Cyrtolabulus tegularis, Selis, 2025

Cyrtolabulus tegularis sp. nov.

( Figs 1H, I View FIGURE 1 ; 31 View FIGURE 31 ; 64E View FIGURE 64 )

Diagnosis. Cyrtolabulus tegularis sp. nov. belongs to the group of Malagasy Cyrtolabulus with S2 as long as T2 and propodeum forming a horizontal surface behind metanotum. Within this group, the rounded transition from propodeal shelf to posterior face of propodeum ( Figs 31D, E View FIGURE 31 ) and the long and pointed projections of submarginal carina not fused with the inferior carina of propodeum ( Fig. 31E View FIGURE 31 ) place C. tegularis sp. nov. close to C. bekilyensis (Giordani Soika) and C. parvulus Selis , from which the new species is readily distinguished by the strongly enlarged tegula with anteriorly emarginate outer margin and broadly rounded posterior lobe ( Fig. 31C View FIGURE 31 ), and T2 wider than long with coarse and dense micropunctures almost hiding the fine macropunctures ( Fig. 31F View FIGURE 31 ).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♂ labelled “ CASENT / 2053878 // MADAGASCAR: Tulear / Prov. Andohahela NP/ Ihazofotsy Parcelle III / 80 m 2– 12 Dec 2002 / 24°49.85'S, 46°32.17'E / colls. M.Irwin, F. Parker, / R. Harin’Hala // CASLOT 024567 / malaise, dry spiny / forest, MA-02-21-02 // Cyrtolabulus tegularis / HOLOTYPUS ♂ / Det. Marco Selis 2024 [red label]” ( CAS, code CASTYPE21750) GoogleMaps . PARATYPES: same locality as holotype, 20.V–3.VI.2003, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT2053883 ); Tulear, Andohahela NP, Tsimelahy, Parcelle II, 24.936833S 46.626667E, 180 m, 15–28.I.2004, leg. M. Irwin, F. Parker & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT8600824 ); Tulear, Androimpano Forest , 3 km E of Itampolo, 24.657833S 43.956167E, 45 m, 22–29.I.2009, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT2174977 ); Tulear, Androimpano Forest , 3 km E of Itampolo, 24.657833S 43.956167E, 45 m, 26.III–12.IV.2009, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( MSVI, code CASENT2174985 ); Tulear, Tsimanampetsotsa National Park, Mitoho Forest, 24.048500S 43.752333E, 120 m, 9–15.I.2009, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT2174927 ); Tulear, 1 km N of Andranovelona, 23.443S 43.886E, 200 m, leg. M.E. Irwin & E.I. Schlinger, 1♂ ( CAS, code CASENT3003747 ) GoogleMaps .

Description. Male holotype ( Fig. 31B View FIGURE 31 ). Body length 7.0 mm; fore wing length 5.0 mm.

