Sphictostethus papua Loktionov & Lelej, 2018

Loktionov, Valery M. & Lelej, Arkady S., 2018, Discovery of the spider wasp genus Sphictostethus Kohl, 1884 (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae) in New Guinea, with description of two new species, Zootaxa 4429 (2), pp. 295-302 : 296-298

Sphictostethus papua Loktionov & Lelej , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–15 )

Material examined. Holotype, ♀, Indonesia, West Papua, Arfak Mts, Duebei env[irons], 20 km S Wamere, 1190 m, Manokwari distr. , 21.I–8.II.2009 (S. Jákl) [OLL].

Diagnosis. Female. Head in frontal view with vertex straight between eye tops ( Fig. 1 ). Clypeus in anterior half conspicuously convex, vaulted forwards, its apical rim swollen, forming flattened surface below, curved in arc and inclined towards mentum ( Figs 2, 3 ); anterior margin of clypeus almost straight ( Fig. 1 ). Protibia with distinct elongate and stout spine dorsoapically ( Fig. 11 ). Mesopleuron with distinct conical tubercle posterolaterally ( Fig. 7 ). Propodeum with small tubercle dorsolaterally ( Figs 7, 9 ). T1 with long and narrow petiole anteriorly ( Figs 8, 9 ). Metasoma black with T1 and S1 completely, T2 anterolaterally and anterior half of S2 yellow ( Figs 8, 12 ). Male. Unknown.

Description. FEMALE. Length: body 10 mm; fore wing 9 mm. Head 1.1 times as wide as height; UID: MID: LID = 32: 45: 50; MID 0.45 times as long as head width in frontal view; half of MID 0.8 times as long as eye width ( Fig. 1 ). Ocelli large, noticeably raised; ocellar triangle obtuse-angled; POD: OOD = 0.6 ( Fig. 4 ). Head in frontal view with vertex straight between eye tops ( Fig. 1 ). Posterior margin of vertex in dorsal view concave medially ( Fig. 4 ). Frons on both sides of midline barely convex ( Fig. 2 ). Gena in dorsal view barely developed ( Fig. 4 ), in profile conspicuously receding toward vertex ( Fig. 2 ). Malar space short ( Fig. 3 ). Clypeus 2.1 times as wide as long; anterior half conspicuously convex, vaulted forwards; apical rim very swollen forming flattened surface below curved in arc and inclined towards mentum ( Figs 2, 3 ); anterolateral corner barely rounded; anterior margin almost straight ( Fig. 1 ). Mandible with stout subapical tooth. Flagellum filiform; ratio of scape, pedicel and F1–F4 29:11:34:35:42:42; F1 4.3 times as long as maximum width and 1.06 times as long as UID; apical flagellomere pointed apically.

Mesosoma. In dorsal view subparallel, 2.3 times as long as maximum width. Pronotum convex posterolaterally; posterior border deeply angulate ( Fig. 5 ). Discs of mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and metanotum convex. Metanotum medially 1.7 times as long as metapostnotum medially ( Fig. 7 ). Metapostnotum with longitudinal depression medially; posterior margin arcuately emarginate. Mesopleuron with distinct conical tubercle posterolaterally ( Fig. 7 ). Propodeum evenly convex with small tubercle dorsolaterally ( Figs 7, 9 ).

Legs. Protibia with distinct elongate and stout spine dorsoapically ( Fig. 11 ). Metatibia barely serrate dorsally ( Fig. 10 ). Longest spur of metatibia 0.6 times as long as metatarsomere 1. Ratio of protarsomeres 1–5 52:21:16:8:18. Protarsomere 1–3 ventrally with median row of short spines and short scattered spines on each side of median row; protarsomere 4 with few spines ventroapically; protarsomere 5 symmetrical without spines ventrally. Meso- and metatarsomeres 1–4 with spines as on corresponding protarsomeres but spines longer and denser; meso- and metatarsomere 5 without spines ventrally. Orbicula with 8–10 radiating long bristles; longest bristle 0.75 times as long as claw. Tarsal claws symmetrical with large inner tooth ( Fig. 13 ).

Wings. Fore wing barely infuscated with two wide dark bands and dark apical portion; vein M completely ending shortly beyond 3rs-m vein and not continuous as a spectral vein; venation as in Fig. 14 . Hind wing slightly infuscated with dark apical portion; venation as in Fig. 15 .

Metasoma. T1 with long and narrow petiole anteriorly ( Figs 8, 9 ). S2 with small arcuate depression anteromedially and deep transverse arcuate groove medially ( Fig. 12 ).

