Parancistrocerus latitergus Li & Carpenter, 2019

Li, Tingjing & Carpenter, James M., 2019, Descriptions of eight new species of the genus Parancistrocerus Bequaert (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae), with a key to the Oriental species, Zootaxa 4551 (3), pp. 251-274 : 255-257

Parancistrocerus latitergus Li & Carpenter , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–6 )

Material examined. Holotype, 1♂, China, Hunan prov. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, 29°18'55.2"N, 110°26'05.4"E, 27.VII.2016, Tingjing Li and Pan Huang, No. 1004106 ( CQNU) . Paratype, ♂, China, Guizhou prov., Qiannan State, Libo County, Dongdai Village in Maolan National Nature Reserve , 25°39'41.4"N, 107°42'46.3"E, 21. VI .2015, Zhenxia Ma and Pan Huang, No. 1004107 ( CQNU). °18'55.2"N 110°26'05.4"

Diagnosis. This species is similar to P. taihorinensis (von Schulthess, 1934) from Taiwan, China by having T2 with the apical margin prolonged mesally, and the superior carina of propodeum not developed and irregular, not clearly separating the horizontal dorsal face of propodeum from the posterior face. It differs from P. taihorinensis and other congeners by the combination of the following characters: distance between clypeal teeth much shorter than basal width of clypeus, area between clypeal teeth more closely emarginate at apex ( Fig. 2 ); A11 long, about 1.50× as long as wide; A13 short, its apex just reaching base of A11 ( Fig. 3 ); and T1 much wider than long ( Fig. 4 ).

Description. Male ( Fig. 1 ). Body length 8.0– 8.5 mm. Head longer than wide in frontal view; clypeus ( Fig. 2 ) moderately punctate, clypeal maximum width 1.02× its length, somewhat convex, apex somewhat emarginated (in another specimen moderately emarginated forming two lateral teeth), apical width 1.10× distance between antennal sockets; inter-antennal area with longitudinal carina; frons coarsely punctate and distinctly reticulate, punctures on vertex and tempora slightly sparser and smaller than those of frons; interocular distance on vertex 1.53× that at clypeus; POL 1.35× OOL; distance between anterior and posterior ocelli longer than diameter of anterior ocellus; occipital carina complete; A11 long, about 1.50× as long as wide, and A13 short, its apex just reaching base of A11 ( Fig. 3 ).

Sloping area of anterior face of pronotum obviously polished, with two round and separated foveae mesally ( Fig. 3 ), just laterally with pubescence; pronotal carina evanescing dorsally; pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum coarsely punctate, these punctures very similar to those on vertex; median length of mesoscutum about as long as its maximum width; scutellum medially with an indistinct and longitudinal groove; metanotum with coarse punctures, interspaces carinate and sharply and minutely dentiformed; mesopleuron coarsely punctate and reticulated except large area of epicnemium and posterior margin coriaceous; epicnemial carina present and strong; metapleuron with few transverse striae on upper part and coriaceous on lower part; dorsal face of propodeum ( Fig. 4 ) coarsely punctate, punctures large, shallow, flat bottomed and interspaces with reticulate carinate, forming short and horizontal area behind midline of metanotum; posterior face of propodeum somewhat concave, with median longitudinal carina, and a few thin and transverse striae; lateral sides of propodeum densely with minute transverse striae; superior carina of propodeum not developed and just carinate at top, submarginal carina well-developed forming enclosure above propodeal valvula. Tegula smooth, with minute punctures, posteriorly emarginated adjoining parategula and about as long as apex of latter.

T1 with strong transverse carina separating vertical face from dorsal face ( Fig. 4 ), transverse carina 0.84× as wide as dorsal horizontal face; vertical anterior faces shorter than dorsal horizontal face, dorsal face much wider than long, 1.63× its median length, coarsely punctate, punctures similar to those on mesoscutum, and without regular rows of punctures at yellow band; T2 ( Fig. 5 ) long, 0.87× as wide as its median length, moderately punctate, punctures obviously sparser than those of T1, T2 laterally not concave basally, without cave at median base, without rows of punctures at apex, with preapical transverse groove, strongly punctate, followed by long translucent lamella, and prolonged mesally; S2 not lowered basally ( Fig. 6 ); other metasomal segments normal.

Black. Following parts yellow: clypeus ( Fig. 2 ), mandible excluding apex, ventral side of scape, ocular sinus, inter-antennal area connecting the spot on lower frons, a small spot on upper tempora, two separated spots on dorsal surface of pronotum ( Fig. 3 ), two connected spots of metanotum ( Fig. 4 ), a band of fore tibia inside, thin apical bands of T1 and S1, and a wide apical band of T2 ( Figs 5–6 ); legs mostly, tegula and parategula dark brown.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Hunan, Guizhou).

Etymology. The specific name latitergus is derived from two Latin words: latus (=wide) and tergum, referring to T1 being much wider than long.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Parancistrocerus latitergus sp. nov., holotype, Ƌ. 1. Habitus, dorsal view; 2. Clypeus; 3. Head and pronotum, dorsal view; 4. Propodeum and T1, dorsal view; 5. T2–T5, dorsal view; 6. S2–S5, ventral view.