Euparagia unidentata, Carpenter & Kimsey, 2009

Carpenter, James M. & Kimsey, Lynn S., 2009, The Genus Euparagia Cresson (Hymenoptera: Vespidae; Euparagiinae), American Museum Novitates 3643, pp. 1-11 : 8-10

Euparagia unidentata , new species

(Figs. 11, 13, 16)

DIAGNOSIS: This species is distinguished from all other species in the genus by the mandibles being unidentate in both sexes; they are bidentate or tridentate in other species. Other unique characters are the clypeal apical angles broad (narrow and toothlike in other species); the venter of the head capsule nearly impunctate; and the male genitalia with the parameral spines bent (either straight or hooked in other species). It is one of the smallest species in the genus, with a body length of about 4 mm.

DESCRIPTION: Female: Forewing length 2.8 mm; not longitudinally plaited; first discal cell longer than submedian cell; basal cell apically subtruncate; cu-a diverges slightly distad of fork of M and CuA, is curved and has length. 0.3 length of M; subdiscal cell produced dorsoapically; three submarginal cells; basal angle of first submarginal cell broad; RS vertical beneath prestigma; RS length section below prestigma short; second submarginal cell narrowed above; m-cu2 placed close to r-m2; basal angle of second submarginal cell acute, M and RS angled; third submarginal cell apically rounded; r-m3 gently curved; recurrent veins received in second and third submarginal cells; first recurrent vein angled sharply into second submarginal cell; prestigma shorter than pterostigma; pterostigma truncate anteriorly; marginal cell angled away from wing margin, with slight trace of appendix; Rs angled near middle of marginal cell; preaxillary excision absent. Hindwing cell number three; subbasal cell broadest apically; jugal lobe long; axillary incision shallow; cu-a transverse; CuA diverging at cu-a; free abscissa of A present; preaxillary excision absent. Antennal articles 12; flagellomere I shorter than II+III, less than half length of scape; vertex without tubercles; eyes without bristles; ocellar-eye distance less than distance between posterior ocelli and posterior ocellus separated by more than 1.5 diameters from eye; ocellar triangle very broadly obtuse; ocellar-occipital distance greater than length of ocellar triangle; interantennal space broad; frontoclypeal suture distinct; antennal sockets close to clypeus; clypeus dorsum straight; clypeal proportions much wider than long, apicomedial emargination shallow, Ushaped, apical angles broad and concave, punctation densely striatopunctate, macropunctures distinct; malar space short; gena width widest dorsally; both preoccipital and postocular carinae present; pronotum with anterior and pretegular carinae, not dorsal, in ventral angle crenate, pronotal lateral furrow with indistinct ridges; posterolateral angle of pronotum dorsally produced and forming short lobe above tegula; posterolateral margin of pronotum running nearly vertically above spiracular operculum; pronotal lobe close to tegula; humeri not produced; pronotal punctation granular-punctate; mesopleural basalar area with elongate excavation; mesepisternum anteriorly angular, accommodating legs when folded, strongly bulging and falling sharply posteriorly to pleural suture; mesepimeron strongly bulging; tegula about as broad as long, widest medially, without anterior angle, rim or emargination; scutum with very few scattered punctures; notauli and parapsidal furrows weakly indicated; mesoscutal lamella present adjoining tegula; scutoscutellar suture crenate; scutellum pointed posteriorly, in lateral view profile slightly rounded; axillary lobes not separate from scutellum; transcutellar carina running laterally; scutellar crest flat; metapleuron depressed well below level of mesopleuron; endophragmal pit placement well anterior to spiracle; metanotum oriented partly vertically, not crenate; propodeum punctate, short, with spiracle dorsal and lacking processes or carinae, with posterior face slightly depressed; propodeal orifice dorsally broad, with cuticular ridge above orifice continuous; propodeal valvula poorly differentiated, rounded; submarginal carina absent; foretibial calcar slightly curved; forebasitarsus excavated basally opposite calcar, longer than other foretarsal segments; foretarsi symmetrical; mesocoxae contiguous; midfemoral basal ring present; two midtibial spurs; hindcoxa ecarinate; hindtibial calcar absent, second spur very reduced; metasomal segment I sessile, nearly as wide as II; Tergum I widest posteriorly, abruptly expanded basally, declivity angular in lateral view; metasomal Tergum and Sternum I unfused; Tergum II not constricted basally; Terga I–V with translucent lamellae differentiated apically; Sternum II flat with smooth transverse furrow apically; metasomal retraction absent. Vestiture: with abundant silvery pubescence, especially thick on frons and mesepisternum, where the sculpture is obscured. Color: black; ivory are the clypeus except for brownish red apical rim, most of pronotum, a large anterodorsal spot on mesepisternum, tegula except for a central brownish spot, a large posteromesal spot on scutum, lateral lamellate margins of scutum, scutellum entirely, metanotum medially, most of dorsal surface of Tergum I, Terga II–V laterally and posteriorly, with posterior bands deeply emarginate laterally on Terga II–V, Tergum VI, tibiae, and tarsi exteriorly, spot on forefemur covering about a third of its length, apex of midfemur; flagellum largely pale brown; reddish brown are mandibles, valvulae and rim of propodeal orifice; reddish are tibiae and tarsi interiorly and femora apically on interior and fore- and midfemur on exterior, Terga I–V extensively, Sterna entirely; wings hyaline. Variation: the holotype is the darkest specimen; most of the paratypes have the propodeum, metapleuron, pronotum anteriorly, and femora extensively reddish, and Sterna II–IV marked posterolaterally with ivory. One of the female paratypes has the terminal flagellomeres emarginate, a curious trait that is evidently an aberration.

Male: Antennal articles 13; terminal flagellomere conelike; flagellomere IV longer than pedicel; posterior ocellus separated by more than a diameter from eye; clypeal emargination shallow, U-shaped; foretrochanter process a pointed spine; forefemur expanded, rounded, without emargination; scutum densely micropunctate; metasomal Sternum VII flat, apex rounded. Color: same as female, except mandibles and apex of scape ivory, flagellum very pale brown beneath.

TYPE MATERIAL: Holotype female from U.S.A.: California, San Bernardino Co., S side of Kelso Dunes , 19 June 1999 (D. Yanega), on flowers of Tequilia [recte Tiquilia ], labeled with the collection number UCRC ENT 00030506 . Paratypes: two males from California, sand dunes east of Brawley , 13 June 1960 ( R. C. Dickson), on Eriogonum deserticola , labeled with UCRC ENT 71283 and 71284; one male from California, 7 miles west of Glamis , 25 July 1960 ( R. C. Dickson), on Eriogonum deserticola , labeled with UCRC ENT 71288 ; four females from California, 2 miles west of Glamis , 25 July 1960 ( R. C. Dickson), on Coldenia plicata , labeled with UCRC ENT 71285–71287 and 71289; one female from California, Riverside Co., 4 mi. E. of Indio , 6 March 1973 ( R. L. Weissberg), labeled with UCRC ENT 71290 ; one male and one female from California, Imperial Co., W side of Algodones Dunes, 2 miles south of Cahuila Ranger Station , 32 ° 57 9 12 0 N 115 ° 09 9 181 0 W, 67 m, 3 June 2008 (L. S. Kimsey) ex Croton . Holotype and most paratypes in the collection of the University of California at Riverside ; one female ( UCRC ENT 71285) and one male (71284) paratype in the American Museum of Natural History ; paratypes from W side of Algodones Dunes in the Bohart Museum of the University of California at Davis .