Pseudophotopsis subaurea, Soliman, 2021

Soliman, Ahmed Mostafa, 2021, The velvet ant genus Pseudophotopsis Andre, 1896 (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae) in the Arabian Peninsula, with the description of two new species, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 82, pp. 361-415 : 361

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/jhr.82.65252
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C2CA4E54-C2FE-42DB-806A-6770DB6B5832
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/2842A651-5EC8-4C5D-B392-9F64A335EEBF
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:2842A651-5EC8-4C5D-B392-9F64A335EEBF
treatment provided by	Journal of Hymenoptera Research by Pensoft
scientific name	Pseudophotopsis subaurea
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Pseudophotopsis subaurea sp. nov.

Figures 29 View Figure 29 , 30 View Figure 30 , 31 View Figure 31 , 32 View Figure 32 ; 35A, B View Figure 35

Type materials.

Holotype ♂, Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia, Rawdet Al-Harmalyiah (Al-Quway'iyah, Riyadh region) [24°18'35"N, 45°10'02"E, alt. 774 m], 17.iv.2015, LT, leg. Abdel-Dayem M. [KSMA]; Paratype: 1♂, same data as holotype [KSMA].

Diagnosis.

Male. Distance between posterior ocellus and posterior head margin about 2.3 × longitudinal posterior ocellus diameter (Fig. 29D View Figure 29 ); distance between apex of lower mandibular tooth and upper mandibular ridge longer than mandibular height at the base (1.15 ×) (Fig. 30A View Figure 30 ); metanotal horns well developed, divergent posteriorly, about 1.6 × as long as wide (Fig. 30C View Figure 30 ); F1 about 2.15 × as long as its maximal width, shorter than F2 (about 0.9 ×) (Fig. 30B View Figure 30 ); T1-T3 apically with fringes of rather sparse white setae (Fig. 31C View Figure 31 ); lateral felt line on T2 about 0.75 × as long as distance between felt line and posterior tergal margin (Fig. 32B View Figure 32 ); S2 with median basal very small tubercle (Fig. 32B View Figure 32 ); genitalia with cuspis of volsella wide apically (not digitate) (Fig. 35B View Figure 35 ); parapenial and ventral lobes directly posteriorly directed, the former subtriangular, with apex narrowly rounded and extended beyond apex of penis valve, the latter digitate, with apex tapering and inner edge distinctly serrate (Fig. 35A, B View Figure 35 ).

Description of male holotype.

Body length 11 mm. Color (Figs 29C, D View Figure 29 ; 30B-D View Figure 30 ; 31A-C View Figure 31 ; 32C View Figure 32 ). Head including mandible blackish-brown; mesosoma, first and second metasomal segments and basal two-thirds of third segment dark reddish-brown; remainder of metasomal segments brownish-yellow; antenna brown (scape, pedicel and F9-11 lighter); palps and tegula testaceous; legs brown (femora and hind tibia darker). Fore wing hyaline on about basal two-thirds, infumate (brown-stained) apically, with yellowish veins (Sc+R and pterostigma brown).

Setation (Figs 29C, D View Figure 29 ; 30C, D View Figure 30 ; 31A, C View Figure 31 ; 32C View Figure 32 ). Body, including legs and basal third of mandible clothed with long erect white setae mixed with suberect to recumbent white setae on metasomal segments 3-7; T1-T3 and S2-S3 with apical fringes of sparse (not compact) white setae. Fore wing sparsely setose on basal half, densely setose apically.

Head (Figs 29C, D View Figure 29 ; 30A, B, D View Figure 30 ). Setiferous punctate-subreticulate to reticulate; head height 0.92 × maximal width; POD 2.0 × OOD; distance between posterior ocellus and posterior head margin 2.3 × longitudinal posterior ocellus diameter; vertex posteriorly broadly emarginate; clypeus with well developed longitudinal median lamellate carina, free margin with a pair of acute small tubercles; mandibles deeply excised beneath, with large tooth subbasally, distance between apex of tooth and upper mandibular ridge about 1.15 × as long as mandibular height at base, with two teeth subapically, preapical one extremely small; pedicel 1.3 × as long as wide, 0.65 × as long as F1; F1 1.8 × as long as wide, 0.87 × as long as F2 and F3.

