Pseudepipona kostylevi Fateryga, 2022

Fateryga, Alexander V. & Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu., 2022, Contribution to the taxonomy of the Pseudepipona subgenus Deuterepipona Bluethgen, 1951 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae) from Central Asia, with the description of four new species, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 93, pp. 101-123 : 101

Pseudepipona kostylevi Fateryga sp. nov.

Figs 3B, G , 4A-H

Holotype.

Turkmenistan: “Туркмения, Ахчакуйма, NW Казанджика” [Akhcha-Kuyma, NW Gazandjyk (currently Bereket)], 3.VI.1976, 1 ♀, leg. N.V. Kurzenko [FSCV] (Fig. 4A-D ).

Paratypes.

Turkmenistan: “Туркмения, Ахчакуйма, NW Казанджика” [Akhcha-Kuyma, NW Gazandjyk (currently Bereket)], 2.VI.1976, 1 ♀, leg. N.V. Kurzenko [FSCV]; ibid., 3.VI.1976, 1 ♀, leg. N.V. Kurzenko [ZISP]; “Туркмения, Ахча-Куйма, 30 км СЗ Казанджика” [Akhcha-Kuyma, 30 km NW Gazandjyk (currently Bereket)], 1.VI.1985, 1 ♀ (specimen without metasoma), leg. A.S. Lelej [FSCV]. Uzbekistan: “Узбекистан, окр. Бухары” [vicinity of Bukhara], 25.V.1972, 3 ♀ (one specimen without left wings), leg. V.L. Kazenas [FSCV]; “Узбекистан, 53 км зап. Бухары” [53 km W Bukhara], 22.V.1973, 1 ♀, leg. V.L. Kazenas [FSCV]. Kazakhstan: Kyzylorda Province: “Казахстан, 10 км ЮЗ Чардары” [10 km SW Shardara], 19.V.1979, 1 ♀ (specimen without metasoma), leg. V.L. Kazenas [FSCV]; "120 км N Кзыл-Орды. оз. Карамолла” [120 km N Kyzylorda, Kara-Molla Lake], 23.V.1973, 2 ♂ (one specimen without metasoma), leg. N.V. Kurzenko [FSCV] (Fig. 4E-H ).

Diagnosis.

The new species can be easily recognized among other representatives of the subgenus Pseudepipona Deuterepipona by completely transparent wings, coarse punctures on clypeus, a shallow apical emargination of the clypeus in the male, a small F11 in the male, a saddle-shaped ventral lobe of the male aedeagus, and a whitish pattern (see Key).

Description.

Female. Body length (from head to apical margin of tergum 2) 6.5-7.0 mm; fore wing length 6.0 mm.

Head about 1.1 × as wide as long in frontal view. Clypeus as wide as long; its apical emargination very shallow, about 0.2 × as deep as wide, taking 1/4 of clypeal width, apical teeth blunt. Cephalic fovea shallow but well developed, as broad as distance between lateral ocelli; distance between lateral ocellus and occiput 1.1 × as distance between lateral ocelli. Pronotal carina well developed, forming blunt angle at anterolateral corner of pronotum. Epicnemial carina developed. Scutellum and metanotum convex. Propodeum with distinct carina between shelf and concavity, carina forming rectangularly rounded projection in lateral view. Propodeal valvula mono-lamellate, evenly rounded. T1 1.8 × as wide as long in dorsal view, bluntly roundly angled in lateral view. T2 evenly convex in lateral view. S2 in lateral view rather flattened, roundly elevated at base, in ventral view with distinct longitudinal furrow at base.

