Anterhynchium (Anterhynchium) auromaculatum ( de Saussure, 1852 )

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 : 74-76

Anterhynchium (Anterhynchium) auromaculatum ( de Saussure, 1852)

( Fig. 22 )

Rygchium auro-maculatum de Saussure 1852: 102 (key), 104, pl. 14 fig. 1, ♀, ♁—“Java et le Sénégal?” (syntypes MNHN). Rhynchium bioculatum de Saussure 1855: 183 , ♀ —“L’Afrique Occidentale” (holotype BMNH).

Diagnosis. This species can be recognized by: dorsal carinae of propodeum absent, lateral carinae of propodeum distinct with large and irregular denticulation, T2 dull and densely punctate, S2 strongly convex basally with median longitudinal furrow and very weakly depressed in the middle, male clypeus with deep semicircular apical incision, F6–F10 of male with tyloids, coloration mainly black with large orange spots on T2.

Description. MALE. Fore wing length 11.0– 15.5 mm.

Head 1.25 × as wide as long in frontal view. Clypeus in lateral view convex in basal half, then flattened to the apex; in frontal view 1.1 × as long as wide, apical margin with deep semicircular incision, incision 0.5 × as deep as wide, apical teeth long and triangular, sharply pointed apically. Interantennal space weakly carinate. Distance from posterior ocellus to occipital carina 2.6 × as long as the distance from posterior ocellus to inner eye margin. Gena 1.2 × as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina strong ventrally, becoming finer toward vertex. Scape 3.4 × as long as apically wide; F1 2.1 × as long as wide; F2–F10 longer than wide; F11 digitiform, apically rounded and weakly curved in lateral view, apex reaching base of F9; F6–F10 with tyloids. Mandible tridentate, apical tooth long and weakly curved apically, mid tooth forming a weakly convex cutting margin, inner tooth triangular; space between mid and inner teeth deep and wide, rounded at bottom. Pronotal carina complete, elevated into a very short lamella; pretegular carina indistinct, preceded by a deep depression on ventral half. Mesoscutum 0.9 × as long as wide between tegulae, distinctly convex in lateral view. Scutellum convex, with a median longitudinal furrow deeper on posterior half. Metanotum angled in lateral view, with a short horizontal face and a longer vertical face, faces separated by a weak carina depressed on middle line. Tegula elongate, outer margin weakly convex, posterio lobe triangular and short, not reaching apex of parategula. Parategula large and curved, with rounded apex. Mesepisternum weakly convex, epicnemial carina complete and strong, becoming lamellate ventrally and forming an elevated angle on ventral corners. Propodeum in lateral view weakly oblique; sides of posterior face flat and angularly meeting on median line, therefore posterior face large and weakly depressed; dorsal faces convex; lateral faces flat with weak apical depression; dorsal carinae absent, therefore dorsal and posterior faces are not clearly separated; lateral carinae strong and denticulate, with larger teeth on posterolateral angles of propodeum. T 1 in dorsal view 0.7 × as long as wide, almost parallel-sided, in lateral view with a strongly convex vertical face which continues in a flattened horizontal face; T 2 in dorsal view wider than long, in lateral view regularly convex from base to apex; S 2 in lateral view strongly convex basally then flattened to apex, with a short and shallow longitudinal median furrow.

Head with deep flat-bottomed punctures, interspaces shorter than punctures diameter on frons, becoming wider on vertex and gena; interantennal space and lower third of ocular sinus smooth. Clypeus densely micropunctate, with scattered larger but shallow punctures. Pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum with dense deep punctures, interspaces shorter than punctures diameter and forming reticulation. Metanotum coarsely punctured on horizontal face, interspaces forming carinae and spikes; vertical face dull and impunctate. Mesepisternum, except epicnemium and posterior margin, with large flat-bottomed punctures, interspaces forming sharp reticulation. Metaepisternum and posterior margin of mesepisternum impunctate. Dorsal faces of propodeum punctures like mesepisternum, but punctures larger and punctation becoming irregular towards posterolateral corners; posterior face finely and obliquely striate; lateral face dull, mostly smooth, with some shallow and irregular striae and punctures on posterior margin. T1 with oblique punctures, very sparse on vertical face, becoming denser on horizontal face, especially towards apical margin. T2 with oblique punctures, becoming larger and denser apically, forming a preapical band of very large and dense deep punctures, leaving an impunctate apical margin. T3–T5 punctured like T2, but punctures sparser. T6–T7 dull and impunctate. S1 with transverse irregular striae on apical expanded part, basal narrow part smooth. S2–S7 punctured like respective terga, but punctures coarser. Entirely covered by dust-like brownish pubescence, with short erect setae on frons, margins of propodeum, S1–S7 and coxae.

Black; following parts dark red: mandibles, labrum, clypeus on various extent, bilobate spot above interantennal space, antennae, sides of metanotum, base and sides of T1, base of T2 (sometimes black), margins of orange spots on T2 and S2, legs; following parts orange: large anterolateral spots on T2, spots on anterior corners of S2 (absent to very large), apex of T7 on various extent; wings strongly fuscous with strong purple-bluish reflections.

FEMALE. Fore wing length 12.0–16.0 mm.

Like male, except: head 1.25 × as wide as long in frontal view; clypeus in frontal view short pyriform, as long as wide, apical margin narrow and shallowly incised, incision 0.3 × as deep as wide, apical teeth short and rounded; gena as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; vertex with shallow depression behind ocelli, depression bearing deep foveae and short tufts of setae; scape 3.5 × as long as apically wide; F1 2.2 × as long as wide; F10 bullet-shaped; mandibles quadridentate; T 1 in dorsal view 0.8 × as long as wide and more densely punctate.

Distribution. Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal ( Carpenter et al. 2009; de Saussure 1852, 1855; Giordani Soika 1937, 1979, 1989; Gusenleitner 2000a, 2005, 2006; Roubaud 1916) ( Fig. 20 ).

Figures

FIGURE 20. Distributional map of synagroide species-group.

FIGURE 22. Anterhynchium auromaculatum (de Saussure, 1852).A, habitus of female. B, head of male in frontal view. C, head of female in frontal view. D, head of female in dorsal view. E, flagellum of male in lateral view. F, T2 in dorsal view.