Morochares storozhenkoi Loktionov, 2025

Loktionov, Valery M., 2025, Two new species of the spider wasps genus Morochares Banks, 1934 (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) from China, Zootaxa 5715 (1), pp. 244-250 : 245-247

Morochares storozhenkoi Loktionov , sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 )

Material examined. Holotype, ♀, China, Guangdong, Zhaoqing, Fenghuang town, Tonggu Village , 3–4.VII.2014, Coll. Hou Zi, YPT, No 2016000758 [ SCAU].

Diagnosis. Female. The female of the new species can be easily distinguished from those of other congeners by the combination of the following characters: (1) the head in frontal view with the vertex not produced beyond the eye top and almost straight medially ( Fig. 1C ); (2) the clypeus apical margin straight medially; (3) the scape 1.31 times as long as F1; (4) the temple in dorsal view not developed ( Fig. 1E ); (5) F1 0.94 times as long as UID; (6) the propodeum without rugae or striae ( Fig. 1G ); (7) the forewing translucent yellowish-brown, with a subapical brown fascia and a lighter apical band ( Fig. 1H ). Male. Unknown.

Description. FEMALE. Length: body 9.5 mm; forewing 8.0 mm. Head 1.04 times as wide as height; MID 0.54 times as long as head width in frontal view, half of MID 1.1 times as long as eye width. Ocelli large, weakly raised; ocellar triangle right-angled; POD: OOD = 1.25 ( Fig. 1E ). Head in frontal view with vertex slightly roundly produced beyond eye top, not forming a convexity in the middle ( Fig. 1C ). Posterior margin of vertex in dorsal view indistinctly concave ( Fig. 1E ). Head in lateral view with frons slightly convex ( Fig. 1D ). Temple in dorsal view not developed ( Fig. 1E ). Gena in profile strongly narrowing towards vertex ( Fig. 1D ). Face on both sides of antennal sockets slightly concave. Malar space short ( Fig. 1C ). Clypeus slightly convex, 1.08 times as wide as LID, and 2.8 times as wide as height; anterior margin straight; anterolateral corner rounded. Mandible stout with small subapical tooth. Labrum with inconspicuously concave anterior margin. Maxillary palps 3–6 about same length. Flagellum filiform ( Fig. 1B ); scape slightly bent; ratio of scape, pedicel and F1–F4 38:9:29:25; scape 1.31 times as long as F1, and 0.70 times as long as F1 and F2 combined, and 1.19 times as long as UID; F1 3.7 times as long as maximum width and 0.94 times as long as UID; apical flagellomere roundly blunt apically, moderately pointed, not truncated.

Mesosoma. Pronotum in dorsal view medially 0.42 times as long as maximum width; anterior face roundly merging into dorsum ( Fig. 1E ); posterior border subangulate. Dorsum of mesoscutum convex in anterior half. Dorsum of mesoscutellum and metanotum slightly convex. Metapostnotum not constricted medially. Propodeum in dorsal view 0.90 times as long as wide; dorsum in lateral view barely convex; dorsum roundly merging with lateral and posterior faces ( Fig. 1G ), with longitudinal and shallow furrow medially.

Legs. Proleg without spines, except following: protibia outer face with 3 short spines, protibia with few different length spines apically, protarsomere 1 with four short spines on outer face and two longitudinal rows of very short spines ventrally, protarsomeres 2 and 3 with median longitudinal row of very short spines ventrally; protarsi shortened, protarsomere 1 1.18 times as long as protarsomere 2–4 combined. Meso- and metafemur without spines except two short spines dorso- and lateroapically; meso- and metatibia, meso- and metatarsomere 1 with scattered long and suberect spines; meso- and metatarsomeres 2 and 3 ventral face with distinct median longitudinal row of short spines and two indistinct lateral longitudinal rows; meso- and metatarsomere 4 ventral face with median longitudinal row of short spines only; metatibia longer spur 0.64 times as long as metatarsomere 1. Tarsomere 5 without spines ventrally. Tarsal claws symmetrical and bifid, inner tooth broad and obliquely truncated.

Wings translucent, yellowish-brown ( Figs 1H, I ). Forewing ( Fig. 1H ) with brown fascia on marginal cell (except anterior portion), SMC2 and SMC3 (entirely) and 2M (apical part) across wing, and with narrow light apical band; pterostigma brown; SMC2 1.57 times as long as high, narrowed on vein Rs by 0.74 times its own length on vein M, receiving crossvein 1m-cu at basal 0.55; SMC3 1.14 times as long as SMC2 on vein M, 0.91 times as long as SMC2 on vein Rs, narrowed on vein Rs by 0.59 times its own length on vein M, receiving crossvein 2m-cu at basal 0.58; crossvein 2rs-m almost straight; crossvein 3rs-m arched towards wing apex; crossvein cu-a curved, originating beyond separation of vein M+CuA; vein M ending slightly before wing margin; vein Cu 1 almost touching wing margin. Hind wing ( Fig. 1I ) with barely brownish apical portion; crossvein cu-a hardly anterofurcal, arched before confluence with vein A.

Metasoma ( Fig. 1F ) slightly wider than mesosoma in dorsal view. Posterior margin of T1 and T2 straight, T3–T5 and S1–S5 slightly emarginate medially. S5 somewhat compressed laterally, forming indistinct longitudinal median carina in posterior half.

Sculpture. Body matt, except clypeus apically and mandible somewhat polished. Body with inconspicuous micropunctures. Metapostnotum with fine transverse striae connected anteriorly and disconnected posteriorly. Propodeum without any rugae or striae ( Fig. 1G ); microshagreened. S6 with carina polished posteromedially. Antenna and legs matt.

Colour and pubescence. Body black ( Fig. 1A ); mandible dark brown; maxillary palps light-brown; spurs yellowish-brown; claws brown; longitudinal brush on metatibia inner face golden-brown in apical portion only, most portion is brown. Body without setae except following: upper frons with scattered thin short erect setae; clypeus, labrum and mandible with few thin and pale setae; S5 with long pale setae posteriorly; T6 and S6 with long brown setae. Head, mesosoma and legs with iridescence micropubescence; frons with somewhat pale micropubescence; mesosoma with iridescence gray-coppery micropubescence. T1–T5 anteriorly with band of silver micropubescence more distinct in anterolateral portion ( Fig. 1F ).

MALE. Unknown.

Distribution. China: Guangdong.

Etymology. I am pleased to name the new species in honor of the outstanding Russian entomologist Prof. Sergey Yu. Storozhenko (FSC Biodiversity FEB RAS, Vladivostok, Russia) on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Treat as a noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Morochares storozhenkoi sp. nov., ♀, holotype. A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Antenna, dorsal view. C. Head, frontal view. D. Head and pronotum, lateral view.E. Head, pronotum and mesoscutum (part.), dorsal view. F. Propodeum and metasoma, dorsal view. G. Propodeum, dorso-lateral view. H. Forewing. I. Hind wing. Scale bars: 1 mm.