Patellapis (Patellapis) depressa, Timmermann & Kuhlmann, 2009

Timmermann, Kim & Kuhlmann, Michael, 2009, Variable Selection and Inference for Multi-period Forecasting Problems, Zootaxa 2099, pp. 1-188 : 13-16

Patellapis (Patellapis) depressa sp. n. Timmermann

( Figs. 3a–g ; 4a–h )

Diagnosis. The females of this species differ from those of P. rubricata in having a medi–longitudial clypeal depression. Further, the inner hind tibial spurs of P. rubricata are more coarsely serrate than in P. depressa . The most similar species is P. gessorum . The females of both species can be distinguished by the colour of the metasomal terga and the structure and size of the supraclypeal area. The females of P. depressa have blackish to pallid brownish metasomal terga (extensively reddish in P. gessorum ) and a broad supraclypeal area (smaller in P. gessorum ). The males of P. depressa can be easily distinguished from those of P. rubricata by the size and structure of the gonostylus and the antennal flagellomeres A3 and A4. The gonostylus of P. depressa is simple (large lateral projection in P. rubricata ) and A4 is about twice as long as A3 (A4 as long as A 3 in P. rubricata ). Both sexes of P. bifurcata differ markedly from P. depressa in their shorter body length.

Description

Female. Bl = 6,5–7,1mm. General habitus ( Fig. 3e ). Head. L = 1,7–1,8mm; W = 2,0– 2,2mm. Head wider than long ( Fig. 3a ). Integument black except mandibles and malar area sometimes partly reddish-brown. Face shiny and with loose, long, greyish to yellowish, erect hairs. Mandibles bidentate. Malar area very short, linear. Clypeus and supraclypeal area convex in profile. Clypeus strongly and moderately densely punctate (i = 1,5d); with distinct median longitudinal depression. Clypeoantennal distance 0,4mm. Supraclypeal area about as long as wide; sparsely punctation (i = 1,5–2,5d); surface of marginal and/or upper area finely sculptured. Paraocular area moderately strongly and densely punctate; surface partly sculptured. Antennae blackish to brownish. Mesosoma. L = 1,4–1,5mm; W (ITS) = 1,5–1,7mm. Integument black. Scutum polished; surface partly reticulate anteriorly; disc densely and strongly punctated (i = 1,0–1,5d) ( Fig. 3b ). Scutellum as illustrated in Fig. 3c . Scutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum with greyish to yellowish, erect hairs. Basal area of propodeum as illustrated in Fig. 3c ; propodeum shiny and densely punctate; marginal region of posterior truncation shiny, finely reticulate. Wings. Hyaline. Legs. Integument mostly brownish. Vestiture yellowish. Ts finely serrate ( Fig. 3f ). Bp broad and pointed at apex ( Fig. 3g ). Metasoma. L = 3,5–4,0mm; W = 2,1–2,5mm. Integument black except the margins of T pallid brownish (usually T1–T3). Apical hair bands on T1–T4 hardly existent ( Fig. 3d ). Prepygidial fimbria mostly brownish.

Male. Bl = 6,5–7,0mm. Head. L = 1,7–1,8mm; W = 2,0– 2,1mm. Head wider than long ( Fig. 4a ). Integument black except mandibles and malar area sometimes partly reddish-brown. Clypeus, supraclypeal area, paraocular area and vertex covered with erect, greyish hairs; the lower half of paraocular area, supraclypeal area and clypeus also covered with appressed, whitish hairs. Mandibles simple. Malar area very short, linear. Antennae brownish-black. Flagellomeres knotty; A4 about 1,5–2,0 times longer than A3. Mesosoma. L = 1,4–1,5mm; W (ITS) = 1,5–1,7mm. Integument black. Scutum polished; strongly and sparsely punctate (i = 1,5–2,0d); surface slightly sculptured ( Fig. 4b ). Scutellum as illustrated in Fig. 4c . Scutum, scutellum,metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum with long, greyish, erect hairs. Basal area of propodeum as illustrated in Fig. 4c ; propodeum shiny, strongly and densely punctate. Marginal region of posterior truncation shiny and reticulate. Wings. Hyaline. Legs. Integument brownish to black. Vestiture mostly greyish. Metasoma. L = 4,0– 4,1mm; W = 2,2–2,3mm. Integument black except the margins of T pallid brownish to pallid yellowish. Metasomal terga as illustrated in Fig. 4d . Apical plate broad and pointed apically. Posterior margin of S4 with a row of strong, small, erect bristles; metasomal sterna S5–S6 with dense hair patches ( Fig. 4e ). S7 and S8 as illustrated in Fig. 4h . Genitalia. Genitalia as illustrated in Fig. 4f–g ; gonocoxa dull and gonostylus simple, without dorso-lateral projection.

Type material (14 specimens). Holotype, female, South Africa, Cape Province, Richtersveld N Park, Koeroegabvlakte, S28°11' / E17°03', 17.–21. and 24.ix.1995, leg. F.W., S.K. and R.W. Gess (white label), on small cream fls Zygophyllum prismatocarpum E. Mey. Ex Sond. Zygophyllaceae (white label), 95/96/94 (white label), Entomology Dept. Albany Museum Somerset Street Grahamstown 6139 South Africa (blue label), AMGS.

Paratypes: 11♀, 2♂. South Africa. Western Cape : 3♀, Kunje Farm , 28 km SE Citrusdal, 23.–25.ix.2001, leg. B. Danforth, CUIC ; 1♀, 5km N Grootdrif, Knersvlakte , 21.ix.2007, leg. K. Timmermann, KTPC ; Northern Cape: 2♀, 1♂, Nababeep , 06.ix.1992, leg. F.W. and S.K. Gess, No. 92/93/1, AMGS ; 1♂, Steinkopf, leg. L. Schultze, SANC Pretoria Database No. Hytm 04680, TMSA ; 1♀, Richtersveld Helskloof , 05.viii.1992, leg. V . B. Whitehead , SAM – HYM – B009668 , SAMC ; 3♀, Richtersveld N Park Koeroegabvlakte, 17.–21. and 24.ix.1995, leg. F.W., S.K. and R . W. Gess, No. 95/96/87, 95/96/116; 95/96/89, AMGS ; 1♀, idem., 06.ix.1996, No. 96/97/14, AMGS .

Etymology. This species is named after the median longitudinal clypeal depression.

Distribution ( Fig. 5). Distributed in the winter rainfall area.

Floral visitation. Hermbstaedtia glauca (Amaranthaceae) , Heliophila spec. , Heliophila coronifolia (Brassicaceae) , Zygophyllum spec. , Zygophyllum prismatocarpum (Zygophyllaceae) .

Seasonal activity (first–last observations). viii–ix.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Patellapis (P.) depressa, female: a. Head (scale=1mm); b. Scutum (scale=1mm); c. Scutellum and propodeum (scale=0,5mm); d. Metasomal terga (scale=1mm); e. Body (scale=1mm); f. Inner hind tibial spur (scale=100µm); g. Basitibial plate (scale=100µm).

FIGURE 4. Patellapis (P.) depressa, male: a. Head (scale=1mm); b. Scutum (scale=1mm); c. Scutellum and propodeum (scale=0,5mm); d. Metasomal terga (scale=1mm); e. Metasomal sterna (scale=1mm); f. Genitalia, dorsal view (scale=0,5mm); g. Genitalia, lateral view (scale=0,5mm); h. Metasomal sterna S7 and S8, ventral view (scale=0,5mm).