Afrotremex comatus, Goulet, 2014

Goulet, Henri, 2014, Revision of the African horntail genus Afrotremex (Hymenoptera: Siricidae), Zootaxa 3795 (3), pp. 201-254 : 225-229

2. Afrotremex comatus n. sp.

Fig T2.1 (female habitus); M1– M2, M4b, M5 (morphology); K4b, K7, K10, K14, K45, K47, K49, K51 (keys); T1.8, T2.1–T2.7 (description).

Map T1.26, red circle

Type material. Holotype female ( USNM) in perfect condition, labeled [White] “Bwamba Uganda May 1956 R. Carcasson”; [White} “ Kenya Natl. Mus. exchange; [White] " Tremex Jurine "; [Red] “ HOLOTYPE Afrotremex comatus ♀ H. Goulet, 2013 ”.

Paratype. 1 female. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kivu : Route Kavumu à Kabunga, km 82 (Mingazi) v/ vi.1951 (H. Bomans) (1 F, MRAC) .

Diagnosis. Among species with few pits (<10) usually isolated on anterolateral corner of lateral band ( A. opacus ), adults of A. comatus are distinguished from those of A. opacus by the presence of numerous long setae on medial surface of the pronotum (best seen in lateral view).

Comparative diagnosis. Afrotremex comatus is most similar to A. opacus . It is unique in the following four features: size and number of setae on the median section of pronotum; and color pattern of some cells of the fore wing and on the anal lobe and apex of the hind wing.

Afrotremex comatus is distinguished from A. opacus by the unique attributes mentioned above and the following five features: size and number of setae on dorsal surface of the pronotum; extent of the tinted surface on the apex and the anal lobe of hind wing; extent of the shiny surface on terga 4–7; proportions of the median basin; and length of the pit and its ventral fold on annulus 10 of ovipositor.

Afrotremex comatus shares with A. opacus the following nine features: row of isolated pits in the lower 0.5 of gena; size of the sensory oval on the dorsal surface of flagellomere 2; relative width of the mesoscutal median band at its narrowest; presence of few pits anterolaterally on the lateral band of mesoscutum; absence of sculpticells on the scutoscutellar furrow; extent of pitted sculpticells on tergum 8; extent of pitted sculpticells in and between pits above the lateral longitudinal furrow on tergum 9; extent of pitted sculpticells around and partly within pits on the surface anterior to lateral tooth on tergum 10; and size and shape of the pit on annulus 2 of ovipositor.

Afrotremex comatus is distinguished from A. hyalinatus by the unique attributes mentioned above and the following 13 features: size of the sensory oval on the dorsal side of flagellomere 2; density and size of pits on gena; shape of the setae at their apex and their relative length on clypeus, frons and postocellar area; number and size of setae on the dorsal surface of pronotum; width of the mesoscutal median band at its narrowest; extent of sculpticells on the anterior 0.3 of median and submedian bands; absence of extension of fine pits of the mesoscutal median band posterior submedian band; number of pits on anterolateral corner of the mesoscutal lateral band; distribution of sculpticells on the scutoscutellar furrow; color pattern on the fore and hind wings; number of shiny teeth and size of pits along the anterior margin of axilla; extent of shiny surface on terga 4–8; prominence of the median ridge in median basin of tergum 9; density and size of pits on sterna 2–6; and length and width of pit on annulus 2 of ovipositor.

Afrotremex comatus is distinguished from A. xylophagus by in all unique features mentioned above and the 14 following features: proportion of the pedicel; size of the sensory oval on the dorsal side of flagellomere 2; density and size of pits on gena; shape of setae at their apex and their relative length on clypeus, frons and postocellar area; width of the mesoscutal median band at its narrowest; number and size of setae on the dorsal surface of pronotum; absence of the lateral extension of the fine pits from the median band posterior to submedian band; number of pits on the anterolateral corner of the lateral band of mesoscutum; distribution of microsculpture on the scutoscutellar furrow; sculpture on axilla; color pattern on the fore and hind wings; extent of pitted sculpticells on tergum 6–8; distribution of pitted sculpticells in and around pits on the surface above the lateral longitudinal furrow on tergum 9; distribution of pits and pitted sculpticells on surface anterior to lateral tooth on tergum 10; and size and outline of the pit on annulus 2.

Afrotremex comatus shares with A. xylophagus the following feature: shape of pits with raised posterior edge in a row between the lower eye margin and occiput and sculpture at the bottom of each of these pits.

Afrotremex comatus is distinguished from A. violaceus and A. pallipennis , two similar species, by all unique features mentioned above and the twelve following features: size of the sensory oval on dorsal side of flagellomere 2; distribution and organization of pits in a row between the lower eye margin and the occiput and sculpture at the bottom of these pits; number of long setae on the median area of pronotum; sharpness of the lateral edge of the mesoscutal submedian band and its curvature in basal 0.5; lateral extension of fine pits from the mesoscutal median band posterior to submedian band; number of pits on the anterolateral corner of the mesoscutal lateral band; distribution of microsculpture on the scutoscutellar furrow; color pattern of the fore and hind wings; extent of the shiny surface on terga 5–8; width of the mesoscutal median band at its narrowest; distribution of pitted sculpticells in and around pits above the lateral longitudinal furrow on tergum 9; distribution of pits and pitted sculpticells on the surface anterior to the lateral tooth of tergum 10; extent of teeth along the lateral surface posterior to the laterobasal tooth on tergum 10; and size and outline of the pit on annulus 2 of the ovipositor.

