Malayepipona seomyty 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 : 731-732

Malayepipona seomyty Nguyen & Carpenter , new species

(Figs. 12–19)

Material examined. — Holotype: female, VIETNAM, Seomyty, Sapa , Lao Cai, 1700 m, 9 Jul.2009, Pham H. Phong . Paratypes: 2 males, same data as holotype .

Diagnosis. — This species can be distinguished from all other known species of the genus Malayepipona by the following combination of features: distance from posterior ocelli to apical margin of the vertex short, about 1.5 times of the distance from posterior ocelli to inner eye margin; clypeus in lateral view prominently convex at basal half, then slightly depressed and running straight to apical margin (weakly convex in other species); scutellum and metanotum with a longitudinal depression in the middle; propodeum with dorsal and posterior surfaces delimited by a blunt edge, border between posterior and lateral surfaces bluntly angulate.

Description. — Female. Body length about 12 mm; forewing length about 11 mm.

Structure as in Malayepipona clypeata , but differing as follows: Head in frontal view about 1.1 times as wide as high. Distance from posterior ocelli to apical margin of the vertex about 1.5 times of the distance from posterior ocelli to inner eye margin. Gena narrower than eye, in lateral view about 0.85 times as wide as eye. Inner eye margins in frontal view about 1.25 times further apart from each other at vertex than at clypeus. Clypeus in frontal view about 1.1 times as wide as high, apical margin shallowly emarginate medially, forming a blunt tooth on each lateral side (Fig. 12), width of the emargination slightly more than 1/3 width of clypeus between inner eye margins; in lateral view prominently convex at basal half, then slightly depressed and running straight to apical margin (Fig. 13). Mandibular teeth quite short, basal tooth with inner side slightly concave, second and third teeth with inner side slightly produced to form round edges, the outer one pointed apically with inner side nearly straight (Fig. 14). First flagellomere slightly longer than wide, second flagellomere about as long as wide, third to ninth flagellomeres wider than long, terminal flagellomere bullet-shaped, shorter than its basal width (Fig. 15). Scutellum and metanotum with a longitudinal depression in the middle (Fig. 16). Propodeum with basal fovea about 1/3 of the length of the median carina which runs from the fovea to the apical margin; in lateral view outline of the posterior surface slightly curved; upper part of propodeum normal, without a pair of blunt teeth behind metanotum; dorsal and posterior surfaces connected by a blunt edge; border between posterior and lateral surfaces bluntly angulate. First tergum in dorsal view about twice as wide as long (Fig. 17).

Body covered with less coarse punctures than in M. clypeata . Clypeus covered with shallow punctures, each bearing a golden bristle, diameter of the punctures smaller than distance between the punctures, punctures coarser on apical half. Dorsal metapleuron with weak striae, area between striae smooth; ventral metapleuron with scattered shallow punctures. Propodeum with deep coarse punctures in dorsally, border between punctures cariniform; punctures shallow laterally with border between punctures undefined; posterior surface with scattered shallow punctures.

Colour. Black; following parts orange-yellow: a large band at lateral margins of clypeus, a large band along inner eye margin extending from bottom of frons to the half of ocular sinus, a spot on frons, spots on middle of mandible, a small spot on gena behind eye margin, antennal scape beneath, narrow band along pronotal carina with branches extending along posterodorsal margin of pronotum, pretegular carinae, a pair of small spots on basal margin of metanotum, apical bands on terga I–V (widest on tergum I and II and very narrow on terga III–V, bands on terga I and II incise in the middle), spots on lateral apical margin of sternum II. Tegulae and propodeal valvulae dark brown. Legs black except dark brown spots on apical margin of fore and mid femora.

Male. — Body length about 11 mm; forewing length about 10.5 mm.

Structure as in female, but differing from the latter as follows: head proportionally smaller, transverse, about 1.3 times as wide as high in frontal view; eye strongly swollen laterally; inner eye margins strongly convergent, about 1.5 times further apart from each other at vertex than at clypeus; gena narrow, in lateral view about 0.6 times as wide as eye; clypeus in frontal view slightly wider than high, only slightly produced ventrally, in lateral view strongly convex at basal half, then slightly depressed at apical half, apical margin deeply emarginate medially, forming a sharp pointed tooth on each lateral side (Fig. 18); mandible with four prominent, sharp teeth (Fig. 18). Antenna slightly more slender than in female, scape short, about three times as long as its maximum width; first flagellomere about 1.5 times as wide as long, second flagellomere slightly longer than wide, third to fifth flagellomeres about as wide as long, sixth to eighth flagellomeres wider than long, terminal flagellomere elongate, slightly curved, about twice as long as its basal width (Fig. 19).

Body surface sculpture as in female, but clypeus without large punctures, punctures sparse and small.

Colour. Similar to female, but clypeus orange-yellow except black apical margin, and spots on mandible much larger than in female.

Etymology. — The specific name refers to the type locality, Seomyty in Sa Pa, Lao Cai Province of Vietnam; it is to be treated as a noun in apposition.

Remarks. — This species is most similar to M. visenda Gusenleitner known from Laos, but can be easily distinguished from the latter by having the female head with shorter and sparser hairs, second and third teeth of mandible with inner side produced to form round edge, the outer one with inner side nearly straight (in M. visenda , second and third teeth of mandible with inner side nearly straight, the outer one with inner side slightly curved); metanotum more convex and punctures on clypeus and metasomal terga coarser.