Micatagla hajeki, Cascio & Pagliano, 2014

Cascio, Pietro Lo & Pagliano, Guido, 2014, A new species of Micatagla from Socotra Island (Hymenoptera: Bradynobaenidae: Apterogyninae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54, pp. 423-427 : 424-426

Micatagla hajeki sp. nov.

( Figs 1−2 )

Type locality. YEMEN, Socotra Island, Noged plain, Abataro vill. env., 12°22.1′N, 54°03.4′E.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♀, ‘ Yemen: Socotra Island / Noged plain, Abataro / border of sand dunes and / shrubland 12-13.vi.2012 / 12°22.1′N, 54°03.4′E, 20 m’, ‘Socotra Expedition 2012 / J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, / P. Kment, I. Malenovský, / J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.’ ( NMPC) . PARATYPE: ♀, ‘ Yemen, Soqotra Is., 2003 / 6-7/xii., Noged plain / Wadi Ireeh , 95 m / N 12°23′11′′ E 53°59′47′′ / [GPS] David Král lgt.’, ‘ Yemen – Soqotra 2003 / Expedition ; Jan Farkač, / Petr Kabátek & David Král’ ( GPCI) .

Diagnosis. A Micatagla female characterized by uniformly pale red body, with the exception of black terga II–VI and white spurs on legs; and with small lateral teeth of tergum VI distributed regularly on the margins and getting smaller in proximity of the apex.

Description. Female holotype. Body length: 6.9 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 1 .

Colour and pubescence. Head including antennae and mesosoma uniformly pale red, except for mandibles which become dark in distal part; metasomal segment I slightly darker; terga II–VI black; legs pale red with spurs white. Head and mesosoma with golden-yellow pubescence, on head recumbent and converging toward vertex; some scattered and long setae around eyes and on lateral margins of mesosoma, forming small tufts at mesonotal suture; metasoma with whitish pubescence, longer than that on head and mesosoma, becoming dense and longer on terga III–V; posterior margin of terga I–III with white pubescence, tuft-belted on tergum I and forming continuous fasciae on terga II–III.

Head. 1.3 times wider than pronotum (including eyes); surface densely punctured in proximity of toruli, punctures sparser on vertex; antennomere III longer than antennomere IV; mandible unidentate; clypeus and genae smooth and shiny, without punctation; malar space 0.9 times maximum orbital diameter; eyes fairly protruding from head profile, sub-ellipsoidal, 1.2 times longer than wide (in lateral view); middle-transversal axis of eyes placed above middle line between apex of clypeus and vertex, in frontal view; interocular distance 0.75 times maximum width of head, in dorsal view.

Mesosoma. 1.3 times longer than wide, with larger punctation than on mesonotum placed between small carinae, and forming slight longitudinal striae; pronotum straight, with obtuse fore angles, narrower than mesoscutum; pleura weakly strigate, with thin striae that become more evident near suture.

Metasoma. Tergum I 1.1 times longer than wide, with large and roundish foveolate punctation, distance between punctures 1.0–1.5 times puncture diameter. Tergum II with elongate and variolate punctation forming longitudinal striae. Tergum III more finely punctured, with striae present but less distinct than on tergum II ( Fig. 2 ). On both terga II and III, punctation becomes sparser, superficial and finer laterally, posterior margins are slightly brightened and uniformly wide, and surface is bright and shiny. Surface of tergum VI crossed by longitudinal carinae; lateral margins with small teeth almost uniformly sized, just slightly smaller in the proximity of apex.

Male. Unknown.

Variability. The body length of the paratype is 4.7 mm; its pubescence is less dense; however, other chromatic and morphological characters are basically as in the holotype.

Differential diagnosis. According to the key given by PAGLIANO (2002) and updated by PAGLIANO & ROMANO (2012), the new species is the most similar to M. antropovi Pagliano, 2002 from Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Egypt ( GADALLAH & SOLIMAN 2014). However the latter species can be distinguished from M. hajeki sp. nov. based on antennae not uniformly red, the silvery pubescence of head and mesosoma, the shape and distribution of punctation on terga II–III (see PAGLIANO 2002: 223, Fig. 90), as well as the tergal posterior margins brightened and clearly expanded in the middle, and slightly larger and sparser teeth occurring in the middle of the lateral margins of tergum VI.

In addition, the geographically nearest species, apparently endemic to the Socotra Archipelago, M. pavesii Pagliano, 2002 , is characterized by body entirely red except the apical tergum, and by a different pattern of punctation on mesosoma and metasoma.

Etymology. We are pleased to dedicate the new species to Jiří Hájek, who has contributed significantly to the knowledge of insect biodiversity of the Socotra Archipelago.

Biological and zoogeographical notes. Data from the labels indicate the occurrence of the new species in arid coastal or peri-coastal areas of the southern slope of Socotra; concerning the two localities so far known, Abataro is mainly occupied by sand dunes and covered by scarce and scattered vegetation (see BEZDĚK et al. 2012: 51, Fig. 1 ), while Wadi Ireeh (whose prevailing spelling is Wadi Ireh, according to BEZDĚK et al. 2012) is characterized by a mixed sandy-rocky substrate. Other traits of the biology of M. hajeki sp. nov. are still unknown.

Figures

Figs 1–2. Micatagla hajeki sp. nov. 1 – ha- bitus in dorsal view; 2 – dorsal surface of the metasoma.