Deuteragenia ossarium, Staab, Michael, Ohl, Michael, Zhu, Chao-Dong & Klein, Alexandra-Maria, 2014

Staab, Michael, Ohl, Michael, Zhu, Chao-Dong & Klein, Alexandra-Maria, 2014, A Unique Nest-Protection Strategy in a New Species of Spider Wasp, PLoS ONE 9, pp. 1-8 : 3-7

Deuteragenia ossarium sp. nov

Ohl, 2014 (Figure 4) urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9CFBF85F-04D8- 4649-A1C3-2B975C993B31.

Etymology

The new species is named after the Latin ‘ossarium’, which means bone-house or ossuary. An ‘ossarium’ is a covered site, where human remains are deposited. The species name is an allusion to the unusual nesting strategy of the new species, which closes the nest with a vestibular cell filled with dead ants. This reminds us of historical bone-houses in monasteries and graveyards, which over time were filled with piles of human bones. The new name is a noun in apposition.

Suggested common name

As a common name for D. ossarium we suggest in reference to its biology the use of ‘Bone-house Wasp’.

Distribution

Known only from South-East China.

Diagnosis

Deuteragenia ossarium is most similar to D. conspersa (Pérez, 1905) and keys out at this species in the key to Deuteragenia [16] (as a subgenus in Dipogon ). The species share the following features: Flagellomere I about 5.0x as long as wide, clypeus significantly wider than lower interocular distance, propodeal surface microsculptured and dull, mid and hind femoral venter with erect whitish setae, dorsal side of femora bare, and forewing with second recurrent vein (2 m-cu) meeting submarginal cell III at basal 0.2– 0.3.

The main differences between the two species are (character states of D. conspersa in parentheses): body color totally pitch black (at least mandible, antenna, tarsomeres and metasomal tergum I partly ferrugineous), except for the male clypeus, which is ivory white with a black basal spot of varying size (Figure 4 E) (male clypeus black, in a few specimens lateral portions pale brown), inner eye orbits rather strongly converging above: upper, middle and lower interocular distances 6.5: 10: 10 (average measures 7.2: 10: 9.3), metasomal terga II–VI with short, silvery bristles (with long brownish bristles), and propodeal surface with well-spaced, setiferous macropunctures on posterior half only (evenly finely and densely punctate, with setiferous macropunctures evenly distributed). Deuteragenia conspersa is known from Korea and Japan (Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu) [11], whereas D. ossarium is recorded from South-East China only.

Description. Female

Total body length 8.9–15.2 mm, forewing length 7.4–13.3 mm. Integument totally black. Beard and labral setae golden, ochraceous or coppery, setae otherwise mostly whitish.

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Wings overall hyaline with faint greyish tinge, which is more dominant in large specimens. Forewing with narrow, indistinct fuscous marking along transverse section of at least longitudinal vein M, in some specimens also along cu-a and transverse section of Rs. Forewing also with large, fuscous marking occupying most of submarginal cells II and III, basal portion of marginal cell, and distal portion of discoidal cell II.

Frons densely, rather regularly punctate. Remaining head surface with fine, dense, shallow punctures and interspersed with widely spaced macropunctures. Pronotum and mesoscutum finely, densely punctate, mesosomal dorsum microsculptured otherwise. Mesosomal sides microsculptured, with widely spaced macropunctures. Upper part of metapleuron with transverse, coarse striae. Lateral portion of metanotum shining, with oblique striae. Propodeal dorsum miscrosculptured, with setiferous macropunctures in posterior half only. Metasoma microsculptured, dull.

Lower frons, basal half of mandible, gena, lower portion of mesosomal pleura, coxae, and posterolateral portion of propodeum with appressed, dense, silvery pubescence. Long ochraceous setae on outer mandibular surface and along anterior margin of clypeus. Gena, prosternum, forecoxa, propodeum posteriorly and tergum I with markedly long, silvery setae; similar but shorter setae on vertex, thoracic dorsum and mid and hindcoxae.

Head slightly broader than long (1.1–1.3). Inner eye orbits rather strongly converging above: upper, middle and lower interocular distances 6.5: 10: 10. Length of flagellomere I 4.9– 5.4x as long as wide.

