Morochares sinica 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 : 499-502

Morochares sinica Loktionov & Lelej , sp. nov.

( Figs 6–14 )

Material examined. Holotype, ♀, China, Hainan, Mt. Yingeling, Hongmao Village, 18–19.X.2007 ( Jieming Yao ), No 2016000482 [ SCAU] . Paratype: 1♀, China, Guangdong, Zhaoqing, Fenghuang town, Tonggu Village 3– 4.VII.2014, yellow pan trap ( Hou Zi ), No 2016000747 [ IBSS] .

Diagnosis. Female. The female of Morochares sinica sp. nov. can be easily separated from those of other congeners by having the head in frontal view with the vertex not produced beyond the eye top and almost straight medially ( Fig. 7 ); the temple in dorsal view not developed ( Fig. 9 ); the scape 1.24–1.28 times as long as F1; and the F1 1.05–1.09 times as long as UID. Other characters of importance are: the scape 1.24–1.28 times as long as F1; the F1 4.0–4.5 times as long as maximum width; the clypeus with the anterior margin straight ( Fig. 10 ); apical flagellomere roundly blunt apically; the propodeum with rugae more or less straight, transverse and coarse on juncture between dorsum and posterior face ( Fig. 12 ); the forewing yellowish-brown, with a subapical brown fascia and a narrow whitened apical band ( Fig. 13 ). Male. Unknown.

Description. FEMALE. Length: body 12.9–13.6 mm; forewing 10.0– 10.3 mm. Head 1.18–1.23 times as wide as height; MID 0.51–0.55 times as long as head width in frontal view, half of MID 1.03–1.05 times as long as eye width ( Fig. 7 ). Ocelli large, not raised; ocellar triangle right-angled; POD: OOD = 1.20–1.27 ( Fig. 9 ). Head in frontal view with vertex not produced beyond eye top and almost straight medially ( Fig. 7 ). Posterior margin of vertex in dorsal view indistinctly concave ( Fig. 9 ). Head in lateral view with frons slightly convex ( Fig. 8 ). Temple in dorsal view not developed ( Fig. 9 ). Gena in profile strongly narrowing towards vertex ( Fig. 8 ). Face on both sides of antennal sockets slightly concave. Malar space short ( Fig. 10 ). Clypeus slightly convex, 1.08–1.09 times as wide as LID, and 2.82–2.95 times as wide as height; anterior margin straight; anterolateral corner rounded ( Fig. 10 ). Mandible stout with small subapical tooth ( Fig. 10 ). Labrum with straight or inconspicuously concave anterior margin ( Fig. 10 ). Maxillary palps 3–6 about same length, fourth segment slightly longer. Flagellum filiform; scape slightly bent; ratio of scape, pedicel and F1–F 4 in holotype 56: 9: 45: 39: 35: 31; scape 1.24–1.28 times as long as F1, and 0.66–0.70 times as long as F1 and F2 combined, and 1.25–1.33 times as long as UID; F1 4.0–4.5 times as long as maximum width and 1.05–1.09 times as long as UID; apical flagellomere roundly blunt apically.

Mesosoma. Pronotum in dorsal view somewhat elongated, medially 0.39–0.42 times as long as maximum width; anterior face low and noticeably inclined, roundly merging into dorsum ( Figs 8, 11 ); posterior border subangulate. Dorsum of mesoscutum convex in anterior half. Dorsum of mesoscutellum and metanotum slightly convex. Metapostnotum in holotype slightly constricted medially and concave posteromedially ( Fig. 12 ), in paratype not constricted. Propodeum in dorsal view 0.81–0.90 times as long as wide; dorsum in lateral view barely convex; dorsum roundly merging with lateral and posterior faces ( Fig. 12 ), with longitudinal and shallow furrow medially.

Legs. Proleg without spines, except following: protibia outer face with 3–5 short spines, protibia with few different length spines apically, protarsomere 1 with four short spines on outer face and two longitudinal rows of very short spines ventrally, protarsomeres 2 and 3 with median longitudinal row of very short spines ventrally; protarsi shortened, protarsomere 1 1.25 times as long as protarsomere 2–4 combined. Meso- and metafemur without spines except two short spines dorso- and lateroapically; meso- and metatibia, meso- and metatarsomere 1 with scattered long and suberect spines; meso- and metatarsomeres 2 and 3 ventral face with distinct median longitudinal row of short spines and two indistinct lateral longitudinal rows; meso- and metatarsomere 4 ventral face with median longitudinal row of short spines only; metatibia longer spur 0.54–0.62 times as long as metatarsomere 1. Tarsomere 5 without spines ventrally. Tarsal claws symmetrical and bifid, inner tooth broad and obliquely truncated.

