Parancistrocerus prominens Li & Carpenter, 2019

Li, Tingjing & Carpenter, James M., 2019, Descriptions of eight new species of the genus Parancistrocerus Bequaert (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae), with a key to the Oriental species, Zootaxa 4551 (3), pp. 251-274 : 260-261

Parancistrocerus prominens Li & Carpenter , sp. nov.

( Figs 20–25 )

Material examined: Holotype, 1♀, Thailand, Phetchabun Thung Salaeng Luang NP for Gang Wang Nam Yen , 16°36.284′N, 100°53.128′E, 749m, Pan trap, 18–19.VI.2007, Pongpitak & Sathit leg., T2054, deposited in QSBG

Diagnosis. This species is similar to P. samarensis (Schulthess) from Laos and Philippines by having the apex of T3 prolonged mesally. It differs from P. samarensis and other congeners by the following combination of characters: apical prolongation of T3 poorly-developed and indistinct ( Fig. 24 ), and T2 obviously swollen mesally ( Fig. 24 ).

Description. Female ( Fig. 20 ). Body length 7.0 mm. Head about as wide as long in frontal view ( Fig. 21 ); clypeus densely punctate excluding apex, clypeal apex smooth, clypeal maximum width 1.04× its length, moderately convex at base to middle and depressed at apex, apex moderately emarginated forming two lateral and blunt teeth, apex 1.19× as wide as distance between antennal sockets; inter-antennal area with longitudinal carina; frons somewhat swollen, coarsely punctate, and distinctly reticulate, punctures on vertex and tempora sparser than those of frons; cephalic foveae unobvious and almost same as surrounding punctures; interocular distance on vertex 1.42× that at clypeus; POL 0.79× OOL; distance between anterior and posterior ocelli 1.43× as long as diameter of anterior ocellus; occipital carina complete.

Median area of anterior face of pronotum ( Fig. 22 ) coriaceous, with two small and separated foveae mesally similar to surrounding punctures; anterior face of pronotum laterally with coarse punctures; pronotal carina absent dorsally, and present and strong laterally; posterior and lateral sides of pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum coarsely punctate and obviously reticulate, these punctures much bigger and dipper than those on head; median length of mesoscutum as long as its maximum width; scutellum medially with indistinct and longitudinal groove; metanotum with coarse punctures, interspaces carinate and bluntly dentiformed; mesopleuron coarsely punctate and reticulated except large area of epicnemium and posterior margin with pubescence; epicnemial carina present and strong; metapleuron with pubescence; dorsal face of propodeum not forming horizontal area behind midline of metanotum ( Fig. 23 ), and coarsely and deeply punctate, interspaces between punctures with reticulate carinae, posterior face deeply concave, with median longitudinal and strong carina, and with thin, dense and transverse striae on upper part and smooth on lower part; lateral sides of propodeum dull and sparsely punctate, interspaces between punctures somewhat carinate; superior carina of propodeum well-developed and distinct, especially lamellate at top, submarginal carina also well-developed almost extending to apex of dorsal face and forming an enclosure above propodeal valvula ( Fig. 23 ). Tegula smooth with minute punctures, evenly rounded posteriorly, emarginated adjoining parategula and slightly shorter than apex of latter.

T1 with wavy and strong transverse carina separating vertical face from dorsal face, transverse carina 0.85× as wide as dorsal horizontal face; vertical anterior face longer than or at least as long as dorsal horizontal face, coriaceous, without scattered punctures, and with a few thin and transverse striae on upper part; dorsal face not swollen, relatively short, 1.79× as wide as its median length, coarsely punctate and somewhat reticulate, punctures just slightly sparser, shallower and smaller than those on head and mesosoma, and with two regular rows of punctures at apical band; punctures of T2 ( Fig. 24 ) similar to or even denser than those of T1, coarse and reticulate, T2 bell-shaped, laterally somewhat concave at base, without cave at median base, obviously swollen mesally with two regular rows of punctures at apical band, 1.18× as wide as its median length; maximum width of T2 1.20× that of T1, T2 not reflexed at apex, with apical margin normal, not prolonged mesally; S2 ( Fig. 25 ) lowered basally and then widely depressed almost forming flattened face mesally; T3 ( Fig. 24 ) arched and somewhat elongated at median apex forming a small lobe; S3 ( Fig. 25 ) transversely elongated as that of T3; following metasomal segments normal.

Body black, the following parts yellow to brownish yellow: clypeus except a big dark brown and transverse band mesally and outer border, mandible basally, a circle spot on upper tempora, ventral side of scape, median and wide band on dorsal surface of pronotum, a circle band of tegula, a spot at top of mesepisternum, parategula, metanotum, submarginal carina, small apical spot on fore femur, outer long band on fore tibia, a small spot on mid tibia, wide apical bands of T1–T2 and thin band of S2; mandible except base, tegula except yellow band, and all tarsi ferruginous to dark ferruginous.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Thailand.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin word prominens (=prominent), referring to the obvious medial swelling of T2.

Figures

FIGURES 20–25. Parancistrocerus prominens sp. nov., holotype, ♀. 20. Habitus, dorsal view; 21. Clypeus; 22. Pronotum, dorsal view; 23. Propodeum, dorsal view; 24. T2–T3, dorsal view; 25. S2–S5, later-ventral view.