Anterhynchium (Anterhynchium) sulphureomaculatum (von Schulthess, 1928) Selis & Carpenter, 2023

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 : 64-67

Anterhynchium (Anterhynchium) sulphureomaculatum (von Schulthess, 1928) stat. nov.

( Fig. 16 )

Rhynchium sulphureomaculatum von Schulthess 1928b: 309 (key), 323, ♁, ♀ —“ Belgischer Kongo, Urwald Moera westlich vom Tanganyikasee ” (lectotype NHMW [here designated], paralectotypes ZMUZ and NHMW).

Diagnosis. This species can be recognized by: smaller size, coloration black with ferruginous legs and antennae and more or less developed yellowish spots on T2, wings brownish with grayish reflections, tegument dull with microreticulate interspaces, propodeum rounded with tooth above valvula, dorsal faces of propodeum entirely punctured, posterior face of propodeum entirely microreticulate, interspaces on S2–S5 broad, vertex of female with foveae placed in subtriangular depression about as broad as ocellar triangle.

Typical material examined. Lectotype of Rhynchium sulphureomaculatum : “Urwald Beni / Grauer,1910. // Rh. sulphureo / maculatum / det. Schulthess 92 // aureoma= / culatum / det. // Cotype // 1♀ / behalten // NHMW HYM / # 0002498 // NHMW // Rhynchium sulphureomaculatum / von Schulthess, 1928 / LECTOTYPE / Des. Marco Selis 2022” ( NHMW).

Description. FEMALE. Lectotype. Fore wing length 14.0 mm.

Head 1.2 × as wide as long in frontal view. Clypeus in lateral view weakly and evenly convex; in frontal view pyriform, 1.2 × as long as wide, apical margin narrow and weakly sinuate, about 0.25 × as wide as clypeus width, apical teeth rounded and bearing short dull carinae, area between carinae narrow and depressed. Interantennal space sharply carinate. Distance from posterior ocellus to occipital carina 1.8 × as long as the distance from posterior ocellus to inner eye margin. Gena as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina complete, finer dorsally, stronger and reflexed on sides; foveae placed in a deep subtriangular depression, which apex touches occipital carina, anterior margin of depression expanded and about as wide as ocellar triangle, each fovea bearing a tuft of brownish setae. Scape 4 × as long as apically wide; F1 1.45 × as long as wide; F2–F6 weakly longer than wide; F7–F9 subquadrate; F10 bullet shaped. Pronotal carina complete and fine, shortly raised above; pretegular carina strong and complete, preceded by a furrow. Mesoscutum as long as wide between tegulae, evenly convex in lateral view. Scutellum almost flattened in lateral view and weakly oblique, with a shallow median longitudinal impression. Metanotum in lateral view evenly convex, without separation in two perpendicular faces. Tegula elongate, outer margin weakly and evenly convex, posterior lobe very short and apically rounded, not reaching apex of parategula. Parategula nearly straight, with rounded apex. Mesepisternum distinctly convex, epicnemial carina strong and complete, becoming higher ventrally. Propodeum in lateral view weakly and evenly convex; posterior face barely depressed; dorsal face convex; lateral face convex on posterior margin; dorsal carinae absent and dorsal faces smoothly passing into posterior face; sides of propodeum entirely rounded, except for a pair of short weakly curved teeth above propodeal valvula. T 1 in dorsal view 0.8× as long as wide, with weakly converging sides, in lateral view with a flat vertical face which passes in a longer horizontal ace, transition rounded; T 2 in dorsal view wider than long, with rounded sides, in lateral view barely convex; S 2 in lateral view convex in anterior half, then flattened to apex, with a shallow subtriangular depression running from basal corners to near middle of apical margin.

Head with small flat bottomed punctures, interspaces short and nearly indistinct on frons, becoming wider than punctures diameter on vertex and gena; interantennal space and most of ocular sinus smooth; depression on vertex shiny and micropunctate. Clypeus with oblique irregular punctures, larger and shallower medially, finer and deeper on sides, punctures in apical third becoming very sparse and interspaces covered by dense microreticulation, thus appearing dull. Pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum with deep coarse punctures, interspaces very narrow and forming irregular reticulation, larger and flattened on posterior third of mesoscutum; sides of pronotum microreticulate and weakly shiny. Anterior two thirds of metanotum coarsely punctures, interspaces reduced to irregular ridges, posterior third microreticulate. Mesepisternum with large flat bottomed punctures, forming irregular series in dorsal half and becoming sparser posteroventrally, interspaces dorsally very narrow and forming irregular low ridges, ventrally larger and flattened; epicnemium weakly microreticulate and strongly shiny. Dorsal plate of metaepisternum microreticulate and weakly punctured, ventral plate dull with some sparse barely indicated shallow punctures. Dorsal faces of propodeum coarsely and densely punctured, punctures irregular and merging with each other, interspaces reduced to very narrow low carinae and spikes; posterior face densely microreticulate and dull, with some striae near mid-line and punctures on sides; lateral faces weakly shiny, with fine transverse striae and some sparse barely indicated punctures, interspaces microreticulate. T1 dull due to dense microreticulation, with small and shallow sparse punctures, denser anteriorly and on sides. T2 punctures similar to T1, but punctures denser and with a preapical band on deeper punctures. T3–T5 punctured like apical part of T2, punctures deeper on T3 and becoming progressively shallower on T4 and T5. T6 micropunctate. S1 transversely rugose, with some sparse shallow punctures. S2 deeply punctured, interspaces larger than punctures diameter, but shorter near apical margin; interspaces smooth and shiny at base and on median depression, densely micropunctured and duller on apical corners and apical margin. S3–S5 with deep punctures, interspaces densely micropunctate and irregular in size. S6 densely micropunctate and dull. Head and dorsal side of mesosoma with short blackish-brown setae; underside of head, sides of mesosoma with longer golden setae, denser on sides of propodeum; metasoma with dense dust-like pubescence, blackish on black parts and whitish on yellow markings of T2, and sparse thick protruding bristles, short and black on T1–T6 and S3–S5 and longer and brownish-golden on S1–S2.

Black; following parts brownish-ferruginous: scape, most of legs and median mark on S1; flagellum orange; following parts yellow: spot above interantennal space, small postocular dot on upper half of gena, large lateral markings on T2 meeting in the middle. Wings fuscous with grayish reflections.

MALE. Unknown.

Distribution. Cameroon *, Democratic Republic of Congo (von Schulthess 1928b) ( Fig. 10 ).

Remarks. This species has been considered as subspecies of Anterhynchium (A.) synagroide by Carpenter et al. (2009), but examination of a syntype showed that this taxon belongs to the group of A. (A.) mephisto due to propodeum with indistinct lateral carinae and a recurved spine near propodeal valvula.

In order to provide a standard of reference for this species, a lectotype is designated.

The specimen from Cameroon shows the following differences from the lectotype: yellow markings on T2 reduced to small lateral spots, base and sides of T1 reddish, legs more brightly colored, tegument of clypeus more shiny, punctation of mesosoma and metasoma deeper. These differences are considered as simple local variations and therefore the specimen is considered conspecific.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Distributional map of mephisto species-group.

FIGURE 16. Anterhynchium sulphureomaculatum (von Schulthess, 1928).A, habitus of female lectotype. B, habitus of female from Cameroon. C, head of female in frontal view. D, propodeum in lateral view. E, labels of lectotype.