Cerceris ethiopia 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 : 313-316

Cerceris ethiopia DOLLFUSS nov.sp. ( Figs 5 , 6 )

H o l o t y p e: ♀, Ethiopia-S, 20 km SE Konso, 05°15'N 37°32'E, 850 m, 11.-13.V.2015, leg. J. Halada (OÖLM).

P a r a t y p e s: Ethiopia, 1♀, 5♁♁, same data as holotype ( JHC) ; 2♁♁, 40 km W Konso , 05°19'N 37°04'E, 600 m, 14. V.2015, leg. J. Halada ( JHC) ; 1♁, Oromia State, 25 km SE Mega , 1400 m, 03°55'37''N 38°56'53''E, 15. IV.2016, leg. J. Halada ( JHC) ; 1♁, Wachile env. 04°32'N 39°03'E, 1070 m, 22. V.2015, leg. J. Halada ( JHC). Kenya, 1♀, E Mwingi, 14. V.2007, leg. M. Halada ( JHC) ; 6♁♁, Mwingi, Kangonde Wadi , 18. IV.2007, leg. M. Halada ( JHC) ; 8♁♁, Voi Tsavo ) env., 22.XI.-2.XII. 1996, leg. Mi. Halada ( JHC) ; 9♁♁, Voi ( Tsavo ) env., 8.-18.XI.1996, leg. Mi. Halada ( JHC) ; 1♁, Taita province, Taita Hills Lodge , 15.XI.1993, leg. Heiss ( JHC) ; 1♁, Kasigan Mts., Pukanga , 26.XI.1997, leg. Snižek ( JHC) ; 1♁, Nairobi, Salama env., 25.XI.1999, leg. Snižek ( JHC) ; 1♁, E 729 Sosoma , 202 km E Thika, 26. IV.2008, leg. Snižek ( JHC) ; 1♀, Rift Valley Province, Eliye springs W Lake Turkana, 3°15.2'N 36°1.3'E, 24.IX.2002, leg. Prentice ( CAS) ; 11♁♁, Rift Valley Province, Lodwar , 3°07N 35°35'E, 10.-12. VI,1999, leg. Pulawski & Schweigert ( CAS) ; 1♁, Rift Valley Province, Marich Pass Field Studies Centre , 1°32.2'N 35°27.4'E, 6.-7. VI.1999, leg. Pulawski & Schweigert ( CAS) ; 2♁♁, Rift Valley Province, Marich Pass Field Studies Centre , 1°32.2'N 35°27.4'E, 20.-21.+ 26.-27.XI.2002, leg. Pulawski ( CAS) ; 1♁, locality as above 13.-14. VI.2000, leg. Bourbin, Lee & Pulawski ( CAS) ; 1♁, Rift Valley Province , 77 km E Narok, 1°00.6'S 36°30.2'E, 16. VI.1999, leg. Pulawski & Schweigert ( CAS) ; 2♁♁, Eastern Province , 94 km E Thika, 1°06.6'N 37°42.1'E, 10.-11.XII.2002, leg Pulawski & Prentice ( CAS) ; 3♁♁, Rift Valley Province, Lodwar road 24 km N road to Sigor , 1°42.2'N 35°29.5'E, 8. VI.1999, leg. Pulawski & Schweigert ( CAS) ; 2♁♁, Archer's Post Uaso Nyiro river , 2300', 12.XII.1969, leg. Irwin & Ross ( CAS) ; 1♁, Eastern Province. Near Ewaso Ngiro river opposita Archer's Post , 0°38.1'N 37°40.4'E, 2.-8.XII.2002, leg. Prentice ( CAS) ; Malawi, 1♁, 160 km SE Lilongwe, Balaka, 20.XII.2001, leg. J. Halada ( JHC). Tanzania, 1♀, Dodoma province, 70 km N Dodoma, 05°40'S 35°48'E, 1300 m, 16.XII.2006, leg. J. Halada ( JHC) ; 2♁♁, province Kilimandjaro, 10 km S Same , 830 m, 0.4°09'30''S 37°46'10''E, 8. IV.2018, leg. J. Halada ( JHC) ; 3♁♁, Tanga Region, 10 km WNW Mabokweni , 4°59.6'S 38°59.0'E, 16.-18.I.2003, leg. Pulawski ( CAS) ; 1♁, Morogoro Region, 62 road km SW Morogoro, 7°02.5'S 37°15.3'E, 2.I.2003, leg. Pulawski ( CAS) ; 1♁, Tanga Region, 2 km NE Mkomazi , 4°37.8'S 38°05.5'E, 13.I.2003, leg. Prentice ( CAS) ; 2♁♁, Tanga Region, 73 km NW Korogwe , 4°40.8'S 38°06.4'E, 19.-20.VII.2001, leg. Haji & Pulawski ( CAS) .

E t y m o l o g y: The holotype was collected in Ethiopia.

R e c o g n i t i o n: The female of Cerceris ethiopia is characterized by having the coxa III without a longitudinal carina, the apical margin of clypeus has four small teeth ( Fig. 5a ), the mandible has two small emarginations internally and the mesopleuron two tubercles. Additionally, the propodeal enclosure is densely punctate and the medio-longitudinal furrow is not crenulate, the scutum is irregularly punctate and the legs are ferruginous. The female of C. curvitarsis is similar to C. ethiopia but differs in having the propodeal enclosure more sparsely punctate (punctures 1-2 diameters apart and with microstriation), the scutum is shining and very sparsely punctate (punctures 1-4 diameters apart), the gaster is yellowich-brown, the clypeus and the frons are all ferruginous, the pygidial plate is emarginate apically and the body is longer (16-19 mm). ( C. ethiopia is 13 mm long, the lateral clypeal sides and the frons are yellow and the gaster is black ferruginous and yellow). The female of C. podagrosa is similar to C. ethiopia but differs in having the mandible without emarginations or teeth internally, the terga III and IV are dull and finely sparsely punctate, the clypeus and frons are all ferruginous, the body is black and ferruginous and longer (14-18 mm).

