Morochares wahisi Loktionov & Lelej, 2018

Loktionov, Valery M., Lelej, Arkady S. & Liu, Jing-Xian, 2018, Contribution to the knowledge on the spider wasps genus Morochares Banks, 1934 (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) from China, Zootaxa 4462 (4), pp. 497-510 : 502-504

Morochares wahisi Loktionov & Lelej , sp. nov.

( Figs 15–26 )

Material examined. Holotype, ♀, China, Hainan, Mt. Yinggeling, Hongmao Village, 18–19.X.2007 ( Jieming Yao ), No 2016000482 [ SCAU] . Paratype, 1♀, China, Hainan, Mt. Yinggeling, 6.III–28.V.2007 (Liqiong Wen), No 2016000279 [ IBSS] .

Diagnosis. Female. The female of Morochares wahisi sp. nov. can be easily separated from other congeners by having the head in frontal view with vertex conspicuously projected over the eye top ( Fig. 16 ); the clypeus much narrower than LID ( Fig. 16 ); the pronotum with the anterior face high and vertical, distinctly differentiated from the dorsum by a sharp barely-produced carina medially ( Figs 15, 17, 22 ); and the forewing translucent, slightly brownish with brown apical fascia ( Fig. 25 ). Other characters of importance are: the scape 1.8–2.1 times as long as F1; the F1 0.48–0.52 times as long as UID; POD: OOD = 1.37–1.58 ( Fig. 19 ); half of MID 1.5–1.6 times as long as eye width in frontal view ( Fig. 16 ); and the propodeum with transverse deep coarse interrupted medially and slightly arched rugae on dorsum posteriorly and posterior face apically ( Fig. 23 ). Male. Unknown.

Description. FEMALE. Length: body 11.8–12.9 mm; forewing 8.3–8.5 mm. Head 1.02–1.03 times as wide as height; MID 0.59–0.62 times as long as head width in frontal view, half of MID 1.5–1.6 times as long as eye width in frontal view ( Fig. 16 ). Ocelli large, not raised; ocellar triangle about hardly obtuse-angled; POD: OOD = 1.37– 1.58 ( Fig. 19 ). Head in frontal view almost round-shaped with vertex highly, steeply and roundly convex between eye top ( Fig. 16 ). Posterior margin of vertex in dorsal view slightly convex medially and concave laterally ( Fig. 19 ). Head in lateral view somewhat flattened with frons barely convex ( Fig. 17 ). Temple in dorsal view welldeveloped ( Fig. 19 ). Gena in profile gradually receding towards vertex ( Fig. 17 ). Face around antennal sockets noticeably concave. Malar space slightly developed ( Fig. 18 ). Clypeus 0.78–0.80 times as wide as LID; 2.1–2.3 times as wide as height; anterior half inclined towards mentum; anterior rim straight with anterolateral corner rounded ( Figs 16, 18 ). Mandible stout with small subapical tooth; in frontal view dorsal and ventral margin with flattened elongated and narrow lobes. Labrum with straight anterior margin. Maxillary palps about same length. Flagellum filiform; scape slightly bent; ratio of scape, pedicel and F1–F 4 in holotype 54: 9: 26: 24: 22: 19; scape 1.8–2.1 times as long as F1, and 0.95–1.1 times as long as F1 and F2 combined; F1 3.2–3.4 times as long as maximum width and 0.48–0.52 times as long as UID; apical flagellomere blunt apically ( Fig. 20 ).

Mesosoma with mesoscutum somewhat wider than propodeum in dorsal view. Pronotum in dorsal view somewhat elongated, 0.45–0.53 times as long as its maximum width ( Fig. 19 ); anterior face high and vertical, distinctly differentiated from dorsum by sharp barely produced carina medially ( Figs 15, 17, 19, 22 ); posterior border somewhat subangulate ( Fig. 19 ). Dorsum of mesoscutum convex in anterior half. Dorsum of mesoscutellum and metanotum slightly convex. Metanotum medially 0.27–0.34 times as long as metapostnotum medially. Metapostnotum slightly concave medially; posterior margin arcuately emarginate medially. Propodeum in dorsal view somewhat shortened, 0.91–0.92 times as long as wide; dorsum with longitudinal and shallow furrow medially; dorsum in lateral view barely convex; juncture between dorsum and lateral and posterior faces more or less distinct and rounded; posterior face flattened with inconspicuous concavities on both sides of longitudinal midline ( Fig. 23 ).

Legs. Proleg without spines, except protibia outer face with two short spines, protibia with few different length spines apically and protarsomere 1 outer face with four very short spines; protarsi shortened, protarsomere 1 1.42– 1.46 times as long as protarsomeres 2–4 combined. Mesofemur without spines; mesotibia and mesotarsomere 1 with scattered long and suberect spines. Metafemur without spines except two inconspicuous spines dorsoapically; metatibia and metatarsomere 1 with longer than on mesotibia spines; longest spine on metatibia dorsally 0.8–0.9 times as long as metatibia width medially in lateral view; metatibia longer spur about as long as half of metatarsomere 1. Pro-, meso- and metatarsomere 1–4 with longitudinal row of short spines medially. Tarsal claws symmetrical and bifid, inner tooth broad and obliquely truncated ( Fig. 24 ).