Clypeus with coarse dense punctures, interstices approximately equal to puncture diameter, shining. Frons and vertex with punctures coarser than those on clypeus, interstices usually less than puncture diameter; punctures on gena slightly smaller and sparser. Pronotum dorsally with punctures similar to those on vertex; lateral part of pronotum with denser and smaller punctures and dull interstices with distinct microsculpture. Sculpture on scutum coarser than that on dorsal surface of pronotum, interstices usually less than puncture diameter. Tegula nearly smooth, with few minute punctures. Punctures on mesepisternum, scutellum, and metanotum similar in size to those on dorsal surface of pronotum, interstices usually approximately equal to puncture diameter except whitish parts where they exceed puncture diameter. Mesepimeron with coarse punctures forming longitudinal rows. Metapleuron dull, weakly longitudinally rugose. Dorsal and dorsolateral surfaces of propodeum with shallow irregular, indistinct but coarse punctures similar in size to those on metanotum. Lateral surface of propodeum longitudinally rugose, more distinctly than metapleuron, without punctures. Propodeal concavity transversally rugose. T1 and T2 with dense coarse punctures similar to those on frons and vertex, interstices usually less than puncture diameter except apical bands where punctures are smaller. T3-T5 with sparser and smaller punctures. T6 mostly with microsculpture only. Sculpture of S1 similar to that of lateral part of T1. Basal part of S2 before transverse furrow dull, with microsculpture only. Sculpture of distal part of S2 after transverse furrow and S3-S6 as that of corresponding terga but interstices larger and microsculpture more distinct.

Setation weakly developed. Frons, vertex, dorsal surface of pronotum, scutum, and tarsi with sparse setae less in length than diameter of scapus at base. Posterior margin of gena with very short setae equal in length to puncture diameter on gena. Most other parts of body bare or with very minute setae.

Basal color black. The following parts whitish: spot on frons between antennal sockets, anterior and lower faces of scapus, small band along inner margin of eye from clypeus to ocular sinus, small spot on gena, large lateral spots on dorsal surface of pronotum, spot on dorsal mesepisternum, tegula and parategula, bands on scutellum and metanotum, lateral spots on propodeum, front leg from middle of femur onwards, middle leg from apex of femur onwards, hind leg from tibia onwards, apical bands on T1 and T2 enlarged laterally, apical bands on T3-T4, spot on T6, apical band on S2, apical spots laterally on S3. Ventral side of flagellum ferruginous. Wings transparent, without infuscation.

Male. Body length (from head to apical margin of T2) 5.5 mm; fore wing length 5.0 mm.

Structure as in female but clypeus with apical emargination taking about 1/3 of clypeal width. F11 rather acute, straight, and small, narrowing towards apex, hardly reaching apical margin of F8. Cuspis without the dorsal process typical of some species in the nominotypical subgenus (see Fateryga 2022). Aedeagus as in Fig. 3B, G , median expansion comparatively narrow, ventral lobe in lateral view saddle-shaped, with distinctly emarginated ventral side.

Sculpture similar to that in female but punctures on clypeus shallower. T6 and S6 punctate similarly to previous segments. T7 and S7+8 mostly with microsculpture only.

Setae as in female.

Coloration mostly as in female but mandible, labrum, and clypeus whitish-yellow, spot on frons and band along inner margin of eye larger, entire scapus and ventral side of pedicel whitish-yellow, all legs whitish-yellow from femur; whitish spots on dorsal mesepisternum and propodeum reduced. Entire F10 and F11 ferruginous. T7 and S7+8 black.

Etymology.

The new species is named after the Soviet entomologist Georg Kostylev, also known as Yuriy A. Kostylev (1889-1942), in recognition of his great contribution to the systematics of Central Asian Vespidae .

Distribution.

Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan (Kyzylorda Province).

Figures

Figure 3. Aedeagi of Pseudepipona spp. A, F P. herzi (Morawitz, 1895) B, G P. kostylevi Fateryga, sp. nov. C, H P. popovi Fateryga, sp. nov. D, I P. superba (Morawitz, 1867) E, J P. vladimiri Fateryga, sp. nov. A-E dorsal view (me = median expansion) F-J lateral view (vl = ventral lobe). Scale bar 0.5 mm.

Figure 4. Pseudepipona kostylevi Fateryga, sp. nov. A-D ♀, holotype (Turkmenistan) E-H ♂, paratype (Kazakhstan: Kyzylorda Province) A, E habitus in dorsal view B, H habitus in lateral view C, F head in frontal view D labels G apex of antenna. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.