Malayepipona clypeata Nguyen & Carpenter, 2013

Nguyen, Lien Thi Phuong & Carpenter, James M., 2013, Taxonomic Notes On The Species Of The Genus Malayepipona Giordani Soika (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) From Northern Vietnam, With Description Of Three New Species, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 61 (2), pp. 727-734 : 729-731

Malayepipona clypeata Nguyen & Carpenter , new species

( Figs. 6–11 )

Material examined. — Holotype: female, VIETNAM, Lang San, Na Ri , Bac Kan, 22°14'N, 106°05'E, alt. 600–700m, 4 Aug.2012, Nguyen T. P. Lien & IED-c.

Diagnosis. — This species can be distinguished from all other known species of the genus Malayepipona by the following combination of characters: head in frontal view much wider than high, about 1.25 times as wide as high; clypeus much wider than high, about 1.3 times as wide as high; propodeum with upper part forming a pair of relatively blunt teeth behind metanotum, dorsal and posterior surfaces connected by a sharp edge, border between posterior and lateral surfaces sharply angulate; head and mesosoma covered

with very coarse punctures, punctures strongly raised to form reticulation.

Description. — Female. Body length about 13 mm; forewing length about 11.5 mm. Head in frontal view subcircular, about

1.25 times as wide as high. Vertex with cephalic foveae small, bearing dense pubescence, situated far from each other with distance between foveae about equal to distance between posterior ocelli; depression for cephalic foveae obsolete. Distance from posterior ocelli to apical margin of the vertex slightly greater than two times of the distance from posterior ocelli to inner eye margin ( Fig. 6 ). Gena slightly narrower than eye, in lateral view about 0.9 times as wide as eye; occipital carina complete, present along entire length of the gena, but dorsally somewhat weak. Inner eye margins weakly convergent ventrally; in frontal view about 1.1 times further apart from each other at vertex than at clypeus. Clypeus in lateral view weakly and smoothly convex; in frontal view about 1.3 times as wide as high ( Fig. 7 ), with basal margin slightly convex medially and distinctly separated from antennal sockets; apical margin deeply emarginate medially, forming a sharp tooth on each lateral side ( Fig. 7 ); width of the emargination less than 1/3 width of clypeus between inner eye margin. Mandible with prominent teeth, second and third teeth triangular with inner side produced, nearly square, the outer one pointed apically, with inner margin nearly straight and forming a right angle with apical margin of the third tooth ( Fig. 8 ). Antennal scape about 3.5 times as long as its maximum width; flagellomere I about 1.5 times longer than wide, flagellomeres II–IV about as long as wide, flagellomeres V–IX wider than long, terminal flagellomere bullet-shaped, as long as its basal width ( Fig. 9 ).

Mesosoma short, longer than wide in dorsal view. Pronotal carina slightly raised, produced at humeral angles, reaching ventral corner of pronotum. Mesoscutum weakly convex, about as long as wide between tegulae; anterior margin broadly rounded. Scutellum weakly convex, strongly depressed along anterior margin with many short longitudinal carinae. Metanotum weakly convex, slope down to apical margin. Propodeum excavated in the middle, the basal fovea about 1/4 of the length of the median carina which runs from the fovea to the apical margin; in lateral view outline of the posterior surface nearly straight; upper part of propodeum forming a pair of relatively blunt teeth behind metanotum ( Fig. 10 ); dorsal and posterior surfaces connected by a sharp edge; border between posterior and lateral surfaces sharply angulate.

Metasomal segment I narrower than segment II, truncate at base; anterior vertical surface weakly convex, with some shallow punctures, clearly separable from the posterior horizontal part, without carina; tergum divided laterally by a sharp carina into upper and lower part. Tergum I in dorsal view about twice as wide long; second tergum slightly wider than long; second sternum nearly flat at base, then slightly convex to apical margin ( Fig. 11 ).

Body covered with short, ferruginous hairs except lower part of propodeum with dense long silver hairs.

Clypeus with dense, large, flat-bottomed punctures, each bearing a golden bristle, punctures at center lager than at sides. Mandible with several shallow small punctures. Frons densely covered with very coarse punctures, punctures strongly raised to form reticulation. Vertex and gena with punctures similar to those on frons. Pronotum with punctures coarser than punctures in vertex and gena, spaces between punctures very narrow, strongly raised to form reticulation. Mesocutum densely and coarsely covered with flat-bottomed punctures, punctures on scutellum and metanotum dense, coarse and equal than those on mesoscutum. Mesepisternum with dense, coarse, well-defined punctures posterodorsally, barely punctured anteroventrally; border between posterodorsal and anteroventral parts distinct. Dorsal metapleuron with strong striae, ventral metapleuron with sparse shallow punctures. Propodeum with punctures on dorsal and lateral parts similar to those on mesopleuron, posterior surface with shallow, sparse, large punctures. Metasomal segments densely covered with strong punctures, punctures on tergum II coaser than punctures on tergum III–V, tergum and sternum IV with minute punctures.

Colour. Black; following parts orange-yellow: large spots on upper lateral corner and small spots on lower lateral corner of clypeus, narrow band along inner eye margin extending from bottom of frons to nearly ocular sinus, a spot on frons, spots on basal mandible, antennal scape beneath, narrow band at apical margin of first tergum. Legs black except following parts orange-yellow: spots on inner side of fore tibia, upper part of middle and hind femora. Propodeal valvulae dark brown. Wings dark brown, strongly infuscate, veins dark brown.

Etymology. — The specific name refers to the wide clypeus in this species.

Figures

Figs. 6–11. Malayepipona clypeata, new species. Female: 6, vertex in dorsal view; 7, clypeus in frontal view; 8, mandibular teeth in frontal view; 9, left antenna; 10, propodeum in posterior view; 11, metasomal segments showing second sternum.