Quartinia frontalis, Gess, 2011

Gess, Friedrich W., 2011, The genus Quartinia Ed. Andre, 1884 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Masarinae) in Southern Africa. Part IV. New and little known species with complete venation, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 21, pp. 1-39 : 7-9

Quartinia frontalis sp. n. Figs 19-24

Quartinia sp. E. (Gess, S. K., 1996: 249, flower visiting; Gess and Gess 2003: 66,flower visiting.)

Holotype

♂, SOUTH AFRICA: NORTHERN CAPE: Namaqualand, Springbok, Hester Malan Nature Reserve [Goegap], 10-11.x.1989 (F. W. and S. K. Gess) (visiting fls of Wahlenbergia pilosa Buek., Campanulaceae ) [AMG].

Paratypes.

SOUTH AFRICA: NORTHERN CAPE: Namaqualand, Springbok, Hester Malan Nature Reserve [Goegap], 10-12.x.1988, 1 ♂; same locality, 10-11.x.1989, 5 ♀♀, 1 ♂ (visiting fls of Wahlenbergia pilosa Buek., Campanulaceae ); Goegap (windmill site) (29.37S, 17.59E), 5.x.1994, 1 ♀, 1 ♂ (on yellow fls of Leysera tenella A. DC., Asteraceae ); same locality, 7.x.1994, 1 ♀ (on/in fls of Wahlenbergia namaquana Sond.); Goegap (Kraaiwater site) (29.38S, 18.00E), 30.ix.1997, 2 ♀♀ (1 ♀ visiting pale pink fls of Psilocaulon acutisepalum (Berger) N. E. Br., Aizoaceae : Mesembryanthema ; 1 ♀ visiting dark pink fls of Galenia sarcophylla Fenzl, Aizoaceae : non- Mesembryanthema ); Namaqualand, Voëlklip (29.45S, 17.22E), 2.x.1994, 24 ♀♀ (13 ♀♀ on light violet fls of Wahlenbergia annularis A. DC.; 9 ♀♀ on small pinkish-violet fls of Wahlenbergia namaquana ; 2 ♀♀ on dry sandy ground); same locality, 7.x.1994, 25 ♀♀ (7 ♀♀ on light violet fls of Wahlenbergia annularis ; 17 ♀♀ on small pinkish-violet fls of Wahlenbergia namaquana ; 1 ♀ on violet fls of Wahlenbergia pilosa ); Namaqualand, 25 km N [of] Kamieskroon (30.01S, 17.33E), 17.x.2000, 3 ♀♀ (visiting yellow fls of Leysera tenella ); Namaqualand, Taaiboskraal/Anagas (30.07S, 18.01E), 3.x.1995 (F. W., S. K. and R. W. Gess), 3 ♀♀ (1 ♀ in violet flowers of Wahlenbergia sp.);Namaqualand, Sors Sors/Taaiboskraal (30.08S, 18.01E), 3.x.1995 (F. W., S. K. and R. W. Gess), 1 ♀, 1 ♂ (in violet flowers of Wahlenbergia sp.) - (all F. W. and S. K.Gess, unless otherwise stated) [all AMG]; [Namaqualand], Farm Dassiefontein near Kamieskroon (30.09S, 17.59E), 1.x.1990 (C. Eardley), 1 ♀ [SANC]; [Namaqualand], Farm Arkoep, 6 km N [of] Kamieskroon (30.19S, 17.56E), 1-2.x.1990 (C. Eardley), 15 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂ [SANC].

Diagnosis.

Medium to large (4.4-5.5 mm). Fore wing with Cu1a and 2 m-cu complete and as thick as other veins. Both sexes with thorax and gaster subshiny with coarse punctures; scutellum only gently convex medially. Female with scutellum black and lamella pale. Male with mandible white and tip ferruginous; labrum and clypeus wholly white; antennal club black dorsally, white ventrally; frons with white marking expanded laterally into (but not filling) ocular sinus; scutellum with a pair of pale streaks laterally and pale lamella; sternum VII subglabrous and apically with fringe of fine setae.

Description.

