Megacampsomeris sp. 1

Figs 1A–B, 9C, 13C, 17C, 21C, 25C, 29C, 33C, 37C, 39C, 40C, 41C, 42C

Diagnosis

This species can be readily differentiated with other Campsomerini in its possession of long, coarse hairs recumbent over most of the metasoma, and by its distinctive colour pattern with the metasomal tergites iridescent and the apical bands fading medially and the presence of conspicuous yellow spots on the scutellum.

Material examined

CHINA – Hong Kong • 1 ♂; Pak Sha O; 22°26′59″ N, 114°19′04″ E; alt. 70 m; 12 Apr. 2004; C. Barthélémy leg.; hand net, ref.: 0109.A.Hy.1; CBC .

Description

Male

STANDARD RATIOS (n = 1). Genitalia were dissected and total length not acquired; CR: 1.09; OOR: 1.69; CLR: 0.65; MER: 1.28; OMR: 1.03; FRR: 2.20; MSR: 0.83; TER: 1.44.

HEAD. Head with clypeus largely impunctate except with some punctures along the lateral margins (Fig. 17C); frontal spatium mostly densely punctate, becoming impunctate dorsally; frons moderately punctate laterally, sparsely punctate around frontal fissura; vertex sparsely punctate, a few punctures separated by distance 2–3× their own diameter (Figs 17C, 21C); frontal spatium well defined posteriorly; frontal fissura present between anterior of frontal spatium and anterior ocellus (Fig. 21C).

MESOSOMA. Dorsum of pronotum, mesoscutum, scutellum and metanotum with punctures separated by distance 3–4× their own diameter (Fig. 25C), punctures on mesoscutum more widely spaced posteromedially, scutellum with broad impunctate band near posterior margin (Fig. 25C), posterior margin of metanotum slightly raised medially; dorsum of propodeum densely punctate, punctures on dorsolateral area subcontiguous (Fig.29C). Lateral panels of mesosoma with punctation mostly obscured by dense appressed pile; mesopleuron moderately punctate medially; metapleuron largely impunctate; lateral panel of propodeum moderately punctate. Scutellum and metanotum without median longitudinal carina (Fig. 29C). Dorso-median area of propodeum without distinct tubercule medially (Fig. 29C).

METASOMA. Metasoma with moderately strong angle between anterior and ventral faces of S 2 in lateral view; tergites moderately and uniformly punctate, punctures becoming denser on apical tergites (Figs 33C, 37C). T2 with no basal elevation (gradulus) (Fig. 37C).

WINGS. Fore wings with two submarginal cells and two recurrent veins, the second recurrent vein reaching the submarginal cell. Fore wings with dense short setae on most of the anterior half.

COLOUR AND VESTITURE. Integument mostly black (Fig. 9C) except antennal flagellum reddish, base of mandible yellow, clypeus yellow except for small anteromedian black patch, scrobe yellow; dorsum of pronotum and margin of pronotal lobe, tegula, and lateral spots on scutellum yellow (Fig. 25C) (minute yellow mark also present at apex of metanotum); pronotal callosity yellow (Fig. 9C); legs with anterior panels of coxae yellow, ventral yellow lines on all femora (those on fore femur present on distal half only), dorsal yellow line on distal half of fore femur, and dorsal yellow lines on fore and mid tibiae; metasoma with broad apical yellow bands on T1–T4 (Figs 39C, 33C, 37C), those on T3 and T4 broadly interrupted medially (Fig. 37C), and medially interrupted apical yellow bands on S2–S4. Vestiture mostly yellow to whitish except mostly black on metasomal segments 5–7, with interspersed yellow and black hairs present on T5 and T6; vestiture on metasoma mostly noticeably long and decumbent (Fig. 37C). Wings yellowish with slight infumation anteriorly.

GENITALIA. Ventral side of paramere with sparse setae mainly located on margin (Fig. 40C), dorsal side dense setae on all its surface (Fig. 39C); volsella uniformly covered in shorter setae (Fig. 40C), cuspis volsellaris with dense long setae on entire surface (Figs 40C, 41C, 42C); volsella with a few sensory cones medially on its external margin (Fig. 42C) and a wide lamella on its inner margin (Fig. 39C). External margin of paramere weakly angled medially, rounded apically (Fig. 40C); aedeagus with 11 teeth, serrated margin substraight, convex basally (Fig. 42C).

Notes

A single male specimen collected at Pak Sha O cannot be identified as any previously known species of Scoliidae . However, with no associated female and considering the difficulty in identifying isolated males of Campsomerini, we refrain; for now, from formally designating it as a new species. This individual can be distinguished from other scoliids by its remarkable vestiture, long and thick even by the standards of Scoliidae . The genital morphology is close to that of Megacampsomeris prismatica, with the parameres similar in overall shape but apically broader. The specimen keys to Megacampsomeris farrenwhitei (Betrem, 1928) in Liu et al. (2021a) but differs from the male illustrated therein in the presence of conspicuous yellow spots on the scutellum and the elongate metasomal vestiture. Betrem’s (1928, 1941) descriptions of M. farrenwhitei are of the female only.