Mesosoma (Figs 30C, D View Figure 30 ; 31A View Figure 31 ). In dorsal view about 1.85 × as long (excluding pronotal flange) as its maximal width; pronotal dorsal face setiferous foveate-reticulate except for smooth and polished posterior margin, with humeral angles gently rounded, and lateral face largely foveate; mesoscutal median area densely punctate, lateral areas rather sparsely punctate; notauli complete and parallel; scutellum with smooth longitudinal median strip, densely setiferous foveolate laterally; metanotal horns well developed, subparallel, horn about 1.6 × as long as wide; propodeum setiferous areolate, strongly sloping posteriorly; mesopleuron foveate-reticulate except for smooth posterior margin of mesepimeron.

Fore wing (Fig. 31B View Figure 31 ). Cell 2R1 1.85 × as long as pterostigma, with truncate apex; anterior side of 2R1 1.4 × as long as pterostigma; first discal cell (1M) slightly shorter than 2R1 (0.93 ×); vein 1M straight.

Metasoma (Figs 31C View Figure 31 ; 32A-C View Figure 32 ). T1 1.2 × as long as its maximal width, setiferous foveate reticulate, sublaterally with strong ridge extending along anterior third or slightly more of its length; T2 0.9 × as long as its maximal width, densely setiferous punctate laterally and basally, sparsely setiferous punctate on disc and apically, with polished interspaces between punctures, apico-medially slightly swollen; length of lateral felt line on T2 less than distance between felt line and posterior tergal margin (0.75 ×); T3-T6 as well as S2-S7 setiferous punctulate, S2 with large foveae mixed with fine punctures; T7 largely foveate on basal half, impunctate apically; S2 with small median basal tubercle; S8 (hypopygium) with median apical small tubercle.

Genitalia (Fig. 35A, B View Figure 35 ). Cuspis of volsella rather wide subapically (not digitate), ending a short distance before apex of paramere; parapenial lobe subtriangular, directly posteriorly directed, with narrowly rounded apex; ventral lobe directly posteriorly directed, digitate, with apex tapering and inner edge distinctly serrate.

Female. Unknown.

Recognition.

The new species, P. subaurea resembles the Afrotropical P. aurea (Klug) in having brownish-yellow posterior metasomal segments. However, it differs from P. aurea in the following: head blackish-brown, tegula testaceous (Figs 29B-D View Figure 29 ; 30C, D View Figure 30 ) (head and tegula dark red in P. aurea (Figs 3C, D View Figure 3 ; 4A, C View Figure 4 )); metasoma wholly clothed with sparse white setae, T2-T3 and S2-S3 with apical fringes of short sparse white setae (Figs 31C View Figure 31 ; 32A-C View Figure 32 ) (first metasomal segment and S2 with white setae, remaining metasoma densely clothed with golden setae, T2-T6 and S2-S6 with apical fringe of long dense golden setae in P. aurea (Figs 5B, C View Figure 5 ; 10B, C View Figure 10 )); fore wing slightly infumate on distal half, with yellowish veins (except brown Sc+R) (Fig. 31B View Figure 31 ) (deeply infumate wholly in most specimens of P. aurea , with all veins dark brown (Fig. 5A View Figure 5 )); metanotum with parallel to subparallel horns (Fig. 30C View Figure 30 ) (horns distinctly diverging in P. aurea (Fig. 4C View Figure 4 )); cuspis of volsella rather wide apically (Fig. 35B View Figure 35 ) (narrow in P. aurea (Fig. 33B View Figure 33 )); parapenial lobe subtriangular, with narrowly rounded apex (Fig. 35A View Figure 35 ) (subrounded, with broadly rounded apex in P. aurea (Fig. 33A View Figure 33 )); genital ventral lobe tapering apically (Fig. 35B View Figure 35 ) (rounded apically in P. aurea (Fig. 33B View Figure 33 )).