Quartinia niveopicta von Schulthess

Gess, Friedrich W., 2012, The genus Quartinia Ed. Andre, 1884 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Masarinae) in Southern Africa. Part VI. New and little known species both with complete and incomplete venation, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 24, pp. 95-115 : 109-111

Quartinia niveopicta von Schulthess Figs 28-30

Quartinia niveopicta von Schulthess, 1930: 327, 329-380, ♀. Holotype: ♀, South Africa: Matjesfontein (BMNH); Turner, 1939: 1 (flower visiting); Carpenter, 2001: 26 (listed); Gess and Gess, 2003: 61 (flower visiting).

Quartinioides niveopicta (von Schulthess): Richards, 1962: 176, 177 (key), 198 (redescription of ♀; description of ♂); Gess, S. K. 1996: 253 (flower visiting).

Diagnosis.

Smallto medium sized (presently studied females 3.2 - 3.6 mm). Fore wing with Cu1a and 2 m-cu present but attenuate, much thinner than other veins, and with 2 m-cu interrupted before reaching M. Tegula with posterior inner corner absolutely rounded. Female ( Figs 28, 29, 30 ) with ground colour of head and mesosoma black, that of gaster reddish. Yellowish-white markings extensive, distributed as follows: on mandible (basally); on clypeus (apico-laterally and baso-medially); on frons (a spot in each ocular sinus and two more medially between latter; spots fused in most specimens to form a medially interrupted or even complete transverse band); on temple; on pronotum (anterior transverse band carried down to humeral angle; hind margin to postero-dorsal angle); on mesopleuron; on mesoscutum (two small antero-lateral spots and a larger postero-medial spot); on most of tegula; on scutellum (trilobed posterior band); on scutellar lamella; on propodeal angle; on gaster (posterior bands anteriorly produced medially and laterally); and on apex of femur, on tibia and on proximal tarsomeres of all legs. Male (unknown to present author; characters here given from Richards,1962: 199) with trochanters and proximal half of femora with dense, rather long, "woolly" setae; tergumVII with a well marked angular emargination; sterna 7 + 8 flat, ending in a narrow black central process. Coloured similarly to female but labrum, entire clypeus yellowish-white.

Material examined.

SOUTH AFRICA: NORTHERN CAPE: Williston (31°20'S, 20°54'E) (1078m), 3.II.2006 (Carpenter & Davidson), 3 ♀♀ [AMNH]; WESTERN CAPE: 43 km ENE of Ceres on road to Sutherland [= Karoopoort] (33.12S, 19.44E), 2 - 3.xii.1989 (S. K. Gess), 1 ♀ (on flowers of Limonium sp., Plumbaginaceae ); SSE of Calitzdorp at bridge over Remhoogte River (33.34S, 21.43E), 8.xi.2010 (F.W. and S. K. Gess), 1 ♀ (visiting flowers of Peliostomum leucorrhizum E. Mey. ex Benth., Scrophulariaceae ); EASTERN CAPE: Fullerton, [33.11S, 23.50E], 30.x.1967 (C. Jacot-Guillamod), 3 ♀♀ - [all AMG].

Provenance of material examined by Richards (1962).

WESTERN CAPE:Matjesfontein [33.14S, 20.35E]; EASTERN CAPE: Willowmore [33.18S, 23.30E].

Geographic distribution.

Known from a limited number of localities, all in the karroid areas of the Northern Cape, the Western Cape and Eastern Cape.

Floral associations.

Plumbaginaceae ( Limonium ) and Scrophulariaceae ( Peliostomum ). Turner (1939) recorded the species from Aizoaceae : Mesembyanthema (" Mesembryanthemum ").

Figures

Figures 28 - 30. Quartinia niveopicta 28 ♀, lateral view (x 12) 29 ♀, dorsal view (x 12) 30 ♀, head, front view (x 36).