Alastor (Alastor) carens Selis, 2020

Selis, Marco, 2020, Notes on the Afrotropical species of Alastor Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Vespidae Eumeninae), with description of nine new species, Zootaxa 4822 (3), pp. 361-388 : 365-367

Alastor (Alastor) carens Selis , sp. nov.

( Figs. 6–9 )

Diagnosis. This species can be recognized by: clypeus much wider than long, shortly truncate at apex and with dense silvery pubescence on lateral thirds ( Fig. 8 ), temples seen from above longer than dorsal lobe of eye, pronotal carina prominent on humeri and forming a more or less right angle, posterior lobe of tegula short and pointing medially, propodeum nearly vertical in lateral view, rounded on sides and with short and broad dull apical teeth, T1 hemispherical in dorsal view and 1.7 × as wide as long, nearly as wide as T2 ( Fig. 9 ), punctation of head and mesosoma deep and dense, except on clypeus where interspaces are broad and smooth, metasoma with deep punctures and interspaces about as wide as punctures diameter.

Material examined. Holotype, ♀, labeled “Klip Vlei, Garies / Namaqualand / Museum Staff / Nov. 1951 // HOLOTYPUS / Alastor / carens // Alastor (A.) carens / Selis, sp. nov. / HOLOTYPUS ♀ / Det. Marco Selis 2018” ( MSNVE).

Description. Holotype, female ( Fig. 6–7 ). Body length 10.0 mm; fore wing length 8.4 mm.

Head in frontal view about as wide as long ( Fig. 8 ), in dorsal view broader than mesosoma. Clypeus in frontal view 1.4 × as wide as long, dorsal margin bisinuate, lateral margins of free apical part straight and converging below, apical margin truncate and narrower than interantennal space, emargination 0.2 × as wide as clypeus width; clypeus in lateral view convex basally, then straight to the apex. Interantennal space irregularly carinate in the middle. Vertex long, distance from posterior ocellus to occipital margin 1.8 × as long as distance from posterior ocellus to inner eye margin, much longer than dorsal lobe of eye; gena in lateral view 1.4 × as long as width of eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina strong and shortly lamellate, becoming abruptly evanescent in the middle of vertex, curving at height of dorsal third of clypeus. Scape 3.3 × as long as apically wide; F1 1.5 × as long as wide and about as long as F2+F3; F2–F4 subquadrate; F5–F9 wider than long, becoming wider toward apex; F10 bullet-shaped, as long as basally wide. Mandible short and robust, 5-toothed, second tooth short and obtuse; carinae on outer face strong. Mesosoma in dorsal view 1.3 × as long as wide. Pronotal carina complete, weak on sides and barely recognizable in the middle; humeri obtuse in dorsal view, weakly projecting externally due to sinuate lateral margins of pronotum; lateral faces of pronotum evenly convex and not separated from dorsal face. Mesoscutum in dorsal view 1.1 × as long as wide; weakly and evenly convex in lateral view. Scutellum weakly oblique in lateral view, nearly flattened on disc. Metanotum entirely vertical and flattened, weakly convex at extreme sides. Mesepisternum broad and flattened in the middle, convex on anterior and posterior margins, epicnemial carina barely indicated below. Propodeum in dorsal view very short, with rounded lateral margins and short obtuse apical teeth; median depression of posterior face broad and very shallow, almost flattened, with median triangular area nearly reaching propodeal orifice; when propodeum in lateral view, dorsal margin evenly rounded and apical teeth apically rounded and pointing behind; apical teeth broad and short, apically rounded. Tegula broader in the middle, outer margin strongly and evenly convex, posterior lobe short and apically rounded. T 1 in dorsal view hemispheric, 1.7 × as broad as long; strongly and evenly convex in lateral view, with barely recognizable preapical furrow. T 2 in dorsal view with distinctly rounded sides, more on anterior third, apical margin weakly sinuate in the middle; T 2 in lateral view weakly and evenly convex. Apical margin of T3 weakly sinuate in the middle ( Fig. 9 ). S2 shorter than T2, in lateral view weakly convex at base.

