Leptomenes transuo, Selis, 2025

Leptomenes transuo sp. nov.

( Figs 40 View FIGURE 40 , 65B View FIGURE 65 )

Diagnosis. Leptomenes transuo belongs to the group of Malagasy Leptomenes with the apical area of T2 shallowly depressed with thickened apical margin, in which comes very close to L. ornatus due to posteriorly sloping vertex, vertical and metallic pubescent propodeum, and shortened T1. Leptomenes transuo is readily distinguished from L. ornatus by the following characters: occipital carina evenly converging with outer eye margin for entire length of gena ( Fig. 40C View FIGURE 40 ), propodeal pubescence golden and covering the lateral faces ( Figs 40D, E View FIGURE 40 ), and T1 as wide as long with large dense punctures ( Fig. 40F View FIGURE 40 ).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♂ labelled “CASENT / 2174913 // MADAGASCAR: Tulear / Ambohimahavelona village / 33 km NE of Tulear / 26–31 October 2008 / 23°26.45'S 43°53.98'E // Calif. Acad. of Sciences / coll: M.Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / malaise trap, spiny bush / elev 43 m MG-50A-02 // Leptomenes transuo / HOLOTYPUS ♂ / Det. Marco Selis 2024 [red label]” ( CAS, code CASTYPE21756). PARATYPES: same data as holotype, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT 2174914); same locality as holotype, 29.XI–3.XII.2008, 1♂ 1♀ ( CAS, codes CASENT 2174964, CASENT 2174965); same locality as holotype, 16–22.XII.2008, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT 2174953); same locality as holotype, 20–27.II.2009, 1♀ ( MSVI, code CASENT 2174889); Fianarantsoa, Italaviana, 35 km SSE of Antsirabe, 20.173333S 47.086000E, 1360 m, 9–19.XII.2002, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT 8105881); Fianarantsoa, Italaviana, 35 km SSE of Antsirabe, 20.173333S 47.086000E, 1360 m, 30.III–9.IV.2003, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( MSVI, code CASENT 8105818); Fianarantsoa, Italaviana, 35 km SSE of Antsirabe, 20.173333S 47.086000E, 1360 m, 16–26.X.2003, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT 8105886); Fianarantsoa, Italaviana, 35 km SSE of Antsirabe, 20.173333S 47.086000E, 1360 m, 22.I–4.II.2004, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ 2♀ ( CAS, codes CASENT 8105892, CASENT 8105894, CASENT 8105898); Fianarantsoa, Italaviana, 35 km SSE of Antsirabe, 20.173333S 47.086000E, 1360 m, 24.III– 8.IV.2004, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( MSVI, code CASENT 8105964); Fianarantsoa, Italaviana, 35 km SSE of Antsirabe, 20.173333S 47.086000E, 1360 m, 5–19.IX.2004, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 4♀ ( CAS, codes CASENT 2047116, CASENT 2047118, CASENT 2047120; MSVI, code CASENT 2047113); Fianarantsoa, Italaviana, 35 km SSE of Antsirabe, 20.173333S 47.086000E, 1360 m, 2–14.X.2004, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT 8105963); Toliara, Foret de Mahavelo, Isantoria River, 24.758333S 46.157222E, 110 m, 28.I–1.II.2002, leg. Fisher, Griswold et al., 1♂ 2♀ ( CAS, codes CASENT 2146125, CASENT 2146126, CASENT 2146127);Tulear,Andohahela NP,Tsimelahy, Parcelle II, 24.936833S 46.626667E, 180 m, 16–17.XII.2002, leg. M. Irwin, F. Parker & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( MSVI, code CASENT 2118582); Tulear, Andohahela NP, Tsimelahy, Parcelle II, 24.936833S 46.626667E, 180 m, 26.I–5.II.2003, leg. M. Irwin, F. Parker & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS,

