Onychopterocheilus proshchalykini Fateryga, 2023

Fateryga, Alexander V. & Buyanjargal, Batchuluun, 2023, A new species of the genus Onychopterocheilus Blüthgen, 1955 from the Altai Mountains, with the re-description and new records of the closely related O. kiritshenkoi (Kostylev, 1940) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae), Zootaxa 5323 (1), pp. 94-104 : 101-103

Onychopterocheilus proshchalykini Fateryga , sp. nov.

( Figs 14–17 , 25–34 )

Onychopterocheilus (Asiapterocheilus) sp. : Fateryga et al. 2017: 35, ♁.

Diagnosis. The new species is closely related to O. kiritshenkoi and can be distinguished from it by the following combination of characters: female clypeus nearly completely black, about 1.3× as wide as long in frontal view; male clypeus about 1.1× as wide as long in frontal view; entire male flagellum black; distance between lateral ocellus and occipital margin about 1.9× as long as distance between lateral ocelli in female; scutellum more convex, in female with distinct median longitudinal furrow; all metasomal terga and sterna with apical yellow bands; volsella in dorsal view with long and narrow basal process directed medially, central process nearly reduced; digitus covered with setae distinctly longer than basal process; aedeagus in lateral view without median expansion; ventral lobe of aedeagus with broader acute process directed forwards.

Description. Female. Body length (from head to apical margin of T2) 10.5 mm; forewing length 9.5 mm. Head about 1.2× as wide as long in frontal view. Mandible with five teeth. LP2 about 5.8× as long as wide; LP3 about 3.2× as long as wide. Clypeus about 1.3× as wide as long, its apical emargination shallow, about 0.3× as deep as wide, taking about 1/5 of clypeal width, apical teeth rounded. Distance between lateral ocellus and occipital margin about 1.9× as long as distance between lateral ocelli. Anterior pronotal carina obsolete, angles of pronotum rounded. Epicnemial carina obsolete. Notauli and parapsidal lines distinct on posterior half of scutum. Scutellum strongly convex, with distinct median longitudinal furrow. Metanotum with narrow horizontal surface sharply rounded to vertical posterior surface. Propodeal valvula rounded posteriorly. T1 with median longitudinal furrow posteriorly. T2 broader than T1. S 2 in lateral view roundly elevated at base, in ventral view without longitudinal furrow.

Most of clypeus surface rather shining, longitudinally rugose-punctate, interstices several times exceeding puncture diameter, without visible microsculpture; lateral parts of clypeus dull, with very dense and fine punctation, without visible interstices. Frons densely punctate, interstices very small, less than puncture diameter; punctures becoming larger towards ocelli; punctures on vertex large, interstices shorter than puncture diameter, with microsculpture; gena with punctures smaller than those on vertex, interstices exceeding puncture diameter, shining. Pronotum punctate as gena. Scutum longitudinally rugose-punctate, punctures similar in size to those on vertex but interstices reaching puncture diameter, shining. Scutellum in basal half with punctures and interstices similar to those on scutum; distal half of scutellum with denser punctation, both punctures and interstices becoming smaller apically. Tegula shining, nearly smooth, with few very small punctures. Punctation on dorsal and ventral mesepisterna coarse, punctures slightly larger than those on scutum, interstices reaching puncture diameter, rather shining, with weak microsculpture; mesepimeron with smaller and denser punctures similar to those on scutum. Metanotum dull, densely and shallowly punctate, interstices indistinct. Metapleuron and propodeum shallowly and finely rugose, without distinct punctures. T1–T5 very minutely and shallowly punctate, interstices shining. T6 with somewhat larger punctures and duller interstices. S1 posterior to transverse carina dull, rugose, without distinct punctures. S2–S6 punctate similarly to corresponding terga but interstices with distinct microsculpture.

Setae of psammophore on LP2 and LP3 about as long as F1, slightly curved. Frons, vertex, gena, mesosoma, coxae, T1, S1, and S2 with straight pale setae shorter than F1 but sometimes slightly longer than F2. Mandible, clypeus, T2–T6, and S3–S6 with very short appressed pale setae. Femora with setae of intermediate length. Tibiae and coxae with rows of short stiff rake setae.

Basal color black. The following parts orange-yellow: band along inner eye margin from clypeus to ocular sinus, lateral spot on vertex, large lateral spot on pronotum taking most of its surface, tegula, spot on dorsal mesepisternum, apical bands on T1–T6, and apical bands on S2–S6. The following parts ferruginous: mandible except teeth, labial palpus, very narrow basal band on clypeus interrupted medially, distal margins of coxae and trochanters, entire femora, tibiae, and tarsi, and S1. Wings fuscous, veins brown.

