Ropalidia tajiri Polašek, 2025

Ropalidia tajiri Polašek sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:205417D3-8B52-4A25-B99D-82678896EF8F

Type specimens. Holotype: Voi , Kenya, 1♀ ( OLM.0226) . Paratype: Voi , Kenya, 1♀ ( OLM). The total number of examined specimens: 2♀♀ .

Diagnosis. A member of the capensis -group, with phenotypic and genotypic data suggesting an intermediate position between R. luculenta sp. nov. and R. antennata (DE SAUSSURE) . The key diagnostic features include shiny clypeus and continuous yellow line on posterior margin of the metanotum, thick yellow line on pronotum and two yellow spots on scutellum. Males are unknown.

Diagnosis. Females. Wing length 6.2–6.8 mm. Colour. Basic colour brownish, with yellow and reddish areas ( Figure 105a View FIGURE 105 ). Yellow areas include clypeus (except basal light brown elongated spot), inner orbit, mandible (except small triangular basal brown spot), suffused small area on gena ( Figure 16a View FIGURE 16 ); pronotum with thickened yellow line ( Figure 16b View FIGURE 16 ), coxa pair I yellow, scutellum with two small yellow areas, metanotum with continuous yellow line that occupies posterior half ( Figure 16c View FIGURE 16 ). T1/S1 brown, T2 with thickened yellow posterior band, S2 with thin posterior band; T3 (partly also S3) with suffused yellow area, remaining segments somewhat reddish, and more lightly coloured than T2 basal colour ( Figure 105a View FIGURE 105 ). Wings transparent, apical spotabsent, stigma semi-transparent, light brown. Antenna ferruginous, slightly darkened in more distal segments, orange underneath ( Figure 105a View FIGURE 105 ).

Head. Clypeus about as long as broad, convex, with evenly curved upes, protruding apex and developed juxtamandibular lobe (similar to R. antennata DE SAUSSURE females; Figure 16a View FIGURE 16 ). Clypeus has shiny basal and central surface, finely and minutely punctate, gradually becoming less defined craters near apex. Clypeus covered by very short pubescence and some protruding whitish-yellowish setae. Inner orbit impunctate, covered by dense pubescence (denser than clypeus). Frons sparsely punctate, similar to tempora, while vertex punctures gradually diminishnear occipital carina. Gena sparsely punctate near eye, impunctate towards occipital carina. Frons, tempora and gena covered by short setae, equal or shorter than ocellus diameter. Gena about 0.7 times as wide as eye. AF1 0.8 times as long as scape, AF2 about as long as wide ( Figure 16a View FIGURE 16 ).

Mesosoma. Mesosoma covered by very short whitish-golden setae. Punctures of mesosoma coarser and larger ( Figure 16b View FIGURE 16 ). Tegula with few large and poorly defined punctures. Scutellum finely punctate, metanotum with coarser punctures laterally, with posterior impunctate area that is smaller than in R. luculenta sp. nov. ( Figure 16c View FIGURE 16 ). Metapleuron shallowly punctate, almost entirely indiscernible due to overlying pubescence. Propodeal excavation with obtuse margins and much narrower contour than in R. luculenta sp. nov., covered by very dense, distally directing golden setae ( Figure 16c View FIGURE 16 ).

Metasoma. T1 globular and posteriorly constricted. T2 short, with about half of total length with parallel sides. T2/S2 suture less developed, visible only proximally. T2 lamella elongated, transparent, lamellar notch very shallow, T2/S2 suture longer. T2 covered by short golden setae, S2 covered by yellowish-silvery pubescence; remaining segments covered by longer protruding setae ( Figure 105a View FIGURE 105 ).

Males are unknown.

Distribution: Kenya.

Etymology. After the Swahili word tajiri , “rich”, referring to a rich amount of yellow colour on the body; the name is treated as indeclinable.

Genetics. A single specimen was genotyped, confirming an intermediate position between R. antennata (DE SAUSSURE) and R. luculenta sp. nov., with a BIN assignment BOLD:AEA6302.