Cyrteumenes propodealis, Selis, 2025

Cyrteumenes propodealis sp. nov.

( Figs 20B–D View FIGURE 20 , 63G View FIGURE 63 )

Diagnosis. Cyrteumenes propodealis sp. nov. belongs to the group of species with globular mesosoma, elongate T1 and sparsely punctate metasoma, where it comes close to C. mochii Borsato due to the densely punctate frons with narrow ridged interspaces. Cyrteumenes propodealis sp. nov. is readily distinguished by the dorsal faces of the propodeum that meet medially forming a sloping surface that separates the metanotum from the posterior depression of propodeum ( Fig. 20D View FIGURE 20 ), and the pale band on pronotum that is strongly widened on humeri and fills the whole humeral region ( Figs 20B, C View FIGURE 20 ).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♂ labelled “ CASENT / 2046337 // MADAGASCAR: Prov. / Fianarantsoa, PN Ranomafana / Vohiparara , at broken bridge / 1110m, 21–28 Jan 2002 / 21°13.57'S 47°22.19'E / R. Harin’Hala col. // CASLOT 011136 / malaise in high alt. rain / forest AM-02-09A-13 // Cyrteumenes propodealis / HOLOTYPUS ♂ / Det. Marco Selis 2025 [red label]” ( CAS, code CASTYPE21745) GoogleMaps . PARATYPES: same locality as holotype, 14–21.I.2002, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT2053888 ) GoogleMaps ; same locality as holotype, 15–25.VII.2002, 1♂ ( CAS, code CASENT2053889 ); Fianarantsoa, Parc National Ranomafana , radio tower at forest edge, 21.250833S 47.407167E, 1130 m, 22–28.XI.2001, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 2♂ ( CAS, codes CASENT2177617 , CASENT2177643 ); Fianarantsoa, PN Ranomafana, radio tower at forest edge, 21.250833S 47.407167E, 1130 m, 4–12.II.2002, leg. R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ ( MSVI, code CASENT2046459 ); Fianarantsoa, Parc National Ranomafana, radio tower at forest edge, 21.250833S 47.407167E, 1130 m, 23.VIII–7.IX.2006, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT8105901 ); Fianarantsoa, PN Ranomafana, Belle Vue at Talatakely, 21.2665S 47.420167E, 1020 m, 22–28.XI.2001, leg. R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT2046467 ); Fianarantsoa, PN Ranomafana, Belle Vue at Talatakely, 21.2665S 47.420167E, 1020 m, 14–24.VII.2002, leg. R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ ( CAS, code CASENT2153826 ); Fianarantsoa, PN Ranomafana, Belle Vue at Talatakely, 21.2665S 47.420167E, 1020 m, 16–26.II.2003, leg. R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ ( CAS, code CASENT2046446 ); Fianarantsoa, Parc Nacional Ranomafana, Bell Vue Trail, 21.26S 47.426667E, 1000 m, 21.XII.1999, leg. M.E. Irwin & E.I. Schlinger, 3♂ ( CAS, codes CASENT3003725 , CASENT3003726 ; MSVI, code CASENT3003724 ); Toamagina, Parc Nacional Andasibe (Perinet), 19 km E Moramanga, 1000 m, 24.XII.1999, leg. E.I. Schlinger, M.E. Irwin & H.G. Rasolondalao, 1♂ ( CAS; code CASENT3003735 ) GoogleMaps .

Description. Male holotype ( Fig. 20C View FIGURE 20 ). Body length 6.5 mm; fore wing length 6.0 mm.

Head 1.3× as wide as high. Clypeus in frontal view 1.1× as wide as long, free apical part much shorter than interocular part, apical margin narrowly emarginate and 0.2× as wide as clypeus, apical teeth short and subtriangular with bluntly pointed apex, lateral margins of free apical part shortly lamellate in basal half; clypeus in lateral view very weakly convex. Vertex 1.45× as long as ocellocular distance, very weakly convex and sloping posteriorly. Gena 0.7× as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus, gena in dorsal view shallowly bulging behind eye and then strongly converging posteriorly; occipital carina complete, fine and sharp, strongly bent in lower half. F1 1.8× as long as wide and 1.25× as long as F2, F2–F4 longer than wide and becoming progressively shorter, F5–F8 wider than long, F9 longer than wide, F11 long and thin, straight and needle-like, apex sharply pointed and barely exceeding middle of F9; F9 with tyloid as a subtriangular and shiny flattened area on which F11 lies at rest. Mesosoma 1.3× as long as wide, more or less globular and dorsally convex in lateral view. Pronotum with nearly straight and anteriorly converging sides, humeri obtuse in dorsal view and bluntly bent in anterior view; pronotal carina complete, very shortly lamellate on dorsal face and becoming higher from middle to humeri, very fine and almost evanescent below humeri, blunter on lateral faces; pretegular carina absent; lateral faces of propodeum shallowly depressed and bluntly separated from dorsal face. Scutellum wider than long, convex and with a shallow transverse bulge in the middle, anterior margin narrowly furrowed and with a shallow depression in the middle; axillary fossa small and rounded, slightly smaller than one ocellus. Metanotum nearly vertical, flattened except for a shallow median bulge on anterior margin. Tegula weakly campanulate and about as long as wide, with outer margin weakly bent in anterior half, posterior lobe short and wide with bluntly pointed apex equaling parategula; parategula scythe-shaped, flattened laterolaterally and with sharply pointed apex. Mesepisternum evenly convex with shallow but distinct sulci; epicnemial carina completely absent. Propodeum short and nearly vertical, in lateral view with a basal sloping part and then vertically falling; dorsal faces of propodeum strongly sloping and convex, broadly meeting medially and forming a sloping and medially furrowed surface behind metanotum; lateral faces of propodeum flattened, not distinctly separated from dorsal faces; posterior face of propodeum forming a semi-elliptical and deep depression, bearing a median carina at bottom; submarginal carina of propodeum strongly developed in a large subtriangular and narrowly rounded apex. T1 elongate pyriform, 1.9× as long as apically wide, basal fourth forming a short stalk with diverging sides smoothly passing into the apical expanded part, basal stalk transversely carinate dorsally; T 1 in lateral view abruptly raised and tuberculate on basal stalk, then evenly and strongly convex except for shallow preapical furrow and thickened apical margin. T2 about as long as wide, constricted basally and much wider apically than basally, sides strongly convex; apical margin of T2 with a brownish translucent lamella very shallowly separated from rest of surface by a series of small dense punctures. S1 elongate bell-shaped, with a very narrow and apically constricted basal stalk and a sub-triangularly expanded posterior part with shallowly tuberculate posterior angles. S 2 in lateral view obliquely sloping and flattened basally and then horizontal and weakly convex, the two surfaces bluntly and very weakly separated by a shallow fold of the surface; apical margin of S2 lamellate similar to T2, but lamella slightly shorter and more markedly separated from sternite. S7 flattened with evenly rounded apex.

