Rhopalum nasale, a new species from Australia (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae)

2010·3 MB·English

by  Wojciech J Pulawski

J. H\TVI. RES.
Vol. 19(1), 2010,pp. 139-143
Rhopalum nasale, a New Species from Australia
(Hymenoptera: Crabronidae)
WOJCIECH PULAWSKI
J.
California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco,
California 94118, USA; [email protected]
—
Abstract. The new species Rhopalum nasale from Southern Australia is mainly characterized
by its unique clypeal process, the expanded occipital carina, and the pronotal and propodeal
structures.
Ofthe278currentlyrecognizedspeciesof the conspicuously expanded dorsolaterally
Rhopalum, 98 occur in Austraha (Leclercq, occipital carina (Fig. la, b). The unusual
1997). This nuniber, however, if far from pronotum and the propodeal side (see
complete. I have recently seen in the description be—low) are also diagnostic.
Australian National Insect Collection, Can- Description. Head as seen from above
berra, a dozen species that cannot be transverse (Fig. la); vertex thick (distance
identified using Leclercq's key and that between hindocellus and occipital carina
are apparently undescribed. They are re- twice as long as ocellocular distance), its
presentedmostlybyoneorafewspecimens lateral margins nearly parallel. MidoceUus
each.Oneofthem,representedbyaseriesof slightly smaller than hindoceUus; distance
10females,is sounusualthatIcannotstand between hindocelli 2.6 X distance between
the temptation of describing it. midocellus and hindocellus; ocellocular
The following are the abbreviations used distance 1.4 X hindocellar width. Orbital
in the text: fovea well defined. Interantennal area flat,
without specialized structures; interanten-
ANIC: Austrahan National Insect Col- nal distance about 1.1 X antennal socket
lection, Canberra, A.C.T., Aus- width; distance between antennal socket
tralia. and orbit about 1.5 antermal socket width.
CAS: California Academy of Scien- Clypeus with median process emerging
ces, San Francisco, California, from its dorsal area (Fig. Ic, d); process
USA. narrow, asetose, slightly broadening to-
ward apex, emarginate apically; area be-
Rhopalum nasale Pulawski, sp. n. tween process and clypeal ventral margin
concave, asetose, delimited dorsally by
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Name derivation. The Latin adjective carina that extends from each side of
nasalis (neuter: nasale) means ''referring to process. Mandibular apex unidentate. Oc-
the nose", or ''with a big nose"; with cipital carina joining h3rpostomal carina,
reference to the clypeal process of the conspicuously enlarged subdorsally but
female. not enlarged dorsally (Fig. la, b). Upper
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Diagnosis. The new species can be frons and postocellar area finely punctate,
easily recogiuzed by the imique, narrow, punctures less than one diameter apart.
conspicuous process emerging from the Ventral portion of gena (on each side of
upper part of the clypeus (Fig. Ic, d), and hypostomal carina) without tubercle, un-
140 Journalof H^t^lexoptefla Rese.arch
Fig. i. K':c}-:i:U^': nasale sp. n., 9: a -head in dorsal view (arrow indicates orbital fovea); b -head in oblique
view (arrow indicates occipital carina); c-clypeus in frontal \iew (arrow indicates projection); d -chpeus in
lateral oblique view (arrow indicates projection); e-pronotum dorsallv (arrow indicates sublateral carina); f-
pronotum laterally (arrow indicates sublateral carina).
sculptured except for a few sparse punc- convex dorsally, concave subdorsally, and
tures; posterior part of gena (behind eye) irregularly convex ventrally; pronotal side
minutely punctate, punctures almost con- with deep, narro\v sulcus anterad of lobe,
tiguous. Pronotum with pair of sublateral with glabrous, unsculptured area dorsally
