Zanysson gemmatus, Ohl, Michael, Krause, Stefanie & -, D, 2007

Ohl, Michael, Krause, Stefanie & -, D, 2007, A remarkable new species of the digger wasp genus Zanysson Rohwer 1921 from Colombia (Hymenoptera: Apoidea, Crabronidae), Zootaxa 1442, pp. 43-54 : 45-53

Zanysson gemmatus sp. nov.

Etymology.

Gemmatus derives from the Latin word ‘ gemma ’, meaning ‘jewel’ or ‘precious stone’ ( Brown 1956). The name refers to the striking, shining appearance of the new species due to patches of dense, bright silvery and golden pilosity, which distinguishes it from all other species of Zanysson .

Diagnosis.

As in other Zanysson , the scutellum of Z. gemmatus is furnished with a median furrow, a pair of scutellar foveae, and with keeled lateral margins. However, both sexes of Z. gemmatus are unique in Zanysson in having the scutellum tumid and laterally strongly dilated, the sides projecting and being broadly raised ( Fig. 11 ). All other species of Zanysson have a more consolidated scutellum, the disk being more or less plane and the sides not projecting ( Fig. 12 ).

Zanysson gemmatus can also be recognized by the distinctive color pattern of the legs: generally, the legs of this species have a bright, orange to reddish brown, color. The femora are additionally characterized by blackish parts, which cover nearly the entire forefemur, and which are smaller on the ventral and posterior side of the midfemur. The ventral half of the hindfemur is broadly black. This combination is accompanied by a unique pattern of bright silvery pilosity, which is very dense on the ventral side of the fore and midfemur, and on the anteroventral side of the hindfemur, more or less forming stripes. As far as known, no other species of Zanysson has this color and pilosity pattern.

Description of female ( Figs. 1, 2 , 5, 6 , 8, 9 , 11 ).

Measurements. (based on two specimens; if structures are paired, measurements were taken on both sides) Total body length (without appendages) 9.7 and 11.6 mm; maximum head width (in frontal view) 2.44 and 2.96 mm; interocular ratio 1.76 and 1.73; ocellocular ratio 1.60 and 1.65; scape 1.31–1.57 × as long as wide; pedicel 0.84–0.97 × as long as wide; flagellomere I 0.51–0.79 × as long as flagellomere II; scutal width 2.22 and 2.47 mm; forewing length 7.00– 7.60 mm; hindwing length 5.88–6.20 mm; metasoma at most 1.33 × and 1.36 × as wide as mesoscutum.

Coloration. Black. Scapal tip narrowly and base of flagellomere I broadly orange to reddish brown; tip of flagellomere X slightly dark brown. Free margin of clypeus medially reddish brown to dark red; labrum yellowish to reddish brown; base of mandible broadly yellowish brown to light reddish brown, middle red, becoming blackish apically, mandibular apex broadly golden in one specimen. Pronotal lobe with small brown mark anteroventrally, posteriorly obscured by pilosity. Lateral portion of scutal lobe dark orange to reddish brown. Apex of propodeal prong transparent, pale yellow. Tegula and axillary sclerites orange to reddish brown, humeral plate partly blackish; wings infumate with brown; forewing somewhat darker as follows: median cell apically, in costal cell, in stigma, in upper half of marginal cell, and at apical margin; hindwing slightly darker in apical portion of costal cell; veins brownish, dark brown in forewing. Legs generally orange to reddish brown; coxae black, apically orange to reddish brown; trochanters, especially foretrochanter, to great extent dark brown to blackish; forefemur nearly completely and midfemur on ventral side blackish, ventral half of hindfemur broadly black, midfemur dark brown to blackish posteriorly; tibiae, especially hindtibia, tinged with dark brown posteriorly; mid- and hindtibial spurs very dark brown; apical tarsomeres darker than basal tarsomeres; claws light reddish brown basally, nearly red apically. Laterotergite of tergum I bright orange to reddish brown or red; broad bands of intense yellow on terga I–V, band on tergum I medially with broad and shallow depression, bands on terga II–IV slightly dilated laterally with cuneiform notch medially, when interrupted medially on terga II–IV, then narrowly so, band on tergum V somewhat blurred with orange to reddish brown; apical margins of sterna I–V somewhat orange to reddish brown; metasomal segment VI nearly completely light orange to reddish brown, base of sternum VI and carinae delimiting pygidial plate darker.

