Chrysis yemenita, Rosa, 2024

Chrysis yemenita sp. nov. ( Fig. 12A–F)

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Material examined. Holotype ♀, Yemen: Al-Lahima , I.2001 – 9.IV.2001, in Malaise trap, A. van Harten & A.M. Hajer, RMNH Leiden ex collection ZMAN ( RMNH).

Diagnosis. Chrysis yemenita sp. nov. belongs to the succincta group and is closely related to the Central Asian Chrysis irenes Semenov-Tian-Shanskij & Nikol’skaya, 1954, known from Tajikistan. The type is illustrated in Rosa et al. (2017, plate 67). Chrysis yemenita sp. nov. can be distinguished by its colour pattern, an important diagnostic character in this species group, as well as by the shape of the apical margin of the third tergum, the pit row and the body punctation. The body colour of Chrysis yemenita sp. nov. is blue with red to golden-green areas on the mesosoma and metasoma rather than green with red to purplish areas ( Fig. 12A). However, this coloration may have been altered due to prolonged preservation in ethanol from a Malaise trap. Nonetheless, the colour pattern remains a key character for this species: the mesoscutum, scutellum and metascutum and propodeum are red to greenish, contrasting with the blue colour of the basal pronotum, tegula, and mesopleuron (whereas C. irenes has only the red mesoscutum contrasting with green scutellum, metascutum and propodeum); pronotum largely greenish anteriorly and laterally (almost entirely green in C. irenes ); sterna blue ( Fig. 12F) (flame red in C. irenes ); black spots on second sternum separated medially ( Fig. 12F) (fused in C. irenes ); transverse frontal carina fully developed, sharp ( Fig. 12B) (faint to barely visible in C. irenes ); metasomal punctation denser, with larger and deeper punctures ( Fig. 12E); third tergum with long, pointed teeth and small, shallow pits of the pit row (short and blunt apical teeth, deep and elongate pits of the pit row in C. irenes ). It is also similar to C. chamrosh Rosa, 2024 [in Rosa et al., 2024a] but immediately distinguishable by the blue colour of the sterna instead of red.

Description. Holotype ♀ ( Fig. 12A–F). Body length: 6.2 mm.

Head. Frons with dense small punctures (0.2–0.4 MOD), larger and more spaced on vertex between lateral ocelli and eyes, denser and smaller on ocelli area, occipital area and temples; punctures between scapal basin and transverse frontal carina longitudinally elongate; lateral ocelli with deep lateral fovea; frontal carina sharp, slightly downcurved medially and with curved lateral branches arriving at declivity of scapal basin ( Fig. 12B); scapal basin deep, impunctate medially with dense, small to medium punctures laterally; malar space long (1.1 × MOD) covered by this dense punctation; subantennal space short, half as long as malar space; genal carina sharp, fully developed from temple to mandible insertion; apex of clypeus with thin brown rim. OOL 1.8 × MOD; POL 2.3 × MOD; MS 1.1 × MOD; relative length of P: F1: F2: F3 = 1.0: 1.2: 0.8: 0.7.

Mesosoma. Medial pronotal line weak and elongate, reaching one third of pronotal length; pronotum as long as scutellum, with spaced, small to medium punctures, as large as those on vertex, rounded and with polished interspaces; mesoscutum with larger punctures on median area; punctures separated by polished interspaces up to 1 puncture diameter; notauli formed by deep foveae subrectangular at base, small and rounded towards apex ( Fig. 12C), parapsidal signum as deep line; mesoscutellum with spaced and shallow punctures, slightly larger than those on mesoscutum; scutellar-metanotal suture deep, formed by longitudinally elongate foveae; metanotal punctures denser, with anteromedian polished area; posterior propodeal projections slightly divergent; mesopleuron with punctures similar to those at sides of propodeum; episternal sulcus formed by subsquare foveae, partially confluent each other.

Metasoma. First and second terga with even punctures, smaller than those on mesoscutum; on first tergum denser, on second tergum with small punctures on interspaces; punctures relatively smaller and sparser only apically and laterally; punctures on third tergum larger than on second tergum; median longitudinal carina weak, on first tergum marked by a black line on the first half, on third tergum more distinct; pits of the pit row deep, black and elongate ( Fig. 12E); apical teeth long, sharp with hyaline apical tip; black spots on second sternum separated medially ( Fig. 12F), covering half sternum length.

Colour. Head blue with golden-greenish area on frons, between anterior ocellus and eyes, clypeus; pronotum blue with extended golden-green area anteromedially and laterally; mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum and propodeum red to golden-greenish; tegula, mesopleuron, legs, notauli, axillae and sutures blue; metasoma golden-green with apical margin of all tergite blue; sterna blue; wings hyaline with brown nervures.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific epiteth yemenita is derived from the country name.

Distribution. Yemen (Al-Lahima)