Head 1.25× as wide as high. Clypeus in frontal view 1.1× as wide as long, free apical part about as long as interocular part, apical margin shallowly emarginate and 0.25× as wide as clypeus, apical teeth obtuse and blunt; clypeus in lateral view weakly and evenly convex, shallowly depressed at extreme apex. Vertex 1.4× as long as ocellocular distance, almost flattened and sloping, so that occipital carina is placed below the upper limit of eye. Gena 0.65× as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina complete, sharper and shorter on vertex, becoming blunter and much higher on gena, bisinuate on gena. F1 1.45× as long as wide and 1.1× as long as F2, F2–F3 and F9 longer than wide, F4–F8 transverse and becoming progressively shorter; F11 claw-shaped in lateral view, weakly curved and compressed laterolaterally, apex bluntly pointed and reaching base of F9; flagellum slightly expanded from middle of F7 to apex of F9, somewhat clavate. Mesosoma 1.4× as long as wide, parallel-sided. Pronotum with straight and parallel sides, humeri about right-angled; pronotal carina largely incomplete, absent on most of dorsal face and subtle on lateral fourths where the carina continues in an even weaker humeral carina, interrupted below humeri and then very blunt below on lateral faces; dorsal and anterior faces of pronotum not separated in the middle; pretegular carina complete and strong but blunt. Scutellum wider than long with sides slightly converging posteriorly, weakly convex and slightly sloping posteriorly; axillary fossa small and rounded, smaller than one ocellus. Metanotum short and weakly sloping, with a sharp and high bilobate transverse carina. Tegula large and wider than long, campanulate with strongly curved and almost U-shaped outer margin, which is shallowly emarginate anteriorly, outer margin of posterior lobe widely exceeding parategula, apex right-angled and touching apex of parategula; parategula strongly curved and latero-laterally compressed with concave inner face, appearing scythe-shaped with pointed apex in dorsal view. Mesepisternum abruptly angled and separated from epicnemium but without epicnemial carina, posteriorly with a short and sharp irregular carina originating from the produced apex of the epimeron. Propodeum elongate and with a propodeal shelf behind metanotum, shelf slightly longer than metanotum and very shallowly depressed medially, in lateral view forming a perfectly horizontal surface; dorsal faces of propodeum flattened and strongly sloping mediolaterally; lateral faces of propodeum almost flattened, separated from dorsal faces by irregular and blunt lateral carinae; posterior face of propodeum forming a large subtrapezoidal shallow depression, ventromedially with a deep circular pit, posterior face not clearly separated from dorsal faces; submarginal carina of propodeum forming subtriangular flattened projections above valvulae; propodeal valvula incised on upper margin and therefore separated from submarginal carina. T1 subcylindrical, in dorsal view with weakly diverging sides and anteriorly subtruncate, 1.55× as long as apically wide; T 1 in lateral view abruptly raising basally and then almost flattened except for deep preapical furrow, apical margin thickened. T2 wider than long, constricted basally and much wider apically than basally; apical margin of T2 shortly lamellate (lamella not strongly evident as it is pigmented like the preapical area), preceded by a weak thickening of the tergite. T3 preapically thickened and apically shortly lamellate similar to T2. Sides of T1 meeting on ventral face of segment, so that S1 is reduced to a very narrow basal stalk and an apical subtriangular sclerite; surface of S1 with three ridges running from base to apex, one longitudinal on mid-line and two diverging from base and reaching the apical angles of the sternite. S2 very shallowly depressed on basal sloping part; S 2 in lateral view evenly convex from base to apex, much less than T2; apical margin of S2 lamellate like T2, but lamella less markedly separated. Mid femur very shallowly tuberculate at extreme base.

Frons with dense deep punctures, interspaces narrower than puncture diameter and convex, punctures becoming larger and slightly sparser on vertex; gena with much shallower and smaller punctures, separated by irregular interspaces; clypeus finely micropunctate with few scattered shallow punctures. Mesosoma sculpted similar to frons but punctures larger and interspaces much more densely micropunctate; anterior face of pronotum with smaller and denser punctures leaving two ventral smooth area; lateral faces of pronotum sparsely punctate with few very short striae on ventral corner; metanotum with small punctures, similar to anterior face of pronotum; tegula densely micropunctate and matte anteriorly, posteriorly becoming smooth and shiny, with few fine macropunctures; mesepisternum with flat interspaces becoming wider ventrally, epimeron very coarsely punctate with sharp interspaces; dorsal faces of propodeum with large flat-bottomed polygonal cells separated by sharp ridge-like interspaces, becoming smaller on propodeal shelf; lateral faces of propodeum finely and irregularly microstriate, with very shallow flat-bottomed cells along posterodorsal margin; posterior face of propodeum with irregular transverse ridges and small deep punctures, becoming smooth on ventromedial pit. T1 with oblique flat-bottomed punctures, deeper and larger basally and becoming shallower and smaller apically, interspaces micropunctate, basal sloping part and thickened apical margin impunctate; T2 very densely and coarsely micropunctate, with small macropunctures intermixed, macropunctures little evident and mostly separated by 2–3 puncture diameters, much sparser on basal sloping part, base of apical lamella margined by a series of coarse punctures; T3 with a series of small but coarse and deep punctures bordering the lamellar margin; T4–T7 micropunctate and shagreened; S1 shiny with few deep punctured in the depressed parts of the apical enlarges sclerite; S2 much shinier than T2, micropunctures slightly finer and sparser, macropunctures larger and more evident; S3 with some coarse punctures bordering the lamellar margin; S4–S7 similar to respective tergites but with much finer sculpture. Head and mesosoma with sparse and little evident pubescence, mixed with erect slightly longer setae, pubescence much denser and silvery on clypeus, ocular sinus, gena and mesepisternum; mesepisternum with erect setae much longer and apically bent; propodeum with long and fine setae on posterolateral corners; metasoma with appressed dense pubescence, darker than on mesosoma, longer on T1; all sternites with dense oblique setae, much denser and finer on S3–S6; S7 with scattered longer setae along apical margin.

Black, with red: most of antenna, posterior margin of pronotum, posterior margin of scutellum, metanotum, tegula, legs starting from coxae, irregular large suffusions on metasoma; following parts pale yellow to bright yellow: clypeus, line on anterior face of scape, basal triangle of mandible, narrow anterior band on pronotum expanding laterally and running on humeral region, posterior band on scutellum, irregular marking covering posterior half of tegula, projections of submarginal carina, line on outer face of tibiae, narrow apical band on T1–T3 and S2–S3 (suffused and irregular in T3 and S3). Wings fusco-hyaline with brown tinge, darker on costal area.