Pilosity. The following covered with dense, bright golden pilosity: pronotal collar, narrow area along fused admedian lines, extreme anterior and anterolateral margin of mesoscutum, transverse band on scutellar foveae, posterolateral mesoscutellar inflection, mesopleural side anteriorly with dense patch broadly stretching over upper half of omaulus and posteriorly with broad band reaching to basalar area and covering scrobal projection, metanotum except on metanotal lobes, propodeal dorsum anterolaterally, propodeal prong dorsally except apex, propodeal side with nearly triangular patch basally. The following covered with dense, bright silvery pilosity: thoracic venter (medially somewhat golden), coxae (finer on forecoxa), trochanters less densely so, longitudinal dense patch ventrally on fore and midfemur, and anteroventrally on hindfemur, fine but dense on remaining portions of mesopleuron. Pale setae abundant on entire head, quite long and dense on clypeus; gena shaggy with long, dense, light golden to whitish silvery setae; base of mandible covered with patch of hyaline to whitish pilosity; dense golden pilosity on clypeus, subantennal sclerite, and frons (not reaching ocelli); compound eye with some scattered, minute, pale setae; antenna covered with minute, fine, white setae except along bare longitudinal band. Pale setae abundant on thorax apart from pronotal side, metapleuron, and nearly entire propodeum; setae hyaline and longer on thoracic venter, yellowish and shorter on mesoscutum; pronotal lobe with very light golden to whitish silvery pilosity; mesoscutum with faint longitudinal band of dull golden tomentum on each side, otherwise with brownish tomentum; fine and light silvery to whitish tomentum sparsely on metapleuron and propodeal side. Legs otherwise sparsely clothed with fine, whitish tomentum; sturdy bristles abundant on tibiae and tarsi; some stronger setae on hindtibia more or less arranged in three longitudinal rows along each side and between the aligned tibial teeth. Fringes of dense, dark golden pilosity on apical margins of terga I–V; two ill-defined golden patches anterolaterally on tergum I; terga I–V otherwise sparsely covered with short brownish tomentum and some short, scattered setae; metasomal venter covered with fine, light silvery to whitish tomentum and long, hyaline setae; sterna II–V with irregular fringes, dark golden laterally and whitish medially; metasomal segment VI with inconspicuous pale pilosity and abundant long, yellowish setae, lateral margin of tergum VI somewhat coarsely fringed.

Structure. Head. Punctation dense (mostly less than half a diameter apart) and coarse except on clypeus, subantennal sclerite, and area around antennal socket, punctures somewhat larger and less dense on gena; superimposed with fine, dense punctures, which are best observable on gena; area above antennal socket with some fine rugulae. Occipital carina well-developed, ending in stout tooth in gular region of each side and meeting hypostomal carina; temporal carina absent. Mandible simple, neither notched nor dentate, with tiny lamellar lobe externoventrally at base; mandibular apex extending well beyond clypeal midline. Visible part of labrum about 3 × and 3.5 × as broad as long. Clypeus slightly convex; free margin medially strongly concave, somewhat depressed along concave rim and apically somewhat bulging. Frontal carina on lower frons forming a prominent crest, originating between upper half of antennal sockets and forming a thin, sharp projection, upper end merging in a bulge, with two poorly defined transverse branches above. Ocelli almost on summit of vertex, hindocellus on upper ocular line; inner margin of hindocellus tumid anteriorly, groove between hindocelli not sharp. Scape about 1.5 × as long as wide; pedicel nearly globular, much shorter than scape; flagellomere I about 0.5 × as long as flagellomere II, slightly narrowing towards base; flagellomeres II– IX becoming slightly shorter; flagellomere X long, conical, slightly curved, apex bluntly rounded.

Structure. Prothorax. Punctation mostly coarse and rather sparse (punctures distinctly more widely separated than on frons and vertex); lower side of pronotum rugose. Anterior pronotal portion steeply declining, so that only pronotal collar visible in dorsal view. Anterior carina of pronotal collar blunt, medially sinuate and meeting posterior margin of pronotum; humeral angle rounded and flattened; transverse sulcus shallow. Pronotal lobe deeply depressed anterodorsally.

