Leptomenes angustus ( Gusenleitner, 1992 ) Selis, 2023

Selis, Marco, 2023, Taxonomy of the Afrotropical genus Leptomenes Giordani Soika, with description of a new species from South Africa (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae), Zootaxa 5228 (5), pp. 584-594 : 590

Leptomenes angustus ( Gusenleitner, 1992) comb. nov.

( Fig. 4 )

Malgachemenes angustus Gusenleitner 1992: 91 , 92, figs. 1–2, ♀ —“ Madagascar: Ankarafantsika (Forest Reserve) near Marovoay ” (CAS)

Material examined. Holotype of Malgachemenes angustus : “ MADAGASCAR: / Ankarafantsika / (Forest Reserve) / near Marovoay / XII-1-1959 // E. S. Ross / Collector // Malgachemenes ♀ / angustus nov.sp. / J. Guselneitner,det.1994 // Holotypus // California Academy / of Sciences / Type No. 16821” ( CAS).

Distribution. Madagascar: Mahajanga ( Gusenleitner 1992)

Notes. Gusenleitner (1992) described the Malagasy endemic genus Malgachemenes , comparing it with the Neotropical genus Montezumia de Saussure, 1852 , providing as diagnostic characters the absence of an epicnemial carina and shape of the tegula. Examination of the holotype of Malgachemenes angustus ( Fig. 4 ), the only species described in the genus, clearly shows that this taxon has little in common with Montezumia , except a vague superficial similarity in habitus. The following diagnostic characters observed in this Malagasy endemic more closely match the genus Leptomenes : clypeus matte, metanotum oblique and not carinate, submarginal carina of propodeum fused to propodeal valvula, T1 subtriangular in dorsal view and not carinate, T2 without apical lamella, second submarginal cell basally acute. It should be noted that the submarginal carina of the propodeum is not developed to form a subtriangular projection as in other species of the genus, but this character is subject to interspecific variability in related genera (e.g. Antepipona de Saussure , Stenodynerus de Saussure ), therefore the same degree of variability is expected to be found in Leptomenes too. Malgachemenes angustus is moved to Leptomenes , with the genus Malgachemenes being a junior synonym of the latter.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Leptomenes angustus (Gusenleitner, 1992), female holotype. A, habitus in lateral view. B, habitus in dorsal view. C, head in frontal view. D, labels. Credits: Denise Montelongo, California Academy of Sciences 2022.