Alastor ( Alastorellus ) curvatus, Selis, 2025

Alastor ( Alastorellus) curvatus sp. nov.

( Figs 11 View FIGURE 11 , 62H View FIGURE 62 )

Diagnosis. Forming a pair of sibling species with Alastor angulatus , with which it shares the following characters differentiating them from the other Malagasy Alastor : abruptly bent occipital carina, slender mesosoma, lamellate and hyaline pronotal carina disappearing in median third, not lobate transverse carina of metanotum, T1 with coarse and large punctures abruptly disappearing posteriorly, T2 as long as wide and with broad V-shaped furrow, long T3 with curved posterior margin, male with F11 ventrally not bulging in apical half. Alastor curvatus is then differentiated from A. angulatus by the following characters: male clypeus 1.35× and female clypeus 1.4× as wide as long ( Fig. 11A View FIGURE 11 ), male F11 large and 0.75× as long as F9 ( Fig. 11A View FIGURE 11 ), pronotal carina at most obtusely angled on humeri and as high dorsally as on lateral faces or even shorter ( Fig. 11C View FIGURE 11 ), lateral faces of propodeum with shallow and dense flat-bottomed cells ( Fig. 11D View FIGURE 11 ), T1 subcylindrical and with anterior part forming an angle with posterior part ( Fig. 11E View FIGURE 11 ), T2 with punctures on disc finer and sparser ( Fig. 11F View FIGURE 11 ).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♀ labelled “CASENT / 8105943 // MADAGASCAR: Majunga / Ambovomamy Belambo / 20 km NW of Port Berger / 23 Nov–8 Dec 2007 / 15°27.07'S, 47°36.80'E / California Acad of Sciences // coll: R. Harin’Hala, M. Irwin, / F. Parker, malaise, second- / ary growth on white sand / elev 33 m MG-33-40 // Alastor curvatus / HOLOTYPUS ♀ / Det. Marco Selis 2024 [red label]” ( CAS, code CASTYPE21742). PARATYPES: same data as holotype, 3♀ ( CAS, code CASENT 8105940; MSVI, codes CASENT 8105937, CASENT 8105938); same locality as holotype, 4–14.I.2007, 2♂ 1♀ ( CAS, codes CASENT 8105952, CASENT 8105955, CASENT 8105999); same locality as holotype, 22–27.I.2007, 1♂ 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT 8105801; MSVI, code CASENT 8105800); same locality as holotype, 13–15.XI.2007, 6♀ ( CAS, codes CASENT 2046251, CASENT 2046256, CASENT 2046263, CASENT 2046264, CASENT 2046266; MSVI, code CASENT 2046254); same locality as holotype, 11–20.XII.2007, 5♀ ( CAS, codes CASENT 2047061, CASENT 2047062, CASENT 2047063; MSVI, codes CASENT 2047059, CASENT 2047060); same locality as holotype, 31.XII.2007 – 7.I.2008, 1♀ ( MSVI, code CASENT 2047078); Antananarivo, 46 km NE of Ankazobe, Ambohitantely, 18.1980S 47.2815E, 700 m, 20.I–1.II.2004, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ 1♀ ( CAS, codes CASENT 2081283, CASENT 2081284); Antsiranana, Foret de Bekaraoka, 6.8 km 60°ENE of Daraina, 13.1666S 49.7100E, 150 m, 7.XII.2003, leg. B.L. Fisher, 1♂ ( CAS, code CASENT 2177663); Antsiranana, Réserve Spéciale d’Ambre, 3.5 km 235°SW of Sakaramy, 12.4688S 49.2422E, 325 m, 26–31.I.2001, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT 2001748); Antsiranana, Vohemar, SAVA region, Andranotsimaty dry forest, 9 km NE of Daraina, 13.1695S 49.7006E, 90 m, 16–26.XII.2010, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ ( CAS, code CASENT 2118498); Fianarantsoa, near Isalo NP, in dry wash east of Interpretive Center, 22.6266S 45.3581E, 885 m, 2–12.II.2003, leg. R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT 2153743); Mahajanga, Sofia District, 45 km S of Antsohihy, 5 km W of Anjiamangirana, 15.1570S 47.7341E, 97 m, 13–19.XII.2010, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ 1♀ ( CAS, codes CASENT 2118523, CASENT 2118527); Majunga, Ampijoroa NP, 160 km N of Maevatanana on RN 04, 16.3193S 46.8133E, 43 m, 8–17.XII.2003, leg. R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ 1♀ ( CAS, codes CASENT 2153701, CASENT 2153702); Majunga, Analamanitra Forest, 14 km NE of Misinjo, 16.1333S 45.7000E, 11–18.XII.2007, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT 2047103); Majunga, Maintirano District, Asondrodava dry forest, 15 km N of Maintirano, 17.9653S 44.0355E, 17–24.XII.2007, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ ( CAS, code CASENT 2166026); Toliara, PN de Kirindy Mitea, 15.5 km 64°ENE of Marofandilia, 20.0450S 44.6622E, 100 m, 28.XI–3.XII.2001, leg. Fisher, Griswold et al., 1♂ ( CAS, code CASENT 2046394); Tulear, Zombitse NP, near ANGAP office, 22.8865S 44.6921E, 840 m, 15.X–9.XI.2001, leg. M.E. Irwin, F.D. Parker & R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ ( CAS, code CASENT 2053923); Tulear, Zombitse NP, near national road, 22.8405S 44.7311E, 825 m, 15.X–9.XI.2001, leg. R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT 2153885).