Structure. Mesothorax. Punctation mostly coarse and dense, punctures larger than on frons and vertex, particularly large on mesopleural side, more widely separated on mesoscutum; scutellum coarsely rugosereticulate; fine punctation superimposed, best observable on mesoscutum. Mesoscutum relatively flat; admedian lines fused medially at anterior margin of mesoscutum, extending for anterior three-fourths of scutal length; parapsidal lines absent; lateral margin of mesoscutum simple, somewhat elevated and overhanging tegula, posteriorly forming large lamellar lobe, which is rounded, raised and directed posterad, overlapping margin of scutellum anterolaterally and bearing short oblique scutal carina, which delimits declivous posterolateral portion of lobe. Scutellum sloping posterad; apart from posterolateral mesoscutellar inflection not overlapping metanotum; scutellar foveae deep; median longitudinal furrow ill-defined, basally evanescent; scutal disk tumid and strongly dilated laterally, side projecting and broadly raised; lateral margin with welldeveloped carina, which forms low lamella, not angled posteriorly; posterolateral edge of scutellum rounded. Mesopleuron somewhat arched lateroventrally; subomaulus and acetabular carina well-defined; omaulus ventrally sharp but becoming indistinct on upper half of mesopleural side; signum represented by markedly short longitudinal carina; precoxal sulcus partly delimited by precoxal carina; verticaulus diverging from precoxal carina, crossing precoxal sulcus, directed towards scrobe, reaching level of mesopleural pit; scrobal projection markedly prominent, flattened, rounded apically, tip ending posteriorly in two carinae, which run towards mesopleural suture and delimit a more or less triangular, smooth area with some fine longitudinal carinulae, upper carina prolonged by metapleural flange, lower carina pointing at scrobe; scrobe deep, close to mesopleural suture; subalar fossa deep; basalar area margined below by well-defined mesopleural flange; basalar lobe small.

Structure. Metathorax. Metanotum somewhat rugose; metapleuron with very fine punctation, nearly smooth, shiny. Metanotal lobe elevated, lobes separated by poorly defined groove, broad, rounded and bluntly angled posteriorly, lateral margins lamelliform and raised, so that both lobes broadly V-shaped. Metapleural flange prominent, not continuous with mesopleural flange, prolonged towards propodeal spiracle; dorsal metepimeral area with three to four well-developed rugulae parallel to metapleural flange, ending shortly before mesopleural suture, crossing upper metapleural-propodeal suture and prolonged to propodeal spiracle, lowest rugula delimiting upper metapleural pit dorsally; upper metapleural-propodeal suture slightly carinate; transmetapleural sulcus broad, shallow; lower metapleural area and propodeal side not distinctly separated (lower metapleural-propodeal suture indicated by shallow groove); lower metapleural pit small, inconspicuous, accompanied by even smaller pit, both obscured by pilosity.

Structure. Wings. Forewing with cells extending into apical quarter of wing length; stigma narrow, much smaller than submarginal cell II and shorter than scape; apex of marginal cell tapering and slightly rounded, adjacent to wing margin; apical vein of submarginal cell I straight and not appendiculate, stigma approximately at half length of submarginal cell I; submarginal cell II with petiole nearly or as long as its maximum height and receiving both recurrent veins, first near base, second approximately at middle; apex of submarginal cell III ending slightly before apex of marginal cell, their common veinlet short; apical vein of discoidal cell II somewhat convex; media diverging before cubito-anal crossvein. Hindwing with hamuli grouped in coherent row; median cell and submedian cell complete; median cell apically with two well-developed appendices; second and third anal vein absent; jugal lobe somewhat larger in outline than tegula but distinctly shorter than first half of submedian cell, jugal excision deep.

Structure. Legs. Legs, particularly hindleg, relatively stout. Coxae of hind and foreleg almost contiguous. Front of midcoxa with deep and slightly curved groove, which separates basal portion from short, rounded apical one. Forefemur somewhat flattened, broadly convex ventrally. Hindfemur broadly depressed along ventral side; apex of hindfemur anteroventrally with conspicuous, nearly oval, spoon-shaped projection, which is directed slightly diagonally downwards. Apex of mid and hindtibia on inner side with two spurs each, inner hindtibial spur about twice as long as other. Hindtibia on outer side with single row of eight to ten slender teeth extending for basal three-quarters of its length, first tooth flattened and squamiform, some of the remaining teeth double-peaked or deformed. Foreleg with antennal cleaner composed of curved tibial spur, which has its inner margin bladelike and ending in short row of fine setae, and broadly concave notch at base of basitarsus, which bears row of dense and stout, short setae; forebasitarsus with row of fine and interspersed strong setae running between notch and apex; foretarsal rake on posterior side of basitarsus weakly developed and consisting of five to six setae. Tuft of cleaning brush in slight depression basally on inner side of hindbasitarsus, shortly prolonged by low row of dense, fine setae, complemented by larger tibial spur, which bears row of shorter, stiff setae along opposing side. Plantulae small.

