Celonites carpenteri Fateryga & Mauss, 2025

Celonites carpenteri Fateryga & Mauss , sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 )

Diagnosis. The species is closely related to Celonites hamanni Gusenleitner, 1973 and C. hellenicus Gusenleitner, 1997 . The female of C. carpenteri can be distinguished from females of C. hamanni and C. hellenicus by the posterior margin of terga II–V, which is deflected upwards and not crenulate ( Fig. 1B, D View FIGURE 1 ) (versus not deflected upwards but strongly to moderately crenulate in C. hamanni , see ZOBODAT 2025a, b, and not deflected upwards but weakly crenulate in C. hellenicus , see ZOBODAT 2025c). The female of C. carpenteri can also be distinguished from that of C. hamanni and C. hellenicus by the outline of the emargination between the lateral lamella and the postero-lateral process of the propodeum being at least 0.5× as broad as deep or even broader ( Fig. 1G View FIGURE 1 ) (versus a distinctly narrower emargination in C. hamanni , see Gusenleitner 1973: 65, fig. 6c [note that the captions to the figures in Gusenleitner’s paper are misplaced], and C. hellenicus ). The female of C. carpenteri differs from that of C. hellenicus ( ZOBODAT 2025c) in the punctation on the frons, especially at the ocular sinus, which is less deep and distinct in C. carpenteri ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 ), and in the punctation on the mesosoma and the metasomal terga, which is coarser in C. carpenteri ( Fig. 1A, D View FIGURE 1 ); in both characters C. carpenteri is similar to C. hamanni ( ZOBODAT 2025a, b).

Description. Female. Body length (from head to posterior margin of tergum II) 6 mm (total body length 8–9 mm); forewing length 5.5 mm. Head in frontal view about 1.3× as wide as long (from top of median ocellus to ventral margin of clypeus). Proboscis much shorter than body. Clypeus about 1.25× as wide as long; its ventral emargination shallow, about 0.15× as deep as wide, taking about 0.45 of clypeal width, ventro-lateral teeth rounded. Distance between lateral ocellus and occiput about as long as distance between lateral ocelli and longer than distance between lateral ocellus and compound eye. Antenna with articles A8–A12 forming ventrally flattened club about 2.4× as long as wide in dorsal view. Width of gena in front of ocular sinus about equal to diameter of lateral ocellus. Preoccipital carina distinct along whole outer margin of compound eye. Pronotum with anterior side nearly vertical, roundly angled to dorsal surface. Pronotal humerus broadly rounded; in lateral view, pronotal carina distinctly separating antero-ventral area of pronotum from its dorsal area at antero-lateral sides. Scutellum separated from mesoscutum by transverse suture, convex, bluntly angled posteriorly. Axilla of scutellum with distinct lateral projection lying on tegula. Tegula with weak depression in front of lateral projection of axilla; outer side of tegula shallowly emarginate. Epipleural and episternal sulci indistinct. Ventral mesepisternum unevenly rounded ventrally. Epicnemial carina distinct and sharp. Mesepimeron produced posteriorly as small tubercle. Dorsal carinae of propodeum forming sharp lamellar tooth on medial end, adjacent to metanotum. Outline of emargination between lateral lamella and postero-lateral process of propodeum usually 0.5× (0.9 in one specimen) as broad as deep, with its outer side directed at angle of about 45° from posterior margin of lateral lamella and about two times shorter inner side parallel to outer one. Terga I–V medially with straight, not crenulate margins, laterally with tooth; margins of terga II–V deflected upwards. Tergum VI bluntly angulate posteriorly, laterally with blunt tooth. Sternum VI postero-medially with strong acute process. Basitarsus of foreleg about 3.3× as long as broad in dorsal view.

Clypeus shallowly and irregularly punctate with punctures of various sizes; interstices much narrower than largest punctures, shining, with indistinct microsculpture. Punctation on frons between antennal sockets similar to that on clypeus; punctures becoming larger towards ocular sinus and ocelli. Punctation on vertex behind ocelli denser than that on upper part of frons, interstices less shining. Gena nearly without distinct macropunctures, with reticulate microsculpture, rather dull. Pronotum, mesoscutum, and scutellum densely reticulately-punctate, punctures larger than those anywhere on head (largest punctures about 0.5× as wide as diameter of median ocellus), interstices much narrower than puncture diameter, shining, with indistinct microsculpture. Tegula with few dense macropunctures in anterior fourth, then with scattered micropunctures only, and with sparse deep macropunctures in posterior half; interstices shining. Dorsal and ventral mesepisterna and mesepimeron sculptured similarly to pronotum, mesoscutum, and scutellum. Posterior surface of metanotum with few shallow and indistinct macropunctures and scattered micropunctures; interstices shining. Metapleuron and lateral surface of propodeum dull, longitudinally wrinkled, without punctures. Posterior surface of propodeum sculptured similarly to pronotum, mesoscutum, and scutellum but interstices between punctures becoming larger (about 0.5 of puncture diameter) at lateral side of lateral lamella. Punctation on tergum I less coarse than that on pronotum, mesoscutum, and scutellum; interstices much narrower than puncture diameter on disc and about 0.5 of puncture diameter on depression. Terga II–V with punctures on disc similar to those on pronotum, mesoscutum, and scutellum; punctures becoming sparser and sometimes smaller on depression where some interstices reaching puncture diameter. Tergum VI with punctures similar to those on discs of terga II–V but diminishing in size towards apex. Sternum I with dull reticulate microsculpture only. Sterna II–V with scattered punctures of various sizes, interstices exceeding diameter of largest punctures, rather dull, with reticulate microsculpture. Sternum VI laterally with irregular coarse macropunctures, interstices less than puncture diameter, more shining than those on previous sterna, with indistinct microsculpture; medial line of sternum VI with longitudinal shining impunctate zone.

