Pseudepipona vladimiri Fateryga, 2022

Fateryga, Alexander V. & Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu., 2022, Contribution to the taxonomy of the Pseudepipona subgenus Deuterepipona Bluethgen, 1951 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae) from Central Asia, with the description of four new species, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 93, pp. 101-123 : 101

Pseudepipona vladimiri Fateryga sp. nov.

Figs 3E, J , 9A-H

Holotype.

Kazakhstan. Karaganda Province: “Казахстан, окр. г. Балхаш” [vicinity of Balkhash], 2.VI.1974, 1 ♀, leg. V.L. Kazenas [FSCV] (Fig. 9A-D ).

Paratypes.

Kazakhstan. Karaganda Province: “Казахстан, окр. г. Балхаш” [vicinity of Balkhash], 2.VI.1974, 5 ♂, leg. V.L. Kazenas [4 ♂ FSCV, 1 ♂ ZISP] (Fig. 9E-H ).

Diagnosis.

The new species can be easily recognized among other representatives of the subgenus Pseudepipona Deuterepipona by the ferruginous coloration of the basal part of the flagellum dorsally, a very extensive yellow pattern of the body, acute apical teeth of the clypeus in the male, a long and slender F11 in the male, and a small ventral lobe of the male aedeagus (see Key).

Description.

Female. Body length (from head to apical margin of tergum 2) 6.0 mm; fore wing length 5.5 mm.

Head about 1.1 × as wide as long in frontal view. Clypeus as wide as long; its apical emargination shallow, about 0.2 × as deep as wide, taking somewhat less than 1/4 of clypeal width, apical teeth rather rectangular. Cephalic fovea shallow and weakly developed, as broad as distance between lateral ocelli; distance between lateral ocellus and occiput 1.4 × as distance between lateral ocelli. Pronotal carina well developed, forming blunt angle at anterolateral corner of pronotum. Epicnemial carina developed. Scutellum and metanotum convex. Propodeum with distinct carina between shelf and concavity, carina forming rectangularly rounded projection in lateral view. Propodeal valvula mono-lamellate, rounded apically. T1 1.5 × as wide as long in dorsal view, bluntly roundly angled in lateral view. T2 evenly convex in lateral view. S2 in lateral view rather flattened, slightly roundly elevated at base, in ventral view with weakly developed longitudinal furrow at base.

Clypeus with sparse punctures sometimes forming longitudinal rows, interstices exceeding puncture diameter, rather dull. Frons and vertex with punctures coarser than those on clypeus, interstices reaching puncture diameter; punctures on gena slightly smaller and sparser. Pronotum dorsally with punctures similar to those on frons and vertex; lateral part of pronotum with dense indistinct sculpture, dull. Sculpture on scutum coarser than that on dorsal surface of pronotum, interstices usually less than puncture diameter. Tegula nearly smooth, with few minute punctures. Punctures on dorsal mesepisternum, scutellum, and metanotum similar in size to those on dorsal surface of pronotum, interstices usually approximately equal to puncture diameter. Ventral mesepisternum punctate rather similarly to scutum. Mesepimeron with coarse punctures forming longitudinal rows. Metapleuron and lateral portion of propodeum dull, longitudinally rugose. Dorsal and dorsolateral surfaces of propodeum with shallow irregular and coarse reticulate sculpture, interstices much less than puncture diameter. Propodeal concavity transversally rugose. T1 and T2 with dense coarse punctures, interstices reaching puncture diameter, with distinct microsculpture; punctures become smaller and sparser towards apical parts of terga. T3-T5 with sparser and smaller punctures. T6 mostly with microsculpture only. S1 with shallow irregular and coarse reticulate sculpture. Basal part of S2 before transverse furrow dull, with microsculpture only. Sculpture of distal part of S2 after transverse furrow and S3-S6 as that of corresponding terga.

Setation weakly developed. Frons and posterior margin of gena with sparse setae reaching in length 1/2 diameter of scapus at base. Most other parts of body bare or with very minute setae.

Black with extensive yellow pattern: clypeus, large spot on frons, entire scapus, band along inner margin of eye from clypeus to ocular sinus, large spot on gena, nearly entire pronotum, large spot on dorsal mesepisternum, spot on ventral mesepisternum, tegula and parategula, nearly entire scutellum and metanotum, lateral spots on propodeum, all legs, nearly entire T1-T6 except basal black areas, entire S1 and S2, nearly entire S3-S6 except basal black areas. Mandible, labrum, ventral side of flagellum, entire pedicel, and entire F1-F3 ferruginous. Wings fuscous, particularly in marginal cell.

Male. Body length (from head to apical margin of T2) 5.0-6.0 mm; fore wing length 5.0-5.5 mm.

Structure as in female but clypeus with apical emargination 0.5 × as deep as wide, taking more than 1/4 of clypeal width, apical teeth acute. F11 very slender, slightly curved, and long, narrowing towards apex, reaching middle of F8. Cuspis without the dorsal process typical of some species in the nominotypical subgenus (see Fateryga 2022). Aedeagus as in Fig. 3E, J , median expansion broad, ventral lobe in lateral view trapezoidal and comparatively small.

Sculpture similar to that in female but punctures on clypeus not forming longitudinal rows. T6 and S6 punctate similarly to previous segments. T7 and S7+8 mostly with microsculpture only.

Setae as in female.

Coloration mostly as in female but mandible and labrum yellow. Spot on ventral mesepisternum reduced. Entire F10 and F11 ferruginous but F3 darkened dorsally. T7 mostly yellow; S7+8 black.

Etymology.

The new species is named after the Soviet and Kazakh entomologist Vladimir L. Kazenas, the collector of the type series.

Distribution.

Kazakhstan (Karaganda Province).

Remarks on two extralimital species

Figures

Figure 3. Aedeagi of Pseudepipona spp. A, F P. herzi (Morawitz, 1895) B, G P. kostylevi Fateryga, sp. nov. C, H P. popovi Fateryga, sp. nov. D, I P. superba (Morawitz, 1867) E, J P. vladimiri Fateryga, sp. nov. A-E dorsal view (me = median expansion) F-J lateral view (vl = ventral lobe). Scale bar 0.5 mm.

Figure 9. Pseudepipona vladimiri Fateryga, sp. nov. A-D ♀, holotype E-H ♂, paratype A, E habitus in dorsal view B, H habitus in lateral view C, F head in frontal view D labels G apex of antenna. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.