Leptomenes sollicitus, Selis, 2025

Leptomenes sollicitus sp. nov.

( Figs 39B–D View FIGURE 39 , 65A View FIGURE 65 )

Diagnosis. Leptomenes sollicitus is readily distinguished from all the other Malagasy Leptomenes by the presence of a large and deep subtriangular depression on S2, covering the whole basal margin and exceeding the middle of the sternite ( Fig. 39D View FIGURE 39 ).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♂ labelled “ CASENT / 8105920 // MADAGASCAR: Province / Fianarantsoa, radio tower / 22 km SW of Ilakaka, near / Fianarantsoa / Tulear border / 16–27 February 2002 / 22°46.75'S, 45°1.50'E // coll: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / California Acad of Sciences / malaise in Uapacca forest / elev 1100 m, MA-02-12-09 // Leptomenes sollicitus / HOLOTYPUS ♂ / Det. Marco Selis 2024 [red label]” ( CAS, code CASTYPE21755) GoogleMaps . PARATYPES: same locality as holotype, 24.IX.2001 – 16.I.2002, 1♀ ( CAS,code CASENT8105871 ) GoogleMaps ; same locality as holotype, 27.II–6.III.2002, 1♂ ( MSVI, code CASENT2081224 ); Fianarantsoa, near PN d’Isalo, at stream E of Interpretive Center , 22.626667S 45.358167E, 750 m, 5–13.I.2002, leg. R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS; code CASENT2153552 ); Fianarantsoa, 7 km W of Sendrisoa, N of Andringitra NP, 21.966000S 46.932500E, 1465 m, 30.XI–21.XII.2001, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ ( CAS, code CASENT2081267 ) GoogleMaps .

Description. Male holotype ( Fig. 39C View FIGURE 39 ). Body length 6.5 mm; fore wing length 5.5 mm.

Head 1.25× as wide as high. Clypeus in frontal view about as wide as long, free apical part about as long as interocular part, apical margin emarginate and 0.25× as wide as clypeus, emargination 3.0× as wide as deep, apical teeth broadly subtriangular and apically rounded; clypeus in lateral view weakly convex in basal half and then flattened to apex. Vertex 1.5× as long as ocellocular distance, weakly convex in lateral view and shallowly sloping in posterior third. Gena 0.7× as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina complete and shortly lamellate, very fine dorsolaterally on transition from vertex to gena, almost straight on gena except for median sinuosity. F1 1.75× as long as wide and 1.45× as long as F2, F2–F4 slightly longer than wide, F5–F9 subquadrate; F11 claw-shaped, in lateral view with convex dorsal margin and straight ventral margin, apex pointed and reaching basal margin of F9, in dorsal view nearly straight; F8 and F9 with tyloids, very small and point-like on F8, forming a subtriangular plate on F9. Mesosoma weakly elongate, in dorsal view 1.3× as long as wide and with evenly convex sides, in lateral view longer than high. Pronotum with weakly sinuate and converging sides; pronotal carina complete and sharp, shortly lamellate with lamella higher on humeri, obtusely angled on humeri; pretegular carina sharp but incomplete. Mesoscutum convex in lateral view, with very shallow indication of notauli on anterior and posterior margin. Scutellum weakly convex and markedly oblique, posterior margin placed much below level of anterior margin, anterior margin deeply furrowed; axillary fossa large and rounded, larger than one ocellar diameter. Metanotum nearly vertical and weakly convex, anterior margin slightly produced. Tegula about as long as wide, widest in the middle, outer margin strongly convex in the middle, posterior lobe short and pointed, equaling parategula; parategula oblique and weakly curved, apex rounded but narrow. Mesepisternum convex, epicnemial carina sharp and low and developed only below pleural suture; epimeron angularly produced below. Dorsal margin of metaepisternum produced in a sinuate sharp margin, forming a small subtriangular lobe directed posterolaterally. Propodeum short and weakly oblique, evenly and weakly convex in lateral view; dorsal faces of propodeum strongly sloping and evenly weakly convex, reaching submarginal carina and narrowly separated below metanotum; lateral faces of propodeum flattened, posterodorsally not sharply separated from dorsal faces and lateral carinae missing; posterior face of propodeum widely and shallowly depressed, not clearly separated from dorsal faces, mid-line with very fine and irregular longitudinal carina; submarginal carina of propodeum forming a subtriangular lobe, mostly fused with propodeal valvula and subtruncate at apex. T 1 in dorsal view semi-elliptical, with sides converging and smoothly passing into rounded anterior margin, shorter than apically wide; T 1 in lateral view strongly convex and reaching maximum height in front of middle, posteriorly with a flattened face, apical margin thickened. T 2 in dorsal view slightly longer than wide with evenly convex sides, markedly wider than T1 and constricted basally; apical margin of T2 simple, shallowly separated from apical hyaline border. S 2 in lateral view oblique and almost flattened except for basal shallow convexity, surface with a subtriangular depression starting from basal margin and exceeding middle.

