Antepipona dictatoria Selis, 2020

Selis, Marco, 2020, On generic placement of Odynerus dictatorius Giordani Soika and its mimicry ring (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae), Zootaxa 4845 (1), pp. 83-96 : 93-96

Antepipona dictatoria Selis , sp. nov. ( Figs. 22–26 )

Material examined. Holotype, ♀, labelled: “MAMATHES / Basutoland / 29-XI-1947 / C. Jacot / Guillarmod [printed and handwritten on brownish label] // Antepipona dictatoria / Selis, sp. nov. / HOLOTYPUS ♀ / Det. Marco Selis 2018 [printed on red label]” ( MSNVE) . Paratypes: Cape Province , Strowan, Grahamstown, 27.XI.1966, leg. C. Jacot-Guillarmod, 1♀ ( MSVI); Africa, 1♀ ( MSNVE) .

Diagnosis. Large sized Antepipona with a peculiar coloration, characterized by head wider than long, clypeus with semicircular apical emargination and deep punctures becoming elongate apically ( Fig. 23 ), pronotal humeri projected and with dull carina, mesoscutum coarsely punctured with notauli in posterior half, parategulae elongate and nearly parallel to longitudinal axis, scutellum small, much narrower than mesoscutum, lateral carinae of scutellum distinct and shortly lamellate in posterior two thirds, metanotum evenly convex and without a distinct horizontal face, lateral teeth barely developed and shaped as oblique low carinae ( Fig. 25 ), inferior propodeal carinae not sharp and forming a strong fold, submarginal carina developed in a short rounded lobe above each valvula, T2 subapically depressed and with an impunctate apical margin, S2 bulging basally and with a distinct median longitudinal furrow ( Fig. 26 ).

Description. Female ( Fig. 22 ). Body length 11.0- 11.9 mm; fore wing length 10.0- 10.8 mm.

Head in frontal view elliptical, 1.35 × as wide as long ( Fig. 23 ). Clypeus in frontal view 1.1 × as wide as long, basal margin convex and produced above in the middle, where it smoothly passes into interantennal area, lateral margins of free apical area straight and converging below, apical margin semicircularly emarginate, emargination 0.35 × as wide as clypeus width and about as wide as interantennal distance, apical teeth triangular with broadly rounded apex; clypeus in lateral view barely convex basally, almost flattened. Interantennal space strongly convex, with a raised flattened area in the middle. Frons convex, with a small median circular depression. Distance from posterior ocellus to occipital margin 1.15 × as long as distance from posterior ocellus to inner eye margin. Cephalic foveae small, barely larger than surrounding punctures, touching each other and separated by a narrow septum, located in a barely indicated small depression ( Fig. 24 ). Occipital carina present on gena, disappearing on vertex, stronger on its lower two thirds. Antennal scape 3.4 × as long as apically wide, F1 1.45 × as long as wide, about as long as F2+F3, F2–F9 wider than long, becoming progressively wider, F10 short, bullet-shaped and shorter than basally wide. Mandible 5-toothed, in frontal view apical tooth longer than basally wide, second tooth subrectangular with truncate margin, third tooth subtriangular with rounded apex, fourth tooth shaped as short rounded tubercle, fifth tooth short and subtriangular. Maxillary palpi 6-segmented, basal three palpomeres elongate and subequal in length, apical three palpomeres smaller; labial palpi 4-segmented, first palpomere elongate and weakly expanding apically, about as long as following two combined, bearing a pair of spiniform long setae near apex, second palpomere cylindrical with very sparse short setae and a pair of longer setae near apex, third palpomere elongate and weakly expanded in apical half, bearing a long and thick curved seta apically, fourth palpomere digitiform, about half as long as preceding palpomere. Mesosoma elongate in dorsal view, 1.3 × as long as wide. Pronotum in dorsal view with sinuate sides, concave before humeri, transition from dorsal face to anterior face distinct though not carinate, pronotal carina present on lateral faces and on humeri, where it projects in a strong rounded tubercle, pretegular carina absent. Mesoscutum in dorsal view as long as wide between tegulae, with distinct notauli in posterior half; evenly convex in lateral view; parategula in dorsal view strongly curved at extreme base, then straight and subparallel to longitudinal axis of body, in lateral view developed as a vertical lamella with a concavity on outer face that receives posterior lobe of tegula. Scutellum small, 0.5 × as wide as mesoscutum, trapezoidal with anteriorly converging lateral margins, anterior margin deeply depressed and crenate, lateral margins with sharp longitudinal carinae, lamellate on posterior two thirds. Metanotum more or less evenly convex in lateral view, without a distinct separation between horizontal and vertical face, lateral teeth reduced to lamellate low carinae, subparallel in anterior third and strongly diverging posteriorly ( Fig. 25 ). Tegula narrow, outer margin evenly rounded, posterior lobe triangular and pointed, not equaling parategula and placed below it. Mesepisternum strongly convex and protruding, visible in dorsal view, epicnemial carina present and distinct in ventral half, dorsally absent and not reaching transverse sulcus, epimeron strongly produced as rounded tubercle. Propodeum in posterodorsal view much broader than medially long, with strongly rounded sides, dorsal faces convex on most of surface, weakly depressed near posterolateral angles of propodeum, smoothly passing into posterior face which is broadly and shallowly concave, lateral faces flattened in dorsal half, depressed posteroventrally and continuing in a deep pit formed in the space between inferior and submarginal carinae; dorsal and lateral carinae entirely absent, inferior carina not distinct, shaped as strong fold between lateral and posterior faces, submarginal carina developed in a short rounded lobe above valvula, median line of concavity with a low carina that runs from propodeal orifice to anterior margin, where it is broadened. Fore tibia short and robust, about as half as fore femur length. T 1 in dorsal view nearly hemispherical, about 1.9 × as wide as long, with sides smoothly passing into anterior margin and forming a unique rounded margin, apical margin weakly raised; T 2 in dorsal view 1.1 × as wide as long, with rounded apical margin, sides subparallel and weakly convex, T 2 in lateral view with a basal convexity followed by a flattened area and two shallow depressed areas, one placed right behind the middle and the other one placed preapically, apical margin weakly raised; S1 with a rounded carina connecting apical corners and almost reaching basal constriction, followed by a short longitudinal carina; S 2 in lateral view bulging basally, where it appears strongly convex, then weakly and evenly convex to the apex, basal longitudinal furrow distinct though shallow, reaching middle of sternum ( Fig. 26 ).

