Quartinia namaquensis Gess, 2007

Gess, Friedrich W., 2012, The genus Quartinia Ed. Andre, 1884 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Masarinae) in Southern Africa. Part VI. New and little known species both with complete and incomplete venation, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 24, pp. 95-115 : 105-107

Quartinia namaquensis Gess

Quartinia namaquensis Gess, 2007: 222, figs 3, 9. ♂. Holotype ♂, South Africa: Northern Cape: Leliefontein (AMG), geographic distribution, nesting; Gess, 2011a (additional material: ♂; not ♀♀ = Quartinia conchicola Gess).

Quartinia atlantica Gess, 2011a: 5, figs 8 - 10. ♀. Holotype ♀, South Africa: Western Cape: Blaauwberg - Melkbosstrand (AMG), geographic distribution. syn. n.

Notes.

Quartinia atlantica Gess, 2011 was described from the holotype ♀ from Blaauwberg - Melkbosstrand, collected on 5.x.2005 by F. W. and S. K. Gess and from an assemblage of a further 57 ♀♀ from the Koeberg Nature Reserve, the latter obtained by S. van Noort from yellow pan traps during the period 13. vi. - 28.xi.1997.

Subsequent collecting at Koeberg Nature Reserve by D. W., G. T. and G. M. Gess during the period 9 - 30.x.2010 and by F. W. and S. K. Gess during the period 29 - 30.x.2010 yielded a further 64 ♀♀ and 25 ♀♀ respectively. A total of 147 ♀♀ was therefore collected, however no males which could be ascribed to the species were found.

Persistent and diligent collecting by D. W., G. T. and G. M. Gess at the Koeberg Nature Reserve at the beginning of following season, on 30 and 31 July 2011, was rewarded with the capture of both females of Quartinia atlantica and of associated clearly conspecific males.

Examination of these males showed them to be conspecific, though showing some degree of melanism, with the type material of Quartinia namaquensis Gess, 2007, described from Leliefontein and from west of Wallekraal as also with the single male recorded ( Gess 2011a) from Sutherland.

In the light of the present association of males and females from Koeberg, it is clear that the females recorded ( Gess 2011a) from Sutherland as also those from Leliefontein and Remhoogte were erroneously assigned to namaquensis and described as such and that they are conchicola (Gess, 2007). As stated ( Gess 2011a) these specimens are "virtually indistinguishable from the female of Quartinia conchicola Gess, the differences being subtle". Re-examination of the material suggests that rather than subtle the differences are illusory!

Establishment of the present synonymy means that for Quartinia namaquensis both male and true female are now known, as are an extended distribution down the west coast, floral associations and nesting.

Description.

Male (previously adequately describedfrom Leliefontein and from west of Wallekraal: see Gess, 2007: 222, figs 3, 9; further illustrated in Gess, 2011a, figs 29, 31, 33 and 34).

The recently collected males from Koeberg share with the type material and with the subsequently recorded male from Sutherland the following diagnostic characters: fore femur greatly swollen, its posterior surface in proximal half markedly concavely excavate, smooth and very shiny, its baso-ventral region angulate and sublamellate; tergum VII drawn out apico-medially into robust, pointed, dorsally flattened and apically narrowly pointed process; antennae noticeably attenuated.

In comparison with the type material, the specimens are to some degree melanistic in so far that the posterior bands on terga I-V are reduced, being narrower and not reaching sides; that the band on tergum VI is absent; that the middle and hind femora and tibiae (except at the "knees") are predominantly black and that the tarsomeres of these legs are dark brown.

Female (previously adequately described from Koeberg as Quartinia atlantica

Gess (see Gess, 2011a: 5, figs 8 - 10), here sunk into synonymy.

If the females from Koeberg follow the same tendency towards melanism as shown by the males from that locality in comparison with those from further north, then they may likewise in the north have more extensive pale markings and pale legs.

Additional material examined.

SOUTH AFRICA; WESTERN CAPE: Koeberg Nature Reserve (33.38S, 18.24E), 9 - 30.x.2010 (D. W., G. T. and G. M. Gess), 64 ♀♀ (10 ♀♀ on sand beneath Trachyandra sp., Asphodelaceae ; 23 ♀♀ on ground; 3 ♀♀ visiting white flowers of Capnophyllum africanum (L.) W. D. J. Koch, Apiaceae ); same locality, 29 - 30.x.2010 (F. W. and S. K. Gess), 25 ♀♀ (14 ♀♀ visiting purple flowers of Senecio cf. arenarius Thunb., Asteraceae ; 2 ♀♀ visiting yellow flowers of " helichrysum", Asteraceae ; 4 ♀♀ visiting yellow flowers of Carpobrotus sp., Aizoaceae : Mesembryanthema; 2 ♀♀ visiting white flowers of Capnophyllum africanum ; 3 ♀♀ on ground); same locality, 30 & 31.vii.2011 (D. W., G. T. and G. M. Gess), 7♀♀, 9 ♂♂ (on ground) - [all AMG].

Floral associations.

Aizoaceae : Mesembryathema ( Carpobrotus sp.); Apiaceae ( Capnophyllum africanum (L.) W. D. J. Koch,); Asteraceae ( Senecio sp. and "helichrysum"). To these may be added the record for the male from Sutherland: Campanulaceae ( Wahlenbergia near polyclada A.DC.). [The records for the females from Sutherland, erroneously assigned to Quartinia namaquensis , pertain to Quartinia conchicola .]

Nesting.

West of Wallekraal one specimen, a male, freshly eclosed and with

wings not yet fully hardened, was extracted from a cell of a nest in a sand-filled shell of the desert snail Trigonephrus sp. ( Mollusca : Gasteropoda ; Pulmonata : Dorcasiidae ) ( Gess 2007: 221). Such sand-filled shells occur also at Koeberg and it is likely that there too Quartinia namaquensis utilises them for nesting.

Discussion.

In the key to species of Quartinia nesting in sand-filled snail shells ( Gess 2007: 227-228) the then unknown female of namaquensis was not included.

In the key the missing female of namaquensis (as now identified from Koeberg) runs down to australis Gess, the characters given in the key being common to the females of both species, which indeed bear a close resemblance to one another though the relevant males are very different. The females may be distinguished, however, by the following characters. Though the tegulae are similarly marked and both have the inner posterior corner inwardly produced, that of namaquensis is relatively longer (1.5 × longer than wide) and more acutely pointed posteriorly than that of australis (1.3 × longer than wide). The mesoscutum of namaquensis is very obviously and finely microsculptured (shagreened) with fine, discrete punctures; that of australis less obviously shagreened with moderately coarse, close, at times subconfluent punctures. As far as is known, the areas of distribution of namaquensis and of australis are well separated.