Description. Female holotype ( Fig. 11B View FIGURE 11 ). Body length 7.5 mm; fore wing length 6.0 mm.

Head 1.2× as wide as high. Clypeus in frontal view 1.4× as wide as long, apical margin subtruncate with shortly lobate median third, 0.35× as wide as clypeus, lateral teeth right-angled and shallowly reflexed, with a very short but distinct carina; clypeus in lateral view strongly convex basally, shallowly depressed in apical third. Vertex 1.6× as long as ocellocular distance, almost flattened and barely sloping in lateral view. Gena 0.8× as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina incomplete, absent on vertex and upper fourth of gena, on gena diverging from outer eye margin and almost reaching hypostomal carina, then abruptly bent and reaching mandibular articulation, vertical part distinct but very fine, horizontal part very shortly lamellate. Flagellum short and weakly thickened apically; F1 1.2× as long as wide and 1.2× as long as F2, F2–F8 transverse and becoming progressively shorter and wide, F9 subquadrate. Mesosoma 1.8× as long as wide, dorsoventrally depressed and in lateral view mesoscutum and scutellum forming an evenly flattened surface. Pronotum with weakly convex and converging sides, barely sinuate behind obtuse humeri; pronotal carina absent on median third where the pronotum is shallowly depressed, carina high and lamellate on lateral thirds and evenly rounded on humeri, lamellate and as high on dorsal part on lateral faces; pretegular carina strong but visible only near posterior angle of pronotum; anterior face of pronotum with a short transverse carina perpendicularly originating from pronotal carina on each side. Mesoscutum longer than wide, in lateral view shallowly convex only in anterior third. Scutellum trapezoidal, sides diverging and posterior margin wider than anterior margin; disc flattened with a very shallow longitudinal impression, anterior margin evenly crenate; axillary fossa rounded and deep, placed well below level of disc of scutellum and closed by posterior lobe of tegula. Metanotum vertical with a sharp and high transverse carina delimiting a very short anterior oblique face, carina curved down at extreme sides. Tegula larger than scutellum, outer margin strongly convex, convexity increasing posteriorly so that the margin becomes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body, posterior lobe very large and acute with rounded apex, its apex reaching disc of scutellum. Mesepisternum short and wide, evenly and weakly convex, smoothly passing into surrounding sclerites; mesosternum long and flattened. Propodeum long and strongly oblique, in lateral view evenly sloping from metanotum to orifice, bearing dorsolaterally reflexed subconical teeth with shallowly bidentate apex above valvulae, in dorsal view with straight sides in basal half, then angled and deeply excised between posterolateral angles and apex of apical teeth; dorsal carinae present for a short length from posterolateral corners of metanotum, robust but irregular; posterior face with a median differentiated area, basally about as wide as one third of metanotum and narrowing and deepening towards propodeal orifice; submarginal carina of propodeum running on ventrolateral margin of apical teeth of propodeum and forming the lower point at its apex; propodeal valvula subrectangular and free, not fused with submarginal carina. T1 subcylindrical, in dorsal view with nearly straight anterior margin smoothly passing into subparallel sides, about as wide as long; T 1 in lateral view raising perpendicularly behind insertion of suspensory ligament, forming a barely convex vertical face, weakly but distinctly separated from posterior horizontal part, which is flattened with a very shallow impression in front of shallowly thickened apical margin. T 2 in dorsal view subquadrate with parallel sides, about as wide as apical margin of T1; disc of T2 with a shallow and wide, medially interrupted V-shaped depression, its convexity pointing apically and anteriorly margining two shallow preapical bulges; apical margin of T2 shallowly concave in the middle. T3 elongate with strongly rounded posterior margin. S2 obliquely cut-off in lateral view and much longer than T2, shallowly but distinctly convex at extreme base and sharply separated from basal furrow.