Description of female. COLOR. Fore wing darkly tinted with a purple hue (may be difficult to see) in the following cells (cells codes in Fig. M1): C, R. 1Cu, 1A (except for clear spot in apical 0.1), 1M (spot in basal 0.5), 2Cu (small spot in basal corner), 1R1, Rs+1Rs2 (spot narrow along 1R1, and in apical 025 along cell 3R1, or more widely in cell), 2R1, 3R1, and 3M (spot in apical 03); apical 0.2 of wing lightly but clearly tinted, the remaining cells clear (Fig. K51). Hind wing darkly tinted with a purple hue (may be difficult to see) in the following cells (cells codes in Fig. M1): C, R (spot in basal 0.3), 1Cu1 (spot in basal 0.25), posterobasal spot on 0.5 of anal lobe; the remaining cells clear (Fig. K51). Protrochanter and mesotrochanter ventrally in apical 0.3 black or somewhat paler.

HEAD. Gena with large pits forming a curved row between lowest eye edge to occiput, the pits isolated and bottom of each pit shiny (as in Fig. T1.24); the remaining surface with pits more dense near mandible and scattered above, pits in ventral half 0.2–0.4 times and in dorsal half 0.1–0.2 times as large as lateral ocellus (as in Fig. T1.24). Setae on clypeus, frons and postocellar area truncate or very slightly enlarged apically (about 1.5 times as wide as setal shaft) and on frons 1.5–2.0 times as long as diameter of lateral ocellus (Fig. K14 and as in Fig. T1.24, insert). Pedicel about 0.9 times as long as wide (as in Fig. T1.4). Flagellomere 2 with sensory oval covering less than 0.2 of dorsal surface (as in Fig. T1.4).

THORAX. Pronotum with vertical lateral surface very densely pitted on all or almost all of surface (Fig. T2.2); dorsal surface sculpture around large shiny teeth with very few short ridges and mainly with deep and dense pits, pits with irregularly defined edges (worm-like) of various heights and about 0.1 as large as diameter of lateral ocellus (Fig. T2.3, insert); in lateral view, dorsal surface with numerous long setae (Fig. K45). Mesoscutum with median band generally finely sculptured, widest anteriorly, at its narrowest the band about 0.2 times as wide as diameter of lateral ocellus; surface with pitted sculpticells in anterior 0.1, with pits posterior to microsculpture area, pits small (at most 0.15 times as large as diameter of lateral ocellus), with shiny bottom, and not extended laterally around posterior end of submedian band (Fig. T2.4). Submedian band in anterior 0.1–0.3 without pitted sculpticells within pits; not sharply outlined along lateral edge; lateral edge in anterior 0.5 convergent, and in posterior 0.5 convergent and straight. Lateral band shiny with few pits (<10) usually isolated on anterolateral corner (Fig. K4b). Scutoscutellar furrow without sculpticells or with narrow band (0.2 of surface) of sculpticells on central surface (as in Fig. K3b). Axilla with large scallop-like pits similar to those on submedian band but somewhat smaller, not connected with submedian band along edge anteromedially (at most some wrinkles), and without small pits (similar to those of median band) along anterior margin (Fig. T2.4).

ABDOMEN. Terga 1–3 or 1–4 with deeply pitted sculpticells (surface matt) except for very narrow shiny transverse band along anterior median margin of tergum 2 (maybe covered by tergum 1). Terga 5–7 with shiny (microsculpture meshes absent or very lightly impressed) areas. Tergum 5 shiny in central 0.15 submedially; tergum 6 shiny in central 0.2 submedially; tergum 7 shiny in posterior 0.5 submedially (shiny surface partly fused medially) (Fig. K47); and tergum 8 without shiny surface (Fig. K7). Tergum 9 with median basin bearing about 20 shiny teeth on each side on central portion; each tooth with or without a setae; seta when present posterior to tooth about as long as distance between shiny teeth; longitudinal median ridge outlined but not prominent, suggested posteriorly, or absent, and without a small shiny central spot; maximum length slightly longer than wide (maximum width/ maximum median length: 0.90) (Fig. K49). Tergum 9 in lateral view above longitudinal furrow (in section with setae) without pits instead with numerous crescent-like tubercles, each shiny tubercle anterior to a seta surrounded by pitted sculpticells (as in Fig. T2.5, insert). Tergum 10 in dorsal view widely pitted (Fig. K10); each pit with some pitted sculpticells (surface between pits with pitted sculpticells); pits extending widely to anterior edge (about 0.7–0.8 of median basin posterior edge) (Fig. T4.4); in lateral view surface anterior to lateral tooth with some microsculpture and with many large teeth (Fig. T2.6), and surface anterior to lateral tooth without distinct pits but with pitted sculpticells (Fig. T2.6). Ovipositor with annulus 2 very small (about 0.2 times as long as annulus 2), extended as a very narrow furrow to edge of annulus 1 (Fig. M5, base); annulus 10 with pit sharply outlined ventrally on about along 0.3–0.4 of annulus length; surface anterior to pit outlined by slightly convergent round folds forming a flat area not extended to anterior annulus; annulus without a long sharp ridge immediately ventral to pit (Fig. M5, middle).

Taxonomic notes. Afrotremex comatus has been confused in collections with A. hyalinatus probably because of the wing color pattern.

Origin of specific epithet. From Latin meaning “long hair”, referring to the many long setae on the median area of the pronotum.