Structurally otherwise apparently identical to D. conspersa (see Shimizu & Ishikawa [11]).

Male

Overall similar to female, except for: Total body length 6.6– 9.8 mm, forewing length 5.9–8.3 mm.

Integument totally black, except for the following: clypeus ivory white with black basal marking of varying size; labial and maxillary palps, tibial spurs and foretibia and tarsi below ochraceous. In some specimens, pronotum with brownish transverse band. Body setae mostly whitish.

Wings hyaline, markings absent except for faint longitudinal marking in submarginal cells II and III, in a few larger males also in marginal cell and discoidal cell I.

Genitalia (Figure 4 F): Parameres with long, thin setae in apical two-thirds and strong, stout setae ventrobasally. Parapenial lobes slightly extending beyond apex of aedeagus, finger-shaped. Aedeagus weakly sclerotized, simple. Digitus laterally compressed, apex strongly setose. Cuspis indistinct.

Structurally otherwise apparently identical to D. conspersa (see Shimizu & Ishikawa [11]).

Material examined

Holotype, female. CHINA, Zhejiang Province, ca. 30 km NW of Kaihua , 29° 16' 50″N / 118° 5' 2″E, 655 m, 5 Jun 2012, leg. M. Staab ( T487 ) ( Insect Collection of the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China) .

