Antodynerus imitator Selis, 2020

Selis, Marco, 2020, On generic placement of Odynerus dictatorius Giordani Soika and its mimicry ring (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae), Zootaxa 4845 (1), pp. 83-96 : 87-90

Antodynerus imitator Selis , sp. nov. ( Figs. 8–14 , 16 )

Material examined. Holotypus, ♀, labelled: “ CAPE PROVINCE / LADISMITH / 26 SEPT. 1948 / C. J.-GUILLARMOD [printed] // Antodynerus imitator / Selis, sp. nov. / HOLOTYPUS ♀ / Det. Marco Selis 2018 [printed on red label]” ( MSNVE) . Paratypes: Capland, Stellenbosch, 2.IX.1926, leg. Dr. H. Brauns, 1♂ ( MSVI); South Africa, Cape Province , Swellendam, XI.1933, leg. R. E. Turner, 1♀ ( MSNVE); Stellenbosch, 1♂ ( MSNVE) .

Diagnosis. Very similar to Antodynerus dictatorius , from which it is differentiated by: shorter clypeus in both sexes ( Fig. 9 ), male clypeus with blunter teeth ( Fig. 11 ), interspaces on clypeus micropunctate, cephalic foveae placed in a barely differentiated area ( Fig. 10 ), male F11 evenly narrowed from base to apex ( Fig. 12 ), mesosomal teguments shinier and with larger micropunctures in interspaces, posterior lobe of tegula shorter ( Fig. 13 ), T1 shorter, apical lamella of T2 reduced to a narrow translucent margin, T3 with barely visible translucent margin ( Fig. 14 ), punctures on basal half of T2 deeper, ventral lobes of aedeagus more projecting ventrolaterally.

Description. Female ( Fig. 8 ). Body length 12.1-12.4 mm; fore wing length 10.8-11 mm.

Head in frontal view 1.25 × as wide as long ( Fig. 9 ). Clypeus in frontal view 1.1 × as wide as long, basal margin bisinuate, weakly emarginate in the middle, lateral margins of free apical area straight and converging below, apical margin shallowly emarginate, emargination 0.23 × as wide as clypeus width, narrower than interantennal distance, apical teeth short and rounded, bluntly carinate and translucent; clypeus in lateral view raised in basal third, then flattened to the apex. Interantennal space with irregular longitudinal carina; area above interantennal space convex and with a short tubercle. Distance from posterior ocellus to occipital margin 1.55 × as long as distance from posterior ocellus to inner eye margin. Cephalic foveae very small, smaller than surrounding puncture, placed in a barely indicated depression, posteriorly margined by a low transverse ridge ( Fig. 10 ). Gena in lateral view 1.2 × as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus. Occipital carina complete, fine on vertex, becoming shortly lamellate on gena. Antennal scape 3.5 × as long as apically wide, F1 1.8 × as long as wide, about as long as F2+F3, F2–F3 weakly longer than wide, F4–F6 subquadrate, F7–F9 wider than long, F10 bullet-shaped and about as long as basally wide. Mandible 5-toothed, in frontal view apical tooth longer than basally wide and nearly straight, second and third teeth forming elongate cutting margin, fourth tooth shortly triangular, fifth tooth reduced to short tubercle. Maxillary palpi 6-segmetned, basal three palpomeres elongate and cylindrical, apical three palpomeres smaller, combined as long as previous palpomere; labial palpi 4-segmented, first palpomere elongate and weakly expandind apically, bearing a pair of spiniform long setae near apex, second palpomere cylindrical with very sparse short setae and a pair of asymmetrical long curved setae apically, outer seta longer and thicker than inner one, third palpomere elongate and weakly expanded apically, with a pair of very long curved thick setae at apex, fourth palpomere digitiform, shorter than apical setae of preceding palpomere. Mesosoma elongate in dorsal view, 1.3 × as long as wide. Pronotum in dorsal view with weakly sinuate sides, shallowly and shortly concave before humeri, pronotal carina complete and shortly lamellate dorsally, evenly rounded on humeri, pretegular carina strong. Mesoscutum in dorsal view 0.95 × as long as wide between tegulae, raised on anterior third of median line, notauli very shallow and visible only near scutellum; evenly convex in lateral view; parategula short, right angled basally. Scutellum wider than long, 0.65 × as wide as mesoscutum, anterior margin crenate; convex in lateral view and placed above level of mesoscutum; axillary fossa small and narrow. Metanotum in lateral view angled, with a distinct separation between faces; horizontal face semicircular in shape, transverse carina arcuate and denticulate, interrupted medially, vertical face transversely convex. Tegula broadly rounded on outer margin, maximum width reached in anterior half, outer margin weakly reflexed and lamellate, posterior lobe sharply triangular and exceeding parategula ( Fig. 13 ). Mesepisternum convex, epicnemial carina blunt and visible only for a short track on ventral third, epimeron produced anteroventrally. Propodeum in posterodorsal view wider than long, dorsal faces convex and smoothly passing into lateral faces, posterior face broadly and shallowly concave, lateral faces flattened anteriorly and becoming convex on posterior margin; dorsal and lateral carinae absent, though separation between dorsal and posterior face barely indicated by a dull angle, inferior carina present only at extreme apex, posterolateral angles barely indicated, median line of concavity with a low carina that continues in a basal fovea. T 1 in dorsal view 2.25 × as wide as long, subtruncate anteriorly, apical margin forming a translucent lamella; T 2 in dorsal view 1.5 × as long as wide, evenly convex at sides, apically with a barely indicate translucent margin, evenly convex in lateral view; S1 with an arched transverse carina near base of expanded part, apical expanded part much wider than long and with rounded extreme sides; S 2 in lateral view convex basally, then flattened to the apex, basal longitudinal furrow very short and barely visible.

