Polistes (Polistella) esperanzae Selis, 2018

Selis, Marco, 2018, Revision of the genus Polistes Latreille (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) in the Philippine Islands, Zootaxa 4531 (4), pp. 507-531 : 512-515

Polistes (Polistella) esperanzae Selis , sp. nov.

( Figs. 12–21 )

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from the other Polistes (Polistella) species occurring in the Philippines by the following combination of characters: ventral metapleura with sparse punctures, S2 gradually swollen posteriorly ( Fig. 16 ), S4 with parallel longitudinal ridges medially ( Fig. 17 ), and body black with extensive red and yellow markings ( Figs. 12–13 ).

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♂, labelled “PH—Mindanao, Agusan, Esperanza/ VII.2014 /Leg. local collector” ( MSNVE) . PARATYPES: PHILIPPINES: LUZON: Aurora, Dingalan, IX.2015, 1 ♂( MSVI); Isabela, Dindin , VIII.2014, 9 ♀(1♀ MSVI, 3♀ MSNVE, 3♀ OLML, 2♀ RMNH) ; Isabela, Dindin , IX.2014, 2 ♂ 2♀ (1♂ MSVI, 1♂ MSNVE, 1♀ OLML, 1♀ RMNH) ; Isabela, Dindin , X.2014, 2 ♀ (1♀ OLML, 1♀ RMNH) ; Isabela, Dindin , XI.2014, 1 ♀ ( MSNVE) ; Quirino, Madela, VI.2014, 1 ♀ ( RMNH); Quirino, Nagtipunan, IX.2014, 1 ♀ ( OLML); MINDANAO: Agusan , Esperanza , V.2014, 1 ♀ ( MSNVE); Agusan , Esperanza , I.2015, 1 ♀ ( RMNH); Agusan , Esperanza , V.2016, 3 ♀ (2♀ MSVI; 1♀ MSNVE) ; Agusan, Sibagat , I.2015, 1 ♂ ( RMNH) ; Agusan, Sibagat , IX.2015, 1 ♂ ( OLML) ; Agusan, Sibagat, IV.2017, 1 ♀ ( MSVI); Davao, Governor Generoso, XI.2017, 1 ♀ ( MSVI); Davao, Mati, XII.2016, 1 ♀ ( MSVI); Surigao, Tandag, Sigaboy, IX.2017, 2 ♀ ( MSVI); SAMAR: Hinabangan , IX.2014, 1 ♀ ( MSVI). OTHER MATERIAL: Sierra Madre, Disimongal, Madela, Quirino, IV.2016, leg. Ismael Lumawig, 1♀ ( LDMLC) .

Description. FEMALE. Body length 14–16 mm; fore wing length: 16–18 mm.

Head in frontal view about 1.15× as wide as high ( Fig. 14 ); in dorsal view weakly swollen behind eyes, then narrowed posteriorly. Vertex slightly raised in the area among ocelli, slightly sloped down near posterior ocelli. Gena in lateral view about 0.7× as wide as eye; occipital carina fine, absent in ventral third of gena. Inner eye margins weakly convergent basally. Antennal sockets closer to inner eye margin than to each other; interantennal space weakly raised. Clypeus in frontal view about 0.9× as wide as high, slightly truncated apically; in lateral view weakly swollen; length of lateral margin of clypeus lying along inner eye margin longer than diameter of antennal socket and about 0.6× as long as the length of malar space. Antennal scape about 3.35× as long as its maximum width; F1 about 3× as long as its maximum width, about 1.3× as long as the length of F2 and F3 combined; F2–F4 longer than wide; F10 bullet-shaped ( Fig. 15 ).

Pronotal carina sharply raised, produced into thin lamella, slightly sinuate backward on lateral sides, reaching ventral corner of pronotum. Mesoscutum weakly convex, as long as wide between tegulae; anterior margin broadly rounded. Scutellum in lateral view weakly convex. Disc of metanotum almost flat, in lateral view smoothly passing from posterior margin of scutellum. Posterior face of propodeum widely and shallowly excavated medially, more or less smoothly passing into lateral faces.

T1 short and thick, 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. S 2 in lateral view gradually swollen posteriorly ( Fig. 16 ).