Female. Excluding the usual sexual dimorphism, the female differs from the male only in clypeus (slightly more convex, with narrower apical margin and deeper punctures) and pattern (entirely red clypeus and scape, hind tibia without yellow line).

Variability. The male paratype from Andranovelona ( CASENT3003747 ) differs from the holotype in having wider and more vivid yellow markings, and slightly more elongate and narrowly emarginate clypeus. The three female paratypes from Tsimanampetsotsa ( CASENT2174927 ) and Androimpano Forest ( CASENT2174977 and CASENT2174985 ) show generally finer punctures and less developed propodeal shelf in comparison with topotypical female paratypes ( CASENT2053883 and CASENT8600824 ) .

Distribution. Madagascar: Toliara ( Fig. 64E View FIGURE 64 ).

Etymology. The species epithet refers to the enlarged tegulae of this species.

Genus Delta de Saussure, 1855

Delta de Saussure, 1855 : 130, 132, 143, name for divisions II and III of genus Eumenes Latreille in de Saussure (1852: 44 View in CoL , 60) (26 + 3 species). Type species: Vespa maxillosa DeGeer, 1773 View in CoL [= Vespa emarginata Linnaeus, 1758 View in CoL ], by subsequent designation of Bequaert (1925: 137) [erroneously as Sphex maxillosus DeGeer, 1773 , correctly in Bequaert (1926: 487)].

Erinys Zirngiebl, 1953: 173 , subgenus of Eumenes Latreille. Junior View in CoL homonym of Erinys Rye. Type species: Vespa unguiculata Villers, 1789 , by monotypy. Junior subjective synonym of Delta de Saussure, 1855 according to Blüthgen (1961: 214).

Alfieria Giordani Soika, 1934a: 436 View in CoL , genus. Type species: Eumenes anomalus Zavattari, 1909 , by original designation and monotypy. Junior subjective synonym of Delta de Saussure, 1855 according to Hermes et al. (2014: 457).

Key to the Malagasy species of Delta

1. Inferior carina of propodeum strong and sharp for a trait much longer than the height of propodeal valvula. T1 strongly widened near middle, sides distinctly diverging in posterior half. S2 with a median longitudinal depression. Wings strongly darkened at least in the basal half ( Figs 32A View FIGURE 32 , 33A View FIGURE 33 ). Male: F11 distinctly widened in apical half ( Figs 32A View FIGURE 32 , 33A View FIGURE 33 ); S7 with wide and deep longitudinal furrow, sharply separated from rest of surface..................................................... 2

- Inferior carina of propodeum sharp for a trait shorter than the height of propodeal valvula. T1 weakly widened near middle, sides sub-parallel in posterior half. S2 evenly convex, not depressed in the middle. Wings entirely hyaline with yellowish tinge ( Figs 32B View FIGURE 32 , 33B View FIGURE 33 ). Male: F11 not widened in apical half ( Figs 32B View FIGURE 32 , 33B View FIGURE 33 ); S7 with narrow and shallow longitudinal furrow, not sharply separated from rest of surface..................................................................... 3

2. Head and mesosoma weakly but distinctly shiny, with sparser punctures; mesoscutum with several impunctate areas in the posterior half; apical half of T1 with marked punctures on sides only, disc with barely perceptible punctures. Wings entirely darkened, with purplish reflections ( Fig. 32A View FIGURE 32 )........................................ D. emarginatum (Linnaeus)

- Head and mesosoma entirely matte, with very dense punctures; mesoscutum without any impunctate area; apical half of T1 with marked punctures both on sides and disc. Wings darkened in the basal half, ivory in the apical half, without any metallic reflection ( Fig. 33A View FIGURE 33 )................................................................. D. regina (de Saussure)

3. Head and mesosoma with very short metallic pubescence and short setae; setae on mesoscutum about as long as one ocellar diameter. Head and mesosoma nearly entirely red, except for black vertex and mesoscutum and yellow line on metanotum; at least T1–2 with apical yellowish line ( Fig. 32B View FIGURE 32 ). Male: mid femur modified, dorsoventrally depressed................................................................................................... D. guerini (de Saussure)

- Head and mesosoma with long setae only, which are as long as 2–4 ocellar diameters. Mesosoma black with red markings on pronotum, mesepisternum and propodeum; no yellow markings, except clypeus of male ( Fig. 33B View FIGURE 33 ). Male: mid femur normal, not depressed.................................................................. D. sakalavum (de Saussure)