Eparces australis Claridge & Dal Pos sp. nov.

Figs 1–2, 5

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 3376AB81-240F-4F7E-934B-5381DA43EBFC

Diagnosis. Eparces australis sp. nov. is diagnosed by the following combination of characters: color overall light brownish red with only T7–8 dark reddish-brown to black (head black in E. quadriceps); female head longer than in E. quadriceps; and posterior transverse carina of the propodeum usually obsolete, except in several specimens (always well-developed in E. quadriceps).

Description. Female (Fig. 1). Body length 8.6–9.0 mm; fore wing length 3.6 – 3.7 mm.

Color. Primarily light brownish-red except: clypeus brownish-yellow; mandible brownish-red with dark brown apex; incomplete yellowish-white banding on flagellomeres 8–10 and remainder dark brown; apical 0.3/0.4 of hind femur dark brown to black; apical 0.2/0.3 of hind tibia dark brown to black;and tarsomeres reddish-brown; T6–7 dark brown.

Head. Clypeus smooth to weakly granulate with a few scattered punctures. Supraclypeal area granulate and sparsely, shallowly punctate. Gena weakly granulate and impunctate or with a few scattered shallow punctures. Supra-antennal area weakly granulate to granulate with ventral 0.2/0.3 of supra-antennal area transversely rugulose, dorsal 0.7/0.8 with a few scattered punctures laterally. Vertex weakly granulate and impunctate.Antenna with 21–22 flagellomeres.

Mesosoma. Pronotum weakly granulate and impunctate or with a few nearly indistinct punctures dorsally. Mesonotum and scutellum weakly granulate with a few scattered, nearly indistinct punctures. Mesopleuron weakly granulate and sparsely, shallowly punctate. Speculum weakly granulate and impunctate. Ventral division of metapleuron granulate and impunctate. Propodeum granulate with a few shallow, nearly indistinct punctures laterally. Propodeal carinae subobsolete on dorsal face and obsolete on posteriorly (including posterior transverse carina).

Metasoma. Metasoma granulate, impunctate.

Male (Fig. 2). Body length: 7.0– 9.7 mm; fore wing length: 3.2–4.7 mm. As in female, except: mandible yellow or yellowish-white except dark brown apex; flagellum light brownish-red becoming dark brown at extreme apex; head shorter; punctation denser on supraclypeal area, mesonotum and mesopleuron; three male Arkansas specimens with posterior transverse carina of propodeum well developed. Antenna with 24–25 flagellomeres.

Material examined. Holotype: USA • ♀ Florida; Alachua Co.; Georgia; McIntosh Co.; Sapelo Island; [31.3920 -81.2668]; 29.iv–09.v.1987; BRC Hymen. Team; Mal trap, shrub sand dunes; EMUSENT00006396 . Paratypes: USA • ♂; Florida; Alachua Co.; Gainesville; Pierce’s Homestead; S9-T10S-R18E; 4–6.xi.1975; W. H. Pierce; Malaise trap; FSCA00051754 • ♂; Florida; Alachua Co.; Payne’s Prairie State Preserve; [29.6062 - 82.3027] 3–6.vi.1984; Fairchild, G. B. & Weems, H. V.; Insect Flight Trap; FSCA00051758 • ♀; Florida; Highlands Co.; Archbold Biological Station; [27.1829 -81.3517]; 17.ix.1979; Weems, H. V., Jr. & Webber, T. A.; Insect flight trap; DDPC00094 • ♂; Florida; Highlands Co.; Archbold Biological Station; [27.1829 -81.3517]; 15–17.v.1980; Weems, H. V., Jr. & Lohrer, F. E.; Insect flight trap; FSCA00051756 • ♂; Florida; Highlands Co.; Archbold Biological Station; [27.1829 -81.3517]; 22–25.ii.1980; Weems, H. V., Jr. & Lohrer, F. E.; Insect flight trap; DDPC00095 • ♀; Florida; Levy Co.; Cedar Key; [29.1385 -83.0351]; 16.x.1976; Grissell, E. E.; on Carex; FSCA00051757 • 2♂♂, ♀; Georgia; McIntosh Co.; Sapelo Island; [31.3920 -81.2668]; 29.iv–09.v.1987; BRC Hymen Team; Mal trap, shrub sand dunes; EMUSENT00006025, EMUS00005581, EMUSENT00006218 • 4♂♂, ♀; Georgia; McIntosh Co.; Sapelo Island; [31.3920 -81.2668]; 20.vi–08.vii.1987; BRC Hymen Team; Mal trap, shrub sand dunes; EMUSENT00006430; EMUSENT00006655; EMUSENT00005891; EMUSENT00006211; EMUSENT00006314 • 2♂♂; Georgia; McIntosh Co.; Sapelo Island; [31.3920 -81.2668]; 16.vi–18.vii.1987; L. Masner & party; EMUSENT00005445, EMUSENT00004709 • ♂; Georgia; McIntosh Co.; Sapelo Island; [31.3920 -81.2668]; 27.viii–09.ix.1987; L. Masner & party; EMUSENT00005304 • 2♂♂; Georgia; McIntosh Co.; Sapelo Island; [31.3920 -81.2668]; 20.viii–09.ix.1987; L. Masner; EMUSENT00005491, EMUSENT00005478 • ♂; Georgia; McIntosh Co.; Sapelo Island; [31.3920 -81.2668]; 20.vi–18.vii.1987; L. Masner; EMUSENT00000396. Non-types: USA • 3♂♂; Arkansas; Rock Camp; [35.3625 -92.4598]; 04.x.2012; MT, CJR; trap# 26, 45, 38, 23, 21, 22, 35, 42, 48, 30, 32; EMUSENT00005807, EMUSENT00006490, EMUSENT00006500 .

Distribution. USA: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia (Fig. 5).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin adjective “ australis ” for southern in reference to the more southern distribution compared with all other Eparces species.

Comments. We do not designate the three male specimens from Arkansas as paratypes due to their overall denser, coarser punctation and well-developed posterior transverse carina of the propodeum.