Clypeus with large dense punctures, smaller on extreme sides, interspaces flattened and shiny, almost equal to punctures diameter. Frons, vertex and gena with deep and dense punctures, interspaces opaque and very narrow above interantennal space, becoming larger and shiny towards occipital margin and ventral part of gena. Mandibles unpunctured, except for some fine punctures in basal triangular area. Scape with some small deep punctures, interspaces large and with sparse micropunctures. Anterior face of pronotum largely smooth, with some large deep punctures on lateral thirds and smaller ones near ventral corners; dorsal and lateral faces of pronotum with deep punctures, larger dorsally and irregular ventrally, interspaces equal to or shorter than punctures diameter and densely micropunctate. Mesoscutum and scutellum sculptured like dorsal face of pronotum, but interspaces on scutellum shinier. Metanotum punctured like mesoscutum on anterior margin, smooth and shiny on rest of surface. Proepisternum densely and coarsely punctured. Mesepisternum punctured similar to mesoscutum, but punctures smaller and forming irregular series, interspaces larger ventrally; epicnemium densely microreticulate, with sparse deep punctures, strong longitudinal striae along margin of foramen. Metaepisternum microreticulate, with deep punctures, dense along dorsal margin of dorsal plate and sparse on ventral plate, strong and short longitudinal carinae along anterior margin. Dorsal faces of propodeum with deep irregular punctures, interspaces variable in length and strongly shiny; median depression of propodeum irregularly striate and deeply punctured, median triangular area smooth and shiny, weakly microstriate ventrally; lateral faces deeply punctured, interspaces very narrow and forming irregular transverse striae. T1 deeply punctured, punctures oblique and very sparse on anterior vertical portion, deeper and denser on horizontal part and not reaching apex, therefore a smooth apical margin is formed, interspaces with sparse micropunctures anteriorly, micropunctation becoming denser posteriorly. T2 with dense punctures, interspaces densely micropunctate and larger on disc and becoming shorter on sides, but always larger than punctures diameter. T3–T5 with deep oblique punctures, interspaces irregular and micropunctate, punctures very deep on T3 becoming progressively sparser on following terga. T6 densely microreticulate with sparse shallow punctures. S1 with very deep punctures, interspaces variable in size and shiny, with some micropunctures. Basal plate of S2 with regular reticulation, forming a mosaic-like pattern, basal transverse furrow with irregular longitudinal carinae, S2 punctured similar to T2 but interspaces larger and more densely micropunctured. S3–S6 similarly sculptured to respective terga, but punctures shallower and sparser. Fore coxa with deep coarse punctures, interspaces narrow and dull; mid and hind coxae with sparse deep punctures and interspaces shiny.

Clypeus, frons, vertex and dorsal side of mesosoma with thick and long brown setae; gena, underside of head, lateral faces and underside of mesosoma, whole propodeum, T1 and S1 with dense short silvery setae and sparser longer ones; lateral thirds of clypeus with very dense silvery pubescence; horizontal portion of T1, T2–T6 and S2–S6 with dust-like grayish pubescence; some short silvery setae at base of S2.

Black; following parts pale yellow: basal spot in median third of clypeus, spots on humeri, narrow and regular apical bands on T1–T2, apical band on S2 weakly enlarged in the middle; following parts ferruginous: middle of mandibles, spot on lateral thirds of vertex just in front of occipital margin, tegulae, legs starting from trochanter. Wings weakly infuscate, almost hyaline, more infuscate on costal margin.

Etymology. The specific name was found on a label pinned below the specimen, with Giordani Soika’s handwriting.

Distribution. South Africa: Northern Cape.

Figures

FIGURES 6–9. Alastor (Alastor) carens Selis, sp. nov., ♀. 6, Habitus in dorsal view. 7, Habitus in lateral view. 8, Head in frontal view. 9, T1–T3 in dorsal view.