Ctenagenia wahisi Schmid-Egger, 2022

Schmid-Egger, Christian, 2022, The genus Ctenagenia Saussure, 1892 (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) in Oman with description of a new species, Zootaxa 5154 (1), pp. 93-96 : 94-96

Ctenagenia wahisi Schmid-Egger sp. nov.

( Figs 3–8 )

Holotype. Oman, Dhofar prov.: 1♀ 30.ix.2021, 5 km NE Mughsayl 16.910 N 53.803 E, leg. M. Halada (CSE) . Paratypes: Oman, Dhofar prov.: 1♂ 13.x.2021, 80 km SSW Salalah 16.857 N 53.420 E, leg. M. Halada (CSE) ; 1♀ 15.x.2021, 75 km W Salalah 16.842 N 53.434 E, leg. M. Halada (CSE) .

Diagnosis. Ctenagenia wahisi sp. nov. agrees in general aspects with C. vespiformis . It is characterized by colour pattern. T1–6 are in greater part or completely yellow, and the mesosoma is black ( Figs 3–4 ). In C. ozbeki and C. vespiformis T1 is black or red ( Figs 1–2 ) (with a very small spot on some C. vespiformis males), and the mesosoma and abdomen are all yellow with some pale red in C. pagliano female. The male of C. pagliano is undescribed. Also, the setae of the head and propodeum are shorter and more sparse in C. wahisi sp. nov. ( Fig. 6 ), compared to C. vespiformis . The foremetatarsus of the female has five spines in C. vespiformis , and four spines in the other species, including C. wahisi sp. nov. ( Fig. 7 ). The ocelli of C. wahisi sp. nov. are smaller than in the remaining species ( Fig. 6 ), and the propodeal surface is more finely sculptured than in C. vespiformis . The male of C. wahisi sp. nov. is also characterized by having a higher and more rounded keel of S8 (seen in lateral view, Fig. 8 ), compared to C. vespiformis ( Fig. 9 ). T1 is predominantly yellow, and all black or at most with a small medial yellow spot in C.vespiformis .

Description of female holotype. Body length 20.0 mm. Colour. Black, with the following parts dark yellow: T1 with large rectangular median spot, T2 except large dark lateral margin, T3–6 completely, with darker lateral margins. S3–6 yellowish brown ( Fig. 3 ). Face, foreleg, metapostnotum and base of S2 with distinct red shimmer. Wing base black, wings yellowish, extreme apex of forewing dark. Wing venation in apical half of wing brown, in basal half yellow. Morphology. Labrum large, apicomedially with small impression. Clypeus clearly bulged medially, ACM nearly straight ( Fig. 5 ). Ocelli and proportions of vertex see Fig. 3 . Head below and prosternum with many short, black bristles. Antenna long and slender, AS 3 as long as foremetatarsus. Hind margin of mesopleuron along metapleuron and propodeum with furrow, „gridded“ by small stripes. Horizontal propodeal surface short, 1/3 as long as whole length of propodeum. Metapostnotum deeply recessed between metanotum and propodeum, medially as large as midocellar diameter. Propodeal declivity slightly concave. Propodeum with fine, velvet-like surface, laterally with few dark setae, somewhat shorter than medial diameter of AS 3. Forebasitarsus with four spines ( Fig. 7 ). Legs asetose, except with few very short setae on upper side of femora. T6 with few and S6 with many long black bristles.

Variation in female paratype. The female paratype is distinctly smaller than the holotype (16.0 mm), the face and antenna are more reddish (antenna partly orange reddish), and the horizontal part of the propodeum is longer than in holotype (ca. 50% of propodeal length).

Description of male paratype. Body length 11.5 mm. Agrees in colour pattern and general aspects of morphology with the female ( Fig. 4 ), with the following exceptions: face and antenna black with light reddish shimmer (as in female paratype), inner eye margin with some orange-yellow markings. Pronotum, mesopleuron and mesoscutum with reddish shimmer. T1 all yellow except base and lateral parts of T1. Metapostnotum narrow, medially half long as midocellar diameter. Horizontal part of propodeum 2/3 as long as whole propodeum. S8 with high keel, in lateral view with apex distinctly rounded ( Fig. 8 ).

Distribution. Dhofar region in southern Oman.

Etymology. The species is named in honour to the late Raymond Wahis, an outstanding expert of Pompilidae and friend. He influenced the work of the author significantly.

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. 1. Ctenagenia vespiformis ♀ dark colour pattern, body length 19.5 mm; 2.Ctenagenia vespiformis ♀ usual coulour pattern, boldy length 20.0 mm; 3. Ctenagenia wahisi ♀ holotype, body length 20.0 mm.

FIGURES 4–9. 4–8. Ctenagenia wahisi;4. ♂, body length 11.5 mm; 5. ♀ face; 6. ♀ ocelli; 7. ♀ tarsus of right foreleg; 8. ♂ S8; 9. Ctenagenia vespiformis ♂ S8.