Quartinia atlantica, 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 : 4-5

Quartinia atlantica sp. n. Figs 8-10

Holotype

♀, SOUTH AFRICA: WESTERN CAPE: Blaauwberg - Melkbosstrand (33.46S, 18.27E), 5.x.2005 (F. W. and S. K. Gess) (on sand beneath flowering Trachyandra sp., Asphodelaceae ) [AMG].

Paratypes.

SOUTH AFRICA: WESTERN CAPE: Koeberg Nature Reserve (33.38S, 18.24E) (West Coast Strandveld dominated by Euphorbia and Rhus spp.), 13.vi.-11.vii.1997 (S. van Noort) (yellow pan trap), 1 ♀; same data but dates and number of specimens as follow: 8.vii.- 5.ix.1997, 1 ♀; 5.ix.- 3.x.1997, 27♀♀; 3.x.-31.x.1997, 24 ♀♀; 31.x.-28.xi.1997, 4 ♀♀. - [5 AMG, all others SAM].

Diagnosis.

Large (5.25 mm), robust (ratio of width to length = 0.34: 1). Fore wing with Cu1a and 2 m-cu complete and as thick as other veins. Tegula with posterior inner corner inwardly produced. Female (male unknown) black marked with yellowish-white. Head and mesosoma microsculptured (shagreened). Punctures on clypeus and lower half of frons barely discernable; those on upper half of frons and vertex fine, close, increasing discernable. Punctures on mesosoma larger and more obvious than on head; those on pronotum coarse and subconfluent; those on mesoscutum and scutellum finer and discrete.

Description.

Female ( Figs 8-10 ): [Based largely on the holotype; the paratypes, having been in alcohol for thirteen years, are somewhat bleached.] Black. The following are yellowish-white: band (in some specimens very narrowly interrupted medially; in one specimen totally effaced) on anterior margin of pronotum and minute spot on postero-dorsal angle of same; streak of varying size (in some specimens effaced) on humeral angle; tegula (except ferruginous median area); scutellar lamella (except postero-medially); posterior bands (not reaching sides and progressively shorter and narrower) on terga I - IV. Light reddish-yellow are: underside of flagellomeres of club; extreme apex of femur and extreme base of tibia of all legs. Various shades of ferruginous are: mandible distally; tarsomeres (particularly underside) of all legs. Wings slightly browned; veins dark brown.

Length of holotype 5.25 mm. [Length of paratypes impossible to establish due to alcohol induced extension and curvature of gaster but likely to have been similar as measurement of mesosoma is same as that of holotype]. Length of fore wing: 3.6 mm; hamuli 5.

Head in front view 1.27 × as wide as long; POL: OOL = 1: 0.7. Clypeus 1.4 × 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, increasing discernable. Mesosoma finely microsculptured (shagreened); punctures larger than those on head, those on pronotum coarse and subconfluent, those on mesoscutum and scutellum finer and discrete. Gaster very finely punctured, shiny.

Male: Unknown.

Etymology.

Named for the Atlantic seaboard where the species occurs.

Geographic distribution.

Known from the seaboard of Western Cape of South Africa, the collecting sites being in the Strandveld of the West Coast of Acocks (1953).

Floral associations.

Unknown.

Nesting.

Unknown.

Discussion.

Quartinia atlantica differs most obviously from Quartinia arenaria in that it is a robust species whereas the latter is a gracile species. This can readily be seen not only by comparing specimens of the two species by eye but by measurement. Two females of equal length (5.25 mm), one of each species (for Quartinia atlantica the unstretched holotype), were measured for head and thorax width (head width = thorax width) which for Quartinia atlantica was 1.78 mm and for Quartinia arenaria a mere 1.42 mm. Expressed as the ratio of width to body length, the values are 0.34: 1 for Quartinia atlantica and 0.27: 1 for Quartinia arenaria .

Yellow pan trapping by S. van Noort at Koeberg Nature Reserve during 1997 yielded not only Quartinia atlantica Gess but also Quartinia bonaespei Gess, the former during the period 13 June to 28 November, the latter during the period 11 July to 28 November. No males of either species were obtained.

Figures

Figures 8 - 10. Quartinia atlantica 8 ♀, lateral view (x 10) 9 ♀, dorsal view (x 9) 10 ♀, head, front view (x 15).