Okinawepipona nigra Nguyen & Xu

Nguyen, Lien Thi Phuong & Xu, Zaifu, 2014, Two new species of the genus Okinawepipona Yamane (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from Vietnam and China, Zootaxa 3795 (1) : -

Okinawepipona nigra Nguyen & Xu , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–7 , 13 )

Material examined. Holotype, ♀, pinned (deposited in IEBR), “ VIETNAM, Pi Oac Natural Reserve, Thanh Cong, Nguyen Binh, Cao Bang (22°32'N, 105°52'E), alt. 900 m, 7.VIII.2012, L.T.P. Nguyen et al. Paratypes: VIETNAM: Lang Son: 1 ♀ ( IEBR), Bac Son, 1.VII.2003, X.L. Truong; CHINA: 1 ♀, Guangdong, Chebaling National Nature Reserve (24°43´N, 114°14´E), 22–28.VII.2008, Zaifu Xu, No. 201300315 ( SCAU).

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from other species of genus Okinawepipona by following combination of characters: clypeus in lateral view weakly convex dorsally at basal half, then straight to margin; propodeum with posterior surface shiny, almost smooth lateral side and with oblique striae along median carina; mesosoma and metasoma black except small faint ferruginous-yellow spots along pronotal carina in dorsal part of pronotum, and narrow yellow band at apical margin of metasomal tergum I.

Description. Female. Body length 10–12.5 mm (holotype: 12 mm); fore wing length 9.5–12 mm (holotype: 12 mm). Head in frontal view subcircular, about as wide as high ( Fig. 1 ). Vertex with cephalic foveae small, bearing dense pubescence, situated close to each other with distance between foveae about half distance between posterior ocelli; depression for cephalic foveae conspicuous ( Fig. 3 ). Distance from posterior ocelli to apical margin of vertex more than 1.8 × distance from posterior ocelli to inner eye margin ( Fig. 3 ). Gena much narrower than eye, in lateral view about 0.7 × as wide as eye. Occipital carina complete, present along entire length of gena, but dorsally somewhat weak. Inner eye margins strongly convergent ventrally; in frontal view about 1.2 × further apart from each other at vertex than at clypeus. Clypeus in lateral view weakly convex at basal half, then straight to apical margin; in frontal view about as wide as high ( Fig. 1 ), with basal margin slightly convex medially and distinctly separated from antennal sockets; apical margin shallowly emarginate medially, forming blunt tooth on each lateral side ( Fig. 2 ); width of emargination slightly less than 1/3 width of clypeus between inner eye margins. Mandible with prominent teeth, second and third teeth with inner side produced with round margin, fourth tooth pointed apically ( Fig. 2 ). Antennal scape about 3.8 × as long as its maximum width; flagellomere I about 1.8 × as long as wide, flagellomeres II–IV slightly longer than wide, V–IX wider than long, terminal flagellomere bullet-shaped, as long as its basal width ( Fig. 4 ).

Mesosoma longer than wide in dorsal view. Pronotal carina slightly raised, produced as humeral angles, reaching ventral corner of pronotum. Mesoscutum weakly convex, about as long as wide between tegulae; anterior margin broadly rounded. Disc of scutellum slightly convex, in profile at the same level as mesoscutum ( Fig. 6 ). Metanotum convex, slightly depressed along basal margin, sloping down to apical margin. Propodeum excavated medially, posterior surface almost smooth, basal triangular area with basal fovea, at lower end of which median carina runs to apical margin, basal fovea greater than 1/3 of length of median carina, median carina weaker running from apical to basal margin; upper part of propodeum normal, not produced ( Fig. 5 ); dorsal surface smoothly connected to posterior surface; border between posterior and lateral surfaces round.

Metasomal tergum I narrower than tergum II, truncate at base ( Fig. 7 ); anterior vertical surface of tergum I weakly convex, with some shallow punctures, clearly separable from posterior horizontal part, but without carina separating them; tergum I divided laterally by sharp carina into upper and lower part. Tergum I in dorsal view slightly less than twice as wide long; tergum II slightly wider than long ( Fig. 7 ); sternum II gradually and slightly convex to apical margin ( Fig. 13 ). Hind coxa with distinct carina, which is elevated to form triangular process.

Body covered with short, ferruginous hairs except lower part of propodeum with dense long yellow hairs. Clypeus with dense, large, flat-bottomed punctures, each bearing golden bristle, punctures at center larger than at sides. Mandible with several shallow small punctures. Frons densely covered with coarse punctures, interspaces between punctures slightly raised to form reticulation. Vertex and gena with punctures similar to those on frons. Pronotum with punctures slightly coarser than those on vertex and gena, spaces between punctures narrow, strongly raised to form reticulation. Mesocutum densely and coarsely covered with flat-bottomed punctures, puncture near apical margin with interspaces showing tendency to run into irregular longitudinal striae. Punctures on scutellum similar to those near apical margin of mesoscutum. Punctures on metanotum denser and smaller than those on scutellum. Mesepisternum with dense, and coarse punctures posterodorsally, barely punctured anteroventrally; border between posterodorsal and anteroventral parts indistinct. Metapleuron with strong striae in dorsal area, with sparse shallow punctures in ventral area. Propodeum with punctures on dorsal surface similar to those on mesopleuron, punctures on lateral parts smaller and arranged in line to form weak striae, posterior surface shiny, almost smooth near lateral margin and with some weak and short oblique striae along median carina (striae faint in the specimen from China). Metasomal terga I–II densely covered with punctures, punctures on tergum I coarser and denser than those on tergum II, punctures on terga III–V much smaller and weaker than those on terga I–II; tergum VI with minute punctures; punctures on sternum II near apical margin and lateral sides denser than those on tergum II.

Color. Black; following parts yellow: large spots on upper lateral corner and small spots on lower middle of clypeus, narrow band along inner eye margin extending from bottom of frons nearly to ocular sinus, large spot between antennal sockets, mandible except margins, antennal scape beneath, narrow short band along pronotal carina in dorsal part of pronotum, narrow band at apical margin of tergum I (lacking on each lateral part of tergum), in some specimens very narrow and reduced band present at apical margin of tergum II. Legs black except in following parts yellow: spots on outer surfaces of fore femur, of fore tibia extensively, and of fore basitarsus. Propodeal valvulae dark brown. Wings dark brown, slightly infuscate, veins dark brown.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Vietnam (Cao Bang) and China (Guangdong).

Etymology. The specific name refers to the black color of the body.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Okinawepipona nigra Nguyen & Xu, sp. nov., holotype, ♀. 1. Head in frontal view. 2. Mandible in frontal view. 3. Vertex in dorsal view. 4. Left antenna. 5. Metanotum and propodeum in dorsal view. 6. Mesosoma in lateral view.

FIGURES 7 – 12. 7. Terga I – III in dorsal view in Okinawepipona nigra Nguyen & Xu, sp. nov., holotype, ♀. 8 - 12. O. curcipunctura Nguyen & Xu, sp. nov., holotype, ♂. 8. Head in frontal view. 9. Right antenna. 10. Mesosoma in lateral view. 11. Metanotum and propodeum in dorsal view. 12. Terga I – II in dorsal view.

FIGURES 13, 14. Habitus of Okinawepipona species. 13. O. nigra Nguyen & Xu, sp. nov. 14. O. curcipunctura Nguyen & Xu, sp. nov.