Afrepipona segregata sp. nov., 2024

Selis, Marco & Carpenter, James M., 2024, Revision of the Afrotropical genus Afrepipona Giordani Soika, 1965 and description of Afrepsilon gen. nov. (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae), European Journal of Taxonomy 944, pp. 1-80 : 42-45

Afrepipona segregata sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:90504DFF-CDEF-4D56-B474-6B5EC17CCC8B

Figs 17 , 27L

Diagnosis

Similar to the group of A. cuprea , A. macrocephala and A. meridionalis due to the morphology of the apical lamella of T2 ( Fig. 17F ) and pronotal carina, but differing by lateral carinae of propodeum present and female clypeus 1.15 × as wide as long ( Fig. 17C ). Genitalia in Fig. 27L .

Etymology

The specific epithet derives from the Latin adjective ‘segregatus’ (= ‘segregated’), as this is the only known Malagasy species of the genus.

Type material

Holotype

MADAGASCAR • ♂; Tulear, Garten Bistro du Sud ; 19–21 Oct. 1996; M. Madl leg.; NHMW.

Paratype

MADAGASCAR • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; NHMW .

Description

Male

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 6.3 mm; fore wing length 5.0 mm.

MORPHOLOGY. Head 1.2 × as wide as long in frontal view. Clypeus 1.35 × as wide as long, apical margin truncate with slightly projecting pointed teeth, 0.3 × as wide as maximum width of clypeus; weakly and evenly convex in lateral view. Vertex 2 × as long as distance between posterior ocellus and inner eye margin; gena 0.8 × as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina complete, very fine on vertex, high and sharp on gena, strongly bent in lower half of gena. F1 1.3 × as long as wide and 1.5 × as long as F2, F2–8 transverse and becoming progressively wider, F9 longer than wide, F11 finger-shaped and shallowly flattened dorsoventrally, reaching middle of F8 and barely curved in lateral view, parallel-sided with rounded apex in dorsal view, apex housed by large pit covering most of ventral side of F8. Mesosoma 1.3 × as long as wide. Sides of pronotum straight and weakly converging, anterior margin slightly projecting on humeri; pronotal carina complete and lamellate, about as long as half ocellar diameter on humeri, slightly lower medially; pretegular carina blunt and barely visible in lower half, disappearing above. Mesoscutum 0.9 × as long as wide, evenly convex in lateral view. Scutellum weakly convex; anterior margin weakly and irregularly crenate. Metanotum flattened and very oblique. Tegula short and equaling parategula, outer margin evenly curved and slightly reflexed posteriorly, posterior lobe subtriangular and pointed; parategula obtusely angled basally. Epicnemial carina distinct but blunt, reaching epipleural suture. Propodeum in lateral view steeply falling just behind metanotum, almost vertical; posterior face shallowly concave and not clearly separated from dorsal faces; lateral faces flattened; lateral carinae present but very weak and confused with ridged interspaces of sculpture. T1 semicircular, 0.55 × as long as wide; apical margin translucent, when seen in posterior view it is strongly thickened and duplicated in two lamellae. T2 0.85 × as long as wide in dorsal view, apical translucent margin about twice as long as that on T1, slightly depressed but not reflexed, preceded by a series of coarse punctures forming a shallow step between lamella and rest of tergite. Apical margin of T3–5 similar to T2, translucent margin becoming progressively shorter. S2 evenly convex from base to apex; basal longitudinal furrow shallow but distinctly marked. Apical margin of S2–4 similar to respective tergite but translucent part shorter.

SCULPTURE AND VESTITURE. Clypeus finely and sparsely punctate, all interspaces exceeding 1.5 puncture diameter. Frons and vertex with deep punctures, interspaces shorter than one puncture diameter on disc of frons and becoming wider laterally, mid-line of frons impunctate, becoming irregular on vertex; gena punctured similar to vertex but punctures becoming finer ventrally.Scape matte and densely micropunctate. Punctures of mesosoma similar to vertex but larger and more irregular, interspaces mostly ridge-like but some reaching up to one puncture diameter; punctures sparser on mesepisternum, interspaces more shiny; epicnemium and mesosternum shiny and shallowly shagreened and micropunctate, with shallow punctures in posterior half; metaepisternum mostly smooth with scattered fine punctures in lower plate, shortly striate along anterior margin; dorsal faces of propodeum with large flat-bottomed punctures in medial third, interspaces visible only in lateral two thirds and finely microstriate, posterior face mostly smooth with some shallow punctures in upper half and irregular wrinkles ventrally, lateral faces with dense flat-bottomed punctures and very fine transverse microstriae. T1–2 with fine and shallow punctures, circular and well-marked on T1 and disc of T2, becoming progressively more oblique toward apex and sides of T2, interspaces as long as 2–3 punctures on disc and becoming narrower at apex and laterally, preapical area of T2 with a series of coarse large and deep punctures preceding apical lamella; T3–5 similar to apical area of T2 but punctures much smaller and becoming progressively shallower; T6–7 shagreened with barely visible micropunctures. S1 shiny, smooth on basal petiole, irregularly ridged and deeply punctate on posterior part; S2 with deep rounded punctures, becoming larger and denser laterally, apical lamella preceded by a series of coarse deep punctures; S3–7 shagreened and impunctate, except for series of coarse punctures preceding apical lamella on S3–4. Head and mesosoma with short pale setae, longer on lower part of propodeum; clypeus, gena and sides of mesosoma with short white pubescence and some long curved setae; metasoma with pale brownish dust-like pubescence and scattered short appressed setae.