code CASENT2053875 ); Tulear , Andohahela NP, Tsimelahy, Parcelle II, 24.936833S 46.626667E, 180 m, 28.III– 8.IV.2003, leg. M. Irwin, F. Parker & R GoogleMaps . Harin’Hala, 1♂ ( CAS, code CASENT2118637 ); Tulear , Andohahela NP, Tsimelahy, Parcelle II, 24.936833S 46.626667E, 180 m, 19–30.X.2003, leg. M. Irwin, F. Parker & R GoogleMaps . Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT2081438 ); Tulear , Berenty Special Res, 8 km NW of Amboasary, 25.006667S 46.303333E, 85 m, 24.III–3.IV.2003, leg. M. Irwin, F. Parker & R GoogleMaps . Harin’Hala, 1♂ ( CAS, code CASENT2153792 ) .

Description. Male holotype ( Fig. 40B View FIGURE 40 ). Body length 7.5 mm; fore wing length 6.0 mm.

Head 1.25× as wide as high. Clypeus in frontal view as wide as long, free apical part about as long as interocular part, apical margin sub-triangularly emarginate, 0.25× as wide as clypeus and emargination 2.5× as wide as deep, apical teeth subtriangular and pointed, slightly pointing out; clypeus in lateral view barely convex. Vertex 1.45× as long as ocellocular distance, weakly convex anteriorly and sloping in posterior third. Gena 0.5× as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina complete and shortly lamellate, higher on vertex than on gena, evenly converging with outer eye margin and nearly straight except for median sinuation. F1 1.85× as long as wide and 1.4× as long as F2, F2–F5 longer than wide, F6–F9 subquadrate; F11 claw-shaped, in lateral view with convex dorsal margin and weakly concave ventral margin, apex pointed and reaching basal margin of F9, in dorsal view nearly straight; F8 and F9 with tyloids, extremely small and barely visible on F8, short, subtriangular and ill-defined on F9. Mesosoma slightly elongate, in dorsal view 1.25× as long as wide and with evenly convex sides, in lateral view longer than high. Pronotum with straight and converging sides; pronotal carina complete and sharp, shortly lamellate dorsally and slightly higher on humeri than medially, obtusely angled on humeri; pretegular carina indicated by a short and blunt ridge at upper end. Mesoscutum markedly convex in lateral view, wider than long. Scutellum weakly convex and markedly oblique, posterior margin placed much below level of anterior margin, anterior margin deeply furrowed for its whole length; axillary fossa large and rounded, about as large as one ocellus. Metanotum vertical and barely convex, dorsal margin thickened and slightly produced above posterior margin of scutellum. Tegula about as long as wide and weakly campanulate, outer margin strongly convex but straight on anterior third, posterior lobe subtriangular and pointed, equaling parategula; parategula evenly curved and laterolaterally compressed, depressed on medial face. Mesepisternum convex, separated from epicnemium by shallow indication of epicnemial carina; epimeron not clearly separated from rest of mesepisternum. Dorsal margin of metaepisternum produced in a sharp margin forming a subtriangular lobe directed posterolaterally. Propodeum short and nearly vertical, markedly convex in lateral view; dorsal faces of propodeum convex and strongly sloping, reaching submarginal carina and widely separated below metanotum; lateral faces of propodeum very shallowly depressed, posterodorsally separated from dorsal faces by blunt lateral carinae; posterior face of propodeum widely and very shallowly depressed, not clearly separated from dorsal faces, mid-line with a very fine and irregular longitudinal carina visible only at upper and lower ends; submarginal carina of propodeum forming a flattened spine-like lobe, pointed at apex and separated from valvula by a deep incision. T 1 in dorsal view subtrapezoidal with weakly converging sides passing into transverse and convex anterior margin, about as long as apically wide; T 1 in lateral view strongly convex anteriorly and very shallowly depressed behind convexity, apical margin thickened. T 2 in dorsal view about as long as wide with convex sides, wider than T1 and markedly constricted basally; preapical area of T2 narrowly and shallowly depressed, apical margin thickened and separated from apical hyaline margin by a sharp step. S 2 in lateral view evenly convex, less than T2.

