Pseudepipona nikolayi 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 nikolayi Fateryga sp. nov.

Fig. 5A-E

Holotype.

Kazakhstan. Karaganda Province: “Бетпак-Дала, ср. теч. р. Сары-Су” [Betpak-Dala, middle reaches of Sary-Su River], 19.V.1973, 1 ♀, leg. N.V. Kurzenko [FSCV] (Fig. 5A-E ).

Diagnosis.

The new species can be easily recognized among other representatives of the subgenus Pseudepipona Deuterepipona by an obsolete epicnemial carina, the transverse carina of the propodeum indistinct at center, the absence of a longitudinal furrow at the base of S2, a fine punctation of the clypeus with a distinct microsculpture, and an orange pattern (see Key).

Description.

Female. Body length (from head to apical margin of tergum 2) 6.0 mm; fore wing length 5.5 mm.

Head about 1.1 × as wide as long in frontal view. Clypeus about 1.1 × as wide as long in frontal view, its apical margin nearly truncated, taking nearly 1/3 of clypeal width, apical teeth blunt. Cephalic fovea shallow and weakly developed, less broad than distance between lateral ocelli; distance between lateral ocellus and occiput nearly 1.3 × as distance between lateral ocelli. Pronotal carina forming small blunt angle at anterolateral corner of pronotum. Epicnemial carina obsolete. Scutellum and metanotum convex. Propodeum with carina between shelf and concavity indistinct at center; laterally this carina forming acute projection. Propodeal valvula mono-lamellate, rounded apically. T1 2.0 × as wide as long in dorsal view, rather evenly rounded in lateral view. T2 evenly convex in lateral view. S2 in lateral view convex, evenly rounded, in ventral view without longitudinal furrow at base.

Clypeus dull, with small and sparse shallow punctures, interstices significantly exceeding puncture diameter, with microsculpture. Frons and vertex with deep dense punctures, interstices reaching puncture diameter; punctures on gena slightly smaller and sparser. Pronotum dorsally with punctures similar to those on gena; lateral part of pronotum with sparse shallow punctures and dull interstices with distinct microsculpture. Sculpture on scutum coarser than that on dorsal surface of pronotum, similar to that on frons and vertex or somewhat sparser, interstices with evident micropunctures. Tegula nearly smooth, with few minute punctures. Dorsal mesepisternum dull, sparsely punctate and longitudinally rugose. Ventral mesepisternum, scutellum, and metanotum with sparse punctures; interstices shining, reaching several puncture diameters. Mesepimeron, metapleuron, and lateral surface of propodeum longitudinally rugose, dull. Dorsal and dorsolateral surfaces of propodeum and propodeal concavity dull, indistinctly transversally rugose. T1-T5 with sparse small punctures similar to those on clypeus but much deeper, interstices reaching several puncture diameters, with distinct microsculpture. T6 mostly with microsculpture only. S1 with dense coarse punctures, interstices less than puncture diameter. Basal part of S2 before transverse furrow dull, with microsculpture only. Sculpture of distal part of S2 after transverse furrow and S3-S6 mostly as that of corresponding terga.

Frons and vertex with somewhat hooked or wavy setae reaching in length diameter of scapus at apex. Dorsal surface of pronotum, propleuron, and legs with shorter and mostly straight setae. Posterior margin of gena with very short setae reaching in length diameter of first labial palpomere at base. Most other parts of body bare or with very minute setae.

Basal color black. The following parts orange: clypeus, spot on frons between antennal sockets, anterior and lower faces of scapus, small spot on gena, most part of pronotum, spot on dorsal mesepisternum, tegula and parategula, bands on scutellum and metanotum, small lateral spots on propodeum, legs from middle of femur onwards, apical bands on T1 and T2 enlarged laterally, apical band on T3, apical spot at center of T4 and T5, apical spots laterally on S2. Mandible and ventral side of pedicel and flagellum ferruginous. Wings strongly fuscous.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology.

The new species is named after the Soviet and Russian entomologist Nikolay V. Kurzenko, the collector of the holotype, in recognition of his great contribution to the systematics of the eumenine wasps of the USSR; this species was recognized by him but not described.

Distribution.

Kazakhstan (Karaganda Province).

Figures

Figure 5. Pseudepipona nikolayi Fateryga, sp. nov., ♀, holotype A habitus in dorsal view B habitus in lateral view C head in frontal view D metasoma in ventral view E labels. Scale bars 0.5 mm.