Evansiclavelia Pitts, Rodriguez & Shimizu, gen. nov .

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A2BAB947-2745- 4D26-B8B6-FCB40A34C083

Type species: Evansiclavelia poecilopteryx Pitts, Rodriguez & Shimizu, sp. nov. (here designated).

Diagnosis

This genus differs from other genera of the Australian ‘Ctenocerini’ sensu Evans (1972) by the following female features: head wider than high (Fig. 4a); clypeus much narrower than LID, roughly rectangular in shape (lateral margin vertical and apical margin truncate), mostly flattened and polished; lower frons laterally to antennal sockets and below them deeply depressed with median bridge (frontal bridge) connecting frons and clypeus at the same level; eye broader than half of frons; malar space very long (Fig. 4a); gena in dorsal view abruptly receding posteriorly (Fig. 4b); and pronotum with anterior face vertical, flattened and polished, forming right angle with dorsum (Fig. 4c), latter truncate anteriorly, shallowly depressed anteromedially and posteriorly (Fig. 4b).

Description

Female

Vertex moderately convex between eye tops (Fig. 4a), distance from eye top to vertex crest, in profile, less than tenth of eye height (Fig. 4c). Posterior ocelli at level of eye tops (Fig. 4a). Scape curved outward with lateral face concave (Fig. 4b). Uppermost portion of occipital suture very high, almost at level of vertex top (Fig. 4d, arrow).

Pronotum with shoulder swollen (Fig. 4b). Propodeum with declivity rather flattened but not clearly divided from dorsum (Fig. 4c,e).

Fore femur thinner than mid femur. Dorsal apex of fore tibia with short stout decurved spines interiorly (Fig. 4f) and exteriorly (Fig. 4g). All femora, tibiae and undersides of tarsomere 5 lacking spines. Hind tibiae without integumental serrations dorsally. Orbicula very small with a few divergent, straight, weak setae. Tarsal claws unidentate.

Transverse groove on S2 almost concealed by posterior margin of S1. S6 compressed laterally with sharp median carina.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

Australia.

Etymology

The generic name is in honour of the late entomologist Dr H. E. Evans, who was an authority on systematics and behaviour of solitary wasps, especially of spider wasps; and ‘ Clavelia ’ a generic name in the subfamily Ctenocerinae . The name is considered feminine.