Frons with small punctures separated by about their diameter, disappearing on interantennal space, becoming larger on ocular sinus; vertex with punctures denser and coarser, partly arranged in irregular series of touching punctures; gena with few scattered punctures; clypeus finely micropunctate and silky shiny, with scattered fine punctures separated by 2–3× their diameter. Mesosoma with punctures much larger than on head, separated by narrow interspaces narrower than puncture diameter; metanotum with punctures smaller and more widely spaced; tegula finely micropunctate and shiny; mesepisternum with punctures larger dorsally and becoming smaller ventrally; metaepisternum and lateral faces of propodeum irregularly and finely shagreened, with few scattered small punctures; dorsal faces of propodeum with little-evident small punctures; posterior face of propodeum with very short and shallow oblique ridges along mid-line. T1 with large oblique punctures, partly arranged in transverse series anteriorly margined by raised margin, interspaces narrow and micropunctate; T2 basally with punctures similar to T1, punctures becoming smaller and less oblique on disc and apically, interspaces about as wide as puncture diameter, depressed apical part coarsely punctate with interspaces reduced to sharp ridges; T3–T6 with oblique punctures, denser and deeper on T3 and becoming progressively sparser and shallower on following tergites; T7 micropunctate with few barely visible punctures; S1 barely shagreened and silky-shiny on basal stalk, with deep punctures arranged in irregular series on enlarges part; S2 with punctures larger and much sparser than on T2, interspaces as wide as several punctures diameter and very wide on basal sloping part; S 3 in median three-fifths with coarse and deep punctures, interspaces narrower than puncture diameter and shallowly convex, lateral fifths with small punctures in posterolateral corners; S4–S7 similar to respective tergites but punctures much sparser and shallower, little evident. Covered in very short metallic pubescence, silvery on most of body, golden on dorsal sides of mesosoma and whole propodeum; head with short oblique setae; dorsal side of mesosoma with few scattered very short erect setae; propodeum with longer and very fine setae above submarginal carina; apical margin of S3–S6 with erect short setae; apical margin of S7 with short and sparse brush of brownish setae.

Dark red-brown with irregular blackish areas on sides of mesosoma and base of legs; mandible, clypeus and lower part of face largely ferruginous-orange, but clypeus bordered with pale-yellow; following parts yellowish-white: anterior band on pronotum wider on sides, narrow anterior margin of metanotum, irregular spots on tegula, projection of submarginal carina of propodeum, narrow apical bands on T1, T2 and S2, sinuate on T2 and S2; T3–T7 and S3–S7 ferruginous. Wings hyaline with grayish-brown tinge.

Female. Differing from male as follows: clypeus as long as wide, apical margin 0.2× as wide as clypeus and shallowly emarginate with broadly rounded apical teeth, vertex more strongly sloping and with cephalic foveae close to each other and placed in a small shiny area, mesosoma slightly more elongate, 1.35× as long as wide, T1 more coarsely and shallowly punctate, propodeal pubescence denser.

Variability. Specimens from Toliara have the red background and pale markings variably vivid, with a variable extent of the yellowish-white markings on mesosoma. Specimens from Fianarantsoa usually show a much darker pattern, with extensive black areas on head and mesosoma more sharply separated from the red parts and reduced whitish markings on mesosoma, and generally coarser and denser punctures, but the presence of intermediate specimens and the absence of differences in external morphology and male genitalia supports the recognition of the two populations as a single species.

Distribution. Madagascar: Fianarantsoa, Toliara ( Fig. 65B View FIGURE 65 ).

Etymology. The species epithet is a Latin verb meaning “I pierce” and an anagram of the Latin adjective “ ornatus ”, referring to the similarity with Leptomenes ornatus , from which it is differentiated by the larger punctures on T1. It is treated as a noun in apposition.