Alastor (Alastor) moody 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 : 370-373

Alastor (Alastor) moody Selis , sp. nov.

( Figs. 15–19 , 45 )

Diagnosis. Due to propodeum with angularly projecting sides and bifid apical teeth and subcylindrical T2, this species comes close to Alastor (A.) procax , from which is distinguished by following characters: lateral margins of free apical part of clypeus straight and not concave, apical teeth of clypeus sharper, punctures of clypeus smaller and with flattened interspaces ( Fig. 16 ), pronotal carina sharper, anterior face of pronotum more punctate on sides, pronotal humeri sharper, tegulae smaller and more punctate on posterior lobe, mesepisternal furrows obsolete, propodeum in lateral view less sloping down and more horizontal, sides of propodeum in dorsal view more parallel, posterior face of propodeum more concave ( Fig. 17 ), preapical transverse furrow of T1 shorter and shallower, punctation of T2 much deeper and denser, darker coloration with reduced whitish markings and lacking red markings on mesosoma and metasoma.

Material examined. Holotypus, ♀, labeled “ SOUTH AFRICA / Uniondale / A. Watsham 12/73 // Alastor (A.) moody / Selis, sp. nov. / HOLOTYPUS ♀ / Det. Marco Selis 2018” ( MSNVE) . PARATYPES: South Africa, Western Cape Province, Montagu , Pietersfontein, S 334118.1 E200335.8, 383m, 9-10.VII.2017, leg. P. Cerretti, M. Mei, G. Nardi, 1♂ 1♀ ( MSVI) .

Description. Holotype, female ( Fig. 15 ). Body length 7.6 mm; fore wing length 5.1 mm.

Head in frontal view as long as wide ( Fig. 16 ), in dorsal view about as wide as mesosoma and elongate, 0.85 × as long as wide. Clypeus in frontal view 1.4 × as wide as long, dorsal margin evenly convex, lateral margins of free apical part sinuate and converging below, forming a subrectangular produced apical portion, apical margin truncate and shorter than interantennal space, 0.3 × as wide as clypeus width, apical corners right angled; clypeus in lateral view weakly convex basally and shallowly depressed apically. Interantennal space weakly convex with shallow median ridge. Frons in lateral view distinctly convex, so that posterior ocelli are placed clearly above level of anterior ocellus. Vertex weakly elongate, distance from posterior ocellus to occipital margin 1.9 × as long as distance from posterior ocellus to inner eye margin, about as long as dorsal lobe of eye; gena in lateral view 1.1 × as long as width of eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina disappearing in the middle and becoming stronger ventrally, strongly angled below so that the lower portion is nearly horizontal. Scape 3.1 × as long as apically wide; F1 1.25 × as long as wide and about 1.6 × as long as F2; F2–F9 wider than long, becoming proportionally wider apically; F10 bullet shaped, as long as basally wide. Mandible elongate, three apical teeth triangular and pointed, fourth and fifth teeth fused in a single broad tooth with emarginate apical margin. Mesosoma in dorsal view elongate, 1.8 × as long as wide. Pronotal carina distinct only on dorsal side of pronotum and disappearing in median third, strongly angulate on sides; humeri in dorsal view spiniform and pointing out, with apex weakly bent behind, sides of pronotum in dorsal view nearly parallel sided and weakly concave just behind humeri; lateral faces of pronotum convex. Mesoscutum in dorsal view 1.1 × as long as wide; flattened in lateral view. Scutellum horizontal, on same plane of mesoscutum and flattened, with a barely distinct median longitudinal furrow. Metanotum vertical, weakly concave, with a transverse ridge on dorsal margin. Mesepisternum shortened dorsoventrally and widened anteroposteriorly, distinctly wider than long and flattened medially, shortly lamellate along foramen, epicnemial carina absent. Propodeum in dorsal view elongate, nearly twice as long as scutellum, lateral margin parallel sided and forming a distinct angle separated from the apical teeth by a rounded emargination, apical teeth conical and pointed, bearing below a flattened rounded lamella which is longer and broader than teeth ( Fig. 17 ); median depression of posterior face deep and broad, entirely rounded, median triangular area longer than wide and reaching middle of propodeum; when propodeum in lateral view, dorsal margin weakly oblique and linear, apical teeth pointing upward and appearing bifid. Tegula broader in anterior third, outer margin strongly convex anteriorly, more weakly posteriorly and shortly reflexed, posterior lobe short and subtriangular with rounded apex, surface convex medially. T 1 in dorsal view short and anteriorly rounded, 1.75 × as long as broad; in lateral view anterior face vertical and convex, smoothly passing in posterior horizontal face, preapical furrow broad and shallow, clearly distinct medially and disappearing laterally. T 2 in dorsal view about as long as wide, parallel sided, about as wide as width of T1; T 2 in lateral view weakly and evenly convex; apical margin hyaline. T3 large and with rounded out apical margin, distinctly longer than respective sternum and nearly covering following terga. S2 weakly longer than T2, in lateral view convex, more strongly in basal third.

