Cerceris anubis 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 : 308-309

Cerceris anubis DOLLFUSS nov.sp. ( Figs 1 , 2 )

H o l o t y p e: ♀, Kenya, Voi (Tsavo) env. 22.XI.-2.XII.1996, leg. Mi. Halada (OÖLM).

P a r a t y p e s: 16 ♁♁, same data as holotype ; Kenya, 1♀, 1♁, Voi ( Tsavo ), 13.-17.XII.1997, leg. M Snižek ( JHC) ; 2♁♁, Voi , 22.XI.1999, leg. Snižek ( JHC) ; 1♁, Voi ( Tsavo ), 22.XI.-2.XII.1996, leg. Snižek ( JHC) ; 1♁, SE of Makinnon road, 13. IV.2007, leg. M. Halada ( JHC) ; 1♁, Rift Valley Province, Lodwar road 24 km N road to Sigor , 1°42.2'N 35°29.5'E, 8. VI.1999, leg. Pulawski & Schweikert ( CAS). Tanzania, 1♀, Kilimandjaro Province, 10 km S of Same, 830m, 04°09'33''S 37°46'10''E, 8. IV.2018, leg. J. Halada ( JHC) .

E t y m o l o g y: Anubis is an egyptian god.

R e c o g n i t i o n: Cerceris anubis has no longitudinal carina on coxa III.

The female is characterized by having a short and broad clypeus, the apical margin is slightly emarginate and with small tooth lateral, the median area of clypeus has a small transverse carina with lateral teeth, behind this there are two short sharply keeled tubercles ( Fig. 1a,b ). Additionally, the mandible has two large teeth internally, one in lateral and one in vertical direction ( Fig. 1a,c ), the propodeal enclosure is anteriorly obliquely and posteriorly transversely rugose, the scutum is micropunctate (dull) and longitudinally rugose-punctate and the pygidial plate is narrowed apically ( Fig. 1e ). The female of C. iniqua differs from C. anubis by having a nasiform clypeal process triangularly erected.

The male is characterized by having the apical margin of the clypeus produced, yellowich brown and shallowly tridentate ( Fig. 2a,b ), the mandible has a distinct tooth internally, the flagellomeres IV-XI have small tyloidea ( Fig. 2c ), the propodeal enclosure is obliquely rugose with isolated punctures and the genitalia are characteristically shaped ( Fig. 2f ). The male of C. pseudoanubis is imilar to C. anubis but differs in having the sternum II with a longitudinal carina, only the flagellomeres X and XI with small tyloidea, the prosternum with a blunt transverse carina and the scutum with more sparsely punctures (punctures 1- 2 diameters apart). ( C. anubis has the sternum II without longitudinal carina, the prosternum without transverse carina and the scutum is more densely punctate). The male of C. iniqua differs from C. anubis in having the flagellum without tyloidea, the flagellomere XI is slightly bent and blunt and the scutellum is lateral slightly rised. The male of C. tsavoensis differs from C. anubis in having the flagellum without tyloidea, the flagellomere XI apically bent and blunt and the body is predominantly ferruginous.

D e s c r i p t i o n: ♀, 11-12 mm. Sculpture: apical margin of clypeus slightly emarginate and with small tooth lateral; median area of clypeus with small transverse carina near apical margin, this carina is slightly concave anteriorly and has two sharply longitudinal keeled tubercles ( Fig. 1a,b ); mandible with two large teeth, one in lateral and one in vertical direction ( Fig. 1a,c ); prosternum without transverse carina; mesopleuron with tubercle; epimeron without crest; propodeal enclosure anteriorly obliquely and posteriorly transversely rugose, medio-longitudinal furrow indistinct developed; petiolus slightly wider than long ( Fig. 1f ); coxa III without longitudinal carina; sternum II without basal plate; flagellum ( Fig. 1d ); pygidial plate apically narrowed ( Fig. 1e ). Puncturation: clypeus micropunctate; frons micropunctate and finely punctate; vertex densely punctate; pronotal collar dull; scutum micropunctate (dull) and longitudinally rugose-punctate; scutellum dull and sparsely punctate; metanotum dull; propodeal sides densely punctate; terga densely punctate; sterna shining, apico-lateral punctate.

Pilosity: clypeal sides covered with short appressed setae; sternum VI with appressed setae; sternum VII with bundle of long setae apically ( Fig. 1e ); besides pygidial plate with long erect setae; rest of body covered with very short setae. Coloration: black; following parts yellow: clypeus and frons; mandibles (except apex); transverse stripe on vertex, gena, pronotal collar, tegula, mesopleuron, epimeron, scutellum, metanotum, propodeal sides, terga I-V lateral, sterna partly, legs and pygidial plate partly. Wings hyaline except apex behind radial cell fuscous.

♁: 8-10 mm. Sculpture: apical margin of clypeus produced, slightly tridentate; clypeal sides distinctly concave ( Fig. 2a ); mandible distinctly dentate internally; flagellomeres IV-XI with linear tyloidea ( Fig. 2c ); prosternum without transverse carina; mesopleuron without tubercle; epimeron without crest; propoeal enclosure obliquely rugose, with isolated punctures (variably); petiolus slightly longer than wide ( Fig. 2d ); coxa III without longitudinal carina; sternum II without median plate and without longitudinal carina; sternum VI with broad lamellate tooth apicolateral; pygidial plate ( Fig. 2e ); genitalia ( Fig. 2f,g ). Puncturation: clypeus and frons densely punctate; vertex densely punctate; pronotal collar, mesopleuron and epimeron densely punctate; scutum micropunctate and nearly densely punctate; scutellum similar; metanotum finely punctate; propodeal sides and terga densely punctate; pygidial plate sparsely punctate; sterna lateral punctate. Pilosity: clypeal brush broad ( Fig. 2a ); rest of body sparsely covered with short erect setae. Coloration: black; following parts yellow: clypeus, frons, gena, tegula, pronotal collar and lateral part of pronotum, prosternum, mesopleuron, mesopleuron venter, epimeron, scutellum lateral, metanotum, propodeum lateral, terga lateral, sterna partly and legs nearly all; flagellum, hindtibia dorsal and anterior margin of clypeus ferruginous; wings hyaline, apical behind radial cell fuscous.

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

Figures

Fig. 1: Cerceris anubis DOLLFUSS nov.sp. ♀: (a) clypeus; (b) clypeus lateral view; (c) mandible lateral view; (d) flagellum; (e) pygidial plate; (f) petiolus.

Fig. 2: Cerceris anubis DOLLFUSS nov.sp. ♁: (a) clypeus; (b) clypeus lateral view; (c) flagellum; (d) petiolus; (e) pygidial plate; (f) genitalia dorsal view; (g) gonostylus in lateral view.