Alastor (Alastor) namibiensis 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 : 373-375

Alastor (Alastor) namibiensis Selis , sp. nov.

( Figs. 20–24 , 46 )

Diagnosis. This species comes close to Alastor (A.) promontorii Meade-Waldo , from which is recognized by: apical margin of clypeus more lamellate and with less prominent teeth, clypeus with sparser punctures and basally impunctate ( Fig. 22 ), F 11 in lateral view apically rounded ( Fig. 23 ), mesosoma in lateral view more convex ( Fig. 21 ), pronotal carina more pointed on humeri, tegulae broader with longer posterior lobe, posterior face of propodeum less broadly depressed, apical teeth of propodeum larger, T1 proportionally larger and more convex in lateral view, T2 about as long as wide and much wider than T1 ( Fig. 24 ), T7 subtruncate at apex, S 2 in lateral view less convex, punctures on whole body sparser and less coarse.

Material examined. Holotypus, ♂, labeled “ NAMIBIA / Aus (Pad C13) / 8.12.1994 / M.Kuhlmann leg. // HOLOTYPUS / namibiensis // Alastor (A.) namibiensis / Selis, sp. nov. / HOLOTYPUS ♂ / Det. Marco Selis 2018” ( MSNVE) .

Description. Holotype, male ( Figs. 20–21 ). Body length 7.0 mm; fore wing length 5.7 mm.

Head in frontal view about as wide as long ( Fig. 22 ), in dorsal view about as broad as mesosoma. Clypeus in frontal view 1.1 × as wide as long, dorsal margin strongly and evenly convex, lateral margins of free apical part sinuate and weakly converging below, apical margin shallowly emarginate and as wide as interantennal space, emargination 0.4 × as wide as clypeus width, apical teeth acute but weakly pointed and pointing out, shortly carinate and delimiting an apical lamellate area; clypeus in lateral view weakly and evenly convex from base to apex. Interantennal space flattened with a shallow median ridge. Vertex long, distance from posterior ocellus to occipital margin 1.5 × as long as distance from posterior ocellus to inner eye margin, about as long as dorsal lobe of eye; gena in lateral view 0.9 × as long as width of eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina complete, shortly lamellate except on middle, sinuate on ventral half of gena. Scape 2.85 × as long as apically wide; F1 2 × as long as wide and weakly longer than F2; F2–F10 clearly longer than wide; F11 small and digitiform, weakly longer than F10, apically rounded ( Fig. 23 ). Mandible elongate and narrow, 5-toothed, all teeth of same size; carinae on outer face elevated in translucent dull ridges. Mesosoma in dorsal view 1.3 × as long as wide. Pronotal carina absent on dorsal face, forming a dull angle on humeri, more distinct on lateral faces; humeri in dorsal view about right-angled, sides of pronotum weakly converging anteriorly; lateral faces of pronotum weakly depressed and separated from dorsal face by a dull ridge. Mesoscutum in dorsal view 1.2 × as wide as long, evenly convex in lateral view. Scutellum oblique and weakly convex in lateral view, with a shallow median furrow. Metanotum entirely vertical, weakly transversely concave. Mesepisternum broad and strongly convex, lamellate along foramen, epicnemial carina absent. Propodeum in dorsal view about as long as pronotum, broader than long, with strongly curved lateral margins and sharp conical apical teeth pointing behind; median depression of posterior face deep, occupying about half surface of propodeum, median triangular area reaching mid length of propodeum and then continued by longitudinal shallow broad furrow; when propodeum in lateral view, dorsal margin oblique and apical teeth pointing upward. Tegula broader in the anterior half, outer margin strongly convex and weakly reflexed, posterior lobe elongate and broadly rounded apically, surface weakly and evenly convex. T 1 in dorsal view weakly elongate and broadly rounded anteriorly, 1.8 × as long as broad; in lateral view anterior face strongly convex, horizontal portion entirely occupied by shallow preapical furrow, apical margin distinctly inflated. T 2 in dorsal view 1.05 × as wide as long, with distinctly convex lateral margins, 1.4 × as wide as width of T1 ( Fig. 24 ); T 2 in lateral view distinctly convex, apical margin translucent. T7 subtruncate apically. S2 about as long as T2, in lateral view convex basally and then flattened to the apex.

