Quartinia aenea, Gess, 2011

Gess, Friedrich W., 2011, The genus Quartinia Ed. Andre, 1884 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Masarinae) in Southern Africa. Part V. New and little known species with incomplete venation, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 22, pp. 29-43 : 32-33

Quartinia aenea sp. n. Figs 15-21

Holotype.

♀, NAMIBIA: 10 km west of Aus (26.39S, 16.09E), 7.ix.2002 (F. W. and S. K. Gess) (visiting yellow fls of Leysera gnaphalodes (L.) L., Asteraceae ) [AMG].

Paratypes:

NAMIBIA: c 15 km W Aus on road to Lüderitz [bucht] (26.37S, 16.06E), 21.ix.2003, 1 ♂ (visiting yellow fls, Asteraceae ); NW Aus, drainage channel (26.37S, 16.12E), 17.ix.2005, 1 ♀ (visiting yellow fls Leysera [tenella DC.], Asteraceae ); 10 km west of Aus (26.39S, 16.09E), 7.ix.2002, 39 ♀♀, 1 ♂ (visiting yellow fls of Leysera gnaphalodes (L.) L., Asteraceae ); Klein-Aus Vista (26.39S 16.12 E), 8.ix.2002, 4 ♀♀ (visiting small yellow daisy [ Dimorphotheca polyptera DC.], Asteraceae ); SW Klein-Aus Vista (26.44S, 16.10E), 24.ix.2003, 1 ♀ (visiting yellow fls of Leysera , Asteraceae ) - (all F. W. and S. K. Gess) [all AMG].

Diagnosis.

Small (2.7-3.2 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. Head and mesosoma greenish-metallic. Tegula with posterior inner corner inwardly produced and angular, in dorsal view not attaining level of suture between mesoscutum and scutellum. Both sexes with head and dorsum of propodeum lacking white markings.

Description.

Female ( Figs 15, 17, 19 ): Head and mesosoma dark metallic green with, depending on the angle of illumination, reddish-bronze lustre; gaster black. The following are whitish-yellow: underside of antenna; in a few specimens narrow transverse band, medially interrupted, on anterior margin of pronotum and in all specimens minute spot on postero-dorsal angle of same; tegula anteriorly and posteriorly; a minute to small spot postero-medially on scutellum; scutellar lamella laterally; posterior bands not reaching sides on terga I - IV (that on tergum I widest, those of terga II - IV anteriorly produced medially and laterally). Light ferruginous are: apex of femur of all legs, most of tibia of fore and middle legs, base and apex of hind leg, fore tarsomeres (in part). Darker ferruginous are: mandible distally; upper side of antenna; median band on hind tibia; tarsomeres (in part). Wings very lightly browned, slightly iridescent; veins brown.

Length 3.04-3.2 mm (average of 3: 3.13 mm); length of fore wing 2.1 mm; hamuli 4.

Head in front view 1.24 × as wide as long; microreticulate (shagreened); moderately shiny; with punctures barely discernable. POL: OOL = 1: 0.77. Clypeus 1.6 × as wide as long (to bottom of emargination); dorsal margin exceeding by about diameter of antennal socket level of an imaginary line joining top of antennal sockets; distal margin widely and shallowly emarginate, narrowly laminate.

Mesosoma microreticulate (shagreened) like head; moderately shiny; with punctures slightly more obvious than on head.

Gaster finely microreticulate, very indistinctly punctured, moderately shiny.

Male ( Figs 16, 18, 20, 21 ): Coloration and markings as in female, with in addition the following whitish-yellow markings: short band on anterior margin of pronotum; small spot on humeral angle and streak at top of mesopleuron (both in one specimen only); short transverse bands on terga V and VI. Apex of tergum VII and parameres ferruginous. Surface sculpture and puncturation as in female.

Length 2.7 mm; length of fore wing 1.8 mm.

Head 1.28 × as wide as long; POL: OOL = 1: 0.82.

Tergum VII with a deep V-shaped slit; lateral lobes smoothly rounded apically. Sterna atuberculate.

Etymology.

The name aenea, a Latin female adjective meaning bronze- or ore-coloured, refers to the greenish-metallic appearance of the head and mesosoma.

Geographic distribution.

As far as indicated at present the species appears to be restricted to the area around Aus in south-western Namibia, in the Desert and Succulent Steppe of Giess (1971).

Floral associations.

Asteraceae ( Dimorphotheca , Leysera ).

Figures

Figures 15 - 21. Quartinia aenea 15 ♀, lateral view (x 16) 16 ♂, lateral view (x 21) 17 ♀, dorsal view (x 16) 18 ♂, dorsal view (x 16) 19 ♀, head, front view (x 22) 20 ♂, head, front view (x 23) 21 ♂, tergum VII, dorsal view (x 24).