Head and mesosoma with deep flat-bottomed punctures, very dense and interspaces matte and much narrower than puncture diameter; clypeus micropunctate with small deep punctures, separated by about their diameter basally and becoming sparser apically; metanotum shiny and sparsely micropunctate, with irregular transverse series of small deep punctures; tegula sparsely micropunctate, with few coarse punctures medially; mesepisternum with interspaces partly flattened; metaepisternum and lateral faces of propodeum finely and irregularly striate, with some scattered oblique punctures posteriorly; dorsal faces of propodeum with small flat-bottomed polygonal cells separated by sharp ridge-like interspaces; posterior face of propodeum medially with oblique fine striation and on margins with punctures similar to dorsal faces. Metasoma with deep oblique punctures, much smaller than those on mesosoma and interspaces generally narrower than puncture diameter; anterior sloping part of T1 sparsely punctate; apical margins of T1–T2 and S2 with a narrow impunctate margin; T3–T6 with punctures becoming sparser; T7 densely micropunctate with a central area of barely visible punctures; S1 finely shagreened and shiny on basal stalk, sparsely punctate with interspaces raised in longitudinal ridges on posterior enlarged part; S2 with punctures much larger and sparser than on T2, denser laterally and much sparser on median depression; S3–S7 similar to respective tergites but punctures much sparser and shallower. Covered in very short and pale pubescence with weak metallic reflections, brighter on head and mesosoma and darker on metasoma, denser on frons, gena and sides of mesosoma; very short curved setae on frons and mesepisternum, much longer and fine setae on posterolateral corners of propodeum, S3–S6 with fine erect setae along apical margin; apical margin of S7 with a sparse and short brush of dark setae.

Black; following parts wine-red: head except irregular dark markings on frons, pronotum, arcuate lines on mesoscutum starting from middle and reaching parategulae laterally, tegula, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum above pleural suture, T1–T2 and S2; following markings whitish: anterior margin of pronotum and metanotum, very narrow apical margin of T1–T2 and S2; metasoma ferruginous-orange starting from T3 and S3; legs blackish-red basally and becoming bright ferruginous on tibiae and tarsi. Wings hyaline with grayish tinge, darker along costal margin.

Female. Differing from male as follows: clypeus 1.2× as long as wide, apical margin 0.25× as wide as clypeus and shallowly emarginate with short and apically rounded teeth, vertex with cephalic foveae very close to each other and placed in a very small shiny area, mesosoma slightly more elongate, 1.35× as long as wide, metasoma with punctures slightly sparser, S2 with median depression deeper and basal corners more bulging, tegula, parategula and tibiae with whitish markings.

Variability. One male paratype has small whitish markings on posterior lobe of tegula and on base of mid and hind tibiae; the female paratypes differ from each other in the extension of the whitish lines on tibiae.

Distribution. Madagascar: Fianarantsoa ( Fig. 65A View FIGURE 65 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to another Malagasy Eumeninae , Cyrtolabulus sollicitus , with which the new species forms a mimicry ring.