Symmorphus (Symmorphus) palawanensis Selis, 2018

Selis, Marco, 2018, Additions to the knowledge of solitary wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae), with description of eight new species, Zootaxa 4403 (3), pp. 441-468 : 459-460

Symmorphus (Symmorphus) palawanensis Selis , sp. nov.

( Figs. 30–36 )

Diagnosis. This species can be easily differentiated from the other species of the subgenus Symmorphus recorded from the Philippine Islands, Symmorphus (Symmorphus) canlaonicus Cumming, 1989 , by the presence of a complete pronotal carina, which is not obsolete dorsolaterally ( Fig. 32 ).

Material examined. HOLOTYPE, ♀, pinned, “ Philippines, Palawan / Mantalingajan / Tagembung 1150 meter / 17 Sept. 1961 / Noona Dan Exp. 61-62” [printed on white label], “ Caught by / Mercury-light / 19.00-03.30” [printed on white label], “ Koptodynerus p.202 ” [handwritten on white label] ( MSNVE).

Description. Female. Body length 8 mm; fore wing length 7 mm.

Head 1.1× as wide as long in frontal view. Clypeus medially convex in lateral view, apical margin broadly and shallowly emarginated, almost truncate, emargination 10× as wide as deep, emargination about as wide as interantennal space, apical teeth squared and with a short longitudinal carina, clypeus 2.2× as long as wide ( Fig. 31 ). Distance from posterior ocellus to inner eye margin 0.4× as the distance from posterior ocellus to occipital margin; ocelli disposed as a obtuse triangle, distance between posterior ocelli 2.5× as long as distance between anterior ocellus and posterior ocellus. Temples 0.8× as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina entire and angled in ventral half. Scape 3.2× as long as apically wide; F1 1.25× as long as apically wide; F2–F9 wider than long, progressively wider; F10 bullet-shaped. Foveae small and located posteriorly to each posterior ocellus. Vertex weakly sloping posteriorly. Mesosoma in dorsal view elongate, 1.5× as long as wide. Pronotal carina present for entire length, rounded on humeri medially touching posterior margin of pronotum ( Fig. 32 ). Mesoscutum 1.1× as long as wide between tegulae, weakly convex in lateral view; notauli present for entire length of mesoscutum, deep and narrow posteriorly, becoming wider and shallower anteriorly; a narrow median sulcus present for entire length of mesoscutum. Scutellum in lateral view flattened, anterior and posterior margins crenate, median fovea present. Metanotum angled in lateral view, with a dorsal horizontal face and a posterior vertical face, separation between faces marked by a medially depressed carina; posterior face flat. Tegulae narrow, posterior lobe short and not equaling parategula. Parategulae short and strongly angled basally. Mesepisternum convex, epicnemial carina well-developed. Propodeum almost vertical in lateral view, with a short dorsal shelf behind metanotum; posterior face broadly and shallowly depressed with a median longitudinal carina, markedly separated from other faces; lateral face weakly depressed posteriorly; dorsal faces meeting behind metanotum, forming a dorsal shelf, with a median fovea; submarginal carina forming a pointed projection, fused with valvula ( Fig. 33 ). T1 1.7× as wide as long in dorsal view, anteriorly with a distinct transverse carina which is curved laterally; posterior horizontal face with a broad and shallow longitudinal sulcus; a transverse sulcus present along posterior margin of transverse carina; apical margin swollen in a cordon-like structure ( Fig. 34 ). T2 basally angled and then flattened in lateral view. Apical margin of T2 and S2 with a translucent lamella, not strongly separated from rest of surface. S1 with basal carina, lateral oblique ridge and median longitudinal ridge all present, some longitudinal carinae running from lateral oblique ridge to posterior margin ( Fig. 35 ). S 2 in lateral view vertically truncated basally, forming an elevated rounded fold, then weakly depressed in basal half ( Fig. 36 ).

Whole body covered by dense golden vestiture, that is very variable in length. Short pubescence present on head, mesoscutum, propodeum and metasomal terga; long bristles present on propodeum, mesepisternum, T3–T6 and all sterna.

Clypeus with small deep punctures, dense basally and sparser apically. Frons with small deep punctures, interspaces equal to or smaller than point diameter. Vertex and gena punctured like frons, but interspaces larger. Pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum with deep punctures, moderately larger than those on frons; some smooth spaces on posterior half of mesoscutum. Posterior vertical face of metanotum with irregular coarse striae and points. Mesepisternum smooth and shiny, with some scattered deep punctures. Metaepisternum smooth, with some large striae on anterior and ventral margin. Posterior face of propodeum shiny, with extremely fine irregular striae; dorsal face with irregular very large flat-bottomed punctures; lateral face irregularly striate, striae becoming flatbottomed punctured posteriorly. Anterior vertical face of T1 microreticulate, with a series of shallow punctures before transverse carina; posterior horizontal face of T1 very densely and deeply punctured, interspaces smaller than points diameter, swollen apical margin smooth. T2 more sparsely and shallowly punctured in the middle, punctures becoming denser and deeper laterally, some larger punctures present before preapical smooth margin. T3–T5 with some shallow medium sized punctures. S2 with deep punctures, interspaces 3 to 5 times point diameter. S3 punctured like respective tergum, but points deeper.

Color. Black; following parts pale-yellow to yellow-orange: basal triangular mark on mandible, basal third of clypeus, small spot above interantennal space, small postocular dot, basal half of anterior face of antennal scape, triangular mark on each side of middle line of pronotum, posterior lobe of tegula, two subtriangular spots on posterior margin of scutellum, two small spots on metanotum, dorsal triangular spot on mesepisternum, apical smooth margin of T1, subapical margin of T2 and S2; following parts dark reddish: mandibles except inner margin, antennal scape, clypeus, posterior margin of pronotum, tegulae, coxae; legs ferrugineous. Wings weakly infuscate along costal margin.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Philippine Islands: Palawan.

Etymology. The specific name is in reference to the provenance of this species, the island of Palawan.

Figures

FIGURES 29–34. 29, Symmorphus (Symmorphus) incisus sp. nov., ♀, holotype. 30–34,(Symmorphus) palawanensis sp. nov., ♀, holotype. 29, Metasoma in lateral view. 30, Habitus. 31, Head in frontal view. 32, Pronotum in dorsolateral view. 33, Propodeum in posterodorsal view. 34, T1 in dorsal view.

FIGURES 35–40. 35–36, Symmorphus (Symmorphus) palawanensis sp. nov., ♀, holotype. 37–40, Synagris (Paragris) biplagiata Gusenleitner, 2005, ♂. 35, S1 in ventral view. 36, Metasoma in lateral view. 37, Habitus. 38, Head in frontal view. 39, Vertex in dorsal view. 40, Mandibolar articulation in posteroventral view.