Wings translucent, yellowish-brown ( Figs 13, 14 ). Forewing ( Fig. 13 ) with brown fascia on marginal cell (almost entirely), SMC2 (almost entirely or apical half), SMC3 (entirely) and 2M (apical part) across wing, and with narrow somewhat whitened apical band; pterostigma yellowish-brown; SMC2 1.68–1.81 times as long as high, narrowed on vein Rs by 0.64–0.75 times its own length on vein M, receiving crossvein 1m-cu at basal 0.59– 0.64; SMC3 1.13–1.16 times as long as SMC2 on vein M, 0.83–1.17 times as long as SMC2 on vein Rs, narrowed on vein Rs by 0.55–0.66 times its own length on vein M, receiving crossvein 2m-cu at basal 0.50–0.64; crossvein 2rs-m straight; crossvein 3rs-m curved or arched towards wing apex; crossvein cu-a straight, originating just beyond or slightly beyond separation of vein M+CuA; vein M ending slightly before wing margin; vein Cu1 almost touching wing margin. Hind wing ( Fig. 14 ) with barely brownish apical portion; crossvein cu-a hardly anterofurcal, arched before confluence with vein A.

Metasoma slightly wider than mesosoma in dorsal view. Posterior margin of T1 straight, T2–T5 and S1–S5 slightly emarginate medially. S5 somewhat compressed laterally, forming indistinct longitudinal median carina in posterior half.

Sculpture. Body matt, except clypeus apically and mandible polished ( Fig. 10 ), metasoma sometimes somewhat polished ( Fig. 6 ). Body with inconspicuous micropunctures. Metapostnotum with fine transverse striae connected anteriorly and disconnected posteriorly ( Fig. 12 ). Propodeum with rugae more or less straight, transverse and coarse on juncture between dorsum and posterior face ( Fig. 12 ); dorsum microshagreened anteriorly. S6 with carina polished posteromedially. Antenna and legs matt.

Colour and pubescence. Body black ( Fig. 6 ); top of apical flagellomere somewhat yellowish; mandible dark brown; maxillary palps light-brown; spurs yellowish-brown; claws brown; longitudinal brush on metatibia inner face golden-brown. Body without setae except following: upper frons, pronotum and mesoscutum with scattered thin short erect setae; labrum and mandible with few thin and pale setae; S1–S3 with short scattered pale setae; S4 and S5 with long pale setae posteriorly; T6 and S6 with long brown setae. Head, mesosoma and legs with iridescence micropubescence; frons with somewhat yellowish micropubescence; dorsum of pronotum, mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, and sometimes metapleuron and sides of propodeum with indistinct coppery micropubescence; posterior face and dorsum of propodeum with silver micropubescence. Metasomal segments with iridescent micropubescence; T2–T5 anteriorly with band of silver micropubescence more distinct in anterolateral portion ( Fig. 6 ).

MALE. Unknown.

Distribution. China: Guangdong and Hainan.

Etymology. The specific name originates from Latin " Sina ", meaning China, a reference to the type locality of the species.

Remarks. The female of Morochares sinica sp. nov. is similar to those of M. wolfi sp. nov. and M. xuzaifui sp. nov. in having the forewing yellowish-brown, but it can be easily distinguished by the following characters: the scape 1.24–1.28 times as long as F1 and the F1 1.05–1.09 times as long as UID in M. sinica sp. nov. vs the scape 1.5–1.6 times as long as F1 and the F1 0.76–0.84 times as long as UID in both of the other species; the head in frontal view with the vertex not produced beyond the eye top ( Fig. 7 ) in M. sinica sp. nov. vs the vertex slightly produced beyond the eye top in both of the other species ( Figs 28 , 39 ); the temple in dorsal view not developed ( Fig. 9 ) in M. sinica sp. nov. vs developed in both of the other species ( Figs 30 , 42 ); the clypeal anterior margin straight ( Fig. 10 ) in M. sinica sp. nov. vs distinctly roundly produced in M. wolfi sp. nov. ( Fig. 32 ).

Figures

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.