Clypeus with deep rounded punctures and smooth interspaces in basal half, oblique larger punctures and interspaces weakly raised as longitudinal rounded ridges in apical half. Frons and vertex deeply and densely punctured, interspaces much narrower than half punctures diameter and forming a sharp reticulation; lower half of interantennal spaces and lower margin of ocular sinus shiny and micropunctate; gena with punctures similar to vertex but interspaces becoming wider below. Scape microreticulate with sparse small punctures. Dorsal face and most of lateral faces of pronotum coarsely punctured, punctures large and deep, interspaces reduced to very narrow reticulation; anterior face of pronotum with deep punctures on sides, interspaces about equal to punctures diameter, median part impunctate with a patch of irregular microsculpture in the middle. Mesoscutum punctured similar to pronotum, but punctures smaller and deeper and interspaces more irregular and narrower. Scutellum punctured similar to pronotum, but interspaces partly larger and convex, with some sparse fine punctures. Dorsal third of metanotum with very large coarse punctures confluent with each other, interspaces reduced to sparse sharp ridges or spines; ventral two thirds shiny and impunctate, with indistinct microreticulation. Tegula shiny with some punctures near middle of inner margin, microsculpture shallow and irregular. Proepisternum dull and microreticulate, with fine sparse punctures. Mesepisternum punctured like frons, but punctures larger, interspace becoming wider posteroventrally, transverse sulcus with strong ridges; epicnemium densely microreticulate, with some punctures ventrally. Metaepisternum microreticulate and dull, dorsal plate entirely with transverse striae, ventral plate with some short striae near anterior margin and irregular punctures on ventral third. Dorsal faces of propodeum with deep punctures disposed in irregular short transverse series, interspaces irregular and ridge-like, forming an elongate reticulation pattern; posterior face with irregular oblique striae, mixed with some series of punctures in dorsal half; lateral faces deeply punctured in dorsal half, interspaces much larger than punctures diameter anteriorly, becoming narrower and irregular posteriorly, ventral half transversely striate. T1 micropunctate with sparse macropunctures on anterior vertical face, posterior horizontal face with deep punctures, interspaces micropunctate and about as wide as punctures diameter, punctures becoming larger on sides; T2 with deep small punctures, interspaces irregular in length, shorter to larger than punctures diameter, preapical depression with coarser and denser punctures, apical margin with an impunctate narrow band; T3–T5 with translucent punctures, larger and deeper on T3, becoming sparser on following terga, interspaces microreticulate; T6 microreticulate with some ill-defined punctures. S1 with area in front of arched carina dull and with irregular microreticulation and punctures, area behind carina shiny with irregular punctures and some longitudinal ridges; S2–S5 similar to respective terga, but punctures deeper and sparser; S6 densely micropunctate. Pilosity pale; longer setae on frons, metanotum, mesepisternum and posterolateral corners on propodeum, most of them apically bent; propodeum with dense whitish pubescence on posterior face; metasomal pubescence dust-like, with some setae on S1.

Black; following parts orange-yellow: basal fascia largely interrupted medially and small apical spots on clypeus, subrectangular spots above interantennal space, lower margin of ocular sinus, short line on dorsal half of gena, mandible except inner margin, scape, pedicel and F1–F3 entirely, F4–F10 below, dorsal half of pronotum, parategula, lateral subtriangular spots on scutellum, median transverse band on metanotum, tegula except inner margin, rounded spot on mesepisternum right below tegula, short line on sides of dorsal faces of propodeum, irregular spots on coxae, larger on hind pair, legs except trochanters and extreme base of hind femur, sides and dorsal face of T1 except median rectangular emargination, broad apical band on T2 strongly expanded on sides and nearly reaching basal margin, T3–T6 entirely, apical margin of S1, broad and strongly bisinuate bands on S2–S5, S6 entirely; spots darker on mesosoma and T1, becoming more bright yellow on following terga and sterna. Wings infuscate with purplish reflections, bright orange on costa.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Lesotho; South Africa: Eastern Cape.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the great similarity with Antodynerus dictatorius .

Figures

FIGURES 22–26. Antepipona dictatoria Selis, sp. nov., ♀. 22, Habitus in dorsal view. 23, Head in frontal view. 24, Head in dorsal view. 25, Scutellum and metanotum in posterodorsal view. 26, Metasoma in lateral view.