Anterhynchium (Anterhynchium) vastator Giordani Soika, 1983

Selis, Marco & Carpenter, James M., 2023, Revision of the Afrotropical species of the genus Anterhynchium de Saussure (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae), Zootaxa 5233 (1), pp. 1-102 : 49-52

Anterhynchium (Anterhynchium) vastator Giordani Soika, 1983

( Fig. 7–8 )

Anterhynchium vastator Giordani Soika 1983: 145 , fig. 33, ♁, ♀ —“ Mozambico: Kola Valley , E del Monte Chiperone, 1700 ft ” (holotype BMNH).

Diagnosis. This species can be recognized by: lager size, yellowish markings on metasoma present as broad bands on T3–T5, propodeal valvula narrowed posteriorly and not forming a lobe, F7–F10 of male distinctly curved and concave below, F11 expanded on ventral margin, fore basitarsus of male flattened and expanded on outer margin, mid femur of male basally modified with depressed ventral margin and large rounded tooth projecting below, vertex of female with foveae placed in raised area broader than ocellar triangle,

Description. MALE. Fore wing length 14.5–17.0 mm.

Head 1.15 × as wide as long in frontal view. Clypeus in lateral view evenly convex from base to apex; in frontal view 1.2 × as long as wide, apical margin shorter than interantennal space, truncate, apical corners bearing dull divergent carinae that disappear in the apical third of clypeus, delimiting a barely depressed median area. Interantennal space sharply carinate. Distance from posterior ocellus to occipital carina 2.5 × as long as the distance from posterior ocellus to inner eye margin. Gena as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina strong, forming a high reflexed lamella on upper two thirds of gena and on vertex. Scape 3.2 × as long as apically wide; F1 2.5 × as long as wide; F2–F10 longer than wide; F6–F10 curved and ventrally depressed; F 11 in lateral view digitiform, broad and curved, apex reaching base of F8, in dorsal view weakly curved and subtruncate at apex, ventral face asymmetrical, with outer margin regularly curved and inner margin expanded in basal half; F5–F10 with tyloids shaped as areas with different sculpture, more shining. Mandible quadridentate, apical tooth long and weakly curved apically, second tooth forming an angular cutting margin, third and fourth teeth short. Pronotal carina complete, strongly lamellate on humeral angles which are prominent, therefore the anterior margin appears strongly arched; viewed from the front the angles are obtusely angular; pretegular carina strong, preceded by a deep depression on ventral half. Mesoscutum 0.95 × as long as wide between tegulae, distinctly convex in lateral view. Scutellum convex, with a barely visible median longitudinal furrow. Metanotum angled in lateral view, with a short horizontal face and a longer vertical face, faces separated by a denticulate carina weakly incised in the middle. Tegula narrow, outer margin weakly convex, posterior lobe triangular and short, not reaching apex of parategula. Parategula large and weakly arched, dorsally convex, with rounded apex; posteromedial margin situated below level of anteriolateral margin, therefore parategula appearing oblique. Mesepisternum distinctly convex, epicnemial carina not reaching transverse furrow above, shortly lamellar on ventral corner. Propodeum in lateral view nearly vertical; sides of posterior face flat and angularly meeting on median line, therefore posterior face large and weakly depressed; dorsal face weakly convex; lateral face flat, becoming convex toward posterior margin; dorsal carinae present but weak, confused with the sharp interspaces of punctation, and visible only in median half; lateral carinae short and blunt, present only near posterolateral corners. T 1 in dorsal view 0.8 × as long as wide, sides sinuate, in lateral view with a flat vertical face which continues in a longer flat horizontal face, transition strongly convex; T 2 in dorsal view wider than long, in lateral view weakly convex except for a shallow preapical depression; S 2 in lateral view strongly convex basally, then weakly convex to apex, basal half with a distinct median longitudinal furrow, surface depressed in the middle. Fore basitarsus flattened and expanded on outer margin. Mid femur flattened posteriorly and anteroventrally, with basal third of anterodorsal margin expanded and a large rounded tooth on basal third of ventral face.