Female ( Figs 19, 21, 23 ): Black. The following are yellowish-white: underside of antenna; pair of streaks (usually joined medially) on pronotal dorsum and minute spot at postero-dorsal angle of same; humeral spot (in minority of specimens); tegula anteriorly and posteriorly; scutellar lamella laterally; posterior bands (not reaching sides and progressively reduced) on terga I - V; apex of femur, most of tibia, all but last tarsomere of all legs. The following are ferruginous: mandible (except base); upper side of antenna; tegula medially; terga I - V narrowly laterally and posteriorly; sterna narrowly posteriorly; last tarsomere. Wings lightly browned; veins brown.

Length 5.4-5.5 mm (average of 3: 5.4 mm); length of fore wing 3.3-3.4 mm (average of 3: 3.4 mm); hamuli 4-5.

Head in front view 1.3 × as wide as long; with moderately coarse sub-confluent punctures and microreticulate interstices. POL: OOL = 1: 0.85. Clypeus 1.5 × as wide as long (to bottom of emargination); convex, markedly raised laterally and distally, falling steeply to anterior margin; anterior margin very shallowly and widely emarginate; antero-lateral angles rounded.

Mesosoma subshiny with coarse punctures separated by less than their diameter (on the pronotum) or by their diameter or more (on the centre of the mesoscutum and on the scutellum); interstices very finely microreticulate (shagreened). Tegula with inner posterior corner markedly inwardly produced. Fore wing with Cu1a and 2 m-cu complete and as thick as other veins. Scutellum medially evenly and gently convex.

Gaster with first and second terga with coarse sub-confluent punctures and shagreened interstices; terga III - VI with puncturation progressively less coarse and closer.

Male ( Figs 20, 22, 24 ): Black. The following are yellowish white: mandible (except tip); labrum; clypeus; large marking on frons with its base immediately above clypeus and dorsally expanded laterally into (but not filling) ocular sinus; scape, pedicel and proximal flagellomeres; broad band across anterior margin of pronotum (carried down to humeral angle) and small spot on postero-dorsal angle of same; a minute to small streakat top of mesopleuron; tegula anteriorly and posteriorly; a pair of lateral spots on scutellum; scutellar lamella laterally; posterior bands (not reaching sides and progressively reduced) on terga I - VI; diffuse area on tergum VII; apex of femur, most of tibia, proximal four tarsomeres of all legs. The following are ferruginous: mandibular tip; antennal club (dark above, light below); lateral margins of terga and posterior bands laterally; irregular narrow band between yellowish-white posterior band and basal black area on terga I - VI; irregular non yellowish-white areas on tergum VII; all sterna; last tarsomere of all legs. Wings very lightly browned; veins brown.

Length 4.4-4.6 mm (average of 3: 4.5 mm); length of fore wing 2.80-2.84 mm (average of 3: 2.8 mm); hamuli 4-5.

Head in front view 1.5 × as wide as long; POL: OOL = 1: 0.9. Clypeus 1.67 × as wide as long (to bottom of emargination), convex, markedly raised laterally and distally, falling steeply to anterior margin; anterior margin very shallowly and widely emarginate; antero-lateral angles rounded. Puncturation of head, mesosoma and gaster similar to that of female.

Gaster with tergum VII with a short median V-shaped slit; lobes flanking slit rounded. Sterna atuberculate; sternum VII subglabrous with only a few scattered, fine setae and apically with fringe of closer fine setae.

Etymology.

The name Quartinia frontalis serves to draw attention to the frons which in the male has a characteristic white marking expanded laterally into (but not filling) the ocular sinus.

Geographic distribution.

Known from the north-western Northern Cape (Namaqualand; winter rainfall region) of South Africa, the collecting localities being sited in the Namaqualand BrokenVeld and the Mountain Renosterbosveld of Acocks (1953).

Floral associations.

Principally Campanulaceae ( Wahlenbergia ); to a lesser extent Asteraceae ( Leysera ) and Aizoaceae ( Galenia and Psilocaulon ).

Nesting.

Unknown.

Discussion.

Sympatric with the generally similar looking Quartinia scutellaris , Quartinia setositerminalis and Quartinia vagepunctata .

Figures

Figures 19 - 24. Quartinia frontalis 19 ♀, lateral view (x 10) 20 ♂, lateral view (x 12) 21 ♀, dorsal view (x 10) 22 ♂, dorsal view (x 12) 23 ♀, head, front view (x 15) 24 ♂, head, front view (x 17).