Cerceris voiensis DOLLFUSS, 2023

Dollfuss, Hermann & M, Mt., 2023, New species of the genus Cerceris LATREILLE, 1802 from Sub-Saharan Africa Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Crabronidae Part I, Linzer biologische Beiträge 55 (1), pp. 307-349 : 346-348

Cerceris voiensis DOLLFUSS nov.sp. ( Figs 29 , 30 )

H o l o t y p e: ♀, Kenya, Voi ( Tsavo ), 13.-17.XII.1997, leg. M. Snižek ( OÖLM). P a r a t y p e s: Kenya: 1♁, same data as holotype ( JHC) ; 1♁, E Mwingi , 14. V.2007, leg. M. Halda ( JHC) ; 3♁♁, Coast Province , 2 km S Voi, 3°24.7'S 38°32.3'E, 16.XII.2002, leg. M.A.Prentice ( CAS) ; 1♁, Coast Province, Taita Discovery Centre , 3°42.3'S 38°46,6'E, 6. V.2000, leg. Lee & Pulawski ( CAS) ; 1♁, Coast Province, Taita Hill Discovery Centre , 3°42.3'S 38°46.6'E, 13.- 14.XII.2002, leg. W.J. Pulawsky ( CAS) .

E t y m o l o g y: Theholotypewascollected in Voi (Tsavo National Park), Kenya.

R e c o g n i t i o n: Cerceris voiensis has no longitudinal carina on coxa III and the prosternum has no transverse carina. The female of Cerceris voiensis is characterized by having the scutum and the scutellum with very coarse longitudinal rugae and sparse punctures beween them ( Fig.30d ), the apical margin of the clypeus with two large teeth, deeply emarginate between them and two small teeth laterally, the median area of clypeus has a projecting lamina which is above the tentorial pits and entirely free down to its base, the lamina is slightly broader than long and distinctly concave in frontal view ( Fig. 29a,b ). Additionally, the propodeal enclosure is shining with coarse longitudinal rugae and the lateral- and medio-longitudinal furrows are not crenulate, the mesopleuron has an acute small tubercle and the mandible no distinct tooth internally. The female of C. erythrosoma is similar to C. voiensis but differs in having more acute teeth on apical margin of clypeus, the scutum is sparsely punctate, the wings are fuscous with violett shine and sternum IV with dense golden setae ( C. voiensis has shorter teeth on anterior margin of clypeus, the scutum is very coarsely longitudinally rugose, the sternum IV without dense setae and the wings are hyaline). The female of C. flavonasuta differs from C. voiensis in having the anterior margin of the clypeus straight, the mandible with blunt tooth and the head and the thorax are dull. The female of C. ruficauda shares with C. voiensis the projecting lamina on clypeus but differs in having a longitudinal carina on the coxa III, the mandible are bidentate internally and the scutum densely punctate.

The male of Cerceris voiensis is characterized by having the scutum and the scutellum with very coarse longitudinal rugae and sparse punctures beween them ( Fig. 30d ), the mandible with distinct tooth internally, the apical margin of clypeus is produced and tridentate ( Fig. 30a ), the flagellomeres VII-XI have tyloidea ( Fig. 30c ), the sternum VI has a blunt tubercle covered with short dense erect setae, the petiolus is as long as wide and the legs are yellow. The male of C. erythrosoma shares with C. voiensis the distinct tooth on the mandible inernally, but differs in having the anterior margin of the clypeus edentate, the flagellum without tyloidea and the sternum VI with a fringe of golden setae posteriorly. Additionally, the scutum is shining and punctate and the genitalia are distinctly differently shaped.

D e s c r i p t i o n: ♀, 10 mm. Sculpture: apical margin of clypeus with two large teeth, deeply emarginate between them and two small teeth laterally ( Fig. 29a ); median area of clypeus with projecting lamina slightly broader than long and disttinctly convex in frontal view, entirely free down to its base and above the tentorial pits ( Fig. 29b ); mandibles with small emargination internally; prosternum dull and without transverse carina; propodeal collar slightly emarginate medially; lateral carina of pronotum without ending in point; mesopleuron with small acute tooth; epimeron without distinct crest; scutum and scutellum very broadly longitudinally rugose and some punctures between them ( Fig. 30d ); propodeal enclosure longitudinally coarsely rugose, lateral- and medio-longitudinal furrows not crenulate; propodeal sides obliquely reticulate-rugose; petiolus wider than long; inner orbits parallel; flagellum I slightly longer than II; sternum II without basal plate; pygidial plate with parallel sides ( Fig. 29c ). Puncturation: clypeus and frons dull and sparsely finely punctate; vertex before ocelli longitudinally striate, behind ocelli micropunctate and densely punctate; gena densely punctate; pronotum dull and impunctate; tegula impunctate; mesopleuron coarsely reticulate-punctate; mesopleuron venter micropunctate; petiolus apico-medial with fossa and sparsely punctate; terga medially impunctate, shining and laterally sparsely punctate; pygidial plate irregularly structured; sterna median impunctate, lateral sparsely punctate. Pilosity: clypeal sides with short appressed setae; gena with appressed white setae; mesopleuron venter with fine appressed setae; pygidial plate lateral with distinct erect setae; sternum V with dense erect setae; sternum VII with few long setae. Coloration: black; following parts yellow: clypeal lamella (except apical margin), clypeal sides, frons, interantennal carina, spots on vertex lateral, pronotal collar lateal, scapus, tegula lateral half, scutellum, metanotum, terga II-V lateral broad and medial small, legs (except coxae); following ferruginous: flagellum basal part, petiolus apical, tergum II basal, tergum III medial and sterna. Wings subhyaline.

♁, 9-10 mm. Sculpture: apical margin of clypeus produced and tridentate ( Fig. 30a ); median area with short longitudinal carina medially; mandible with distinct tooth internally; prosternum sparsely punctate and without transverse carina; scutum and scutellum with very broad longitudinally rugae and with some punctures between them ( Fig. 30d ); propodeal enclosure very coarsely obliquely rugose, lateral- and medio-longitudinal furrows not crenulate; propodeal sides coarsely reticulate; flagellomeres VII-XI with tyloidea ( Fig. 30c ); sternum VI with blunt tubercles and short setae ( Fig. 30e ); petiolus slightly wider than long; sternum II without basal plate; pygidial plate ( Fig. 30e ). Puncturation: clypeus and frons sparsely punctate; vertex irregularly punctato-rugose; pronotal collar sparsely punctured; tegulae impunctate; mesopleuron coarsely reticulate; mesopleuron venter dull; terga micropunctate and nearly densely punctate; pygidial plate micropunctate and coarsely punctate; sterna medially impunctate laterally punctate. Pilosity: clypeal sides with short erect setae; gena with appressed setae; sternum VI lateral covered with short dense erect setae. Coloration: black, following parts yellow: clypeus (except apical margin), frons, mandible (except apex), pronotal collar lateral, tegula, scutellum partly, metanotum, terga II-VI apically, legs; flagellomeres I and II (III) ferruginous.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Kenya.

Figures

Fig. 29: Cerceris voiensis DOLLFUSS nov.sp. ♀: (a) clypeus; (b) clypeus lateral view; (c) pygidial plate; (d) petiolus.

Fig. 30: Cerceris voiensis DOLLFUSS nov.sp. ♁: (a) clypeus; (b) clypeus lateral view; (c) flagellum; (d) scutum dorsal; (e) pygidial plate; (f) genitalia dorsal and gonostyle in lateral view.