Prosopigastra simpliclypeata Zhao et Ma, 2021

Zhao, Liyuan, Li, Qiang & Ma, Li, 2021, A new species of genus Prosopigastra A. Costa (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Crabroninae) from China, with a key to the Chinese species, Zootaxa 5072 (2), pp. 157-164 : 158-160

Prosopigastra simpliclypeata Zhao et Ma , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0DEA3033-33C1-4254-9A2A-1D8B7BEBA50D

Diagnosis. The male of the new species and that of P. fumipennis ( Gussakovskij, 1952) differ from the other species of the genus by the following characters: mesal length of propodeal enclosure much less than basal width; wings infumate, marginal cell with dense microtrichia; outer side of hindfemur sparsely punctate; anterolateral corner of clypeal bevel rectangular, flagellum simple and cylindrical; vertex longer than wide.

The male of the new species differs from that of P. fumipennis by the following characters: gaster with narrow reddish brown and yellowish brown zones, tibiae black, tarsi fulvous; clypeal free margin simple, single edged on each side of lobe; least interocular distance as long as 4 × DOA. In the male of P. fumipennis : gaster (except segments IV–VI black in some specimens), tibiae and tarsi red; clypeal free margin double edged on each side of lobe; least interocular distance 1.4–3.2 × DOA.

Description. Male. Body length 7.5 mm, somewhat shiny.

Color. Black. Mandible medially yellowish, base, apex and ventral two teeth dark brown; antennal articles I–IV dark brown to black, remainder brown; wings slightly infumate, veins and pterostigma brown; femora basally and apically, tibiae, and all tarsi fulvous; gastral segments with small, yellowish apical margin; tergum I medially and tergum II basally reddish-brown, terga VI–VII yellowish-brown, remaining black; sternum I medially with narrow, longitudinal, fulvous streak; sterna II–III basally fulvous; sterna V–VII dark brown; sternum VIII yellowish.

Setae. Mandible basally with sparse and silvery setae as long as 0.4 × DOA, remainder with scattered, yellowish setae about 0.6–2 × DOA; yellowish setae on basomedian area of clypeus as long as 2 × DOA; lower frons with yellowish setae less than 2 × DOA; gena with sparse, silvery setae as long as 0.6 × DOA; silvery setae on scutum basally (glabrous posteriorly), on metanotum, propodeum (except enclosure and laterally), prepectus, mesopleuron and metapleuron less than 2 × DOA; tomentum on terga I–II except medially; on terga III–V dense and silvery throughout, less than 1 × DOA; terga VI–VII with sparse, silvery setae, less than 1 × DOA; sterna I–VI with dense tomentum, as long as 0.6 × DOA; sterna II–VIII with rows of long, erect, silvery setae apically, longest setae less than 2 × DOA; legs with scattered, silvery pubescence.

Head. Mandible bidentate ventrally, one tooth at base, other in middle, with broad, deep notch between two teeth; clypeal bevel as long as basomedian area; basomedian area somewhat elevated and with dense, midsize punctures, less than 1 × diameter apart; bevel glabrous, with midsize punctures about 0.1–0.2 × diameters apart; anterolateral corner of clypeal bevel rectangular and somewhat turned-up; lip nearly truncate, with small rounded teeth medially, not incised laterally; clypeal free margin simple, single edged on each side of lobe; frontal protuberance conspicuous, impunctate, glabrous and with narrow, longitudinal median groove; area between protuberance and antennal socket somewhat convex, with dense, slender striation, lower and lateral areas well defined by shallow sulcus; lateral and upper frons with dense, midsize punctures; scape punctate and pubescent; flagellum simple, cylindrical; ocellar area shiny, conspicuously convex and with midsize punctures, punctures 1–2 × diameters apart anteriorly, and about 0.2 × diameters apart posteriorly, midocellus normal; punctures less than 1 × diameter apart between midocellus and orbit; vertex flat, with dense, large punctures about 0.2–0.5 × diameters apart, longer than wide, VL: VW ≈ 1.2: 1; least interocular distance as long as 4 × DOA; gena normal, shiny, with sparse, midsize punctures about 2–4 × diameters apart.

Mesosoma. Scutum with midsize punctures in basal half, and with large punctures medially and posteriorly, punctures unevenly distributed, medially about0.2 ×diameters apart, elsewhere about1–2 ×diameters apart;scutellum with large punctures less than 1 × diameter apart; mesothoracic venter with deep, wide, longitudinal depression and conspicuous median carina, lateral area medially with conspicuous, longitudinal, rectangular protuberance on each side, remaining area with huge punctures about 0.2 × diameters apart; metanotum with midsize punctures less than 1 × diameter apart; prepectus and mesopleuron punctatorugose, with dense, large punctures about 0.2 × diameters apart and dense, irregular, sturdy rugae; mesopleuron with conspicuous, complete, deep, broadened episternal sulcus and complete mesopleural suture and scrobe; matapleuron with dense, sturdy, longitudinal rugae about 0.4 × DOA apart; propodeal enclosure well delimited by carina and with sturdy, long, longitudinal ridges mixed with sparse, short transverse ones; enclosure mesal length about 0.5 × basal width; posterior surface with broadened, deep groove, remainder with netlike, sturdy ridges; microtrichia of marginal cell dense, length of fore margin about 2.7 × pterostigma; outer side of hindfemur with sparse, fine punctures, hindtibia with sparse punctures between dorsal and lateral rows of spines.

Metasoma. Tergum I with shallow, long, narrow and longitudinal groove basally, both sides of groove glabrous and impunctate; terga I–II with conspicuous, oblique, lateral carinae; terga I–IV with midsize punctures about 1 × diameter apart; terga V–VII with sparse, small punctures; sterna I–VI with dense, midsize punctures about 1–2 × diameters apart; sterna V–VIII with sparse, midsize punctures many diameters apart; sterna II–VI with inconspicuous, transverse swellings apically, remainder normal; sternum VIII biangulate apically, and emarginated medially.

Female. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype, ♂, China, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Kazak Autonomous Prefecture of Ili , Gongliu County, Hetao valley , 43°30’N 82°12’E, 2.VII.2016, coll. Yicheng Li (SCAU).

Distribution. China (Xinjiang Autonomous Region).

Etymology. The name, simpliclypeata , is derived from the Latin stem simpl- of the word simplex (= simple) and clypeata (= a feminine adjective derived from clypeus), referring to the simple clypeus.