Clypeus with scattered large punctures, each bearing sharply pointed golden bristle; tomentum restricted to the middle of the dorsal half of clypeus. Mandible with shallow punctures in the basal half and deep punctures in the apical half. Frons covered with small punctures; ocular sinus with very small punctures. Gena with sparse small and shallow punctures, ventral one third with coarse punctures. Pronotum with dense punctures on dorsal surface, sparser on lateral faces. Mesoscutum with small punctures, dense on anterior margin; punctures on scutellum coarser and slightly bigger than the ones on mesoscutum; metanotum smooth with some punctures on anterior half. Mesepisternum punctured in posterodorsal part as in the pronotum, scattered punctures in anteroventral part; border between posterodorsal and anteroventral parts indistinct. Dorsal metapleuron with striae and some small punctures; ventral metapleuron with small sparse punctures. Propodeum transversely striated, the striae stronger on dorsal face and on transiction between posterior and lateral face. Metasomal segments covered with minute punctures in addition to some scattered punctures; S4 with two medial parallel longitudinal ridges and some shorter ridges on the external side of the long one; S5 with traces of longitudinal ridges ( Fig. 17 ); S2–S4 each with a tuft of long bended hair at apical margin, S5–S6 entirely covered with long bended hair.

Color. Black; following parts yellow to orange: ventral and lateral margins of clypeus, ventral half of inner eye margin, pronotal carina, posterior margin of pronotum, inner margin of propleura, pronotal lobe behind pretegular carina, anterior corners of scutellum, anterior margin of metanotum, two spots on posterior margin of mesepisternum, dorsal half of dorsal metapleura, dorsal margin of ventral metapleura, two triangular spots on posterior face of propodeum, ventral margin of lateral face of propodeum, propodeal valvula, posterior and lateral margin of T1–T5, posterior margin of S1–S5; following parts red-ferrugineus: scape, basal one third of F1, mandible except apical margin, gena and temple, posterodorsal part of mesepisternum, tegulae, scutellum, part of lateral face of propodeum, on T1–T5 and S1–S4 a margin between black basal part and yellow apical margin, T6 and S6, apical half of fore coxa, inner side of fore femura, apical margin of mid and hind coxae, anterior side of mid and hind femura, all tibiae and tarsi. Wings yellowish, slightly infuscated basally; wings venation dark brown in basal half and orange in apical half.

MALE. Body length 13–16 mm; fore wing length 16–17 mm.

Like female, except head about 1.2× as wide as high in frontal view ( Fig. 18 ); eye swollen laterally; clypeus in frontal view as wide as high, truncated ventrally, with a translucent ventral margin, flat in basal half. Antenna more slender than in female; scape about 2.6× as long as wide; F1 longer than length of F2–F3 combined; F2–F5 each longer than wide; F11 slightly curved, about 2.5× as long as its basal width ( Fig. 19 ). S7 medially depressed ( Fig. 20 ).

Coloration like female, except clypeus black with thick yellow apical and lateral margins, ocular sinus ferrugineus, mandible yellow, yellow markings on T1–T5 and S1–S5 more vivid, T6–T7 red-ferrugineous, S7 red with a central yellow spot.

Cromatic variability. This species shows a certain variability in coloration; listed here are commonly observed variations: central area of clypeus reddish, pronotum with red tinge in the middle of lateral face, yellow markings on scutellum and mesepisternum absent, ventral metapleura entirely black, propodeal markings almost meeting medially, red band on T2 enlarged at sides, and T5 without yellow line. A male specimen from Luzon has gena and temple entirely black. A female specimen from Samar ( Fig. 21 ) with an exceptionally broad red and yellow pattern has the following pattern: clypeus yellow with median red band, mandible orange-yellowish, an orange line that runs between eyes behind ocelli, lateral face of pronotum almost entirely red, anterior coxa entirely red, yellow spots on scutellum larger and meeting at anterior margin, metapleura almost entirely yellow, and T1– T3 with broad red band and black band restricted to the basal third.

Etymology. The specific name, esperanzae , is in reference to the locality were the holotypus was collected, the municipality of Esperanza on Mindanao island.

Distribution. Philippine Islands: Luzon, Mindanao, Samar.

Remarks. A single female specimen was examined from Samar. This specimen shows a peculiar coloration as stated above, but does not present structural differences from specimens from Mindanao; therefore, it is considered conspecific and a simple local form.

Figures

FIGURES 12–16. Polistes (Polistella) esperanzae Selis, sp. nov. 12, 14–16, ♀. 13, ♂. 12, Habitus of female paratype. 13, Habitus of holotype. 14, Head in frontal view. 15, Antenna in lateral view. 16, S2 in lateral view.

FIGURES 17–21. Polistes (Polistella) esperanzae Selis, sp. nov. 17, 21, ♀. 18–20, ♂. 17, S3–S5 in ventral view. 18, Head in frontal view. 19, Antenna in lateral view. 20, S7 in ventral view. 21, Habitus of female from Samar.