Labus sparsipunctus Li & Carpenter, 2018

Li, Ting-Jing & Carpenter, James M., 2018, A taxonomic account of the genus Labus de Saussure, 1867 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae) with descriptions of three new species, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 65, pp. 23-46 : 23

Labus sparsipunctus Li & Carpenter sp. n.

Figs 6-12

Material examined.

Holotype, ♀, Thailand, Loei Phu Ruea NPPhaLonNoi, 17°30.502'N, 101°20.868'E, 1343m, Pan traps, 5-6.III.2007, Patikhom Tumtip, T 2297, deposited in QSBG; 1♂, Thailand, Loei Phu Ruea NPPhaLonNoi, 17°30.502'N, 101°20.868'E, 1343m, Malaise trap, 12-19.III.2007, Patikhom Tumtip, T 2307, deposited in AMNH.

Description.

Female (Figs 6 , 8 ): body length 6.0 mm. Black, with the following parts yellow: a curved and transverse band of clypeus basally (Fig. 8 ), a widely interrupted band on pronotum anteriorly (interruption less than each marking), a small spot on upper part of mesepisternum, outer margin of tegula, parategula, two transverse and nearly rectangular spots on scutellum posteriorly, apical lamellae of propodeum, small apical spots of fore and mid femora inside, outer side of fore and mid tibiae, basal half at outer side of hind tibiae, narrow apical bands of T1-T2 and S2; apex of mandible, inside part of tegula, fore and mid tibiae with exception of yellow spots, and tarsi dark ferruginous. Wings slightly infuscated.

Head. Head (Fig. 8 ) in front view wide almost as long as high, its sides rounded; clypeus sparsely setose and punctate, interspaces between punctures obviously shiny, clypeal width 1.25 × length, weakly convex at basal half, anterior and median portion narrowly produced (clypeal total width 7.0 × its apical width) and with U-formed emargination, lateral teeth acute, emargination width 1.25 × its depth; frons convex and sparsely punctate and interspaces between punctures obviously shiny, inter-antennal carina continued on lower part of frons, frontal fovea deep, elliptical and defined (Fig. 9 ).

Mesosoma. Anterior angles of pronotum projecting slightly, pronotal anterior and transverse carina obsolete, punctures on pronotum dense, interspaces less than punctures, mesoscutum and scutellum sparsely punctate, interspaces more than punctures, mesepisternum dull and coriaceous, with sparse punctures; metanotum with a small and blunt tubercle in the middle; propodeum posteriorly on each side without a tooth above the apical spine formed by the submarginal carina (Fig. 11 ); dorsal area of propodeum sparsely punctate and the interspaces between punctures shiny, posterior area with dense setae, lateral area dull and obviously coriaceous.

Metasoma. Metasomal petiole relatively long and slender, total length of petiole 7.53 × its basal width and 2.76 × apical one, swollen part of metasomal petiole almost as long as half of the length of the petiole and shiny with scattered minute punctures; linear part of petiole slightly rugosely punctate; each of T2 and S2 with an apical translucent lamella, and sparsely covered with extremely minute and shallow punctures.

Male (Figs 7 , 10 , 12 ). Body length 7.0 mm. Sculpture, punctuation, setae, and coloration as in female except as follows: clypeus except anterior margin (Fig. 10 ), scape ventrally and mandible except apex yellow; two apical flagellomeres yellowish brown; spots on legs larger than those in female; clypeal width 1.23 × its length, total width 7.4 × apical width, apical width 2.5 × emargination depth, emargination narrower and shallower than that in female; A13 backward reaching basal margin of A11; punctures on frons, pronotum and mesoscutum relatively denser than those in female; linear part of petiole (Fig. 12 ) narrower and longer than female, total length of petiole 8.07 × its basal width and 2.10 ×apical one, swollen part less than (0.8 ×) half of the length of the petiole; other characters same as those in female.

Distribution.

Thailand.

Remarks.

This species is allied to L. clypeatus van der Vecht, 1935 from Indonesia, with which it has the following characters in common: propodeum posteriorly on each side without a tooth above the apical spine formed by the submarginal carina, and swollen part of metasomal petiole less than half of the length of the petiole (Fig. 12 ). It differs from L. clypeatus and all other members of the genus by the following character combination: frons sparsely punctate and more shiny between these punctures in female (Fig. 8 ), anterior and median portion of clypeus narrowly produced (Figs 8 , 10 ), and total length of metasomal petiole at most 8.07 × its basal width, whereas in L. clypeatus the petiole length more than 9 × basal width (van der Vecht 1935).

Etymology.

The specific name sparsipunctus is derived from two Latin words: sparsus and punctus, referring to frons sparsely punctate in female.

Figures

Figures 6 - 12. Labus sparsipunctus sp. n. 6 habitus of holotype (dorsal view), ♀ 7 habitus of paratype (dorsal view), ♂ 8 head of holotype (frontal view), ♀ 9 frontal fovea of holotype, ♀ 10 head of paratype (frontal view), ♂ 11 propodeum of paratype (dorsal view), ♂ 12 metasomal petiole of paratype, ♂.