Pseudonortonia bacca, Selis, 2024

Selis, Marco, 2024, Two new species of Pseudonortonia GIORDANI SOIKA, 1936 from Southern Africa (Hymenoptera, Vespidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 56 (1), pp. 337-345 : 338-340

Pseudonortonia bacca nov.sp. ( Fig. 1 )

M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Holotype: ♁, labeled " Namibia: KATIMA MULILO DIST. / Salambala forest / 17°50’02"S 24°36’20"E / 23-29.xii.2002 / A.H.& M.K. Kirk-Spriggs / Malaise traps // Namibian National / Insect Collection. / National Museum. / P.O. Box 1203. / Windhoek, Namibia [light blue label] // Pseudonortonia bacca / HOLOTYPUS ♁ / Det. Marco Selis [red label] (NMNW). Paratype: Waterberg District, Platriver, 1.xi.1903, leg. R. v. Jutrencha, 1♀ (MSVI).

D i a g n o s i s: Pseudonortonia bacca belongs to a group of species characterized by: elongate mesosoma, propodeal valvula forming a more or less rectangular lobe mostly free from the submarginal carina, transverse carina of T1 projecting in the middle, post-carinal area of T1 at most as long as apically wide, and female vertex tuberculate and strongly sloping behind ocellar triangle. In this group, P. bacca is closely related to P. arnoldi , from which it is differentiated by: smaller size, brighter and richer yellow and red pattern, integuments generally shinier, clypeus emarginate at apex and with less convex surface ( Figs 1 C-1D), female vertex concave and with sharper tubercles ( Fig. 1H ), mesosoma more elongate, subquadrate scutellum, posterior face of propodeum obliquely striate, transverse carina of T1 semicircular in the portion above spiracles, disc of T1 with sparser and larger punctures ( Figs 1 I-1J), T2 and S2 less bulging basally, S2 not depressed behind basal bulge, male aedeagus not strongly modified ( Fig. 1K ).

D e s c r i p t i o n:

Male ( Figs 1A, 1E ). Body length: 5.5 mm; fore wing length: 5.0 mm. Head 1.2 times as wide as high. Clypeus as long as wide; strongly and evenly convex, with a pair of weak blunt carinae running almost parallel to the lateral margin of the free apical part; apical margin shallowly emarginate and narrow, 0.2 times as wide as clypeus, lateral teeth short and obtuse but with pointed apex ( Fig. 1C ). Vertex weakly convex but sloping to occipital carina, 1.75 times as long as the distance between ocellus and eye margin; gena slightly more than half as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus, becoming very narrow and almost linear in ventral half, posterior margin very weakly rounded; occipital carina complete, stronger on gena and on middle of vertex, very weak on sides of vertex, somewhat reflexed on vertex. Antenna short, F1 1.6 times as long as wide, F2 slightly longer than wide, F3-8 subquadrate but becoming progressively shorter apically, F11 small and digitiform, almost straight and weakly flattened on ventrolateral surface, apex rounded and reaching apical margin of F8 ( Fig. 1G ). Mesosoma elongate, 1.45 times as long as wide. Pronotum in dorsal view with nearly straight and anteriorly converging sides, humerus obtuse; pronotal carina complete and sharp throughout, shortly lamellate on dorsal face, slightly sinuate on humerus but otherwise evenly rounded from side to side; anterior face of pronotum with a barely marked pit in the middle; dorsal face of pronotum convex and smoothly passing into lateral faces. Mesoscutum slightly longer than wide; parategula claw-shaped and strongly curved, the pointed apex is placed more medially than the base. Tegula with maximum width in the middle, posterior lobe acute and pointed, not equaling parategula. Scutellum subquadrate, anterior margin with a small median incision. Metanotum with slightly bulging anterior margin forming a very short anterior oblique face, posterior face almost entirely vertical. Mesepisternum generally convex; furrows shallow but coarsely crenate, especially on the short portion on epicnemium; epicnemial carina distinct and sharp but very low, not exceeding transverse furrow. Metaepisternum with a sharp transverse carina near upper margin. Propodeum short, in dorsal view about as long as the metanotum; dorsal faces weakly convex and strongly sloping, not meeting behind metanotum; lateral face flattened except for pit formed between submarginal and inferior carina; posterior face depressed but not clearly separated from other faces, ventrally forming a pair of "pockets" delimited posteriorly by the submarginal carina; dorsal, lateral and inferior carinae barely developed, submarginal carina produced in a long and narrow pointed projection; propodeal valvula produced in a subrectangular lobe and not completely fused to submarginal carina. T1 trapezoidal in dorsal view, with basal margin corresponding to the basal transverse carina and much narrower than apical margin, sides weakly but distinctly converging anteriorly; post-carinal area in dorsal view about 0.75 times as long as its apical width, in lateral view forming an even curve with the pre-carinal area interrupted by the carina, convex in basal half and then shallowly depressed; transverse basal carina slightly exceeding spiracles posteriorly, weakly pointed in the middle; apical margin shallowly inflated. T2 about as long as wide and much wider than T1, with markedly rounded sides; in lateral view, strongly convex basally and then almost straight to apex; apical margin with a very narrow hyaline border ( Fig. 1I ). S2 bulging basally and then almost flattened to apex.

