Arpactophilus caac, Breitkreuz, Laura C. V., Ohl, Michael & Engel, Michael S., 2016

Breitkreuz, Laura C. V., Ohl, Michael & Engel, Michael S., 2016, A review of the New Caledonian Arpactophilus (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae), Zootaxa 4063 (1), pp. 1-66 : 15-17

Arpactophilus caac sp. nov.

( Figs. 20 , 35–36 )

Diagnosis. Arpactophilus caac is the only New Caledonian species in the genus with the combination of a black, projecting clypeus with a nearly straight apical margin medially ( Fig. 35 ), yellow mandible, the frontal carina forming a projecting tip on the basal clypeal margin, a yellowish flagellum about as light or only little darker than the scape, a dorsally-interrupted occipital carina ( Fig. 6 ), two submarginal cells in the forewing, yellow legs, a flat metasomal sternum II without a bulge (as in Fig. 1 ), and a dark brown metasoma ( Fig. 36 ).

Description. FEMALE: Total length 3.0– 3.7 mm, mean = 3.4 mm; forewing length 2.2–2.3 mm, mean = 2.2 mm.

Body black or brown, with areas of yellow. Yellow: mandible; labrum; palpi; scape; pedicel; flagellum (slightly darker towards apex); anterior pronotal margin; pronotal lobe; tegula; legs. Wings hyaline; pterostigma brown.

Head about 0.9 × as long as wide in frontal view. Apical margin of clypeus projecting medially, medioapical margin nearly straight ( Fig. 35 ). Apical margin of labrum bilobed. Ventral mandibular tooth about ¼–1/5 of total mandibular length, not reaching opposite mandibular base. Palpal formula probably 4:3 (not completely visible). Frons imbricate with sparse punctation and long setae. Frontal carina present from median ocellus to upper half of clypeus, forming a distinct point at basal clypeal margin. Scape 3.9 × as long as wide. Ocellar triangle anterior of tangent between upper posterior orbits of compound eyes, lateral ocelli anterior of tangent by approximately their diameter. Occipital carina interrupted dorsally ( Fig. 6 ). Gena imbricate with sparse punctation and long setae, without tubercles, spines, or dorsoventral carina. Hypostomal midventral line carinate, not angulate.

Mesosoma about 1.7 × as long as wide in dorsal view. Propodeum about 0.9 × as long as wide in dorsal view. Mesosoma imbricate with sparse punctation ( Fig. 36 ), except posterior part of dorsal surface of propodeum; lateral surface of propodeum also imbricate and transversely carinulate; dorsal surface of propodeum also reticulate medially, lateral and posterior areas of dorsal surface of propodeum transversely carinulate ( Fig. 20 ). Slightly pitted sulcus present posterior to fine mesoscuto-scutellar sulcus. Hypersternal sulcus represented by fine line. Metafemur 3.0 × as long as wide. Metatibia without differently colored area apically. Pretarsal claws without teeth. Forewing with two submarginal cells; anterior border of submarginal cell II slightly shorter than posterior border. Hind wing with five distal hamuli.

Metasoma polished, sparsely punctured ( Fig. 36 ). Metasomal sternum II without bulge (as in Fig. 1 ). Pygidium with narrow row of silk setae apically.

MALE: Difference from female aside from genitalic structures: apical half of clypeus yellow. Metasomal sternum VIII neither broadened nor narrowed.

Remarks. Arpactophilus caac is somewhat similar to A. pwaamei , A. kraussi , and A. tayo in the head shape, size and general coloration. Arpactophilus kraussi has a finer sculpture on the propodeal dorsum. Arpactophilus caac can be distinguished from A. tayo easily by the black coxae of the latter. The coarse macro-punctation on the frons of A. pwaamei distinguishes it from A. caac with its fine punctation.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE ♀: “ NEW CALEDONIA: 9.2 km NE Col d’Amieu on Rte. 5 slopes of Mt Rembai, 375–675 m, 23.IX.1979; W.C. Gagne, G.M. Nishida, Colls. BISHOP Museum Acc. No. 1979.380 [ BPBM].

PARATYPES 7♀, 1♂:

♀: (1x) NEW CALEDONIA 8905: 20°58’S x 165°17’E, 500m, Pic d’Amoa, N slopes. 24 Nov 2001 – 31 Jan 2002. Burwell, Monteith. Malaise [QM]; (1x) NEW CALEDONIA 8926: 21°11’S x 165°18’E, 850m, Aoupinie top camp. 23 Nov 2001 – 1 Feb 2002. Burwell, Monteith. Malaise [QM]; (1x) NEW CALEDONIA 9964: 20°33’S x 164°46’E, 900m, Mt Panie track. 25 Sep–19 Nov 2000. Skevington & Burwell. Malaise [ ZMB]; (1x) “Nouvelle Calédonie, Pinda 30m, 18.IV.1995, Réc. Chazeau & Jourdan [ CAS]; (2x) “Nouvelle Calédonie, Mont Koghis. 350m, 25.IV.1995, Réc. Chazeau & Jourdan [ MNHN]; (1x) “ NEW CALEDONIA Col d’Amieu, 650m 21.III.1968; T. C. Maa, Collector, BISHOP [ BPBM].

♂: “ NEW CALEDONIA Mont Panie, 700 m, 27-29.VII.1971; J.L. Gressitt, Collector, BISHOP museum [ BPBM].

Etymology. The specific epithet is taken from the name Caac , one of the New Caledonian native languages. It is treated as a noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 22., Dorsal surfaces of ♀ of species of Arpactophilus Smith. 16. Arpactophilus concavus Bohart; 17. A. irwini Bohart; 18. A. kumak sp. nov. (holotype); 19. A. merle sp. nov. (holotype); 20. A. caac sp. nov. (holotype); 21. A. kraussi Bohart; 22. A. propodealis Bohart.

FIGURES 35 – 40. Facial views and lateral habitus of ♀ holotypes (except for Arpactophilus caledonicus Bohart) of species of Arpactophilus Smith. 35. A. caac sp. nov., facial view; 36. A. caac, lateral habitus; 37. A. caledonicus, facial view; 38. A. caledonicus, lateral habitus; 39. A. cemuhi sp. nov., facial view; 40. A. cemuhi, lateral habitus.

FIGURES 5 – 9. Head and metatibial details of New Caledonian Arpactophilus Smith. 5. Schematic view of posterior of head of Arpactophilus, arrow indicates complete occipital carina; 6. Schematic with arrow indicating incomplete, dorsallyinterrupted occipital carina; 7: Metatibia of holotype ♀ of A. xaragure sp. nov., arrow indicating slightly differently colored but not differently-structured area apically; 8. Metatibia of holotype ♀ of Arpactophilus orowe sp. nov., arrow indicating differently colored and structured area apically; 9. Metatibia of paratype ♀ of A. orowe, scanning electron micrograph with arrow indicating concave area apically.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Line drawings of metasomata and forewings of New Caledonian species of Arpactophilus Smith. 1. Metasoma in profile of ♀ of Arpactophilus merle sp. nov., arrow indicates unmodified metasomal sternum II; 2. Metasoma in profile of ♀ of A. irwini Bohart, arrow indicates ventrally swollen metasomal sternum II. 3. Forewing of ♀ of A. irwini; ps: pterostigma, sz I: submarginal cell I, sz II: submarginal cell II. 4, Forewing of ♀ of A. caledonicus Bohart; ps: pterostigma, sz I: submarginal cell I.