Pseudagris tanzanica, Selis, 2023

Selis, Marco, 2023, Taxonomic revision of the Afrotropical genus Pseudagris de Saussure (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae), with description of four new species, Zootaxa 5315 (3), pp. 201-230 : 221-222

Pseudagris tanzanica sp. nov.

( Figs. 10a–d )

Diagnosis. The female of this species can be recognized by the following combination of characters: apical margin of clypeus narrow and 0.20× as wide as clypeus width, longitudinal carinae of clypeus sharp for entire length ( Fig. 10b ), pit on vertex deep and heart-shaped ( Fig. 10c ), tegula with some shallow macropunctures, posterolateral angles of propodeum rounded, lateral faces of propodeum smooth, S 2 in lateral view regularly convex from base to apex ( Fig. 10d ), apical tergites and sternites orange.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♀, labeled “ Tanzania, / East Usambara / Amani, Monga / 1000 m, 6. ii. 1977 // Zool. Mus., Copen- / hagen, H. Enghoff, / O. Lomholdt, / O. Martin leg. // Pseudagris tanzanica / HOLOTYPUS ♀ / Det. Marco Selis [red label]” ( MSNVE).

Description. Female holotype. Body length 13.8 mm; fore wing length 13.8 mm.

Head as wide as long in frontal view. Clypeus in frontal view 1.15× as long as wide, apical margin truncated and 0.17× as wide as width of clypeus; two sharp carinae running from apical angles up to basal third, area between carinae weakly depressed; clypeus in lateral view evenly convex from base to apex. Distance from posterior ocellus to occipital carina 1.65× as long as the distance from posterior ocellus to inner eye margin; cephalic foveae placed at bottom of a deep heart-shaped depression, depression smaller than anterior ocellus. Gena 0.7× as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina entire, shortly lamellate on gena, barely visible on vertex. F1 2.2× as long as wide; F2–F9 weakly longer than wide. Mesosoma 1.3× as long as wide. Pronotal carina complete, very shortly lamellate dorsally and curving forward on humeri. Mesoscutum as long as wide between tegulae, evenly convex in lateral view. Scutellum flattened, but slightly above level of mesoscutum. Metanotum oblique, evenly convex from base to apex. Epicnemial carina distinct but dull, not reaching transverse furrow. Propodeum in lateral view oblique and convex above; dorsal faces convex and distinct but not sharply separated from posterior face; lateral faces weakly convex on whole surface, more markedly on posterodorsal margin; inferior carina sharp but very short. T 1 in dorsal view 1.7× as wide as long; T 2 in dorsal view as wide as long; S2 broadly and deeply depressed, but depression not distinctly margined, in lateral view evenly convex from base to apex.

Clypeus weakly shining, dull between carinae; basal half and lateral areas with dense fine punctures, area between carinae densely microreticulate with very sparse almost indistinct punctures. Interantennal area and lower part of ocular sinus smooth and shiny. Frons densely and irregular punctate, with large flat-bottomed punctures and fine ones; vertex punctured like frons, but punctures deeper; gena shining with sparse punctures. Pronotum, mesoscutum, scutellum and metanotum with deep and dense punctures, denser on scutellum, interspaces on metanotum reduced to irregular carinae. Mesepisternum densely and coarsely punctured dorsally, punctures large and flat bottomed, interspaces flattened and shiny, shorter than diameter of punctures; ventral area less densely punctured, punctures becoming more shallow and indistinct posteroventrally; epicnemium densely microreticulate. Metaepisternum smooth, with some shallow punctures on dorsal margin. Tegula with sparse fine punctures and some larger punctures in the middle. Dorsal faces of propodeum coarsely punctured, interspaces reduced to thin carinae; posterior face punctured like dorsal faces on dorsal margin, ventrally shiny with fine oblique striae; lateral faces impunctate and dull. T1–T4 with fine oblique punctures, deeper and denser on T2–T3; T5–T6 impunctate; S2 shiny with deep punctures, larger on middle, almost absent in basal depression.

Head and mesosoma with dense blackish setae, about as long as ocellar diameter; basolateral margins of clypeus, metaepisternum and lateral faces of propodeum with silvery pubescence. Metasoma with dense light pubescence and some short silvery hairs.

Black; following parts red: clypeus, mandible, supraclypeal area up to ocular sinus except black spot above antennal insertion, whole gena, scape and ventral side of flagellum, anterior face of pronotum, anterior face of proepisternum, ventral half of posterior margin of mesepisternum, rounded spots on metaepisternum and lateral face of propodeum, fore leg except outer face of femur, dorsal face of mid and hind femora; following parts bright orange: apical margin of T3 and S4, T4–T6 and S5–S6 entirely. Wings fuscous with purplish reflections.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Tanzania ( Fig. 14 ).

Etymology. The specific name of this species is in reference to the country where the holotype was collected, Tanzania.

Figures

FIGURE 10. a–d, Pseudagris tanzanica sp. nov., female holotype. e, Pseudagris carinata (de Saussure, 1863). a, habitus. b, head. c, vertex. d–e, S2.

FIGURE 14. Distributional map of Pseudagris species.