Structure. Propodeum. Ventral face of propodeal prong coarsely punctate to reticulate, propodeum otherwise smooth. Propodeal dorsum rounded and slightly declining posteriorly; dorsal enclosure nearly trapeziform, areolate with longitudinal and transverse carinulae, some larger carinae more or less distinctly forming two longitudinal cells medially, which are subdivided posteriorly and flanked by two to three larger carinae laterally; posterolaterally with stout prong, wide at base, nearly straight. Posterior face of propodeum steeply declivous; with enclosure consisting of three elongate, U-shaped cells, middle cell about 0.5 × as long as adjacent cells, which reach propodeal-metasomal articulation and are deeply depressed there. Propodeal side without spiracular groove; spiracle forming long slit, opening directed posterad; posteroventral edge of propodeal side produced as bluntly angular lobe with broad oval depression medially; prominent, deep, oval pit at base of propodeal prong and above depression, opposed by markedly prominent pit on posterior face of propodeum.

Structure. Metasoma. Punctures mostly well-defined and well-separated, most dense and conspicuous on terga I and II, somewhat smaller on tergum II, less conspicuous on following terga, punctation on sterna more sparse than on terga, most conspicuous on sternum II; dense, fine punctation superimposed on terga I–V and sterna II–V; segment VI finely punctatorugose, somewhat coarser on pygidial plate, with some moderately large pits except on pygidial plate. Metasoma stout, maximum width at segment II. Apical margins of terga I–V thickened, fringes bent. Apical margins of sterna II–V simple, fringes not markedly bent. Apical margin of tergum I constricted in dorsal view; upper margin of triangular laterotergite of tergum I with stout carina, shorter carina anteroventrally. Pygidial plate apically and laterally margined by sharp carinae; lateral margins nearly parallel, apex bluntly rounded. Sternum I with two markedly large ridges originating basomedially and diverging apically, with short carina apically on each side. Sternum II strongly angular projecting anteroventrally. Sternum VI with fine carina running medially along its length (ill-defined basally); small carina laterally beneath upper margin, not reaching apex.

Description of male ( Figs. 3, 4 , 7 , 10 , 13 ).

As the female, except for the following:

Measurements. Total body length (without appendages) 10.7–11.8 mm; maximum head width (in frontal view) 2.88–3.12 mm; interocular ratio 1.64–1.85; ocellocular ratio 1.31–1.75; scape 1.84–2.42 × as long as wide; pedicel 0.96–1.19 × as long as wide; flagellomere I 0.71–0.94 × as long as flagellomere II; scutal width 2.25–2.53 mm; forewing length 7.56–8.56 mm; hindwing length 6.16–6.60 mm; metasoma at most 1.33– 1.41 × as wide as mesoscutum.

Coloration. Flagellomeres II–X each with irregular, orange to reddish brown macula, maculae becoming very dark and small towards antennal apex; flagellomere XI with light brownish or more often dark reddish brown macula of varying size laterally along concave side. Lateral portion of scutal lobe dark reddish brown or dark red. Metasomal coloration somewhat varying: broad bands of intensive yellow on terga I–VI, band on tergum I continuous and broadly depressed medially, narrowly interrupted medially in some specimens, bands on terga II–IV notched and more or less well-interrupted medially, band on tergum IV can be very narrow, bands on terga V–VI continuous or obscure and blurred with orange to reddish brown, in all but one specimen tergum VI entirely yellow and/or orange to reddish brown; tergum VII bright orange to reddish brown or red, median tooth (at least basally) and carinae laterally blackish, side of tergum VII yellowish in two specimens. Entire sternum VI rich orange to reddish brown. One specimen with tergum VII and sternum VI very dark reddish brown to blackish.