COLORATION. Reddish, punctures on head and mesosoma with darker bottom; following parts from pale yellow to yellowish-orange: clypeus, basal triangle of mandible, interantennal space and line reaching up to anterior ocellus, complete line bordering all margins of eye, spot on outer margin of posterior ocellus, broad anterior band on pronotum reaching ventral corners of lateral faces, short line on posterior margin of pronotum just in front of tegula, indistinct spots on tegula, parategula, small points on anterior corners of scutellum, anterior half of metanotum, rounded spot in middle of posterior margin of mesepisternum, upper margin of metaepisternum, large spot running from propodeal valvula to dorsal face of propodeum, large spots on mid and hind coxae, narrow preapical band on T1, broader regular band and very small anterior points on T2, preapical band on T3–6, posterior corners of S1, large oblique basal spots and sinuate preapical band on S2, preapical band and median oblique spots on S3–4. Wings subhyaline with weak brownish tinge, apex of marginal cell barely infuscate.

Female

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 6.1 mm; fore wing length 5.0 mm.

Differing from male as follows: head more elongate, 1.1 × as wide as long; clypeus 1.1 × as wide as long, apical margin narrower (0.25 × as wide as width of clypeus) and evenly concave; vertex 2.1 × as long as distance between posterior ocellus and inner eye margin, cephalic foveae very small and placed in a barely differentiated elliptical area; mesosoma more elongate, 1.5 × as long as wide; posterior face of propodeum almost flattened, lateral carinae more distinct; apical lamella shorter on T2 and not very distinct on following tergites; sculpture on head and mesosoma smaller and sparser, all interspaces flattened and more shiny; punctures on S2 much finer and sparser; all markings pale yellow, not turning to orange-yellow anywhere, clypeus yellow with large median red spot, line along eye margin interrupted on vertex, gena mostly yellow, tegula almost entirely bordered with yellow, all femora and fore tibia with yellow lines of various extent, basal spots on T2 much smaller, T3–6 and S3–6 almost entirely yellow.

Distribution

Madagascar: Atsimo-Andrefana.

Remarks

Although collected together and matching in most characters, the two examined specimens show some differences in sculpture and morphology. The differences are tentatively regarded as sexual dimorphism, but more material is needed to confirm it.

Figures

Fig. 17. Afrepipona segregata sp. nov. A–B, D, F. ♂, holotype from Tulear (NHMW). C, E. ♀, paratype from Tulear (NHMW). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B–C. Head, frontal view. D. Flagellum, lateral view. E. Head, dorsal view. F. T2–3. dorsal view. Scale bars: A–C, F = 1 mm; D–E = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 27. Male genitalia: aedeagus in ventral view, aedeagus in lateral view, digitus. A. Afrepipona angusta (de Saussure, 1863) from Adi Keyh (MSVI). B. Afrepipona cellularis sp. nov., holotype from Nyamandhlovu (MSNVE). C. Afrepipona clonata sp. nov., holotype from Nairobi (MSNVE). D. Afrepipona cuprea sp. nov., paratype from Malindi (MSVI). E. Afrepipona lamptoensis Giordani Soika, 1965 from Lamto (AMNH).F. Afrepipona lobulata sp. nov.,holotype from Lubumbashi (AMNH). G. Afrepipona macrocephala (Gribodo, 1894) from Delagoa (MSNVE). H. Afrepipona meridionalis sp. nov., holotype from Durban (MSNVE). I. Afrepipona occidentalis sp. nov., paratype from Lamto (MSNVE).J. Afrepipona punctatissima sp. nov.,holotype from Maralal (MSNVE).K. Afrepipona scabra sp. nov., paratype from Kabongo (MSNVE). L. Afrepipona segregata sp. nov., holotype from Tulear (NHMW). M. Afrepipona tertia Gusenleitner, 2011, holotype from Bangui (OLML). N. Afrepipona ulterior sp. nov., paratype from Pretoria (MSVI). O. Afrepipona vulcanica sp. nov., paratype from Mount Kilimanjaro (MSVI). P. Afrepsilon ferrugineoaureum gen. et sp. nov., paratype from Berea (MSVI). Q. Afrepsilon minor gen. et gen. et sp. nov., holotype from Mount Kilimanjaro (OLML).