Ctenochira arkadyi Kasparyan sp. nov.

Figs 12-16, 17-18

Comparison.

Ctenochira arkadyi sp. nov. belongs to the C. flavicauda group of species characterized by the presence of the areolet in the fore wing and shortly pectinate tarsal claws. It differs from other species of this group in having metasomal tergites 2-4 distinctly, densely and uniformly punctate, and the propodeum with costulae. Ctenochira arkadyi sp. nov. is similar to the recently described C. magnusi Haraldseide, 2018, but differs from this species (as well as from most other congeners) by the features listed in Table 1.

Description.

Female. Fore wing length 6.0 mm.

Antenna with 29 flagellomeres; first flagellomere 4.0 times and second flagellomere 2.5 times as long as broad; combined length of flagellomeres 1 and 2 about 0.9 maximum eye diameter. Apical flagellomeres thin, about 0.6 times as wide as basal flagellomeres. Sensillae starting on flagellomere 4 and continuing on subsequent flagellomeres. Head (Figs 13, 14) shining, not narrowed behind eyes, temples slightly convex. Face centrally convex and coarsely punctate. Clypeus weakly and evenly convex, polished, finely and sparsely punctate; clypeal foveae small, without setae. Frons with rather dense, even and moderately fine punctures. Temples with fine and sparse punctures. Margins of antennal sockets on frons not raised. Malar space about half as long as basal mandibular width. Oral carina slightly higher than occipital carina, and 0.6 times as long as basal mandibular width.

Thorax smooth, with even, distinct, moderately large and dense punctures. Pronotum with rugosity on transverse impression and lateral lower corner. Mesoscutum without notaulus. Scutellum with lateral carinae on its anterior 0.4. Mesopleuron in upper half and posteriorly smooth, shining, with moderately large punctures which are separated by about 1.5 diameters of puncture (Fig. 15); speculum large and polished. Metapleuron with punctures denser (distance between punctures about 0.5-1.0 diameter of puncture); lower margin of metapleuron with deep impression covered with rugae. Propodeum with superficial rugosity, impunctate except for irregular punctures on smooth background on first lateral areas; costulae present, extending from hind part of areola; areola confluent with basal area, its lateral sides parallel. Apical area 0.55 times as high as length of propodeum (measured at midline), with median longitudinal carina distinct.

Fore wing with an areolet (Fig. 12); nervulus strongly postfurcal. Hind wing with nervellus intercepted at lower 0.23 (Fig. 15). Fore femur thick, 2.2 times as long as wide. Fore and mid tarsi shortened. Fore leg with first tarsomere 2.7 times as long as wide, tarsomeres 2-4 transverse. Mid tarsus with first tarsomere 3.0 times as long as wide and 1.4 times shorter than tarsomeres 2-5 combined. Hind femur 3.5 times as long as wide; length ratio of tarsomeres 1-5 of hind tarsus 4.8: 2.5: 1.7: 1.2: 2.2. Tarsal claws apically strongly curved and tapered to a sharp point; claws with relatively short and dense teeth (Fig. 16); fore tarsus with 6 teeth, mid and hind tarsi with 7-9 teeth.

Metasomal tergites smooth, with dense and moderately large punctures; punctures denser on tergites 1-4 (Fig. 17), somewhat finer and sparser on posterior margins of tergites, on posterior half of tergite 4, and on tergite 5 (subsequent tergites retracted under tergite 5, see Fig. 18). First tergite about 0.9 times as long as wide, its longitudinal median dorsal carinae strong and extending to superficial transverse depression in posterior 0.2 of tergite; interspace between dorsal carinae broad, entirely densely punctate from transverse depression to base; transverse depression with short longitudinal rugae. Second and third tergites strongly transverse, about 0.5 times as long as broad; both tergites with shallow transverse depression just behind middle. Hypopygium large, with large oval desclerotized area medially in basal 0.7 (this area somewhat paler than its light yellow apical and lateral periphery); hypopygium with rather dense, erected and moderately long setae which are shorter than diameters of hind tarsomeres and extending to hind margin of hypopygium (Fig. 18). Ovipositor sheath 2.5 times as long as its median width, with dorsoapical emargination in its apical 0.4 (Fig. 18).

Coloration (Fig. 12). Antenna blackish brown, scape and pedicel light yellow ventrally and flagellomeres 1-3 brownish yellow ventrally. Head black; face, clypeus, lower 0.3 of frontal orbits, palpi, mandible (except for reddish brown teeth), malar space, lower parts of gena and postgena yellow (Fig. 13). Mesosoma black; lower margin of propleuron (above fore coxa), tegula and plates at base of fore wing yellow; lower part of mesopleuron with obscure reddish marking ventrally (Fig. 15). Legs predominantly yellowish red. Fore and mid legs with coxae and trochanters entirely light yellow, and femora, tibiae and tarsi reddish yellow. Hind leg with coxa, trochanters and femur red; femur slightly darkened dorsally at apical 0.1; tibia brownish yellow in basal 0.6 and dark brown in apical 0.4; spurs yellow; hind tarsus brown, tarsomeres 1-3 pale at extreme base. Pterostigma dark brown with proximal 0.25 whitish.

First metasomal tergite black except for yellowish red hind margin; second tergite reddish with two subbasal blackish spots (Fig. 17); subsequent tergites black except for tergites 3 and 4 which are brownish black in posterior 1/3 and with reddish tinge on hind margins (Figs 17, 18). Epipleura and sternites yellow, segments 2-4 each with brownish large sclerotized spot. Ovipositor sheath dark brown, its extreme apex and basal 0.6 latero-ventrally reddish yellow.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology.

We are happy to name this new species in honour of Prof. Arkady Lelej, after his 75th birthday and in recognition of his enormous contribution to the taxonomy of Aculeata and his hard work organizing extensive insect studies in the Russian Far East.

Material examined.

Holotype female (ZISP), Russia, Transbaikal Territory, railway station Karymskaya, ravine in right bank of Ingoda river, taiga ( Pinus, Larix), 28.VI.1975, coll. D.R. Kasparyan.