Head with dense flat-bottomed punctures, elongate on frons and circular on vertex and gena, interspaces narrow and forming an irregular reticulation; ocular sinus smooth with sparse fine punctures. Clypeus micreticulate on basal half and on sides, microstriate in the middle of apical half; basal half with large shallow punctures, interspaces about as wide as punctures diameter. Dorsal face of pronotum and mesoscutum with dense deep punctures, interspaces much narrower than punctures, reduced to an irregular reticulation; lateral faces of pronotum microreticulate with some sparse large punctures. Scutellum similar to mesoscutum, but interspaces more regular and raised. Dorsal face and most of posterior face of metanotum coarsely punctured, interspaces reduced to irregular ridges and spines; ventral third of posterior face of metanotum microreticulate. Dorsal faces of propodeum coarsely punctured, like dorsal face of metanotum; posterior face with irregular transverse striae in the middle, sides microreticulate; lateral faces microreticulate and mostly impunctate, with some sparse large shallow punctures. Mesepisternum with large flat-bottomed punctures, touching each other on dorsal half, becoming sparse ventrally. Metaepisternum microreticulate and nearly impunctate. T1 with deep oblique punctures, very dense on median line, sparser on sides, interspaces at most two times as punctures diameter. T2 punctured like T1 on sides, punctures becoming shallower and sparser in the middle. T3–T6 with shallow oblique punctures, interspaces much larger than punctures diameter, punctures becoming shallower apically. T7 microreticulate. S1 with narrow basal part dull and microreticulate, large apical part with irregular transverse striae in the median third. S2–S7 sculpted like respective terga, but punctures sparser and deeper; median depression of S2 with shiny interspaces. Head and mesosoma mostly covered by short pubescence, darker on black parts and paler on red ones. Frons and anterior half of mesosoma with very sparse black setae mixed with the pubescence. Sides of propodeum with very long pale setae. Metasomal terga with dust-like pubescence, brownish on black parts and silvery on pale bands; sterna with dense short brownish setae.

Black; following parts ferruginous-red: clypeus, most of gena, antenna, dorsal face and most of anterior and lateral faces of pronotum, lateral spots on mesoscutum, tegula, parategula, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum, metaepisternum, most of propodeum, sides of T1, S1, legs; following parts pale yellow: triangular marking from base to apex of clypeus, broad spot above interantennal space, ventral face of scape, broad apical bands on T3–T4. The paratype of Ruo Valley has yellow marking on clypeus interrupted, mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, some areas on side of mesosoma and posterior face of propodeum without distinct red markings, and yellow bands on T3–T5.

FEMALE. Fore wing length 20.5 mm.

Like male, except: head 1.15 × as wide as long in frontal view; clypeus in lateral view more convex, in frontal view pyriform, 1.2 × as long as wide, apical margin broader and subtruncate, apical corners with barely visible carinae; vertex with a broad crescent-shaped raised area, foveae placed in a deep depression placed in posterior part of raised area; scape 3.65 × as long as apically wide, F1 2.2 × as long as wide, F2–F6 longer than wide, F7–F9 subquadrate, F10 bullet-shaped; epicnemial carina blunter; T 1 in dorsal view 0.85 × as long as wide; fore basitarsus and mid femur normal; clypeus with coarse and dense oblique punctures; punctures on metasoma denser; coloration much darker, black with red markings reduced to clypeus, mandibles, spot above interantennal space, most of gena, antenna, ventral half of mesepisternum, posterior half of ventral plate of metaepisternum, dorsal half of lateral face of propodeum, extreme sides of T1, S1 and legs, pale yellow bands on T3–T5, regular on T3, anteriorly bisinuate on T4, and reduced to a median elliptical marking on T5.

Distribution. Malawi, Mozambique ( Giordani Soika 1983) ( Fig. 3 )

Figures

FIGURE 3. Distributional map of grayi species-group.

FIGURE 7. Anterhynchium vastator Giordani Soika, 1983. A, habitus of male. B, habitus of female. C, head of male in frontal view. D, head of female in frontal view.

FIGURE 8. Anterhynchium vastator Giordani Soika, 1983. A, flagellum of male in lateral view. B, fore tarsus of male in dorsal view. C, mid femur of male in frontal view. D, head of female in dorsal view.