Alastor (Alastorellus) planipunctus Selis, 2020

Selis, Marco, 2020, Notes on the Afrotropical species of Alastor Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Vespidae Eumeninae), with description of nine new species, Zootaxa 4822 (3), pp. 361-388 : 384-387

Alastor (Alastorellus) planipunctus Selis , sp. nov.

( Figs. 39–42 )

Diagnosis. Due to presence of transverse carina on T1 and lamellate occipital carina this species comes close to A. (Alastorellus) carinulatus Giordani Soika , from which is differentiated by: pronotal carina shortly lamellate on humeri, sides of propodeum prolonged in large flattened subtriangular teeth with rounded apex, tegula smooth with some sparse punctures anteriorly, T1–T2 and S1–S2 with many long silvery setae, pronotum red with yellow spots on humeri.

Material examined. Holotypus, ♂, labeled “Kaoko Otavi / S.W.A. / Mus. Exped. / Mar. 1926. // Alastor (Alastorellus) planipunctus / Selis, sp. nov. / HOLOTYPUS ♂ / Det. Marco Selis 2018” ( MSNVE) .

Description. Holotype, male. Body length 6.8 mm; fore wing length 5.0 mm.

Head in frontal view 1.15 × as wide as long ( Fig. 39 ), in dorsal view broader than mesosoma. Clypeus in frontal view 1.2 × as wide as long, dorsal margin truncate in median thirds, lateral margins of free apical part nearly straight, apical margin shallowly emarginate and as wide as interantennal space, emargination 0.4 × as wide as clypeus width, apical teeth sharp and pointing out; clypeus in lateral view convex in basal half, weakly depressed apically. Interantennal space flattened. Distance from posterior ocellus to occipital margin 1.25 × as long as distance from posterior ocellus to inner eye margin, weakly longer than dorsal lobe of eye; gena in lateral view about as long as width of eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina absent dorsally, abruptly expanded in a broad black lamella on sides and strongly curved at height of lower margin of eye. Scape 2.4 × as long as apically wide. Mandible long and narrow, with long curved apical teeth; carinae on outer face sharp. Mesosoma in dorsal view 1.45 × as long as wide. Pronotal carina absent medially, acutely angled on humeri, where it is shortly lamellate and projecting anteriorly ( Fig. 40 ); humeri sharply pointed in dorsal view, sides of pronotum weakly concave behind humeri, then obliquely truncate posteriorly; lateral faces of pronotum strongly depressed and separated from dorsal face by a strong but rounded longitudinal fold. Mesoscutum in dorsal view as long as wide; weakly convex in lateral view. Scutellum nearly horizontal and distinctly convex in lateral view; divided in two gibbosities by a median longitudinal depression. Metanotum vertical and transversely concave, dorsal margin on extreme sides produced in a pair of triangular teeth. Mesepisternum broad, strongly convex both anteroposteriorly and dorsoventrally, lamellate along foramen, epicnemial carina absent. Propodeum in dorsal view short and broad, with sides posteriorly produced in large flattened subtriangular teeth, apical teeth narrow and sharply pointed; median depression of posterior face broad and very shallow, median triangular area reaching middle of propodeum and sharply delimited by lateral converging furrows; when propodeum in lateral view, dorsal margin distinctly concave, as both lateral and apical teeth are pointing upward. Tegula larger than scutellum, outer margin broadly rounded and nearly circular, posterior lobe subtriangular with rounded apex and pointing medially. T 1 in dorsal view subtriangular with anteriorly converging sides; anterior oblique face and posterior horizontal face separated by a sharp fold similar to a transverse carina, area behind transverse carina 3.7 × as wide as long; in lateral view anterior face oblique and weakly concave, posterior face deeply depressed and apical margin raised. T 2 in dorsal view 1.25 × as wide as long, with rounded sides, a broad V-shaped furrow in the middle and two preapical gibbosities on sides ( Fig. 41 ); T 2 in lateral view strongly gibbous in basal half, then sinuate to apex; apical margin with a short hyaline lamella. T3 large with broadly rounded apical margin almost covering rest of metasoma. S 2 in lateral view obliquely cut off and longer than T2, weakly convex in basal fourth and then flattened; apical margin of S2 broadly rounded and with hyaline lamella longer than T2 ( Fig. 42 ).

Clypeus with sparse large deep punctures, interspaces smooth and shiny and larger than punctures diameter. Frons up to ocellar triangle with large circular flat bottomed punctures, interspaces very narrow on interantennal space and becoming a little wider dorsally, short area in front of anterior ocellus impunctate. Vertex and gena similar to frons, but punctures much larger and sparser. Mandibles smooth, with irregularly sculpted basal triangular area. Scape with few sparse fine punctures. Anterior face of pronotum smooth and shiny; dorsal face of pronotum with very large flat bottomed circular impressions, very dense along posterior margin where interspaces are indistinct, sparser on humeri where interspaces are about as large as impressions; lateral faces of pronotum with circular impressions dorsally and transversely striate ventrally. Mesoscutum on anterior third with circular impressions similar to those on pronotum, becoming sparser and smaller posteriorly. Scutellum with sparse deep circular impressions. Metanotum smooth and shiny. Proepisternum largely smooth and shiny, with some sparse deep punctures. Dorsal part of mesepisternum with deep large punctures, interspaces forming irregular shallow ridges and dull due to irregular microsculpture; ventral part of mesepisternum largely smooth and shiny, with large deep circular punctures, larger and denser dorsally, becoming finer and sparser ventrally, anterior margin and median line irregularly and coarsely sculptured. Metaepisternum dull and densely microsculptured, with some irregular striae and punctures. Dorsal faces of propodeum basally with shallow large impressions, interspaces very narrow and forming reticulation, apically with irregular striae and impressions; median depression of propodeum on sides weakly shining with irregular and shallow circular impressions, median triangular area smooth and shiny; lateral faces of propodeum with oblique punctures and irregular nearly vertical striae. T1 with very sparse barely recognizable punctures. T2 with fine punctures, interspaces several times larger than punctures diameter, punctures larger laterally. T3 similar to T2, but punctures larger and deeper. T4–T7 microreticulate and dull. S1 smooth with sparse deep punctures. Basal transverse furrow of S2 with irregular longitudinal striae, S2 smooth and glossy, impunctate basally, with sparser punctures in the middle, punctures becoming deeper and larger on sides and apically. S3–S7 microreticulate. Fore and mid coxae impunctate, hind coxa with some sparse deep punctures.

Head with very sparse short blonde setae. Mesosoma with denser and longer silvery setae. T1–T3 and S1–S2 with dense long silvery setae. T4–T7 with very short grayish pubescence. S3–S7 with very dense brownish setae.

Black; following parts red: mandible except base and teeth, dorsal side of pronotum, tegula, legs; following parts pale yellow: anteroventral line on scape, small spot on pronotal humeri, spots on anterior and posterior corners of tegula, narrow apical band on T1 and S1, wider bisinuate band on T2, medially enlarged and laterally narrowed band on T3, regular apical band on S2, apical spot on femora, outer face of tibiae, dorsal side of basitarsi. Wings hyaline, infuscate along costa.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the large flat-bottomed punctures present on head and mesosoma.

Distribution. Namibia.

Notes. The holotype, only known specimen of this species, is highly damaged and fragile, therefore extraction of genitalia was not done to avoid further damage.

Figures

FIGURES 39–42. Alastor (Alastorellus) planipunctus Selis, sp. nov., ♂. 39, Head in frontal view. 40, Mesosoma in dorsolateral view. 41, Metasoma in dorsal view. 42, Metasoma in lateral view.