Clypeus dull with sparse small deep punctures, interspaces much larger than punctures diameter and densely micropunctate, extreme apex unsculpted and shiny. Head with deep punctures, interspaces at least as wide as punctures diameter and with sparse micropunctures; area along occipital carina without large punctures, densely micropunctate. Scape densely micropunctate with very sparse fine macropunctures. Dorsal and lateral faces of pronotum densely punctured, punctures deep and becoming coarser near pronotal carina, interspaces narrower than punctures diameter and with sparse micropunctures; anterior face of pronotum with very fine micropunctures, replaced by dense microreticulation on extreme sides. Mesoscutum and scutellum punctured like frons, but interspaces slightly wider and more shiny. Dorsal face of metanotum coarsely punctured, interspaces very narrow and shiny; posterior face of metanotum densely microreticulate with coarse punctures on upper margin. Tegula moderately shiny, densely micropunctate. Proepisternum microreticulate on inner half and micropunctate on outer half, with sparse deep macropunctures. Mesepisternum punctured like pronotum, transverse sulcus with strong ridges; epicnemium microreticulate with some coarse punctures near ventral margin. Metaepisternum microreticulate and dull, dorsal plate with deep punctures and some transverse striae on upper half, ventral plate with short ridges near anterior margin and some sparse shallow punctures. Dorsal faces of propodeum coarsely punctured, punctures confluent with each other, interspaces reduced to sharp irregular ridges; posterior face irregularly striate, with some sparse punctures; lateral faces densely microstriate, with sparse large oblique punctures, becoming denser on posterior margin. T1 impunctate on anterior vertical face, posterior horizontal face with small deep punctures, interspaces much larger than punctures diameter and microreticulate; T2 punctured like T1, punctures becoming denser preapically; T3–T5 with sparse small punctures, deeper on T3 and becoming shallower on following terga; T6 coarsely microreticulate. S1 with area in front of arched carina dull and microreticulate, with some transverse striae in posterior third of narrow petiole, area behind carina shiny with coarse and irregular sculpture and some micropunctures; S2–S5 punctured similar to respective terga, but punctures deeper and sparser, interspaces on S2 shiny and finely micropunctate, following sterna dull with punctures becoming progressively coarser; S6 with coarse micropunctures and small macropunctures intermixed. Pilosity pale, whitish-yellow; vestiture of head and mesosoma made by erect setae, some setae on vertex and dorsal face of mesosoma and most of setae on mesepisternum apically bent; clypeus mostly bare, with narrow basal band of dense short pubescence; posterolateral corners of propodeum with much longer setae; metasomal pubescence dust-like, with long setae on S1 and sparse short setae on following sterna.

Black; following parts orange: clypeus except narrow basal margin, spot above interantennal space, elongate spot on upper third of gena, mandible except inner margin, antenna, dorsal face of pronotum and dorsal margin of anterior face, apex of parategula, transverse band on upper half of vertical face of metanotum, tegula except spot on inner margin, legs after extreme base of femora, dorsal face of T1 except broad median emargination, apical band on T2 narrow in the middle and almost reaching basal margin on sides, bisinuate band on T3, most of T4–T6, small spots at apical corners of S2, broadly interrupted narrow band on S4, broader bisinuate apical band on S5, entire S6. Wings light amber colored, with weak golden reflections, marginal cell infuscate with purplish reflections, costal vein bright orange.

Male. Body length 9.3-11.0 mm; fore wing length 8.2-10.1 mm.

Like female, differing as follows: head in frontal view 1.2 × as wide as long, clypeus in frontal view 1.3 × as wide as long, free apical part much shorter than basal interocular part, apical margin semicircularly emarginate and 0.25 × as wide as clypeal width ( Fig. 11 ), clypeus in lateral view more convex in basal two thirds, mandible 3-toothed with apical tooth straight and longer than wide, second tooth prolonged in a long cutting margin that occupies about half of inner margin, third tooth subtriangular, short with a very broad base, upper margin adhering to lateral margin of clypeus, F11 claw-shaped in lateral view, dorsal margin evenly convex to the nearly pointed apex, reaching apical third of F8 ( Fig. 12 ), gena in lateral view 1.1 × as broad as eye at bottom of ocular sinus, T7 and S7 broadly rounded at apex, clypeus and spot above interantennal space yellow.

Aedeagus as in fig. 16.

Distribution. South Africa: Western Cape.

Etymology. The specific name comes from the Latin “ imitator ”, in reference to the imitation involved in mimicry rings.

Figures

FIGURES 8–14. Antodynerus imitator Selis, sp. nov. 8–10, 13, ♀. 11–12, 14, ♂. 8, Habitus in dorsal view. 9, 11, Head in frontal view. 10, Head in dorsal view. 12, F4–F11 in lateral view. 13, Tegula in dorsal view. 14, T2–T3 in dorsal view.

FIGURES 15–16. Aedeagus in ventral and lateral view. 15, Antodynerus dictatorius (Giordani Soika, 1935). 16, Antodynerus imitator Selis, sp. nov.