carinae (Fig. le) that diverge both anterad that is delimited by carina anteriorly and
and posterad, nearest to each other at top dorsally, and by sulcus posteriorly
of collar; anterior portion of each carina (Fig. If). Scutum finelypunctate,punctures
VoLL-ME 19, Nl-mber 1, 2010 141
Fig. 2. RJiopalumrmsalesp.n.,9:a-thoraxandpropodeuminlateralview(arrowindicateslongitudinalcarina
onpropodeal side);b -propodeal dorsum; c-tergmnI and base oftergum 11in dorsal vies (arrow indicates
reddishbro\\TibasalspotontergumU);d-tergumIlaterally;e-pygidialplateindorsal\ie%v(arrowindicates
bifid apicalprocess).
averaging about one diameter apart except metapleuron unsculptured (Fig. 2a); epi-
more than one diameter apart at center; sternal sulcus crenulate; prepectus
interspaces unsculptured. Mesopleural rounded. Propodeal enclosure not delim-
punctures larger than those on scutum, ited, microareolate, dull, longitudinally
averaging less than one diameter apart ridged basally, without median sulcus
except vertical subdorsal area adjacent to (Fig. 2b); propodeal side with longitudinal
142 Journalof Hymenoptera Research
Fig. 3. Collectinglocalities ofRhopalum nasale, sp. n.
carina that joins metapleural flange ante- Head, thorax, propodeum, and gaster
riorly and ends just in front of hindcoxal black except the following: scape pale
base (Fig. 2a); areabeneath carina unsculp- yellow, flagellum brown dorsally, light
tured, shiny, area above carina with traces brown ventrally, mandible yellowish
of longitudinal ridges. Recurrent vein join- brown, dark apically, pronotal lobe pale
ing submarginal cell at about two thirds of yellow, tegula pale yellow (partly translu-
its length. Submarginal cell obliquely trun- cent), humeral plate dark brown mesally,
cate. Forebasitarsus with two preapical pale yellow along margin. Femora black,
rake spines that are about as long as forefemur pale yellow apically, largely
basitarsus width. Hindtibia and basitarsi yellowish brown in some specimens. Fore-
not swollen, hindtibia with well-defined tibia yellow; midtibia brown or yellowish
spines. Tergum I relatively short, con- brown, pale yellow basally and apically;
stricted apically (Fig. 2c), distance between hindtibia brown, pale yellow basally and
basal tendon and imaginary line connect- apically. Tarsi yellow.
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ing spiracles half that of distance between Male. Unknown.
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line and apex; posterior half convex in Geographic distribution (Fig, 3). South-
profile (Fig. 2d); tergum length about 1.2 X eastern South Australia.
maximum width, its maximum width 0.4- Records.—Holotyfe: 9, AUSTRALIA:
0.5 X that oftergum II. Tergum II with pair South Australia: 32 km N Renmark at
of dark reddish brown, asetose, elongate 33"53'S 140°44'E, 2-29 Mar 1995, K.R.
spots basally (Fig. 2c). Pygidial plate broad Pullen (ANIC). Paratypes (all collected
basally, gradually narrowing posterad, by K.R. Pullen): AUSTRALIA: South
apically elongate as narrow, bifid process; Australia: 32 km N Renmark at 33°53'S
with well-defined, sparse punctures ba- 140^44'E, 2-29 Mar 1995 (2 9, ANIC; 1 9,
sally, and conspicuous setae next to pro- CAS); 31 km NW Renmark at 33°59'S
cess (Fig. 2e). 140 30'E, 1-30 Mar 1995 (1 9, ANIC; 1 9,
Volume 19, Number 1, 2010 143
CAS) and 30 Mar-2 May 1995 (1 9, ANIC; generated the illustrations using Auto-Montage soft-
29,CAS); 14kmWNWRenmarkat34=07'S ware package by Syncroscopy, and Lindsay Irving
140°37, 28 Feb - 28 Mar 1995, ( 1 9, ANIC). produced the distribution map.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS LITERATURE CITED
I sincerely thank Robert L. Zuparko for his critical Leclercq,J. 1997.HymenopteresSphecidesd'Australie
comments on the manuscript. Helen K. Court con- du genre Rhopalum Stephens, 1829. Notes Fauni-
firmed that the species is undescribed. Erin Prado ques de Gembloux 32: 3-101.