vertex longer, F1 1.4 × as long as wide, F2–F3 subquadrate, F4–F9 wider than long, F10 bullet-shaped, T1 proportionally wider ( Fig. 36 ), silvery pubescence of clypeus restricted to basal margin, clypeus more densely punctured, T3–T5 densely and deeply punctured, mandible ferruginous with black apex, clypeus entirely black, pronotum red with yellow humeral spots.

Etymology. The specific name was found on red labels pinned under the holotype and a paratype, handwritten by Giordani Soika.

Distribution. South Africa: Eastern Cape.

Figures

FIGURES 34–38. Alastor (Alastor) temperatus Selis, sp. nov. 34–36, ♀. 37–38, ♂. 34, Habitus in dorsal view. 35, 37, Head in frontal view. 36, T1–T2 in dorsal view. 38, Flagellum in lateral view.

FIGURES 43–48. Aedeagus in lateral and ventral view. 43, Alastor (Alastor) brevicornis Selis, sp. nov. 44, Alastor (Alastor) gestroides Selis, sp. nov. 45, Alastor (Alastor) moody Selis, sp. nov. 46, Alastor (Alastor) namibiensis Selis, sp. nov. 47, Alastor (Alastor) parilis Selis, sp. nov. 48, Alastor (Alastor) temperatus Selis, sp. nov.