Head and mesosoma with large and dense punctures, interspaces narrower than puncture diameter but well evident, slightly convex and shiny, with very fine and sparse micropunctures; clypeus more densely micropunctate and with sparse large punctures separated by more than their diameter; lateral faces of pronotum coarsely and irregularly punctate along pronotal carina; scutellum with sparser and smaller punctures; metanotum with punctures much smaller and limited to dorsal half; tegula with deep punctures separated by about their diameter, smooth only on a small spot on disc, otherwise evenly and completely punctate; mesepisternum with punctures becoming sparser ventrally; dorsal faces of propodeum with large flat-bottomed punctures, denser on median half where interspaces are reduced to sharp ridges; lateral faces of propodeum similar to dorsal faces, but punctures much shallower and wider, forming large polygonal cells separated by very narrow interspaces; sides of posterior face of propodeum smooth and shiny with sparse deep punctures, median area finely shagreened and less shiny. T1 with anterior vertical part finely shagreened with scattered fine punctures, posterior horizontal part with very large oblique punctures separated by narrow convex interspaces, punctures disappearing abruptly and leaving an apical smooth area about as long as two ocellar diameters in the middle; T2 on disc with deep oblique punctures, interspaces generally much wider than puncture diameter, punctures becoming larger on sides, finer and sparser on convex part behind furrow, preapical area with coarser and dense punctures; T3 with small deep punctures separated by less than their diameter, leaving an impunctate apical area, interspaces densely shagreened; T4–T6 shagreened with scattered shallow punctures; S1 sculpted similar to T1; S2 with deep punctures, interspaces about as wide as puncture diameter and shiny; S3–S6 shagreened with barely visible scattered punctures. Head and mesosoma with short silvery pubescence on sides and ventral part, dorsal face of both with inconspicuous pubescence limited to sutures and otherwise bare; metasoma with non-metallic and dust-like pubescence; erect setae on whole body, long and perpendicular to surface on head and mesosoma (except parts of propodeum), shorter and oblique on metasoma, longer and denser on S1–S2.

Black; following parts red: mandible except teeth, scape, margins of ocular sinus, line on upper half of gena, anterior half of dorsal face and posterior margin of pronotum, band on posterior half of scutellum reaching anterior margin on extreme sides, rounded spot on mesepisternum below tegula, anterolateral spot on dorsal faces of propodeum, rounded lateral spots connected to preapical band on T1, preapical band strongly extended on sides on T2, most of T3, most of S1, preapical band on S2, most of legs; following parts pale yellow: spot in middle of ocular sinus, small spot on pronotal humeri, anterior and posterior spots on tegula, narrow apical margin of T1, sinuate apical band on T2, transverse biconvex spot in middle of apical margin of T3, apical band on S2, line on outer face of all tibiae; clypeus, tegula, T4–T6 and S3–S6 ferruginous, clypeus with paler basal margin and apical corners. Wings hyaline with brown tinge along costal margin.

Male. Similar to female, differing as follows: clypeus slightly narrower and higher, 1.35× as wide as high, with anterior margin subtruncate and margined by pointed teeth, 0.4× as wide as clypeus, F11 0.75× as long as F9, almond-shaped in dorsal view, nearly straight with convex ventral margin in lateral view, mesosoma shorter and 1.6× as long as wide, T1–T2 shorter, clypeus and mandible yellow.

Variability. Some specimens present the pronotal humeri weakly and obtusely angled. The red pattern is highly variable even in the same locality, ranging to almost completely absent to completely replacing the black.

Distribution. Madagascar: Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toliara ( Fig. 62H View FIGURE 62 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is the Latin adjective “ curvatus , - a, - um ” (= curved, rounded), in reference to the rounded pronotal humeri differentiating this species from Alastor angulatus .