Mandible, labrum, and clypeus covered with thin pale brownish setae, reaching in length diameter of median ocellus. Frons and pronotum with two times shorter and sparser setae. Vertex between ocelli with few setae reaching in length diameter of lateral ocellus. Compound eye with very short dust-like setae. Mesoscutum, scutellum, and terga with short unnoticeable erect setae. Sterna mostly with short appressed setae, especially at posterior margins. Coxae with sparse setae as long as those on clypeus; femora with setae as long as those on frons. Tibia and tarsus of foreleg with stiff setae about as long as diameter of median ocellus, those setae on mid and hind legs much shorter. Pollen-collecting brush of stiff setae on inner surface of basitarsus of foreleg not modified. Spur of foretibia evenly curved and equipped with pointed spike at apical end, directed at about 90° from spur body.

Base color black. Following parts pale yellow: median spot on pronotum, spot on antero-lateral side of pronotum (absent in two specimens), short and narrow band along posterior side of pronotum near tegula, tegula (except antero-central part), lateral projection of axilla of scutellum, postero-median spot on scutellum (nearly reduced in one specimen), lateral side of lateral lamella of propodeum, posterior band on tergum I extended anteriorly at center and lateral sides, posterior bands on terga II–V extended anteriorly at center and replaced by brown at lateral sides (but not at teeth), small basal parts of tibiae. Following parts reddish-brown or ferruginous: distal half of mandible, ventral side of antennal club, antero-central part of tegula, posterior end of tergum VI, tibiae (except small basal parts), tarsi. Yellow color on body usually also outlined by reddish-brown. Wings strongly fuscous; veins and pterostigma dark brown.

Male. Unknown.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♀, labeled “AZ, Ordubad, Bilav / 1050 m, 39°02'43"N / 45°49'07"E, 20.VI.2024 / Astrodaucus orientalis / Proshchalykin, Maharramov // Holotypus ♀ / Celonites carpenteri / Fateryga & Mauss [red label] // Zoological Institute / St. Petersburg / INS_HYM_0000377 [pale yellow label]” [ ZISP] GoogleMaps . PARATYPES: AZERBAIJAN. Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic: Tirkesh [ Shakhbuz, Türkeş ], 26.VII.1937, 1 ♀, leg. M. Ryabov [ ZISP] ; Ordubad, Bilav , 39°02'43"N, 45°49'07"E, 1050 m, on Astrodaucus orientalis , 20.VI.2024, 2 ♀ (dbM 6335), leg. M. Proshchalykin, M. Maharramov [ CAFK, CVMM] GoogleMaps .

Etymology. The new species is named after our colleague James M. Carpenter (American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA), the world’s leading expert on vespid wasps, in recognition of his great contribution to the taxonomy of the subfamily Masarinae .

Distribution. Azerbaijan ( Nakhchivan AR) ( Fig. 11 View FIGURE 11 ).

Habitat and trophic relationships. This species was observed on dry mountain slopes with sparse herbaceous vegetation and scattered shrubs ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ). Three females were collected foraging on inflorescences of Astrodaucus orientalis (L.) Drude ( Apiaceae ). There are only a few species of pollen wasps that were previously recorded at flowers of the family Apiaceae : Gayella araucana Willink ( Pérez 1989), Ceramius bischoffi Richards ( Richards 1963), three species of the genus Jugurtia de Saussure ( Bequaert 1940), and Celonites afer Lepeletier ( Bequaert 1940) (summarized by Gess 1996). Thus, the only former record of a Celonites species at Apiaceae is that of C. afer , a species normally visiting flowers of the genus Echium Tourn. ex L. ( Boraginaceae ) ( Bequaert 1940; Mauss & Müller 2014; Mauss et al. 2014). Bequaert (1940) reported C. afer visiting flowers of “ Bupleurum maritimum Linnaeus ”; however, such a taxon does not exist and this record probably refers to Crithmum maritimum L. The trophic relationship of C. carpenteri with Apiaceae , and particularly Astrodaucus orientalis , requires further study. The closely related Celonites hellenicus was recorded at flowers of Pallenis spinosa (L.) Cass. ( Asteraceae ) (Fateryga et al. 2023).