Sculpture. Head and mesosoma matt, metasoma polished. Frons, discs of scutum and scutellum with denser fine punctures. Pronotum and disc of metanotum with hardly visible punctures. Metapostnotum smooth with one transverse stria anteriorly. Propodeum with micropunctures anteriorly and posteriorly and fine transverse furrows medially. T1–T5, S1 and S2 with scattered micropunctures. T6 and S3–S6 with scattered pits. Antenna matt. Legs mostly matt with femur polished ventrally.

Colour. Head black; narrow yellowish strip along inner orbit ( Fig. 1 ); labrum and clypeus yellow brown anteriorly; antenna yellow brown ventrally. Mesosoma completely black. Metasoma black with T1 and S1 completely, T2 anterolaterally and anterior half of S2 yellow ( Figs 8, 12 ). Legs from black to dark brown. Frons, vertex, mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and disc of propodeum with bluish green metallic sheen.

Pubescence. Body without setae except following: upper frons with 1–2 pale long erect setae along orbit; anterior portion of clypeus with few light brown setae; mandible and labrum with few long and hard brown setae; prementum with few long erect barely curved bristles ( Fig. 6 ); propleuron with few long pale setae; disc of scutum with few scattered and short brown setae; propodeum laterally with short silver setae; procoxa with few pale setae; T6 and S6 with long brown suberect setae. Lower face, clypeus, gena, pronotum and propleuron laterally, metanotum and mesopleuron laterally with denser silver pubescence. Disc of propodeum with spot of silver pubescence on each side posterolaterally. Legs with gray micropubescence. Metasoma without pubescence.

MALE. Unknown.

Comparison. The female of the species is similar to that of Sphictostethus gadali Krogmann & Austin, 2011 , S. haoae Krogmann & Austin, 2011 and S. picadillycircus Krogmann & Austin, 2011 from Australia and S. fugax ( Fabricius, 1775) and S. nitidus ( Fabricius, 1775) from New Zealand in having distinct elongate and stout dorsoapical spine on the protibia ( Fig. 11 ), but it can be easily distinguished by the following characters: head in frontal view with vertex straight between top of eyes ( Fig. 1 ) vs distinctly convex in S. gadali , S. haoae and S. picadillycircus ; specialized shape of clypeus which in anterior half conspicuously convex, vaulted forwards, with its apical rim very swollen, forming a flattened surface below that is curved in an arc and inclined towards the mentum ( Figs 2, 3 ), its anterior margin almost straight ( Fig. 1 ) vs clypeus barely convex and not forming a flattened surface below that is curved in an arc at the apical rim, its anterior margin barely or conspicuously emarginate in S. gadali , S. haoae and S. picadillycircus and S. nitidus ; petiole of T1 well-developed ( Fig. 9 ) vs barely developed in S. gadali , S. haoae , S. picadillycircus and S. nitidus ; mesopleuron with distinct conical tubercle posterolaterally ( Fig. 7 ) vs without any tubercle in S. fugax and S. nitidus or with indistinct tubercle in S. gadali , S. haoae and S. picadillycircus ; propodeum with small tubercle dorsolaterally ( Figs 7, 9 ) vs without any tubercle in S. gadali , S. haoae , S. picadillycircus and S. fugax or with large somewhat flattened tubercle giving the propodeum a hexagonal outline in dorsal view in S. nitidus .

Distribution. New Guinea: Indonesia (West Papua).

Etymology. The new species is named after the indigenous Papuan people living in New Guinea. The specific epithet is to be treated as a noun in apposition.

Remark. The true data on the label of the holotype should be 21.I–8.II.2008 (pers. comm. of S. Jákl).

Figures

FIGURES 1–15. Sphictostethus papua sp. nov., ♀, holotype. 1. Head, frontal view. 2. Head, lateral view. 3. Clypeus, dorsolateral view. 4. Head, dorsal view. 5. Pronotum and scutum, dorsal view. 6. Head, ventral view. 7. Mesosoma, dorsolateral view. 8. Metasoma, dorsal view. 9. Scutellum, metanotum, metapostnotum, propodeum and T1, dorsal view. 10. Metatibia, lateral view. 11. Protibia, dorsal view. 12. S1 and S2, ventro-lateral view. 13. Metaclaw. 14. Fore wing. 15. Hind wing. Scale bar for 1–12, 14, 15 = 0.5 mm, for 13 = 0.1 mm.