Quartinia upingtonensis, Gess, 2011

Gess, Friedrich W., 2011, The genus Quartinia Ed. Andre, 1884 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Masarinae) in Southern Africa. Part IV. New and little known species with complete venation, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 21, pp. 1-39 : 25-27

Quartinia upingtonensis sp. n. Figs 77-83

Holotype

♀, SOUTH AFRICA: NORTHERN CAPE: c. 10 km W [of] Upington on road to Namibia (28.24S, 21.04E), 2.ix.2005 (F. W. and S. K. Gess) (visiting yellow flowers of Asteraceae ) [AMG].

Paratypes.

SOUTH AFRICA: NORTHERN CAPE: c. 10 km W [of] Upington on road to Namibia (28.24S, 21.04E), 2.ix.2005 (F. W. and S. K. Gess), 40 ♀♀, 6 ♂♂ (33 ♀♀, 5 ♂♂ visiting yellow flowers of Asteraceae ; 7 ♀♀, 1 ♂ visiting yellow flowers of Grielum sp., Neuradaceae ) [AMG].

Diagnosis.

Medium to large(4.2-4.6 mm). Fore wing with Cu1a and 2 m-cu complete and as thick as other veins. Tegula with posterior inner corner moderately inwardly produced. Both sexes with thorax finely microsculptured and with obvious coarse punctures, semi-matt; gaster very finely punctured, shiny. Scutellum black with light yellowish-ferruginous lamella.

Description.

Female ( Figs 77, 79, 81 ):Black. The following are light yellowish-ferruginous: underside of scape, pedicel and flagellomeres; tegula anteriorly and posteriorly; scutellar lamella (except postero-medially); posterior bands (not reaching sides) on terga I - V; band on tergum I wide; those on terga II - V progressively narrower and shorter, slightly anteriorly produced medially; apex of femur of all legs; tibia of front and middle legs (except for dark ferruginous streak on posterior surface; hind tibia (except for dark ferruginous median section). Darker ferruginous are: labrum; apical half of mandible; tegula medially; markings on tibiae; tarsomeres (variably) of all legs. Wings lightly browned; veins brown.

Length: 4.3-4.6 mm (average of 3: 4.5 mm); length of fore wing 2.9-3 mm (average of 3: 3 mm); hamuli 5.

Head in front view 1.28 × as wide as long; POL: OOL = 1: 0.63. Clypeus 1.43 × as wide as long; anterior margin shallowly emarginate; antero-lateral angles rounded.

Clypeus, frons and vertex finely microsculptured (shagreened); punctures on clypeus and lower half of frons barely discernable; those on upper half of frons and vertex fine, close, increasingly discernable. Mesosoma finely microsculptured (shagreened); punctures much larger (coarser) than on head, very obvious (particularly on pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum). Gaster very finely punctured, shiny.

Male ( Figs 78, 80, 82, 83 ):Black. Markings identical with those of female (i.e. head without any markings). Additionally ferruginous are: acute apices of lateral lobes flanking slit of tergum VII; parameres.

Length: 4.2-4.4 mm (average of 3: 4.4 mm); length of fore wing 2.6-3 mm (average of 3: 2.8 mm); hamuli 5.

Head in front view 1.35 × as wide as long; POL: OOL = 1: 0.56. Clypeus 1.5 × as wide as long; anterior margin shallowly emarginate; antero-lateral angles rounded.

Tergum VII with disk markedly depressed, its profile in side view slightly concave; apico-medially with a narrow V-shaped slit; lobes flanking slit acute, narrowly rounded. Sterna atuberculate.

Etymology.

Named for the town Upington, in close proximity of which the species was collected.

Geographic distribution.

Known only from the type locality at the interface of the Orange River Broken Veld and the Karahari Thornveld and Shrub Bushveld of Acocks (1953).

Floral associations.

Unidentified yellow-flowered species of Asteraceae and yellow-flowered Grielum sp. ( Neuradaceae ).

Nesting.

Unknown.

Figures

Figures 77 - 83. Quartinia upingtonensis 77 ♀, lateral view (x 13) 78 ♂, lateral view (x 13) 79 ♀, dorsal view (x 13) 80 ♂, dorsal view (x 13) 81 ♀, head, front view (x 20) 82 ♂, head, front view (x 21) 83 ♂, tergum VII, dorsal view (x 27).