Ectemnius (Policrabro) babanki, Martin Říha & Jan Farkač, 2015

Martin Říha & Jan Farkač, 2015, A new species of the genus Ectemnius Dahlbom, 1845 from Cameroon (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 122 (2), pp. 181-184 : 181-183

Ectemnius (Policrabro) babanki sp. n.

Figs 1, 3, 5, 7, 9

Holotype: MRBC, without registration number; labelled “ CAMEROON; North-West prov.; / E env. of Big Babanki ; 1200 m; / 06°06.698´N 10 ° 15.938´E; / 5.- 13.iii. 2008; Martin Říha leg.”; male .

Paratype: MHNG, without registration number; same data as holotype; one male .

Description: Holotype. Length 7.7 mm (Paratype 8.0 mm). Body black. Antennal scape beneath, metanotum, small median spot on tergum I, wide band on tergum II (not reaching anterior and posterior margins) and two small spots on tergum III pale yellow. Pedicel and flagellomeres I-III, mandible largely (except bifid apex and inner tooth), labium, palpi, pronotal collar, pronotal lobe, tegula, and precostal plate, two lateral spots on scutellum, apices of all coxae, all trochanters, forefemur (except basal black spot), mid- and hind-femora beneath, fore- and hind-tibiae beneath, sides of terga I-VI, hindmargin of tergum VI, and entire tergum VII ferruginous. Pterostigma and veins of all wings dark brown.

Fig. 6. E. seyrigi (Arnold, 1945) (Andasibe) , head, frontal view. Fig. 7. E. babanki sp. n. (holotype), foreleg, lateral view.

Fig. 8. E. seyrigi (Arnold, 1945) (Andasibe) , foreleg, lateral view. Fig. 9. E. babanki sp. n. (holotype), aedeagus, ventral view. Fig. 10. E. seyrigi (Arnold, 1945) (Andasibe) , aedeagus, ventral view.

Head as seen from above transverse ( Fig. 1), length: width ratio 5: 9 (dorsal view). Pubescence white, 1.7- 2.2 × as long as diameter of midocellus, erect. Mandible bifid apically, with conspicuous inner tooth at basal third ( Fig. 5). Median lobe of clypeus elongate, apical free margin rectangular, 1.5 × as wide as diameter of midocellus, smooth, laterally with small rounded tooth. Scapal basin slightly depressed, covered with dense silver pubescence laterally, width of glossy medial part equal to two diameters of midocellus ( Fig. 5). Frons rather dull, irregulary sculptured, individual punctures not defined anteriorly and forming grooves backwards, interspaces with indications of carinae. Vertex glossy, interspaces between punctures less than their diameter. Gena glossy, with only minute setiferous punctures. Occipital carina not reaching hypostomal carina by distance equal to two diameters of midocellus. Ocellocular distance: postocellar distance = 10: 9. Scape with one keel. Flagellomeres I-III slightly bulged beneath, dull, with narrow and inconspicuous tyloidea. Flagellomere IV notched beneath. Relative lengths of antennal scape: pedicel: flagellomeres I to X (last) = 37: 8: 12: 9: 9: 10: 5: 5: 5: 5: 6: 8.

Pronotum medially notched, without conspicuous carina, lateral corners rounded. Scutum and scutellum rather shiny, punctured. Scutal punctures elongate, forming fine longitudinal ridges anteriorly, ridges slightly larger posteriorly and directed diagonally on posterolateral corner. Scutellar punctures elongate lengthwise. Metanotum shiny, finely punctate. Propodeal enclosure inconspicuously but distinctly delimited by fine carina, basally longitudinally ridged, medially striate, median sulcus slightly indicated. Propodeal side and metapleuron shiny and finely longitudinally striated. Posterior part of propodeum strongly transversally keeled with conspicuous median sulcus. Epicnemial carina slightly curved backward ventrally, vanishing between striation of posterior part of propleuron. Mesopleuron and mesosternum glossy, interspaces between punctures about twice as large as their diameter. Mesopleuron with conspicuous precoxal keel ventrally curved forward. Mesosternum with short transverse carinae medially. Pubescence of thorax 1.7-2.2 x as long as diameter of midocellus, erect. Forefemur keeled basally, with one keel baso-ventrally and one posterobasally. Forebasitarsus inconspicuously curved, longer than following tarsomeres together ( Fig. 7).

Abdomen sessile. Pubescence 1-1.5 x as long as diameter of midocellus, semierect. Terga slightly shiny, microsculptured, tergum I also with scattered punctures. Sternum I with conspicuous keel on basal half, bifurcate backwards. Pygidial plate present, subquadratic, microsculptured, slightly depressed apically, more so basally. Parameres of aedeagus rather wide all over its length ( Fig. 9).

Comparison: E. babanki sp. n. differs from the related species E. seyrigi in the features indicated in the key below. The key is based on the males only, because the female of E. babanki sp. n. is unknown. The female is very likely to have the same distinguishing characters – mainly the colour and body sculpture. The key to the Asian species was given by Leclercq (1999).

Etymology: The new species is named after Big Babanki , a village in the North West province of Cameroon, where the type material was collected. It is a noun in apposition.

Distribution: So far only known from the type locality in North West Cameroon.

Habitat: Collected individually on leaves of highgrown Mangifera sp., on the occasionaly burned off grassy slope, on the edge of the village, at an altitude of about 1200 m.