Frons with deep punctures separated by raised interspaces mostly narrower than half puncture diameter, punctures becoming slightly sparser on vertex; gena with punctures separated by interspaces exceeding one puncture diameter; clypeus micropunctate and matte, with macropunctures deep and denser (interspaces about equal to puncture diameter) basally and becoming shallower and sparser apically. Mesosoma punctate similar to frons but punctures larger; pronotum with punctures arranged in longitudinal series, interspaces very narrow and sparsely micropunctate; anterior face of pronotum with few punctures on extreme sides; mesoscutum with punctures denser anterolaterally and becoming sparser posteromedially, with interspaces reaching one puncture diameter posteriorly; scutellum more sparsely punctate than mesoscutum, except for a band of denser punctures posteriorly; metanotum with small deep punctures separated by about their diameter; tegula densely micropunctate and very finely microstriate, weakly shiny; mesepisternum punctate similar to posterior half of mesoscutum, punctures becoming sparser ventrally; lateral faces of propodeum with small deep punctures posterodorsally, rest of surface mostly impunctate and very shallowly microstriate; dorsal faces of propodeum densely micropunctate laterally and becoming smooth and shinier medially, with sparse deep macropunctures becoming denser laterally; posterior depression of propodeum transversely striate medially, laterally smooth with sparse deep punctures. T1 with some small but coarse punctures on basal stalk, apical expanded part sparsely micropunctate with small punctures separated by interspaces reaching up to three puncture diameters in width, thickened apical margin impunctate; T2 densely micropunctate, punctures oblique and small, much sparser basally and progressively becoming denser apically, interspaces always wider than puncture diameter, preapical area of T2 impunctate except for a series of small punctures bordering the apical lamella; T3–T7 micropunctate, with micropunctures becoming progressively finer and sparser, T3 with a sparse preapical series of shallow punctures in the middle; S1 strongly shiny, apical expanded part with sparse deep punctures; S2 similar to T2 but punctures much sparser and slightly deeper; S3–S6 similar to respective tergites but micropunctures slightly more impressed; S7 shagreened and sparsely micropunctate. Head and mesosoma with dense and short brownish pubescence; frons, clypeus, pronotum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum with sparse long erect setae, partly apically bent; clypeus with dense silvery pubescence; metasoma with very short pubescence, becoming progressively longer and denser from S3 to S7, basal stalk of T1 with sparse long setae.

Black; following parts red to dark-red: head except inner margin of mandible and irregular markings on frons, most of scape, pronotum, irregular markings on mesoscutum, scutellum except posterior margin, most of metanotum, tegula, most of mesepisternum, most of dorsal faces of propodeum, tibiae and tarsi, apical expanded part of T1 and S1, sides and apex of T2, S2 except suffused basal spots; following parts ivory: interantennal space, anterior band on pronotum widening laterally and reaching posteroventral margin on humeral region, narrow and medially interrupted band on scutellum, narrow apical margin of T1, T2 and S2; T3–T7 and S3–S7 ferruginous-orange. Wings fusco-hyaline with brown tinge becoming stronger on costal margin.

Female. Differing from the male as follows: free apical part of clypeus almost as long as interocular part, medially projecting in a narrow and barely emarginate apical margin; T1 more elongate and with proportionally longer basal stalk; clypeus with a longitudinal and medially widened red band and lateral arcuated yellowish lines.

Variability. The examined male paratypes show the following variation in pattern: clypeus entirely red or with a variable apical band, pale bands on pronotum and scutellum broader, mesepisternum with a small pale spot at upper end, pale markings ivory to bright yellow. The length and thickness of T1 is highly variable, ranging from 1.9 to 2.2× as long as apically wide.

Distribution. Madagascar: Fianarantsoa, Toamasina ( Fig. 63G View FIGURE 63 ).

Etymology. The species epithet refers to the more dorsally swollen propodeum that distinguishes this species from the similar Cyrteumenes mochii .