Male. Body length (from head to apical margin of T2) 9 mm; forewing length 8.5 mm. Structure resembles that in female except the following: mandible with four teeth, without notch; both LP2 and LP3 much smaller, not so flattened; clypeus about 1.1× as wide as long, its apical emargination taking about 1/4 of clypeal width; F7–F11 forming coil; distance between lateral ocellus and occipital margin about 1.4× as long as distance between lateral ocelli; scutellum less convex, median longitudinal furrow indistinct; T7 and S7+8 truncate apically. Genitalia as in Figs 14–17 . Volsella in dorsal view with long and narrow basal process directed medially, central process nearly reduced; digitus covered with setae distinctly longer than basal process. Aedeagus curved downwards, in lateral view without median expansion; ventral lobe of aedeagus with acute, nearly triangular process directed forwards.

Sculpture similar to that in female but clypeus not rugose, punctate much more densely and finely. T7 and S7+8 punctate similarly to T6 and S6.

Setae mostly as in female but LP2 and LP3 with much shorter setae, not longer than F2. S3–S7+8 with dense apical fringes of brown semi-appressed setae.

Basal color black. The following parts yellow: mandible except teeth, labrum, clypeus, ventral side of scapus, band along inner eye margin from clypeus to ocular sinus, lateral spot on vertex, large lateral spot on pronotum taking most of its surface, spot on tegula, and ventral surface of coxae. The following parts orange-yellow: apical bands on T1–T7, apical bands S2–S7+8, and legs from trochanters onwards. Wings fuscous, veins brown.

Holotype. RUSSIA. Altai Republic: “ 24 km NWW Aktash ”, 50°21′31″N, 87°16′15″E, 29.VI.2022, 1 ♀, leg. M. Proshchalykin [ ZISP] ( Figs 25–30 ) . Paratype. RUSSIA. Altai Republic: “ 24 km NWW Aktash, Chuya Riv. [er]”, 50°21.518′N, 87°16.247′E, 1040 m, 30.VI.2016, 1 ♁, leg. V. Loktionov, M. Proshchalykin [ ZISP] ( Figs 14–17 , 31–34 ) .

Etymology. It is a pleasure to name this species honoring Maxim Proshchalykin, the collector of the type series and a well-known Russian hymenopterist.

Distribution. Russia: Altai Republic (known from the type locality only, Fig. 18 ).

Habitat. Onychopterocheilus proshchalykini was collected in a meadow steppe at the bottom of a mountain valley. Up the slope, herbaceous vegetation was replaced by sparse trees of Larix sibirica Ledeb. and Picea obovata Ledeb. (Pinaceae) , as well as various dwarf shrubs ( Fig. 22 ).

Figures

FIGURE 18. Distribution of Onychopterocheilus kiritshenkoi (Kostylev, 1940) (circles) and O. proshchalykini Fateryga, sp. nov. (star).

FIGURES 10–17. Male genitalia of Onychopterocheilus spp. 10–13, O. kiritshenkoi (Kostylev, 1940); 14–17, O. proshchalykini Fateryga, sp. nov. 10, 14, left paramere and volsella in dorsal view (bp, basal process; cp, central process); 11, 15, left paramere and volsella in lateral view from inside; 12, 16, aedeagus in dorsal view; 13, 17, aedeagus in lateral view (me, median expansion; vl, ventral lobe). Scale bar 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 25–34. Onychopterocheilus proshchalykini Fateryga, sp. nov. 25–30, ♀, holotype; 31–34, ♁, paratype. 25, 33, habitus in dorsal view; 26, 34, habitus in lateral view; 27, 31, head in frontal view; 28, labial palpus (LP2 and LP3) in dorsal view; 29, 32, labels; 30, vertex in dorsal view. Scale bars 1 mm.

FIGURES 19–22. Habitats of Onychopterocheilus spp. 19, a habitat of O. kiritshenkoi (Kostylev, 1940) in 5 km NE Kokorya (Altai Mountains, Russia); 20, a shrub of Caragana bungei Ledeb. where O. kiritshenkoi was observed in 5 km NE Kokorya; 21, a habitat of O. kiritshenkoi in the Khantaishir Mountains (Mongolia); 22, the habitat of O. proshchalykini Fateryga, sp. nov. in the type locality in 24 km NWW Aktash (Altai Mountains, Russia).