Pilosity. The following completely covered by bright silvery pilosity: subantennal sclerite, frons (pilosity can become light golden on upper frons), not reaching ocelli. Clypeus completely covered by markedly dense, bright silvery pilosity in most specimens. Covered with light golden to silvery pilosity: posterolateral mesoscutellar inflection, metanotum except lobes, propodeal dorsum anterolaterally, dorsum of propodeal prong densely except apically. Clypeus with a few, not particularly long setae. Thoracic venter completely covered with silvery pilosity (insignificantly tinged with yellowish medially in one specimen). Fringes of dense, dark golden pilosity on terga I–VI; two ill-defined golden patches anterolaterally on tergum I; terga I–VI otherwise with short, sparse, brownish tomentum and some short setae that become somewhat longer and denser on last terga; sternum VI and tergum VII irregularly but densely covered with pale yellowish setae (some setae long).

Structure. Head. Coarse punctures dense on entire gena. Clypeus flat. Visible part of labrum about 2.3 × to 3.5 × as broad as long. Scape about 2 × to 2.5 × as long as wide; flagellomere I at least about 0.75 × as long as flagellomere II; flagellomere IV about as long as flagellomere III or slightly longer; flagellomeres IV–X each with slight, small depression in orange to reddish brown area, indistinct on more basal flagellomeres; entire flagellomere XI distinctly curved, apex broadly truncate, with smooth and slight longitudinal groove on concave side.

Structure. Prothorax. Humeral angle blunt, rounded, less flattened and obviously projecting in five specimens.

Structure. Metathorax. Metanotal lobe bluntly angled posteriorly or completely rounded. Dorsal metepimeral area with two to four distinct rugulae parallel to metapleural flange.

Structure. Wings. Petiole of submarginal cell II about as long as its maximum height or longer, receiving first recurrent vein near or at its base.

Structure. Legs. Hindtibia with seven to eleven teeth. Foretarsal rake composed of five to seven setae.

Structure. Metasoma. Fine punctation superimposed on terga I–VI and sterna II–VI; pygidial plate somewhat coarsely punctatorugose basally and finer apically; shallow and irregularly formed punctures on side of tergum VII (somewhat rugose). Apical margins of terga I–VI thickened, fringes bent. Tergum VII with five teeth posteriorly in most specimens, inner pair longest, single median tooth distinctly shorter; pygidial plate broad, flat and sloping posteriorly, laterally delimited by lamelliform carina, prolonged by short outer tooth (one specimen with two outer teeth in series on one side, another with poorly developed outer tooth on one side); side of tergum VII elongate triangular, posteriorly prolonged by one of inner teeth, ventrally delimited by well-developed carina. Sternum VI simple, crescent-shaped, complementing terga VI and VII.

Material examined.

Holotype. Female. COLOMBIA: 15 km N Bahía Solano, Pacific Coast; 24 Feb–04 Mar 1995, leg. T. Osten ( SMNS).

Paratypes. 1 female, 9 males. Same data as holotype. SMNS; some paratypes will be deposited in CAS, OHL, UCD, and MNHU.

Other material. The newly collected specimens from Colombia were compared with all original descriptions of the species currently assigned to Zanysson , and subsequent literature was considered. Additionally, we have examined the following specimens of Zanysson :

Zanysson argentinus (2 females; MNHU), changuina (1 male; holotype; CUIC), dives (1 female; OHL), foveiscutis (1 female; holotype; MNHU), gayi (6 females; MNHU), luteipennis (1 female; holotype; MNHU), plesius (3 females; OHL), texanus (2 females, 1 male; OHL), texanus fuscipes (2 males; OHL), varipilosellus (1 female; OHL).

Figures

FIGURES 11 - 13. 11. Zanysson gemmatus sp. nov., female (holotype). Metanotum and scutellum in posterior view. 12. Zanysson argentinus, female. Metanotum and scutellum in posterior view. 13. Zanysson gemmatus sp. nov., male (paratype). Dorsal and posterior face of propodeum.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Zanysson gemmatus sp. nov., female (holotype) and male (paratype). 1. Body in lateral view, female. 2. Head and thorax in lateral view, female. 3. Head and thorax in posterolateral view, male. 4. Head and thorax in oblique dorsolateral view, male.

FIGURES 5 – 7. Zanysson gemmatus sp. nov., female (holotype) and male (paratype). 5. Body in dorsal view, female. 6. Head in frontal view, female. 7. Head in frontal view, male.

FIGURES 8 – 10. Zanysson gemmatus sp. nov., female (holotype) and male (paratype). 8. Head and thorax in dorsal view, female. 9. Abdomen in posterodorsal view, female. 10. Abdomen in posterodorsal view, male.