Antepipona crenula Nguyen, Yamane & Engel, 2024

Nguyen, Lien Thi Phuong, Nguyen, Anh D., Dang, Hoa T., Yamane, Seiki & Engel, Michael S., 2024, Taxonomic review of the potter wasp genus Antepipona de Saussure, 1855 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae) from Vietnam, with descriptions of two new species and keys to the Oriental fauna, Zoosystema 46 (27), pp. 697-722 : 712-714

Antepipona crenula Nguyen, Yamane & Engel , n. sp.

( Figs 13 ; 14 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B13E8981-B532-4201-9E59-2829BC0B87B5

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Holotype. Vietnam • ♂; Xuan Son National Park, Xuan Son , Phu Tho; 11.IX.2009; Nguyen Huu Thao leg.; IEBR.

DIAGNOSIS. — This species can be distinguished from congeners by the following character combination: Clypeus in frontal view slightly wider than high; inner compound eye margins strongly convergent ventrally, in anterior view slightly more than 1.5× further apart from each other at vertex than at clypeus; mesoscutum shorter than wide between tegulae (c. 0.9× shorter than wide between tegulae), with faint short longitudinal carina laterally; metanotum weakly convex, with two large sharp tubercles; propodeum with slightly oblique short carinae, with corner between lateral and dorsal surfaces rounded, corner between dorsal and posterior surfaces angled; SII depressed at base, in lateral view convex from base to apical margin. Penis valve about 1.7× as long as basal apodeme, in profile apical part strongly produced into a large rounded lobe, with apical margin serrate.

DESCRIPTION

Male ( Fig. 13G )

Measurements. Body length 7 mm; forewing length 6.5 mm.

Structure. Head in facial view transverse, 1.2× as wide as high ( Fig. 13A ). Vertex without cephalic fovea. Distance from posterior ocellus to posterior margin of vertex 1.2× distance from posterior ocellus to inner compound eye margin ( Fig. 13B ). Gena in lateral view narrower than compound eye, about 0.8× as wide as compound eye; occipital carina not complete, present along length of gena laterally, obsolete dorsally. Inner compound eye margins strongly convergent ventrally, in anterior view slightly more than 1.5× further apart from each other at vertex than at clypeus ( Fig. 13A ). Clypeus in lateral view gradually convex from base to middle, then straight to apical margin; in frontal view slightly wider than high ( Fig. 13A ), with basal margin slightly convex medially and distinctly separated from antennal toruli; apical margin narrowly and deeply emarginate medially, forming slightly sharp tooth on each side, distance between teeth nearly 1/3 width of clypeus between inner compound eye margins (c. 0.30× width of clypeus between inner compound eye margins). Mandible with five prominent teeth. Antennal scape 3.7× as long as its maximum width, slightly curved; FI 1.5× longer than wide, FII slightly longer than wide, FIII-IV as wide as long, FV-FVIII wider than long, FX small, terminal flagellomere slightly curved, long and gradually narrowed from base to apex, 2× as long as its basal width.

Mesosoma. Longer than wide in dorsal view ( Fig. 13E ). Pronotal carina developed at lateral sides, reaching ventral corner of pronotum, obsoleted dorsally, in dorsal view slightly produced at lateral corners; anterior surface of pronotum with two closely, deeply impressed pits medially, with dense strong punctures mediolaterally ( Fig. 13D ). Mesoscutum convex, shorter than wide between tegulae (c. 0.9× shorter than wide between tegulae), with faint short longitudinal carina laterally ( Fig. 13E ). Disc of mesoscutellum convex, in lateral view not at same level of mesoscutum ( Fig. 13G ), narrowly depressed basally, with a row of short longitudinal carinae basally and apically, with longitudinal carina laterally. Metanotum weakly convex, with two large sharp tubercles, distance between tubercles slightly longer than distance from tubercle to lateral margin of metanotum. Propodeal dorsum below level with metanotum; declivity of propodeum with narrow longitudinal carina medially, with slightly oblique short carinae ( Fig. 13F ); concavity deep and wide, corner between lateral and dorsal surfaces rounded, corner between dorsal and posterior surfaces angled.

Metasomal segment I narrower than segment II ( Fig. 13G ); TI conical in shape, in dorsal view 1.6× as wide as long; TII wider than long, 1.2× as wide as long; SII depressed at base, in lateral view convex from base to apical margin.