Paratypes (61 females, 37 males). CHINA. Zhejiang Province, ca. 30 km NW of Kaihua , 29° 14' 47″N / 118° 6' 58″E, 402 m, 2 Jun 2012, leg. M. Staab ( T482, T495, T514 ) (1 female, 2 males) ; same data, but 29° 16' 53″N / 118° 5' 17″E, 679 m, 0 5 Jun 2012 ( T538, T539 ) (3 females, 1 male) ; same data, but 29° 16' 14″N / 118° 4' 51″E, 566 m, 0 5 Jun 2012 ( T542 ) (2 females, 1 male) ; same data, but 29° 16' 53″N / 118° 5' 17″E, 679 m, 29 Jun 2012 ( T532 ) (1 female) ; same data, but 29° 16' 53″N / 118° 5' 17″E, 679 m, 3 Jul 2012 ( T529 , T530 ) (1 female, 1 male) ; same data, but 29° 16' 50″N / 118° 5' 2″E, 655 m, 30 Sep 2012 ( T724 ) (2 females) ; same data, but 29° 14' 49″N / 118°6' 44″E, 507 m, 0 4 Oct 2012 ( T896 ) (1 female) ; same data, but 29° 16' 53″N / 118° 5' 17″E, 679 m, 0 6 Oct 2012 ( T771 , T772 ) (2 females) ; same data, but 29° 16' 53″N / 118° 5' 17″E, 679 m, 0 7 Oct 2012 ( T770 ) (1 male) ; same data, but 29° 15' 7″N / 118° 8' 37″E, 903 m, 8 Oct 2012 ( T1546 ) (4 females, 2 males) ; same data, but 29° 14' 20″N 7 118°7' 26″E, 720 m, 9 Oct 2012 ( T1288 , T1289 , T1290 , T1291 , T1292 ) (3 females, 3 males) ; same data, but 29° 16' 37″N / 118° 5' 26″E, 617 m, 10 Oct 2012 ( T1273 , T1278 , T1279 , T1281 ) (5 females, 1 male) ; same data, but 29° 16' 50″N / 118° 5' 2″E, 655 m, 17 Oct 2012 ( T1453 ) (2 females) ; same data, but 29° 15' 18″N / 118° 8' 51″E, 880 m, 21 Oct 2012 ( T1835 ) (1 female) ; same data, but 29° 16' 50″N / 118° 5' 2″E, 655 m, 9 May 2013 ( T1374 ) (1 male) ; same data, but 29° 12' 54″N / 118°7' 18″E, 251 m, 12 May 2013 ( T1664 ) (1 female) ; same data, but 29° 14' 57″N / 118°8' 5″E, 590 m, 12 May 2013 ( T1820 ) (1 female, 1 male) ; same data, but 29° 14' 58″N / 118° 8' 7″E, 639 m, 12 May 2013 ( T1855 ) (1 male) ; same data, but 29° 16' 37″N / 118° 5' 26″E, 617 m, 13 May 2013 ( T0729 ) (1 female, 1 male) ; same data, but 29° 16' 14″N / 118° 4' 51″E, 566 m, 13 May 2013 ( T1301 ) (1 male) ; same data, but 29° 15' 7″N / 118° 8' 37″E, 903 m, 13 May 2013 ( T1371 ) (2 females, 1 male) ; same data, but 29° 16' 50″N / 118° 5' 2″E, 655 m, 13 May 2013 ( T1375 , T1470 ) (1 female, 1 male) ; same data, but 29° 14' 20″N 7 118°7' 26″E, 720 m, 13 May 2013 ( T1445 , T1565 , T1601 ) (1 female, 3 male) ; same data, but 29° 15' 7″N / 118° 8' 37″E, 903 m, 13 May 2013 ( T1481 , T1482 ) (1 female, 2 male) ; same data, but 29° 15' 18″N / 118° 8' 51″E, 880 m, 13 May 2013 ( T1499 ) (1 female, 2 males) ; same data, but 29° 12' 54″N / 118°7' 18″E, 251 m, 13 May 2013 ( T1511 , T1528 ) (2 females) ; same data, but 29° 15' 7″N / 118°9' 28″E, 670 m, 13 May 2013 ( T1539 , T1833 ) (1 female, 3 males) ; same data, but 29° 12' 52″N / 118°8' 14″E, 419 m, 13 May 2013 ( T1572 ) (1 female, 1 male) ; same data, but 29° 14' 57″N / 118°8' 5″E, 590 m, 13 May 2013 ( T1821 , T1914 , T1915 , T1916 , T1917 , T1918 ) (7 females, 1 male) ; same data, but 29° 14' 58″N / 118° 8' 7″E, 639 m, 13 May 2013 ( T1853 ) (1 female) ; same data, but 29° 14' 47″N / 118° 6' 58″E, 402 m, 13 May 2013 ( T1920 ) (2 female, 2 male) ; same data, but 29° 14' 20″N 7 118°7' 26″E, 720 m, 15 May 2013 ( T1520 ) (1 female) ; same data, but 29° 14' 20″N 7 118°7' 26″E, 720 m, 16 May 2013 ( T0684 ) (1 female) ; same data, but 29° 16' 14″N / 118° 4' 51″E, 566 m, 16 May 2013 ( T1302 ) (1 female, 1 male) ; same data, but 29° 12' 54″N / 118°7' 18″E, 251 m, 16 May 2013 ( T1508 ) (1 female) ; same data, but 29° 15' 7″N / 118°9' 28″E, 670 m, 16 May 2013 ( T1537 ) (1 male) ; same data, but 29° 15' 7″N / 118°9' 28″E, 670 m, 17 May 2013 ( T1540 ) (1 female) ; same data, but 29° 14' 20″N 7 118°7' 26″E, 720 m, 17 May 2013 ( T1566 ) (1 female) . Jiangxi Province, ca. 15 km SE of Wuyuan , 29° 7' 16″N / 117° 54' 22″E, 125 m, 16 May 2013 ( T2402 ) (1 female, 1 male) ; same data, but 29° 7' 30″N / 117° 54' 31″E, 221 m, 17 May 2013 ( T2197 ) (1 female) ; same data, but 29° 7' 31″N / 117° 54' 36″E, 247 m, 2 Jun 2013 ( T2540 ) (1 female, 1 male) ; same data, but 29° 7' 31″N / 117° 54' 36″E, 247 m, 3 Jun 2013 ( T2541 ) (1 male) .

All specimens have been reared from trap nests ( Figure 1).

The majority of the paratypes will be deposited in the Insect Collection of the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, along with the holotype. The remaining paratypes will finally remain in the collections of the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany, and pairs will also be deposited in the Natural History Museum, London, UK, the American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA, the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA, the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, USA, the Utah State University, Logan, USA, and the collection of the Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Freiburg, Germany.