Pseumenes azurescens Selis, 2017

Selis, Marco, 2017, The genus Pseumenes Giordani Soika, 1935 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) in the Philippine Islands, with description of a new species, Zootaxa 4306 (2), pp. 296-300 : 296-297

Pseumenes azurescens Selis , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–7 )

Diagnosis. This species is similar to P. palawanensis Giordani Soika, 1993 , but differs from it by following characteristics: large shiny areas with extremely fine punctures on body, T 2 weakly reflexed apically and without a distinct lamella, wings very dark with strong bluish reflections.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE, ♀, pinned, “ Philippines, Mindanao , Agusan, Esperanza, IX.2014, leg. local collector” ( MSNVE).

Description. Female. Head in frontal view higher than wide. Vertex swollen dorsally ( Fig. 2 ). Occipital carina well developed along the entire length of gena, absent dorsally. Inner eye margins almost parallel, weakly converging below. Clypeus in lateral view convex in basal half, then slightly concave; in frontal view about 1.2× as long as wide, basal margin of clypeus touching antennal sockets; apical margin with a semicircular emargination, forming rounded tooth on each lateral side ( Fig. 7 ). Mandible with five teeth, two apical ones pointed, median one square, basal ones almost fused. Antennal scape about 4× as long as apical width; F1 about 2.2× as long as wide, F2–F9 longer than wide, F10 bulletshaped, almost twice as long as basal width. Mesosoma depressed dorsoventrally. Pronotal carina well developed, rounded on humeri, reaching ventral corner of pronotum, thinner medially on dorsum. Mesoscutum as long as its maximum width. Disc of scutellum ( Fig. 4 ) and metanotum nearly flat, scutellum with an extremely short and weak longitudinal median furrow on anterior margin. Propodeum ( Fig. 5 ) with two external dorsoventrally flattened teeth and two median teeth fused with propodeal valvulae; median depression running from base to apex, bearing a median fovea basally and a median longitudinal carina, lateral margins divergent anteriorly, then parallel, margins raised and distinct in posterior half. T1 almost as long as mesosoma; parallel sided in basal two thirds, inflated in apical third; in dorsal view about 3× as long as its apical width; apical longitudinal furrow short and shallow ( Fig. 6 ). T 2 in lateral view regularly convex, weakly reflexed apically ( Fig. 3 ). S 2 in lateral view flattened basally, then weakly convex.

Head and thorax covered with short and dense silvery bristles. Some short erect black bristles on mesosoma. Propodeum, S1 and apical margins of S2–S5 with long silvery hairs.

Clypeus with moderately large punctures, interspaces raised to form weak carinae. Frons with shallow, large and dense punctures. Vertex with dense ill-defined small punctures. Gena with moderately dense well-defined punctures. Pronotum punctured similar to frons, interspaces slightly larger, ventral corners smooth. Mesoscutum in anterior half with shallow medium-sized punctures, posterior half smooth with extremely fine and barely visible punctures. Scutellum and metanotum punctured like posterior half of mesoscutum, except for some barely visible irregular punctures. Mesepisternum in dorsal half punctured like anterior half of mesoscutum, ventral half with some small punctures. Metapleuron smooth. Dorsal face of propodeum punctured like posterior half of mesoscutum, lateral faces with fine and very dense striae. T1 anteriorly with some scattered punctures, posterior inflated third with well-defined and quite dense punctures. T2 smooth medially, with dense punctures laterally. S1 with transversal indistinct striae on narrow part, with punctures on expanded posterior part. S2 with very sparse and shallow medium-sized punctures.

Color. Black-grayish with the following pale yellow markings: antennal scape beneath, small triangular spot between antennal sockets, short line below anterior ocellus, elongate spot on gena, inner side of tibiae and apical tarsomere of fore legs, spots on apical corners of propodeum and propodeal valvulae. Underside of flagellum orangebrownish. Wings dark brown, strongly infuscate, with bluish reflections.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Philippine Islands: Mindanao.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the bluish reflections of the wings.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Pseumenes azurescens sp. nov., ♀, holotype. 1, Habitus; 2, Vertex in lateral view; 3, Apical margin of T 2; 4, Scutellum in dorsal view; 5, Propodeum in postero-dorsal view; 6, Apical half of T 1 in dorsal view; 7, Head in frontal view.