Quartinia luteomandibulata Gess

Gess, Friedrich W., 2012, The genus Quartinia Ed. Andre, 1884 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Masarinae) in Southern Africa. Part VI. New and little known species both with complete and incomplete venation, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 24, pp. 95-115 : 102-105

Quartinia luteomandibulata Gess Figs 19-21

Quartinia luteomandibulata Gess, 2011a: 12, figs 25 - 27, ♀. Holotype ♀, South Africa: Western Cape: Lamberts Bay (AMG).

Diagnosis.

- Large (4.7 - 5.6 mm). Fore wing with Cu1a and 2 m-cu complete and as thick as other veins. Tegula with posterior inner corner inwardly produced. Female with mandible at least in part pale yellow, contrasting strikingly with totally black clypeus. Male with mandible, labrum, clypeus, large dorsally widened supra-clypeal marking (in some specimens extended laterally to fuse with streak at bottom of ocular sinus), para-ocular streak, yellow.

Description.

Male (hitherto undescribed) ( Figs 19, 20, 21 ): Black. The following are pale yellow: mandible (except ferruginous apex); scape, pedicel, underside of proximal flagellomeres; labrum; clypeus (except beneath antennal socket); large dorsally widened supra-clypeal marking on lower half of frons (this marking in some specimens widened and extended laterally to fuse with streak at bottom of ocular sinus, in which case entire ocular sinus is filled; in a few specimens an intermediate condition is present in which one or more spots of variable size are present between the dorso-lateral corners of the supra-clypeal mark and the streak at the bottom of the ocular sinus); narrow paraocular streak (in specimens with unexpanded supra-clypeal marking confined to lower orbit; in specimens with supra-clypeal marking extended into ocular sinus narrowly fused with infilling of sinus, leaving a narrow outwardly curved black streak above antennal socket); streak (in some specimens effaced) of variable length on temple behind top of eye; pair of wedge-shaped markings (meeting or very narrowly separated medially) on anterior margin of pronotum and extreme postero-dorsal angle of same; large mark on humeral angle (in some specimens fused with marking on anterior margin); mark of variable extent (large or broken up into a number of small spots or totally effaced) on mesopleuron; tegula (except for ferruginous median area); spot basally on each side of scutellum (in a minority of specimens only); scutellar lamella (interrupted posteriorly); marking on propodeal angle (varying from most of dorsal and lateral surfaces to small spot on dorsum to total effacement); posterior bands not or almost reaching sides on terga I, II, III, IV,V or VI (depending on degree of melanism); band on tergum I widest, those on subsequent terga progressively narrower but all bands (particularly if well developed) medially and laterally anteriorly produced; streak on apical half of femur, most of tibia and in some specimens most of tarsomeres of legs. Light ferrug inous are: apex of mandible; antennal club (dorsally a little darker); tarsomeres (if not pale yellow). Darker ferruginous are: median area of tegula; parameres; claws. Wings very lightly browned, almost hyaline; veins brown.

Length 4.7 - 5.3 mm (average of 3: 5.1 mm); length of fore wing 3.2 mm (average of 3); hamuli 6.

Head in front view 1.4 × as wide as long; POL: OOL = 1: 0.6. Clypeus 1.6 × as wide as long; anterior margin widely and shallowly emarginate; antero-lateral corners obtusely rounded.

Punctation similar to that of female but microreticulation (shagreening) of mesosoma less obvious and integument consequently somewhat more shiny.

Tergum VII with disk slightly depressed medially; apical margin with a median V-shaped slit; lobes flanking slit wide, smoothly rounded. Sterna atuberculate.

Melanistic females. In comparison with some females of the type series from further north along the west coast and in particular with sympatric females from Koeberg, several females from this latter locality exhibit some degree of melanism affecting the pale yellow markings of the head and mesosoma. Thus the markings on the lower half of the frons and in the ocular sinus may be greatly reduced or even totally effaced. Also, the streak on the temple may be greatly reduced or totally absent (though it may be absent also in specimens with well developed markings on the frons). The spot basally on each side of the scutellum may be reduced or effaced (as in the paratype from Lamberts Bay) and the marking on the propodeal angle may be reduced (as in the paratype from Lamberts Bay) or may be effaced. All these specimens, however, exhibit the characteristic pale yellow (at least in part) mandible contrasting strikingly with the totally black clypeus, the large pale yellow marking on the humeral angle, and the pale yellow apex of the femur and most of the tibia of all legs.

Additional material examined.

SOUTH AFRICA: WESTERN CAPE: Koeberg Nature Reserve (33.38S, 18.24E), 9.x.2010, 4 ♂♂ (on sand beneath Trachyandra sp., Asphodelaceae ); same locality, 17.x.2010, 9 ♀♀, 12 ♂♂; same locality, 24.x.2010, 7 ♀♀, 19 ♂♂ (1 ♂ visiting white flowers of Apiaceae ); same locality, 30.x.2010, 10 ♀♀, 6 ♂♂ (1 ♀ visiting flowers of large white mesem, Aizoaceae : Mesembryanthema; all other specimens on ground) - (all D. W., G. T. and G. M. Gess); same locality, 29.x.2010, 3 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂ (1 ♂ visiting flowers of purple Senecio cf. arenarius Thunb., Asteraceae ; other specimens on ground); same locality, 30.x.2010, 4 ♀♀, 4 ♂♂ (1 ♀, 3 ♂♂ visiting white flowers of Capnophyllum africanum (L.) W. D. J. Koch, Apiaceae ; other specimens on ground) - (all F. W. and S. K. Gess) [all AMG].

Extended geographic distribution.

The present material from the Koeberg Nature Reserve (33.38S, 18.24E) establishes a southward extension of the hitherto known distribution of Quartinia luteomandibulata . Previously the species was known from the Koingnaas Mines (30.10S, 17.14E) in the Northern Cape and from Lamberts Bay (32.05S, 18.19E) in the Western Cape. All three localities are in the Strandveld of the West Coast of Acocks (1953).

Augmented floral associations.

To the previously recorded Aizoaceae : Mesembryanthema ( Conicosia sp.) ( Gess 2011a: 12) may be added: Aizoaceae : Mesembryan thema (large white mesem); Asteraceae ( Senecio cf. arenarius Thunb.); Apiaceae ( Capnophyllum africanum (L.) W. D. J. Koch).

Nesting.

Unknown.

Figures

Figures 19 - 21. Quartinia luteomandibulata 19 ♂, lateral view (x 9) 20 ♂, dorsal view (x 9) 21 ♂, head, front view (x 22).