Cerceris pseudosolitaria DOLLFUSS, 2023

Dollfuss, Hermann & M, Mt., 2023, New species of the genus Cerceris LATREILLE, 1802 from Sub-Saharan Africa Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Crabronidae Part I, Linzer biologische Beiträge 55 (1), pp. 307-349 : 331-333

Cerceris pseudosolitaria DOLLFUSS nov.sp. ( Fig. 19 )

H o l o t y p e: ♁, Tanzania, Morogoro Region, 128 road km NW Morogoro, 6°08.2'S 36°54.3'E, 8.I.2003, leg. Prentice (CAS).

E t y m o l o g y: The holotype is similar to Cerceris solitaria .

R e c o g n i t i o n: The large male (18.5 mm) of Cerceris pseudosolitaria is characterized by the coxa III without longitudinal carina and a dull black body (except clypeus and basal half of mandible ferruginous), the apical margin of the clypeus is edentate and slightly emarginate ( Fig. 19a ), the propodeal enclosure is transversely rugose and without medio-longitudinal furrow. Additionally, the flagellomere XI is clearly bent (Fig, 19c), the scutum is dull and densely punctate, the sternum VI has a small tooth and a long tuft of setae and the forewings are black on the anterior half. The male of solitaria is similar to C. pseudosolitaria but differs in having the propodeal enclosure finely transversely microstriate and with shallow medio-longitudinal furrow, the clypeus and the frons are yellow and the rest of the body is black and ferruginous. The also predominantly black male of vigilans differs from C. pseudosolitaria in having the apical margin of the clypeus tridentate, the propodeal enclosure densely punctate and the face with three vertical yellow lines which extend over to the clypeus. The also large male (21 mm) of C. tangaensis differs from C. pseudosolitaria in having a stright apical margin of the clypeus, more yellow collar especially on the clypeus the frons and on terga II-VI and the lateral rectangular pronotal collar. The male of natalensis is also predominantly black but differs in having the basitarsus of hindleg dilated over apical half, the propodeal enclosure densely punctate without medio-longitudinal furrow and the sterna III-VI have long erect setae which not obscure the underlying sculpture. The male of severini differs from C. pseudosolitaria in having a tridentate apical margin of the clypeus, an extremly broad clypeual brush, the propodeal enclosure is irregularly rugose, the legs and the gaster are ferruginous-brown and the wings are all fuscous. The large male of spectrum differs from C. pseudosolitaria in having a tridentate apical margin of the clypeus, the propodeal enclosure is yellow and smooth with indistinct medio-longitudinal furrow, the mesopleuron, the propodeal sides and the sterna are more or less covered with erect setae which not obscure the underlying sculpture.

D e s c r i p t i o n: ♁, 18.5 mm. Sculpture: apical margin of clypeus edentate and slightly emarginate ( Fig. 19a ); median area slightly pressed medially; clypeal brush broad; mandible edentate internally; prosternum without transverse carina; flagellomere XI distinctly bent ( Fig. 19c ) and flagellomeres IX-XI flattened and smooth below; mesopleuron without tubercle; epimeron without distinct crest; propodeal enclosure transversely rugose, without medio-longitudinal furrow and lateral furrows shallow; petiolus wider than long ( Fig. 19e ); coxa III without longitudinal carina; sternum II without basal plate; pygidial plate rectangular ( Fig. 19d ); genitalia ( Fig. 19f ). Puncturation: medio- and latero-clypeal areas dull and impunctate; frons dull and impunctate; vertex densely punctate; pronotal collar lateral rounded, dull and punctate; scutum micropunctate and densely punctate, posterior longitudinally punctate; scutellum micropunctate and more sparsely punctate; metapleuron dull and punctate; propodeal sides densely punctate; mesopleuron plate-shaped punctate; mesopleuron venter dull and impunctate; terga I-IV micropunctate and irregularly sparsely punctate (punctures 0-1 diameter apart); terga V and VI microstriate; sterna I-VI shining and lateral punctate. Pilosity: latero-clypeal areas covered with golden setae; sternum VII with dense erect setae; rest of body with sparse erect setae. Coloration: body all black, except medio- and lateral-clypeo areas ferruginous; forewings black on anterior half.

♀ unknown.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Tanzania.

Figures

Fig. 19: Cerceris pseudosolitaria DOLLFUSS nov.sp. ♁: (a) clypeus; (b) clypeus lateral view; (c) flagellum; (d) pygidial plate; (e) petiolus; (f) genitalia dorsal and gonostyle in lateral view.