Pseudagris apicalis, Selis, 2023

Selis, Marco, 2023, Taxonomic revision of the Afrotropical genus Pseudagris de Saussure (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae), with description of four new species, Zootaxa 5315 (3), pp. 201-230 : 205-206

Pseudagris apicalis sp. nov.

( Figs. 2a–d , 13b )

Diagnosis. The male of this species can be recognized by the following combination of characters: clypeus apically rounded ( Fig. 2b ), F4–F8 weakly convex dorsally, F11 flattened and obliquely truncated apically ( Fig. 2c ), interspaces on posterior half of mesoscutum flattened, posterior face of propodeum dull, T1–T3 with deep and dense punctures, T4–T6 white marked ( Fig. 2d ).

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♂, labeled “N.- Rhodesia / Abercorn / XII.62 // Synagris / albicauda Sch. / Giordani Soika det. 1974 // Pseudagris apicalis / HOLOTYPUS ♂ / Det. Marco Selis [red label]” ( MSNVE). PARATYPES: ZAΜBIA: Abercorn, N. Rhodesia , 22.XII.1943, Nat. Museum S. Rhodesia, 1♂ ( MSNVE); Northern Province, 15 km E Luwingu, 1400m, 3–4.XII.2008, leg. A. Kudrna Jr., 1♂ ( MSVI).

Description. Male holotype. Body length 10.0– 11.3 mm; fore wing length 9.7–10.6 mm.

Head as wide as long in frontal view. Clypeus 1.3× as long as wide in frontal view, apically rounded, two dull carinae running from apical angles up to basal third, becoming evanescent dorsally, area between carinae flattened; clypeus in lateral view evenly convex. Distance from posterior ocellus to occipital carina 1.5× as long as the distance from posterior ocellus to inner eye margin. Gena 0.65× as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina entire, shortly lamellate on gena, weak on vertex. F1 2.2× as long as wide; F2–F10 longer than wide; F11 flattened dorsoventrally, hook-shaped in lateral view, parallel sided with truncated apex in dorsal view, reaching apex of F8; F4–F9 dorsally convex. Mesosoma 1.3× as long as wide. Pronotal carina complete, shortly lamellate dorsally. Mesoscutum 1.1× as wide as long, weakly convex in lateral view. Scutellum weakly convex, almost on same level of mesoscutum, with an indistinct median furrow. Metanotum nearly vertical, evenly convex from base to apex. Epicnemial carina sharp and almost reaching pronotal margin, stronger below transverse furrow. Propodeum in lateral view oblique, evenly convex; dorsal faces convex and not sharply separated from posterior face; lateral faces mostly flattened, convex posteriorly. T 1 in dorsal view 1.5× as wide as long; T 2 in dorsal view wider than long; S2 with shallow depression on basal half reaching basal corner, in lateral view evenly convex from base to apex.

Clypeus dull, with sparse shallow fine punctures basally and laterally. Interantennal area and lower part of ocular sinus smooth and shiny. Frons with dense shallow flat-bottomed punctures; vertex with deeper and sparser punctures, interspaces with some micropunctures; gena smooth with deep punctures along eye margin. Pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum with very deep dense punctures, arranged in irregular series, larger on scutellum; ventral corners of pronotum smooth. Metanotum coarsely punctured, interspaces reduced to thin carinae. Mesepisternum with large flat-bottomed punctures, interspaces barely visible dorsally and becoming larger posteroventrally; epicnemium densely microreticulate. Metaepisternum smooth with some sparse shallow punctures. Tegula with sparse fine punctures on whole surface, some larger shallow punctures on posterior half. Dorsal faces of propodeum coarsely punctured, punctures large and flat-bottomed, interspaces reduced to thin carinae; posterior face dull, punctate dorsally and striate ventrally; lateral faces dull with irregular and shallow punctures and fine transverse striae. T1–T2 with dense large oblique punctures, interspaces larger on T1 and base of T2, becoming shorter than diameter of punctures on apex of T2; T3–T4 punctured like previous tergites, but punctures smaller and shallower; T5–T7 dull and impunctate; S2 shining, with deep punctures sparser on basal depression and denser on sides; S3–S7 punctured like respective tergites, but punctures shallower.

Head and mesosoma with sparse short brownish setae. Metasoma with moderately dense pubescence, dark-brown on black parts and silvery on white parts.

Genitalia in Fig. 13b .

Black; following parts dark red: clypeus, mandible except apical margin, oval spot above antennal insertions, short line behind eye on gena, bottom of ocular sinus, scape, dorsal margin of anterior face of pronotum, short basal line on lateral margins of T1, fore tibia; following parts yellowish-white: thin apical line on T4, whole T5–T6, lateral spots on S5; legs blackish-brown, except apical tarsomere which is orange; underside of flagellum orange. Wings strongly fuscous with purplish reflections.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Zambia ( Fig. 14 ).

Etymology. The specific name is in reference to the black T7, in contrast with the white preceding tergites.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Pseudagris apicalis sp. nov., male paratype. a, habitus. b, head. c, antenna. d, T2–7.

FIGURE 13. Male genitalia: aedeagus in ventral view, aedeagus in lateral view, volsella. a, Pseudagris albicauda (von Schulthess, 1923). b, P. apicalis sp. nov. c, P. brunnea Gusenleitner, 2007. d, P. carinata (de Saussure, 1863). e, P. nigrithorax sp. nov. f, P. nigrorufa sp. nov. g, P. pygmaea Gusenleitner, 1998.

FIGURE 14. Distributional map of Pseudagris species.