Podalonia bicellularis Wang & Ma

Wang, Chun-Hong, Li, Qiang & Ma, Li, 2016, Two new species of the genus Podalonia Fernald from China and a key to the Chinese species of the genus (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), Zootaxa 4158 (3), pp. 443-450 : 445-448

2. Podalonia bicellularis Wang & Ma , sp. n.

( Figures 7–12 , 14 & 16 )

Material examined. Holotype: ♂, China, Qinghai Province, Yushu County, 32°55'N, 96°39'E, VIII. 1981, coll. Qiu Yingzhang, deposited in the Insect Collection of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China .

Diagnosis. This species resembles Podalonia andrei (Morawitz) in having a setose propodeal enclosure, appressed silvery setae on the frons and the clypeus, and obliquely longitudinal rugae on the propodeum laterally, but can be distinguished from that species and all other species of the genus by the following combination of characters: male genitalia characteristically shaped ( Figs 11–12 ), apical swollen portion of penis valves without spine in lateral view, with five large teeth basoventrally and rounded apically; clypeus flat medialy ( Fig. 8 ); vertex, gena (except ventrally), collar, scutum and scutellum with long, dark brown to black setae, rest of thorax with long white setae; forewing with two submarginal cells. In P. andrei (Morawitz) : median part of clypeus slightly convex; thorax with long, black setae; forewing with three submarginal cells ( Kohl 1906; Tsuneki 1971b).

Description. Male. Body length 10 mm. Black, metasomal segment without blue reflection. Metasomal terga I–III, sternum I (except basally) and sterna II–III wholly reddish yellow; mandible yellow in middle and reddish brown at apex; antennal flagellomeres I-VII and tarsi reddish brown to dark brown; wings wholly and tegula posteriorly pale yellow brown, veins yellow brown. Frons except upper area and clypeus with appressed silvery setae; vertex, gena except ventral portion, collar, scutum and scutellum with sparse, long, erect, dark brown to black setae, other portions of gena and thorax ventrally with dense, long, erect and white setae; basal part of petiole with sparse, long and white setae ventrally.

Head. Front view, head width: median length of head = 76: 69. Clypeus width 1.4 × its median length; disk flat, free margin with arcuate median lobe ( Fig. 7 ). Upper frons coriaceous, weakly shiny, with sparse, fine to midsize punctures 1–3 × diameters apart. Inner orbits of eye convergent at lower part of clypeus ( Figs 7–8 ). Ocellar area slightly elevated and coriaceous, weakly shiny, with sparse, fine to midsize punctures 1–3 × diameter apart. ODD: POD: OOD: IODP: IODC = 1: 2: 4: 8: 12. Vertex flat and coriaceous, weakly shiny, with several fine to midsize punctures. Gena with shallow, large punctures 1–2 × diameters apart. Flagellomeres IV–XI beneath with long, linear tyloids, tyloids nearly as long as respective article length; relative length of antennal scape: flagellum I: II: III: VIII: IX = 6: 18: 14: 16: 12: 1 ( Fig. 9 ).

Mesosoma. Collar width: median length of collar = 39: 20. Pronotum coriaceous, weakly shiny, with midsize punctures 2–4× diameters apart dorsally, and with dense, slender, transverse rugae laterally. Scutum coriaceous, weakly shiny, with midsize punctures 2–4 × diameters apart, admedian line conspicuous, extending to 1/3 scutum length, parapsidal lines invisible. Scutellum with several punctures, and with sparse, short, longitudinal rugae posteriorly. Metanotum coarsely coriaceous and dull, with long, transverse carina. Propodeum coarsely coriaceous and dull, propodeal enclosure not delimited by carina, glabrous, with inconspicuous median carina and several inconspicuous, obliquely transverse carina; posterior surface concave medially, and with sparse, large punctures; lateral surface with dense, sturdy, obliquely longitudinal rugae and sparse, fine to midsize punctures. Mesopleuron coarsely coriaceous and dull, with midsize to large punctures 1–3 × diameters apart; episternal sulcus complete and slender. Metapleuron with dense, sturdy, obliquely longitudinal rugae posteriorly. Mesosternum coriaceous, with several fine punctures.

Wings. In forewing, marginal cell nearly rounded apically, two submarginal cells ( Fig. 10 ).

Legs. Apical tarsomere with arolium, claws without tooth on inner margin.

Metasoma. Petiole slightly coriaceous, weakly shiny, with several fine punctures. Metasomal segment smooth and shiny, with several tiny punctures. Relative length of petiole: hindtarsomere I: II: III = 28: 41: 20: 15. Genitalia as figs 11, 12.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Qinghai).

Etymology. The name, bicellularis , derived from the Latin bi - (= two), and Latin cellularis (= wing cell), refers to the forewing with two submarginal cells, which is one recognition characters of this species. It is a feminine adjective.

Remark. Most species of this genus from China have three submarginal cells in the forewing. This new species is remarkable in having only two submarginal cells. However, this may not be a constant feature, because variation in the number of submarginal cells has been observed in Podalonia parvula ( Dollfuss, 2010; Kohl, 1906; Li et al. 1995; Li and Yang, 2005; Morawitz, 1889; Radoszkowski, 1887; Sickmann, 1894; Tsuneki, 1971a, 1971b, 1976; Wu and Zhou, 1996; Yasumatsu, 1940, 1942).

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 12. Podalonia bicellaris Wang & Ma, sp. nov., male holotype. 7. Head, front view; 8. Head, lateral view; 9. Antennal joints 1 - 5, lateral view; 10. Fore wing; 11. Penis valve and gonostyle, lateral view; 12. Volsella, lateral view. Scale bars (1 mm), 7, 8, 9, 10: 1; 11: 4; 12: 8.

FIGURES 13 – 16. Habitus, dorsal and lateral view. 13 & 15 Podalonia arcuaticlypeata Wang & Ma, sp. nov., female; 14 & 16 Podalonia bicellaris Wang & Ma, sp. nov., male. Scale bars (1 mm), 14, 16: 1; 13, 15: 1.54.