Afrepipona orientalis sp. nov., 2024

Selis, Marco & Carpenter, James M., 2024, Revision of the Afrotropical genus Afrepipona Giordani Soika, 1965 and description of Afrepsilon gen. nov. (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae), European Journal of Taxonomy 944, pp. 1-80 : 34-37

Afrepipona orientalis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:58CF3DFF-7445-4458-B23E-4FF5ABF77251

Fig. 14

non Afrepipona macrocephala – Giordani Soika 1952: 82.

Diagnosis

Similar to Afrepipona lamptoensis , but differing as follows: clypeus narrower, 1.3 × as wide as long, apical margin evenly concave ( Fig. 14B ); vertex longer, 2.2–2.25 × as long as distance between posterior ocellus and inner eye margin, cephalic foveae placed in small circular depression, narrower than one ocellar diameter ( Fig. 14C ); slenderer appearance, 1.35–1.45× as long as wide, T1 1.8–1.9 × as wide as long; T2 1.0–1.1 × as wide as long; T3 widely lamellate at apex ( Fig. 14D ); interspaces on frons and mesoscutum reaching one puncture diameter, punctures on mesepisternum always separated by flattened interspaces.

Etymology

The specific epithet derives from the Latin adjective ‘orientalis’ (= ‘eastern’), this species being diffused in eastern Africa.

Type material

Holotype

ETHIOPIA • ♀; Sagan-Omo, Caschei ; 18 Jul. 1939; E. Zavattari leg.; MSNVE.

Paratypes

ETHIOPIA • 1 ♀; A.O.I., Sagan-Omo; 1939; E. Zavattari leg.; MSVI • 1 ♀; Sagan-Omo, Caschei ; 10 Aug. 1939; E. Zavattari leg.; AMNH .

Description

Female

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 7.0– 7.3 mm (holotype 7.0 mm); fore wing length 5.9–6.1 mm (holotype 5.9 mm).

MORPHOLOGY. Head 1.25 × as wide as long in frontal view. Clypeus 1.3 × as wide as long, apical margin truncate between lateral teeth, 0.3 × as wide as maximum width of clypeus; apical teeth subtriangular with rounded apex, clearly projecting from apical margin; clypeus weakly convex in lateral view. Vertex 2.2 × as long as distance from posterior ocellus to inner eye margin; cephalic foveae very small and close to each other, placed in a smooth and shiny depression about as large as one ocellus and with V-shaped carinate posterior margin; gena 0.85 × as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina complete, very weak on vertex and shortly lamellate on gena, more or less evenly curved on gena. F1 1.1 × as long as wide and 1.3 × as long as F2, F2 subquadrate, F3–9 transverse. Fifth tooth of mandible projecting but apically rounded. Mesosoma 1.45 × as long as wide. Sides of pronotum straight and weakly converging in dorsal view; pronotal carina complete and very shortly lamellate, rounded on humeri; pretegular carina dull and barely visible; lateral faces of pronotum depressed and clearly separated from dorsal face. Mesoscutum as long as wide, posteriorly flattened in lateral view. Scutellum barely convex and smoothly passing into mesoscutum and metanotum; anterior margin crenate with a series of small pits, median one markedly larger than others. Metanotum weakly and evenly convex in lateral view. Tegula almost equaling parategula, outer margin evenly convex; parategula small and strongly bent, right-angled. Epicnemial carina weak and reaching epipleural suture but disappearing on mesosternum. Propodeum falling almost vertically behind metanotum in lateral view; posterior face small and shallowly concave, smoothly passing into dorsal faces; lateral faces flattened and separated from dorsal faces but without a distinct carina. T1 nearly semicircular, 0.55 × as long as wide in dorsal view; posterior margin thickened with a short translucent margin of regular length. T2 0.9 × as long as wide in dorsal view, apical margin translucent and lamellate, separated from rest of surface by a series of irregular coarse punctures. T3 with translucent margin longer than that on T2. S2 almost flattened and then convex basally, with a deep longitudinal furrow, apically with short lamellar margin. S3 with very short lamellar margin.

SCULPTURE AND VESTITURE. Clypeus shiny with shallow punctures, larger and denser on disc and apically, barely visible and much sparser basally, interspaces finely and densely micropunctate. Head with deep punctures, interspaces slightly convex and shiny, distance between punctures mostly equal to puncture diameter on frons and becoming larger on vertex and gena. Scape weakly shiny with dense micropunctures and sparse very fine punctures. Most of mesosoma sculpted like vertex but punctures larger; lateral faces of pronotum with dull striae; punctures on scutellum sparser; punctures on mesepisternum becoming sparse and smaller ventrally, very fine and sparse on mesosternum, epicnemium shallowly shagreened and shiny; dorsal faces of propodeum with large flat-bottomed punctures, interspaces large and flattened with fine microstriation, about as large as puncture diameter; posterior face shiny, smooth with sparse punctures, finely striate in middle of lower fourth; lateral faces irregularly shagreened and microstriate, weakly shiny, with flat-bottomed shallow punctures becoming denser posteriorly. T1 finely shagreened and weakly shiny, with sparse deep small punctures, denser on disc; T2 similar to T1 but punctures finer, with a preapical series of larger and coarse punctures; T3 similar to T2, but punctures smaller; T4 with sparse very fine punctures and a preapical series of slightly coarser small punctures; T5–6 micropunctate with very sparse fine punctures; S1 smooth and shiny with irregular ridges, basal petiole partly shagreened; S2 similar to respective tergite but punctures sparser and larger, preapical series made of smaller and more regular punctures; S3–6 similar to respective tergites but more finely sculpted. Head and mesosoma with short pale pubescence, mostly arising from punctures, more abundant and denser on frons and sides of mesosoma, silvery and dense on epicnemium and mesosternum; clypeus with short silvery pubescence, denser on basal and lateral margins and mixed with short erect setae; mesepisternum with erect curved setae; propodeum almost entirely covered in short white pubescence, angles with fine long setae; metasoma with brownish dust-like pubescence, short sub-erect setae on T3–6 and S2–6.

COLORATION. Ferruginous-red; black markings reduced to some sutures of mesosoma and bottom of some punctures; following parts pale yellow: most of clypeus except large median spot, base of mandible, cross-shaped spot between antennal insertions, inner eye margin, lower corner of gena, anterior margin of pronotum, posterior spot on tegula, parategula, anterior margin of metanotum, narrow posterior margin of T1, broad sinuate bands on T2–3, large basal spots and narrow sinuate band on S2, narrow apical band on S3, ventral face of mid and hind coxae, dorsal line and ventral apical spot on fore tibia, short apical line on mid and hind femora, abbreviated line on outer face of mid and hind tibiae. Wings hyaline with weakly infuscate apical spot.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

Ethiopia.

Figures

Fig. 14. Afrepipona orientalis sp. nov., ♀. A. Paratype from Sagan-Omo (MSVI). B–D. Holotype from Caschei (MSNVE). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Head, frontal view. C. Head, dorsal view. D. T2–3, dorsal view. Scale bars = 1 mm.