Passaloecus columnaris Ma et Li, 2012

Ma, Li & Li, Qiang, 2012, Key to the Oriental species of Passaloecus Shuckard (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae), with descriptions of four new species from China, Zootaxa 3329 (1), pp. 41-50 : 42-43

1. Passaloecus columnaris Ma et Li , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–9 , 27–28 )

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from the other species of the genus by the following combination of characters: interantennal tubercle prominent, forming a columned projection; mandible tridentate apically; labrum semicircular, not constricted subapically; free margin of clypeus with three distinct teeth.

Description. Female. Body length 6 mm. Black; apical half of mandible reddish brown; labrum, and scape beneath dark brown; palpi yellow; pronotal lobe ivory to yellowish; tegula dark brown to black; forewing vein brown; base and apex of fore and mid femora, fore and mid tibiae and tarsi reddish brown; basal one third of hindtibia yellow; hindtarsus, and last gastral segment dark brown. Clypeus with silvery, short, sparse setae, mixed with several golden, long setae apically ( Fig. 1 ).

Mandible tridentate apically ( Fig. 1 ). Labrum semicircular, not constricted subapically ( Fig. 1 ). Clypeus flat, with midsize, dense punctures that are 0–1 × diameters apart; free margin of clypeus broadly produced medially, with three distinct teeth apically ( Fig. 1 ). Lower frons shiny and deeply concave medially, with dense, longitudinal rugae laterally; interantennal tubercle prominent, forming a columned projection ( Figs. 1, 2 ); frontal median carina lacking. Median and upper frons coarsely leathery, with fine, dense punctures that are 0–1 × diameters apart. Ocellar triangle area slightly convex, slightly leathery, and with fine, dense punctures. Vertex distinctly leathery, with fine, dense punctures that are 0–1 × diameters apart, and dense, slender, transverse ridges. Gena coarsely leathery, with fine, dense punctures that are 0–1 × diameters apart. Occipital carina usual, single carina. HW: HLD: HLF = 71: 47: 68; HW: EWd: EW: TW: EL = 71: 16: 27: 22: 53; POD: OOD: OCD = 10: 11: 21; length of scape: length of pedicel: length of flagellomere I: width of flagellomere I: length of flagellomere II: width of flagellomere II = 26: 9: 8: 6: 8: 7.

Pronotal collar without anterior carina or antero-lateral angle. Scutum coarsely leathery, with fine, dense punctures that are 0–1 × diameters apart; anterior slope nearly vertical and unusually high, scutal patches absent; admedian line distinct, extending to anterior scutum; prescutal sutures slightly impressed; parapsidal line distinct, long. Scutellum shiny, with fine, dense punctures that are 0–2 × diameters apart. Metanotum with fine, dense punctures that are 0–2 × diameters apart. Mesopleuron shiny, with midsize to large, somewhat dense punctures that are 0–2 × diameters apart; scrobal sulcus deep, inconspicuously crenate; hypersternaulus short, shallow, inconspicuously crenate; episternal sulcus widely, distinctly crenate; omaulus absent. Metapleuron shiny. Propodeal enclosure not delimited by carina, with sturdy reticulation medially, and sturdy, dense, oblique longitudinal rugae laterally ( Fig. 3 ); posterior surface irregularly rugate, mixed with several slender, transverse rugae ( Fig. 3 ); lateral surface with oblique longitudinal rugae, rugae dense and slender anteriorly, sturdy and sparse posteriorly.

Petiole short ( Fig. 4 ); PL: PW: LTI: WTI = 10: 13: 52: 49. Gastral segments half mat, slightly leathery, with fine, dense punctures that are 0–2 × diameters apart; sternum I without keel; sternum II deeply impressed basally; gaster distinctly constricted between terga I and II; pygidial plate lacking.

Male. Similar to female except as follows: body length 5.3 mm; hind tarsus reddish brown to dark brown; setae on clypeus silver-gray, dense, long; free margin of clypeus with three small teeth apically ( Fig. 5 ); gena near hypostoma with fine, sparse punctures that are 1–3 × diameters apart, slightly leathery; Lower frons shallowly concave medially; flagellomeres IV-VIII beneath with oval tyloids, IX-X beneath with oval concave tyloids, distal of flagellomeres IV-X beneath curving ( Fig. 6 ); HW: HLD: HLF = 65: 36: 55; HW: EWd: EW: TW: EL = 65: 17: 26: 17: 46; POD: OOD: OCD = 11: 10: 16; length of scape: length of pedicel: length of flagellomere I: width of flagellomere I: length of flagellomere II: width of flagellomere II = 20: 6: 7: 5: 8: 5; mesopleuron with fine, sparse punctures that are 2–3 × diameters apart; scrobal sulcus slightly crenate; hypersternaulus distinctly crenate; lateral surface of propodeum shiny, nearly smooth anteriorly, sometimes with very weak, dense, oblique longitudinal striation, remainder with sparse, sturdy, long, oblique longitudinal rugae; PL: PW: LTI: WTI = 8: 10: 46: 33; gastral tergum VI without spinose tubercles on hind margin. Male genitalia ( Figs. 7–9 ).

Specimen examined: Holotype: º, China: Yunnan: Simao : Jingdong : Taizhong: Xujiaba, 24°29'N 100°56'E, 30.IV.2005, coll. Kai Wu; Paratypes: 1♂, China : Yunnan: Dali : Nanjian : Bixi: Huilong, 24°54'N 100°17'E, 5.V.2005, coll. Kai Wu. All specimens are deposited in the Insect Collections of Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming , Yunnan Province, P. R. China .

Distribution: China: Yunnan Provinces.

Etymology: The name columnaris is derived from the Latin columnaris (=columned), referring to interantennal tubercle forming a columned projection, which is one of the main recognition characters of this species.

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Passaloecus columnaris Ma et Li, sp. nov. (1–4 Female; 5–9 Male). 1, 5 Frontal view of head; 2 Dorsal view of head; 3 Dorsal view of propodeum; 4 Dorsal view of gastral tergum I; 6 Ventral view of antennal segments I–XIII; 7 Dorsal view of male genitalia; 8 Lateral view of male genitalia; 9 Ventral view of male genitalia (scale line for figures 3 and 4: 1 mm; for 1, 2 and 5: 1.3 mm; for 6: 1.71 mm; for 7, 8 and 9: 2.11 mm).

FIGURES 27–31. 27 & 28. Passaloecus columnaris Ma et Li, sp. nov. (27 Female, dorsal view; 28 Male, lateral view). 29. Passaloecus labrinigratus Ma et Li, sp. nov. (Female, lateral view). 30. Passaloecus multituberculatus Ma et Li, sp. nov. (Male, lateral view). 31. Passaloecus petiolatus Ma et Li, sp. nov. (Male, lateral view).