Wings translucent, slightly brownish ( Figs 25, 26 ). Forewing ( Fig. 25 ) with brown apical fascia; pterostigma dark brown; SMC2 1.32–1.55 times as long as high, narrowed on vein Rs by 0.73–0.75 times its own length on vein M, receiving crossvein 1m-cu at basal 0.65–0.68; SMC3 0.93–1.16 times as long as SMC2 on vein M, 0.48– 0.63 times as long as SMC2 on vein Rs, narrowed on vein Rs by 0.38–0.41 times its own length on vein M, receiving crossvein 2m-cu at basal 0.56–0.70; crossvein 2rs-m slightly curved medially; crossvein 3rs-m arched towards wing apex; crossvein cu-a straight, originating just to separation of vein M+CuA (interstitial); veins M and Cu1 ending slightly before wing margin. Hind wing ( Fig. 26 ) with slightly darker apical portion; crossvein cu-a hardly or slightly anterofurcal, noticeably arched before confluence with vein A.

Metasoma slightly wider than mesosoma in dorsal view. T 1 in lateral view with well-developed anterior declivity ( Fig. 15 ). Posterior margin of T1–T5 ( Fig. 21 ) and S1–S5 slightly emarginate medially. S5 somewhat compressed laterally, forming longitudinal median carina in posterior half.

Sculpture. Head polished; mesosoma (except propodeum) and metasoma less polished than frons; propodeum matt. Body with inconspicuous micropunctures. Metapostnotum with very fine transverse stria. Propodeum with transverse deep coarse interrupted medially and slightly arched rugae on dorsum posteriorly and posterior face apically ( Fig. 23 ); dorsum microshagreened. S6 with carina polished posteromedially. Antenna with scape somewhat polished and other segments mostly matt. Legs with coxae and femora somewhat polished and other segments matt.

Colour and pubescence. Body black ( Fig. 15 ); mandible apical half, claws and spurs brown; longitudinal brush on metatibia inner face golden-brown. Body without setae except following: labrum and mandible with few thin and pale setae; S4 and S5 with scattered pale setae posteriorly; T6 and S6 with longer than on S5 pale setae. Head, mesosoma and legs with silver micropubescence. Metasomal segments with iridescent micropubescence; T1 anterior half with silver pubescence; T2–T4 with band of more intensive silver pubescence anteriorly, sometimes narrowing medially ( Fig. 21 ).

MALE. Unknown.

Distribution. China: Hainan.

Etymology. In reference to Raymond Wahis, world authority in spider wasps.

Remarks. The female of Morochares wahisi sp. nov. distinctly differs from those of other species by having the head in frontal view with the vertex conspicuously projected over the eye top ( Fig. 16 ) in M. wahisi sp. nov. vs slightly projected or not projected in M. nigripennis Banks , M. sinica sp. nov., M. wolfi sp. nov. and M. xuzaifui sp. nov. ( Figs 2 , 7 , 28 , 39 ). Also, the female of this new species can be easily separated from that of M. fascipennis Banks by the following characters: the forewing without inner fascia ( Fig. 25 ) in M. wahisi sp. nov. vs with an inner fascia in M. fascipennis ; the temple in dorsal view well-developed ( Fig. 19 ) M. wahisi sp. nov. vs not developed, linear in M. fascipennis .

Figures

FIGURES 15–26. Morochares wahisi sp. nov., ♀, holotype. 15. Habitus, lateral view. 16. Head, frontal view. 17. Head, lateral view. 18. Clypeus, malar space and mandible. 19. Head, pronotum and mesoscutum, dorsal view. 20. F9 and F10. 21. Metasoma, dorsal view. 22. Head and mesosoma, lateral view. 23. Propodeum, dorsolateral view. 24. Metaclaw, lateral view. 25. Forewing. 26. Hind wing.

FIGURES 1–5. Morochares nigripennis, ♀, Taiwan. 1. Habitus, dorsolateral view. 2. Head, frontal view. 3. Head, mesosoma and T1, dorsal view. 4. Forewing. 5. Hind wing.

FIGURES 6–14. Morochares sinica sp. nov., ♀, holotype. 6. Habitus, lateral view. 7. Head, frontal view. 8. Head, lateral view. 9. Head, dorsal view. 10. Clypeus, frontal view. 11. Mesosoma, lateral view. 12. Propodeum, dorsolateral view. 13. Forewing. 14. Hind wing.

FIGURES 27–35. Morochares wolfi sp. nov., ♀, holotype. 27. Habitus, lateral view. 28. Head, frontal view. 29. Head, lateral view. 30. Head, pronotum and mesoscutum, dorsal view. 31. Head, mesosoma and T1, lateral view. 32. Clypeus, frontal view. 33. Propodeum, dorsolateral view. 34. Forewing. 35. Hind wing.

FIGURES 36–45. Morochares xuzaifui sp. nov., ♀, holotype. 36. Habitus, dorsolateral view. 37. Apical flagellomeres of both antennae. 38. Clypeus, frontal view. 39. Head, frontal view. 40. Head, lateral view. 41. Mesosoma and T1, dorsal view. 42. Head, pronotum and mesoscutum, dorsal view. 43. Mesoscutellum, metanotum, metapostnotum, propodeum and T1, dorsolateral view. 44. Forewing. 45. Hind wing.