Clypeus with shallow punctures except on micropunctate basal fourth, interspaces larger than punctures diameter and irregularly raised, shiny. Frons, vertex and gena with deep rounded punctures, interspaces shorter than punctures diameter just above interantennal space and becoming progressively larger posteriorly, on gena the interspaces are several times larger than puncture. Mandibles smooth with some very indistinct punctures in basal triangular area. Scape smooth with very sparse deep small punctures. Anterior face of pronotum largely smooth, with some deep sparse punctures on lateral thirds; dorsal face of pronotum with deep punctures and interspaces about as large as punctures diameter, becoming shallower and sparser on anterior third; lateral faces of pronotum irregularly punctured and weakly striate on ventral corners. Mesoscutum with large deep punctures, larger and coarser posteriorly, interspaces smooth and shiny, about as large as punctures diameters or shorter. Scutellum punctured like mesoscutum but punctures smaller. Metanotum smooth and shiny with some sparse deep punctures on extreme sides. Mesepisternum with deep circular punctures, smaller than those on mesoscutum, denser dorsally where they form irregular series, sparser and with large interspaces ventrally; epicnemium with punctures similar to rest of mesepisternum, but interspaces larger and microreticulate. Metaepisternum smooth and shiny, with deep large punctures especially in the ventral plate. Dorsal faces of propodeum largely smooth, with deep punctures denser on anterior margin; median depression of propodeum entirely smooth with some shallow punctures on lateral margins; lateral faces of propodeum with large deep punctures, interspaces at most as long as punctures diameter, generally much shorter. T1 with moderately deep punctures, very sparse on vertical portion, denser on horizontal part but not covering the inflated apical margin. T2 with small weakly oblique punctures, interspaces moderately shiny, larger basally and medially, becoming shorter on lateral margin and apically. T3–T7 with small punctures, denser and deeper on T3, becoming progressively sparser and shallower on apical terga. S1 densely and deeply punctured, interspaces shiny and as large as or shorter than punctures diameter. S2–S7 punctured similar to respective terga, but punctures smaller and denser. Fore and mid coxae smooth, with some very sparse punctures; hind coxa with dense deep punctures.

Head, mesosoma and coxae with long whitish setae, longer on vertex and dorsal side of mesosoma. Basal fourth of clypeus, lower margin of frons and transverse furrow of mesepisternum with short silvery pubescence. Metasoma with very short and appressed grayish pubescence.

Apical part of aedeagus in ventral view long and narrow, ventral margins basally expanded in subrectangular ventral lobes, parallel sided in basal half and then concave, apex rounded and weakly expanded; in lateral view dorsal margin straight and curved at extreme apex, ventral margin almost evenly concave; basal half of ventral margin finely serrate medially. Ventral lobe of penis valve subtriangular with rounded apex, smoothly passing into ventral margin of aedeagus. Basal plate of aedeagus short and triangular, pointed. Basal apodeme of aedeagus in lateral view long and narrow, almost straight, with weakly concave dorsal margin, with tubercle, basal apodeme in ventral view diverging in basal third, then converging and sinuous, large tubercle pointing out in the middle of basal half ( Fig. 46 ). Distal lobe of digitus long and subrectangular, parallel sided and rounded apically; basal lobe of digitus subtriangular and short, apically rounded, with reflexed basal margin; ventral root of digitus long and pointed. Long and sparse fine setae present on whole basal lobe and distal lobe of digitus; tubercles on basal lobe and extreme base of distal lobe. Volsella with fine short setae, cuspis shortly triangular, pointed.

Black; following parts pale yellow: clypeus except apical lamellate margin, mandibles except margins, anterior face of scape, broadly interrupted band on anterior third of pronotum, lateral spots on dorsal faces of propodeum, inflated apical margin of T1, bisinuate apical band on T2, bisinuate and medially enlarged apical band on S2, line on apical half of outer face of fore and mid femora, dorsal line on all tibiae, dorsal face of fore basitarsus; following parts ferruginous-orange: small spot at bottom of ocular sinus, postocular dot, anterior and posterior margins of pronotum, spots at posterior corners of scutellum; following parts red-brown: scape, legs, sides of T1–T2, apical margins of T3–T6 and S3–S6; underside of flagellum dark ferruginous. Wings hyaline with a weak brownish tinge on costal margin.

Etymology. The specific name was found on a label pinned below the specimen, referring to the country where this new species was collected.

Distribution. Namibia.

Figures

FIGURES 20–24. Alastor (Alastor) namibiensis Selis, sp. nov., ♂. 20, Habitus in dorsal view. 21, Habitus in lateral view. 22, Head in frontal view. 23, Flagellum in lateral view. 24, T1–T2 in dorsal 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.