Parancistrocerus discarinatus 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 : 263-266

Parancistrocerus discarinatus Li & Carpenter , sp. nov.

(Figs 33–37)

Material examined. Holotype, 1♀, Thailand, Sakon Nakhon PhuPhan NP Behind forest prot. Unit at Huay Wien

Prai, 17°6.81′N, 104°0.318′E, 318m, Malaise trap, 17–25.II.2007, Sailom Tongboonchai leg, T1690, deposited in QSBG.

Diagnosis. This species is also similar to P. loharbandensis Girish Kumar & Carpenter from India by having the occipital carina incomplete, evanescing at the vertex (Fig. 35). It differs from P. loharbandensis and other congeners by the following combination of characters: T1 sparsely punctate, clypeus with black spot mesally, and punctures of T2 uniform.

Description. Female (Fig. 33). Body length 6.0 mm. Head as wide as long in frontal view; clypeus (Fig. 34) densely with setae, sparsely punctate, clypeal maximum width 1.2× its length, moderately convex from base to middle and then depressed at subapex, apex emarginated forming two lateral teeth, apical width 1.12× distance between antennal sockets; inter-antennal area with longitudinal carina; frons swelling indistinctly, deeply and densely punctate, and reticulate, punctures on vertex and tempora almost similar to those of frons; cephalic foveae present, round, and just much bigger than surrounding punctures; interocular distance on vertex 1.52× that at clypeus; POL 0.86× OOL; distance between anterior ocellus and posterior ocelli 1.33× as long as diameter of anterior ocellus; occipital carina incomplete and just laterally present (Fig. 35).

Median area of anterior face of pronotum polished, with two separated foveae mesally (Fig. 35); anterior face of pronotum laterally with sparse setae and with dense punctures; pronotal carina absent dorsally, and just present and strong laterally; posterior and lateral sides of pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum strongly and densely punctate, and distinctly carinate and reticulate, these punctures slightly bigger and deeper than those on head (Fig. 33); mesoscutum not swollen, median length of mesoscutum as long as its maximum width; scutellum medially without a longitudinal groove; metanotum with coarse punctures, interspaces somewhat dentiformed; mesopleuron closely punctate except large area of epicnemium and posterior margin pubescence; epicnemial carina present; metapleuronpubescence and with a few short striae on lower part;dorsal face of propodeum (Fig. 36) not forming horizontal area behind midline of metanotumand coarsely and deeply punctate, interspaces between punctures with reticulate carinae, posterior face distinctly and deeply concave, coriaceous, with median longitudinal carina and almost without sparse punctures and transverse striae; lateral sides of propodeum punctate, interspaces between punctures more or less carinate; superior carina of propodeum well-developed and especially projecting as sharply dentiformed at top clearly separating dorsal face of propodeum from posterior face, submarginal carina moderately projecting as lobe above propodeal valvula. Tegula smooth with minute punctures, evenly rounded posteriorly, emarginated adjoining parategula and almost extending to apex of latter posteriorly.

T1 (Fig. 36) with regular, strong transverse carina separating vertical face from dorsal face, transverse carina 0.69× as wide as dorsal horizontal face; vertical anterior face distinctly shorter than dorsal horizontal face, moderately polished, and without scattered punctures, dorsal face with transverse groove at 1/3 area from base and gradually swelling from the groove to apex, 1.8× as wide as its median length, moderately punctate and punctures much sparser, shallower and smaller than those on head and mesosoma, and with about 3 irregular rows of punctures at apical band; punctures of T2 slightly denser than those of T1, T2 (Fig. 37) without cave at median base, laterally somewhat depressed basally, with about 2–3 irregular rows of punctures at apical band, 1.23× as wide as its median length; maximum width of T2 1.15× that of T1, T2 swollen from base to subapex, not reflexed at apex, with apical margin normal, not prolonged mesally (Fig. 37); S2 lowered at median base; following metasomal segments normal.

Body black, the following parts yellow: clypeus excluding median big and black spot and apical margin, mandible basally, a median spot on lower frons, apical spot in ocular sinus, a band on tempora, ventral side of scape, median and wide band (interrupted mesally) on dorsal surface of pronotum, anterior and posterior spots of tegula, parategula, metanotum except apex, submarginal carina, apical spots of fore and mid femora, spots of all tibiae, and apical bands of T1, T2 and S2; mandible except base, and tegula excluding yellow spots dark ferruginous.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Thailand.

Etymology. The specific name discarinatus is derived from two Latin words: dis - (=without) and carinatus (=carinate), referring to the evanescing occipital carina on the vertex.

FGURES 33–37. Parancistrocerus discarinatus sp. nov., holotype, ♀. 33. Habitus, dorsal view; 34. Clypeus; 35. Head and pronotum, lateral view; 36. Propodeum and T1, dorsal view; 37. T1–T3, dorsal view.