The male of C. ethiopia is characterized by having the coxa III without a longitudinal carina, the median area oc the clypeus is roundly produced, edentate and with an extraordinary broad clypeal brush reaching from apical margin of clypeus to the orbits of the eyes ( Fig. 6a ), the propodeal enclosure is punctate or punctato-rugose and smooth near the medio-longitudinal furrow. Additionally, the sterna (II) III-VI are covered with long erect setae which not obscure the underlying sculpture and the legs are ferruginous and yellow. The male of C. lateriproducta differs from C. ethiopia in having a small clypeal brush, the terga without ferruginous color, the legs yellow and black, the terga with not so long setae and the genitalia are differently shaped. The male of C. curvitarsis is similar to C. ethiopia but differs in having the basitarsus of midleg curved, the flagellomere XI distinctly bent, the propodeal enclosure is smooth with only few punctures and the scutum shining and sparsely irregularly punctate (punctures 0-3 diameters apart). ( C. ethiopia has the basitarsus of midleg not curved, the flagellomere XI not distinctly bent, the scutum nearly densely punctate and the propodeal enclosure nearly all densely punctate). The male of C. podagrosa is similar to C. ethiopia but differs in having the basitarsus of midleg curved and with a tooth, the flagellomere XI is distinctly bent and the genitalia are differently shaped.

D e s c r i p t i o n: ♀, 12-13 mm. Sculpture: apical margi of clypeus with four small teeth ( Fig. 5a ); mandible with two small emarginations internally; prosternum shining, sparsely punctate and without transverse carina; mesopleuron with two tubercles; epimeron without crest; propodeal enclosure densely punctate, medio-longitudinal furrow not crenulate, lateral furrows shallow; petiolus broder than long ( Fig. 5e ); sternum II without basal plate; terga II-III apico-lateral produced; sternum V apical with transverse carina, apico-lateral with blunt corner; flagellum ( Fig. 5c ); pygidial plate ( Fig. 5d ). Puncturation: median part of clypeus shining and sparsely punctate; latero-clypeal areas micropunctate; frons micropunctate and irregularly punctate; vertex densely rugose-punctate; pronotal collar densely punctate; prosternum shining and sparsely finely punctate; tegula impunctate; scutum shining, irregularly punctate (punctures 0-2 diamerts apart); scutellum sparsely punctate (punctures 0-2 diameters apart); metanotum punctate; mesopleuron densely coarsely rugose-punctate; propodeal sides densely rugose-punctate; terga densely punctate; sterna laterally punctate; pygidial plate basally finely structured, apical half dull. Pilosity: latero-clypeal area covered with silvery appressed setae; gena ventral, mesopleuron, propodeal sides and femora covered with long erect setae; setae lateral of pygidial plate long. Coloration: black, following parts yellow: latero-clypeal area, frons, gena, interantennal carina, pronotal collar lateral, tegular partly, metanotum lateral, propodeal sides, terga I-V lateral, sterna II-V(VI) lateral; following parts ferruginous: median part of clypeus, vertex, flagellum and legs; rest of body predominantly variably ferruginous.

♁, 11-15 mm. Sculpture: apical margin of clypeus produced and edentate; clypeal brush reaching from apical margin of clypeus to orbits of eyes ( Fig. 6a ); latero-clypeal areas distinctly concave; mandibles edentate internally; flagellomere XI not distinctly bent ( Fig. 6c ); prosternum without transverse carina; mesopleuron without tubercle; epimeron without crest; propodeum enclosure irregularly punctate, medially smooth, lateral- and medio-longitudinal furrows shallow and not crenulate; petiolus broader than long ( Fig. 6e ); pygidial plate ( Fig. 6d ); genitalia ( Fig. 6f ). Puncturation: clypeus and frons and vertex densely punctate; prosternum sparsely punctate; pronotal collar densely punctate; scutum shining and more or less densely punctate; scutellum sparsely punctate; metanotum sparsely punctate; tegula impunctate; terga densely punctate; propodeal sides densely punctate; pygidial plate coarsely punctate; sterna finely and densely punctate. Pilosity: gena, prosternum and propodeal sides sparsely covered with long erect setae; terga (II) III-VI covered with more or less dense erect setae which not obscure underlying sculpture. Coloration: black; following parts yellow: apical margin of clypeus, clypeus, frons, interantennal carina, pronotal collar lateral, mandibles basal, gena partly, tegula, mesopleuron, epimeron, scutellum partly, metanotum propodeal sides, terga lateral, tibia partly; clypeal brush golden colored; rest of body predominantly variably ferruginous.

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

Figures

Fig. 5: Cerceris ethiopia DOLLFUSS nov.sp. ♀: (a) clypeus; (b) clypeus lateral view; (c) flagellum; (d) pygidial plate; (e) petiolus.

Fig. 6: Cerceris ethiopia DOLLFUSS nov.sp. ♁: (a) clypeus; (b) clypeus lateral view; (c) flagellum; (d) pygidial plate; (e) petiolus; (f) genitalia dorsal and gonostylus in lateral view.