Pseudagris holomelas holomelas ( André, 1895 )

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 : 211-213

Pseudagris holomelas holomelas ( André, 1895)

( Figs. 5a–d , 6a )

Rhynchium holomelas André 1895: 355 , ♀ —“ Ogooué ( Congo français)” (type depository unknown).

Rhynchium junodianum von Schulthess 1899: 273 , ♂—“Delagoa”.

Synagris aterrima Maidl 1914a: 97 , ♀ —“Urwald Moera” (lectotype MSNVE).

Diagnosis. This species can be recognized by the following combination of characters: larger size (15 mm in male, 20 mm in female), F11 of male thick and apically rounded ( von Schulthess 1928), female vertex with barely indicated oval depression ( Fig. 5c ), metasoma velvety due to dense black pubescence and punctures ( Fig. 5d ), wings nearly black with strong bluish reflections.

Material examined. LECTOTYPE OF SYNAGRIS ATERRIMA : ♀, labeled: “Urw. Moera / Grauer.1910 // Type / S. aterrima ♀ / det. Maidl // Synagris aterrima / Maidl, 1914 / LECTOTYPE / Des. Marco Selis 2022 [red label] // Pseudagris holomelas holomelas / ( André, 1895) / Det. Marco Selis 2022 ” ( MSNVE). CONGO: Mbomo-Nord- Congo, Route du Gabon, 12.XI.1977, leg. S. Kelner-Pillault, 7♀ (6♀ MSNVE, 1♀ MSVI); TOGO: Klouto, Mont. Togo, 500–800m, Togo, 1–7.VI.1950, IFAN, leg. A. Villiers, 1♀ ( MSVI).

Description. Female. Body length 18.2–21.8 mm; fore wing length 19.4–21.7 mm.

Head as wide as long in frontal view. Clypeus in frontal view as long as wide, apical margin truncated and 0.2× as wide as width of clypeus; two carinae running from apical angles up to basal third, sharp apically and reduced to rounded folds dorsally, area between carinae weakly depressed; clypeus in lateral view convex basally, then flattened to apex. Distance from posterior ocellus to occipital carina 2.8× as long as the distance from posterior ocellus to inner eye margin; cephalic foveae located in an indistinct transverse oval area, barely depressed. Gena 1.2× as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina entire, shortly lamellate on gena, weak on vertex. F1 2.3× as long as wide; F2–F9 weakly longer than wide. Mesosoma 1.4× as long as wide. Pronotal carina complete, sharp but very low. Mesoscutum as long as wide between tegulae, weakly convex in lateral view. Scutellum weakly convex in anterior half and flattened posteriorly, with a low median ridge anteriorly. Metanotum nearly vertical, evenly convex from base to apex. Epicnemial carina reaching transverse furrow but weak. Dorsal faces of propodeum weakly convex anteriorly and depressed near lateral angles of propodeum, distinct but not sharply separated from posterior face; lateral faces shallowly depressed; inferior carina developed in a lamella, regular and sharp ventrally and becoming dull and denticulate dorsally, continuing in dull lateral carina. T 1 in dorsal view 1.9× as wide as long; T 2 in dorsal view as wide as long; S2 with a large deep depression that almost covers the median third of the surface, margined laterally by low rounded elevations, in lateral view strongly convex basally, then almost flattened to apex.

Clypeus with deep oblique punctures in basal third and dense smaller punctures on lateral areas, area between carinae microreticulate with scattered shallow punctures. Frons with dense oblique flat-bottomed punctures, interspaces irregular and very thin; vertex and gena with deeper punctures, disappearing posteriorly and around cephalic foveae. Pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum with deep and dense punctures, interspaces shorter than diameter of punctures and dull, some punctures in contact with each other. Metanotum more coarsely punctured, interspaces reduced to thin carinae. Mesepisternum with dense flat-bottomed punctures, arranged in irregular oblique series, punctures disappearing posteroventrally. Metaepisternum smooth, with some shallow punctures on dorsal margin. Tegula with dense barely visible fine punctures and some larger shallow punctures on posterior lobe. Dorsal faces of propodeum coarsely punctured, interspaces reduced to narrow reticulation; posterior face weakly shining, with irregular transverse striae; lateral faces impunctate, dull. T1–T4 dull with dense deep punctures, interspaces shorter or slightly larger than diameter of punctures; T5–T6 dull and impunctate. S2–S6 densely micropunctate, S2 shiny and following tergites becoming progressively more matte, punctures large and deep on S2 and becoming denser on following tergites, interspaces on S2 as long as several diameters of punctures.

Head and mesosoma covered with short dense black pubescence, longer black hairs on frons and mesepisternum. Metasoma velvety due to extremely short and dense black pubescence.

Entirely deep black except the following: underside of antenna and inner margin of mandible dark brownish-red, inner side of fore tibia and apical tarsomere of mid and hind legs pale red, apical tarsomere of fore leg bright orange. Wings strongly infuscate, nearly black, with strong bluish reflections.

Male. No male specimens were available for this study, therefore the original description of Rhynchium junodianum is here translated: “Head and pronotum with very dense and large punctures. Clypeus as high as wide, apex truncated, longitudinally bicarinate, large punctures very sparse, fine punctures dense. Inner margin of mandible unidentate apically, base complete. Scutellum and metanotum convex and divided by a furrow, more coarsely punctured than thorax. Metanotum rounded, not forming transverse spines. Propodeum posteriorly depressed, depression striate, moderately shiny, above punctate and not margined, lateral angles not clearly developed; inferior angles straight, rounded and unarmed. Sides of propodeum impunctate, matt. Abdomen velvety, sculpture not clear. Second abdominal segment [S2] depressed medially, with sparse large punctures. Wings dark, with purplish reflections; third cubital cell about quadrate. Body entirely black; clypeus, mandibles, frons between antennae, scape, flagellum below dark ferruginous. Fore legs ferruginous, tibiae and tarsi with golden vestiture. 20 millimeters”.

Distribution. Cameroon, Congo Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Togo ( André 1895; Giordani Soika 1989; Gusenleitner 1992, 2002; Maidl 1914 a, 1914b; Schouteden 1919; Selis & Carpenter 2023; von Schulthess 1899, 1913b, 1914b) ( Fig. 14 ).

Notes. One of the three female syntypes of Synagris aterrima reported by Maidl (1914 a, 1914b) was found in Giordani Soika’s collection in MSNVE, with an original type label by Maidl. This specimen is here designated as lectotype ( Fig. 6a ).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Pseudagris holomelas holomelas (André, 1895), female. a, habitus. b, head. c, vertex. d, T1–2.

FIGURE 6. a, female lectotype of Synagris aterrima Maidl, 1914, habitus and labels. b, female holotype of Pseudagris holomelas rubripes (Giordani Soika, 1987), habitus.

FIGURE 14. Distributional map of Pseudagris species.