Clypeus with large deep punctures, interspaces about half as punctures diameter and shiny, punctures larger ventrally. Frons and vertex with deep rounded punctures, interspaces very narrow on interantennal space, becoming larger dorsally and about as long as punctures diameter near occipital margin; gena largely smooth and shiny, with some sparse deep punctures and a series of smaller punctures along eye margin. Mandible smooth and shiny, with basal triangular area irregularly sculpted. Scape with deep small punctures, interspaces smooth and large. Anterior face of pronotum smooth and shiny, with dense deep punctures on lateral thirds; dorsal face of pronotum with irregular deep punctures, smaller posteromedially and larger laterally, indistinct on white band on anterior margin; lateral faces of pronotum dull with deep small punctures. Mesoscutum similar to pronotum, but punctures larger and interspaces convex, posterior third with series of dense punctures forming parapsidal furrows. Scutellum punctured like mesoscutum. Metanotum smooth and shiny with some deep small punctures on dorsal corners. Proepisternum shiny with sparse deep punctures, larger dorsally and becoming smaller ventrally, interspaces smooth with sparse micropunctures. Mesepisternum with large deep punctures forming irregular series, interspaces very narrow and strongly shiny. Dorsal plate of metaepisternum coarsely punctured on dorsal half, smooth ventrally; ventral plate of metaepisternum sparsely micropunctate with some deep punctures ventrally. Dorsal faces of propodeum with deep small punctures forming short series, interspaces narrow and dull; media depression of propodeum smooth and shiny with some large shallow punctures on extreme sides and dense micropunctures near apical teeth; lateral faces of propodeum with deep punctures, sparser anteriorly and denser on dorsal margin and posteriorly, interspaces smooth and shiny. T1 weakly shiny with deep punctures, which are fine and very sparse on anterior face and become large and denser on horizontal posterior face but not reaching apex, thus forming an apical smooth margin. T2 densely punctured, punctures small and deep, becoming very small apically, interspaces narrower than punctures diameter and moderately shiny. T3 punctured similar to T2, but interspaces slightly larger and not shiny. T4–T6 with small sparse punctures, becoming indistinct apically. S1 with deep punctures, interspaces shiny and irregular in size. S2 more sparsely punctured than respective tergum, interspaces micropunctate. S3–S6 sculpted similar to respective terga, but punctures shallower.

Head and mesosoma with long brownish erect setae, denser on clypeus and frons. Short dense silvery pubescence present on basal margin and sides of clypeus, lower margin of ocular sinus, transverse furrow of mesepisternum and basal transverse furrow of S2. Metasoma with dense dust like grayish pubescence.

Black; following parts yellowish-white: narrow anterior band on pronotum medially interrupted, small lateral spots on scutellum, narrow regular apical bands on T1–T2, apical band on S2 enlarged medially, short line on outer face of fore femur; following parts ferruginous: mandibles except teeth, lower half of clypeus, small spot at bottom of ocular sinus, narrow line on posterior third of posterior margin of pronotum, tegula, part of tibiae, tarsi. Wings fuscous-hyaline, more infuscate basally and along costa.

Male. Differing from female as follows: head less elongate and nearly circular in frontal view, clypeus 1.25 × as wide as long in frontal view with apical margin lamellate and weakly emarginate, apical emargination wide as interantennal space and 0.4 × as wide as clypeus width ( Fig. 18 ), clypeus in lateral view convex in basal two thirds, vertex shorter, F1–F3 longer than wide, F4–F9 subquadrate, F10 very small and subquadrate, F11 not reaching base of F9, in dorsal view parallel sided with rounded apex, in lateral view straight and digitiform ( Fig. 19 ), mesosoma less elongate and 1.5 × as long as wide, pronotal humeri angled but less projecting, median depression of propodeum deeper, lower lamellae of apical teeth of propodeum shorter, T2 about as long as wide, S 2 in lateral view longer than T2, T7 and S7 with converging sides and rounded apex, clypeus entirely covered by short silvery pubescence, S3–S6 with dense fringed of long gray-yellowish setae, pale yellow markings on scape, mandible, apex of all femora, outer side of fore and mid tibia, apex of hind tibia.

Apical part of aedeagus in ventral view long and narrow, sides more or less evenly converging apically, ventral margins basally expanded due to ventral lobes pointing out, then converging and touching each other near middle, apex rounded and weakly expanded; in lateral view dorsal margin entirely straight, ventral lobes of penis valve triangular and pointing ventrobasally, reflexed on outer face, smoothly passing into ventral margin, which is raised and straight in basal half and concave in apical half; raised part of ventral margin finely serrate. Basal plate of aedeagus very short and pointed. Basal apodeme of aedeagus in lateral view smoothly angled near middle, with a tubercle on ventral margin; basal apodemes in ventral view evenly rounded, nearly parallel at apex ( Fig. 45 ). Distal lobe of digitus long and subrectangular with rounded apex, parallel-sided; basal lobe of digitus short and rounded; ventral root of digitus long and pointed. Basal lobe and most of distal lobe with long moderately dense setae; tubercles forming arcuate area on basal lobe and base of distal lobe. Volsella setose, cuspis short triangular and pointed.

Etymology. The name of this species is dedicated to the fictional character Alastor Moody , from the “Harry Potter” book series by J.K. Rowling.

Distribution. South Africa: Western Cape.

Figures

FIGURES 15–19. Alastor (Alastor) moody Selis, sp. nov. 15–17, ♀. 18–19, ♂. 15, Habitus in dorsal view. 16, 18, Head in frontal view. 17, Propodeum in posterodorsal view. 19, Flagellum in lateral view.

FIGURES 43–48. Aedeagus in lateral and ventral view. 43, Alastor (Alastor) brevicornis Selis, sp. nov. 44, Alastor (Alastor) gestroides Selis, sp. nov. 45, Alastor (Alastor) moody Selis, sp. nov. 46, Alastor (Alastor) namibiensis Selis, sp. nov. 47, Alastor (Alastor) parilis Selis, sp. nov. 48, Alastor (Alastor) temperatus Selis, sp. nov.