Sculpturing. Clypeus with dense strong punctures, interspaces between punctures smooth, each puncture bearing a short bristle. Frons densely covered with coarse flat-bottomed punctures, interspaces between punctures raised to form reticulation. Vertex with punctures similar with those on frons, but coarser; gena with strong and large punctures; occipital carina not widened laterally. Pronotum with punctures similar to those on vertex. Mesoscutum covered with coarse punctures larger than those on pronotum, interspaces between punctures smooth, raised to form reticulation; mesoscutellum with punctures similar to those on pronotum, punctures on metanotum smaller than those on mesoscutellum. Mesepisternum with flat-bottomed punctures, punctures similar to those on pronotum posterodorsally, with sparse strong punctures anteroventrally; border between posterodorsal and anteroventral parts distinct, looking like a carina, without epicnemial carina.Dorsal part of metapleuron largely smooth, with several short and weak striae, ventral part with dense strong punctures. Propodeum with coarse punctures dorsally, punctures much shallower and weaker to form weak transverse striae laterally, interspaces between punctures strongly raised to form reticulation, dorso-lateral margin of propodeum somewhat angled; posterior surface shiny, with dense strong punctures. Tegula with dense small punctures. Metasomal TI covered with dense strong punctures, punctures on lateral and apical margins sparser and weaker; punctures on TII smaller and shallower than those on TI, punctures on apical margin of TIII larger than those on apical margin of TII, punctures on apical margin of TIV-VI smaller than those on apical margin of TIII-TIV, punctures on TVII and SVII small and sparse, punctures on SII clear, deeper than those on TII, interspaces with minute punctures.

Color. Body black, with following parts yellow: clypeus except small brown spot at central and black lateral margins, a large spot on frons, a large mark along inner orbit extended close to clypeus, mandible except base and teeth, antennal scape except a longitudinal black strip dorsally, flagellomeres VII-X beneath, last flagellomere entirely, two spots on vertex below compound eye margins, a thick transverse strip on pronotum, scutellum except black margins, metanotum except black margins, a large spot on mesopleuron, two large spots on propodeum laterally, parategulae, apical margin of TI, two large spots laterally near base and a thick band apically on TII, bands on TIII-TV, SIII-SV apically, tibiae and basitarsi of all legs, and femora of all legs except 1/3 basally. Tegulae dark brown with a black mark medially. Valvulae brown. Wing membrane with apical part dark infumate, veins dark brown ( Fig. 13G ).

Pubescence. Body with silver setae of medium-length.

Genitalia. As in Figure 14 . Parameral spine lacking setae. Volsella flattened, wide on inner aspect, without setae at top ( Fig. 14A ). Digitus almost trapezoidal apically, with apical margin deeply emarginate. Penis valve ( Fig. 14C ), about 1.7× as long as basal apodeme, in profile apical part strongly produced into a large rounded lobe ( Fig. 14D ), with short teeth at most edges of lobe ( Fig. 14D ).

Female

Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION. — Central Vietnam.

ETYMOLOGY. — The specific epithet refers to the small notch in apical margin of the digitus in this species.

REMARKS

This species is quite similar to A. biguttata in having the posterior surface of the propodeum with slightly oblique short carinae, SII not bulging at base, clypeus wider than long, color and shape of digitus and aedeagus in general, but it differs from the latter by the following characters: Anterior surface of pronotum with two closely and deeply impressed pits located medially (anterior surface of pronotum with horizontal series of punctures on middle third, close to each other and separated by short longitudinal carinae in A. biguttata ); pronotal carina weakly produced at lateral corner (pronotal carina strongly produced at lateral corner in A. biguttata ); tegulae brown with a black mark medio-laterally (tegulae yellow with a black transverse strip medially in A. biguttata ); two lateral carinae at apical margin of mesoscutum weak (strong in A. buguttata ); digitus with apical margin deeply emarginate (rounded in A. biguttata ); penis valve in profile with apical part strongly produced into a large rounded lobe (produced into a pointed lobe in A. biguttata ), with short teeth present on most of the lobe (upper part of proximal margin serrated in A. biguttata ).

Figures

FIG. 13. — Antepipona crenula Nguyen, Yamane & Engel, n. sp., male holotype: A, head, facial view; B, head, dorsal view; C, antenna; D, pronotum, frontal view; E, mesosoma, dorsal view; F, metanotum and propodeum, posterior view; G, habitus, lateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIG. 14. — Antepipona crenula Nguyen, Yamane & Engel, n. sp., genitalia: A, inner aspect of paramere with volsella and digitus; B, digitus; C, aedeagus, ventral view; D, aedeagus, lateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.