Clypeus silky-shiny and almost smooth, with very sparse barely-visible punctures. Head and mesosoma with shallow large punctures, interspaces very shiny; punctures separated by less than their diameter on frons, becoming much sparser on gena and mostly disappearing on vertex; pronotum and mesoscutum punctured similar to frons, but punctures slightly larger and separated by about their diameter; scutellum and metanotum with much sparser punctures; mesepisternum with sparse deeper punctures, except on epimeron where punctures are dense. Dorsal faces of propodeum with large and shallow flat-bottomed cells, separated by narrow ridges; metaepisternum and lateral face of propodeum finely microstriate and shagreened, silky-shiny, with few very shallow cells on upper margin; posterior face of propodeum very shiny, with barely visible short oblique striae and scattered punctures. T1 smooth and shiny, with large shallow oblique punctures, sparser on sides and denser on mid-line and preapical area. T2 with dense fine micropunctures and shiny, punctures oblique and shallow but well-marked, very sparse basally and becoming progressively denser apically; preapical area with a series of larger and coarser punctures. T3 with deep and dense punctures, becoming progressively sparser and finer on following tergites, interspaces shagreened. S1 with irregular nearly longitudinal carinae. S2-5 similar to respective tergites, but punctures larger and sparser. S6 entirely micropunctate. S7 sparsely micropunctate basally and with sparse fine punctures apically. Head and mesosoma with short silvery setae, longer on frons and pronotum; angles of propodeum with dense and long fine white setae; metasoma with very short pale pubescence, S7 with scattered erect setae on whole surface.

Black; following parts pale yellow: clypeus except narrow black borders, interantennal space, lower face of scape, suffusion on basal half of mandible, indistinct elongate spots on middle of pronotum, small spot on projection of submarginal carina, narrow apical band on T1, wider bands on T2 and S2, indistinct basal spot on fore tibia, apex of fore and mid tibia, all basitarsi; following parts red: anterior face of pronotum, broad anterior band and narrow posterior margin on pronotum, tegula, parategula, T1 except pre-carinal area and indistinct median marking, S1, legs; lower face of flagellum and whole F11 orange; T3-7 and S3-7 dark brown. Wings hyaline, with weakly browned costal margin and apex of marginal cell.

Female ( Figs 1B, 1F ). Body length: 9.5 mm; fore wing length: 8.0 mm. Differing from male as follows: clypeus 1.1 times as long as wide, less convex in lateral view, densely micropunctate with sparse fine but well-marked punctures ( Fig. 1D ); F2-9 wider than long; vertex 1.85 times as long as distance between posterior ocellus and eye margin, shallowly depressed and more strongly swollen, deeply furrowed along occipital carina, with a pair of close dentiform tubercles between posterior ocelli ( Fig. 1H ); mesosoma 1.6 times as long as wide; mesoscutum longer than wide; scutellum less convex; metanotum with anterior margin less raised; T1 with sharper carina and more converging sides ( Fig. 1J ); punctures of head and mesosoma generally deeper and denser, interspaces narrower than puncture diameter and less shiny; punctures of metasoma generally denser; vestiture more golden.

Black; following parts red: clypeus, mandible, scape and pedicel, anterior face of pronotum, broad anterior band and narrow posterior margin on pronotum, tegula, most of T1 except pre-carinal area and longitudinal band on post-carinal area, legs (with darkened mid and hind tibia); following parts pale orange: medially interrupted basal band on clypeus, elongate spots along longitudinal carinae of clypeus, elongate spot on interantennal space; following parts yellow to pale yellow: dot on upper part of gena, indistinct elongate spots on middle of pronotum, parategula, projections of submarginal carina, narrow apical band of T1, wider apical band of T2 and S2; apical half of T3-4 and S3-4, and whole T5-6 and S5-6, ferruginous-red. Wings hyaline, with weakly browned costal margin and apex of marginal cell.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Namibia: Zambezi; South Africa: Limpopo.

Etymology: Feminine noun in apposition, meaning ‘berry’, in reference to the rounded, red and shiny T1, reminiscent of a berry.

Figures

Fig. 1. Pseudonortonia bacca nov.sp: (A) habitus of male, dorsal view; (B) habitus of female, dorsal view; (C) head of male, frontal view; (D) head of female, frontal view; (E) habitus of male, lateral view; (F) habitus of female, lateral view; (G) flagellum of male, lateral view; (H) vertex of female, dorsal view; (I) metasoma of male, dorsal view; (J) metasoma of female, dorsal view; (K) male genitalia.