Polistes (Polistella) curcipunctum Nguyen, Kojima & Saito

Nguyen, Lien Thi Phuong, Kojima, Jun-Ichi & Saito, Fuki, 2011, Polistes (Polistella) wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) from mountainous areas of northern Vietnam, with description of five new species, Zootaxa 3060, pp. 1-30 : 15-17

Polistes (Polistella) curcipunctum Nguyen, Kojima & Saito , sp. nov.

( Figs 47–53 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: Ƥ ( IUNH on long-term loan from the IEBR), labeled “ VIETNAM, Tam Dao NP, Vinh Phuc, 800 m, L.T.P. Nguyen & J. Kojima, 19.viii.2005 ”. PARATYPES: 1 Ƥ ( IEBR), same data as holotype; 1 Ƥ ( AMNH), Huong Son, Ha Tinh, 18°21'N 106°15'E, alt. 900 m, Malaise Trap, 18.V.1998, Carpenter, Long, Grimaldi, Herman and Silva; 3 Ƥ ( IEBR, IUNH, AMNH), Lo Xo, Phuoc Son, Quang Nam, alt. 700 m, 28.VII.2004, ISD-c.

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from other known species of subgenus Polistella by the following combination of characters: body surface with very coarse and large punctures; posterior face of propodeum with wide median excavation (width about 0.7 × maximum width of propodeum); border between posterior and lateral faces of propodeum bluntly angulate; metasomal tergum 1 short and robust, about 0.7 × as long as its apical width, in lateral view abruptly swollen dorsally at base, then dorsal face weakly convex, corner between anterior and dorsal faces broadly rounded; metasomal sternum 2 in lateral view with square outline, basally abruptly swollen ventrally, then ventral margin bluntly angled into straight line.

Description. FEMALE. Body length 11.5–12.5 mm (holotype: about 12.5 mm); forewing length 11.5–12.5 mm (holotype: about 12.5 mm).

Structure as in Polistes reliciniclypeus , but differing as follows: POD:OOD=1:2; POD about 1.3 × Od ( Fig. 47 ); inner eye margins in frontal view less strongly convergent ventrally, about 1.1 × further apart from each other at vertex than at clypeus ( Fig. 48 ); clypeus in frontal view slightly wider than high ( Fig. 48 ); lateral margin of clypeus touching inner eye margin by length longer than malar space and antennal socket diameter; gena proportionally narrower, in lateral view about 0.6 × as wide as eye ( Fig. 49 ); antennal scape slightly more than 3 × as long as its maximum width ( Fig. 50 ); flagellomere 1 slightly greater than 2.5 × as long as its maximum width; flagellomere 2 longer than wide; terminal flagellomere about 1.3 × as long as its basal width; mesoscutum weakly convex; scutellum strongly convex ( Fig. 51 ), with median part weakly depressed or nearly flat; posterior face of propodeum with shallow wide median excavation, of which width is about 0.7 × maximum width of propodeum, border between posterior and lateral faces bluntly angulate; propodeal orifice elongate, about 2 × as long as wide (measured at widest part); jugal lobe of hind wing rounded ( Fig. 52 ); metasomal tergum 1 short and robust, about 0.7 × as long as its apical width, in lateral view abruptly swollen dorsally just behind basal slit for reception of propodeal suspensory ligament, then dorsal face weakly convex; corner between anterior and dorsal faces broadly rounded ( Fig. 53 ); metasomal sternum 2 in lateral view with square outline ( Fig. 53 ), basally abruptly swollen ventrally, then ventral margin bluntly angled into straight line nearly parallel to ventral margin of the tergum.

Body surface with much coarser punctures than in P. reliciniclypeus . Clypeus densely covered with very coarse large punctures, each bearing sharply pointed golden bristle; basal one-third to half of clypeus covered with fine pale-yellow pubescence. Mandible with scattered deep punctures, punctures denser at basal margin. Frons and vertex anterior to level of posterior ocelli densely covered with very coarse deep punctures; punctures around ocelli less coarse; vertex behind posterior ocelli and gena densely covered with very coarse punctures. Pronotum with punctures similar to those in P. reliciniclypeus (dense and deep; spaces between punctures very narrow, slightly raised to form reticulation). Scutellum, metanotum and posterodorsal part of mesepisternum with punctures similar to those on pronotum. Dorsal metapleuron with striae and strong punctures; ventral metapleuron with dense coarse punctures. Propodeum with distinct transverse striae with coarse punctures between striae; lateral face with welldefined punctures between striae, interpuncture spaces weakly raised to interconnect striae. Metasomal terga with dense coarse punctures.

Color. Body black, with following parts orange-yellow: apical one to to two-thirds of clypeus, narrow band along inner eye margin extending from bottom of frons to middle of eye emargination, narrow short band on gena along posterodorsal margin of eye, narrow band along pronotal carina, paired spots on propodeal valvula; reddish brown as follows: mandible except black basal margin and teeth, ventral side of antennal scape, pedicel and basal part of flagellomere 1, sometimes posterolateral spots on scutellum and narrow apical band on metasomal tergum 2. Legs black; dorsal surface of femora, ventral surface of tibiae and tarsomeres 1 largely reddish brown. Wings yellowish-brown, weakly infuscate, slightly more strongly infuscate along anterior margin of forewing; veins dark brown.

MALE. Unknown.

Remark. Among the species of subgenus Polistella occurring in Vietnam, this species can be recognized by extremely corase punctures.

Etymology. The specific name refer to the coarse (curcus in Latin) punctures in this species.

Distribution. Known only from type localities, northern Vietnam.

Figures

FIGURES 47 – 53. Polistes (Polistella) curcipunctum sp. nov.,. 47. Ocelli, eye and posterior margin of vertex. 48 – 49. Head. 48. Frontal view. 49. Lateral view. 50. Right antenna. 51. Mesosoma, lateral view. 52. Jugal lobe of left hind wing. 53. Metasomal segments 1 and 2, lateral view. Scale 1 mm.