Epirhyssa uelensis Benoit, 1951

Fig. 10

Diagnosis

Bright yellow overall with isolated dorsal black markings; wings hyaline, slightly infuscate apically; face rugulose-punctate and moderately protruding dorsally; clypeus nearly smooth, with median subapical tubercle strong, ventral margin produced laterally; frons nearly smooth, with a mid-longitudinal carina reaching median ocellus and lateral curved carina toward lateral ocellus; antenna with 32–34 flagellomeres; mesopleuron with epicnemial carina reaching level of mesopleural pit; subtegular ridge concave, laterally flanged; fore wing with 2m–cu slightly apical to rs–m; tergite 1 stout in female, very slender in male; tergites 1–3 smooth, following tergites shallowly punctate with basal transverse striations; apical margins of tergites 3–6 moderately concave. CT 2.9; ML 0.6; POL 1.2; OOL 1.3; Fl 1 3.8; Fl 15 2.2; FL 33 0.9; T1 1.2–1.3; OT 4.1.

Differential diagnosis

A mostly bright yellow species with hyaline wings, otherwise characterized by the combination of the concave subtegular ridge, the mid-longitudinal carina on the frons and the stout tergite 1 of the female. The only other species with a concave and flanged subtegular ridge is E. gavinbroadi, in which the clypeus is distinctly punctate.

Material examined

Holotype

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: ♀, Haut-Uele, Paulis [Isiro, 03°28’ N 25°43’E], xii-1947, P.L.G. Benoit (MRAC).

Paratype

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 1 ♂, Bambesa, Jul. 1933, H.J. Bredo (MRAC).

Other material

CAMEROON: 1 ♀, Nkoemvon, 30 Mar.–19 Apr. 1980, Ms. D. Jackson (BMNH); 2 ♀♀, same label data except 13 Jul.–4 Aug. 1980 (BMNH); 1 ♀, same label data except Oct.–Nov. 1980 (BMNH).

Description

Female (5 specimens)

B 10.4–12.8; A 9.1–12.0; F 8.6–11.5 (holotype B: 10.4; A 9.1; F 8.6).

COLOR. Bright yellow overall, sometimes with infuscate to black mid-longitudinal stripes on tergites 5–7, and black markings: mandible, ocellar area ( macula connected to eye margin), upper occiput and mesoscutum but lateral margins and a large central macula, sometimes apex of scutellum, basal margin and apex of propodeum; ovipositor sheath reddish testaceous; wings hyaline, weakly infuscate apically, venation brown.

HEAD. Face rugulose-punctate and moderately protruding dorsally; clypeus smoothly sculptured, with a strong subapical median tubercle, ventral margin moderately produced laterally and medially; mandible stout; frons nearly smooth with sparse fine punctures; inner margins of toruli expanded backwards into two converging weak carinae, carinae then fused into a mid-longitudinal carina reaching median ocellus; frons also with an additional lateral curved carina from posterior margin of torulus to next to lateral ocellus; vertex and temples sparsely punctate, inter-ocellar area somewhat rugose; occipital carina mid-dorsally evanescent; hypostomal carina strongly raised above mandibular base; antenna with 32–34 flagellomeres.

MESOSOMA. Mesosoma shallowly and moderately densely punctate, but mesonotum deeply transversely striate and anterior half of pronotum smooth; epomia moderate; dorsal faint apex of epicnemial carina nearly reaching level of mesopleural pit; apex of subtegular ridge concave, weakly to distinctly flanged laterally; submetapleural carina slightly and evenly narrowed toward apex.

WINGS. Fore wing with 2m–cu slightly apical to rs–m, cu–a slightly apical to Rs+M, Rs strongly bowed forwards; hind wing with distal abscissa of Cu joining Cu&cu–a close to junction with M.

METASOMA. Tergite 1 stout and smooth, tergites 2–3 smooth, tergites 3–6 shallowly punctate with weak transverse striations basally; apical margins of tergites 3–6 moderately concave, others straight.

Male (1 specimen) B 8.5; A 8.2; F 7.9.

Similar to female but metasoma much slenderer (T1 2.0).

Distribution

Democratic Republic of Congo. New record: Cameroon.