Alexeter shakojiensis Uchida, 1930

Alexeter shakojiensis Uchida, 1930 View in CoL

Figs 3 A – H View Figure 3 , 10 A View Figure 10 , 11 A – C View Figure 11 ; Suppl. material 3 Chinese vernacular name: 朝鮮亞力姬蜂 / 朝亞力姬蜂

Alexeter shakojiensis Uchida, 1930: 292. View in CoL

Alexeter shakojiensis View in CoL – Kim 1955: 491; Townes et al. 1965: 257; Sun et al. 2019: 86; Sheng et al. 2020: 156; Li and Sun 2022: 99.

Mesoleius shakojiensis – Kim 1957: 24; Townes et al. 1965: 257.

Material examined.

Holotype. Korea • 1 ♂; Shakoji [= currently Sukwangsa at Chuncheon-si , Gangwon-do]; 23. Jul. 1922; T. Uchida leg.; SEHU . Non-type material. Taiwan • 1 ♀; Hualien County, Xiulin Township, Cross Island Rd. 113 K , ca 24.188294 N, 121.333768 E (DD); alt. ca 2380 m; 26. Aug. 1989; Light Trap; J. T. Chao leg.; TFRI 00073659 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; Chiayi County, Alishan Township, Mt. Alishan ; alt. 2400 m; 5–9. Aug. 1989; Malaise Trap; L. Y. Chou & S. C. Lin; TARI (measure 01) • 1 ♂; ibid; 5. Aug. 1931; T. Shiraki; TARI (measure 07) • 1 ♀; Nantou County, Ren’ai Township, Meifeng ; alt. 2130 m; 23. Sep. – 2. Oct. 1979; Malaise Trap; unknown collector; TARI (measure 02) • 1 ♀; ibid; 22–29. Aug. 1979; TARI (measure 03) • 1 ♂; ibid; 18–23. Sep. 1979; TARI (measure 08) • 1 ♀; ibid; Jul. 1984; alt. 2150 m; K. S. Lin & K. C. Chou leg.; TARI (measure 04) • 1 ♀ 1 ♂; ibid; Aug. 1984; TARI (measure 05) • 3 ♂♂; Nantou County, Ren’ai Township, Tsuifeng ; alt. 2300 m; Aug. 1984; Malaise Trap; K. S. Lin & K. C. Chou leg.; TARI (measure 10) • 2 ♂♂; ibid; Sep. 1984; TARI (measure 09) • 1 ♀; ibid; Oct. 1985; K. S. Lin leg.; TARI (measure 06) • 1 ♀; Nantou County, Xinyi Township, Tungpu ; alt. 1200 m; Nov. 1985; K. S. Lin leg.; TARI • 1 ♀; Nantou County, Ren’ai Township, Shuikuan Road ; 29–30. Aug. 2009; Light Trap (UV); H. H. Liang leg.; NMNS ENT 6214-397 .

Diagnosis.

This species can be distinguished from congeners by the combination of the following characters: fore wing length usually longer than 10.0 mm; POL / OOL = 0.5–0.7; fore wing areolet triangular with stalk, receiving 2 m-cu at distal corner (Fig. 10 A View Figure 10 ); fore wing 1 cu-a slightly inclivous, distad or almost opposite to M & RS (Fig. 10 A View Figure 10 ); lateromedian longitudinal carinae of propodeum complete and distinct, almost parallel (Fig. 3 E View Figure 3 ); T 1 2.7–3.3 × its apical width; gonostyle truncate apically (Fig. 11 B View Figure 11 ); mesosoma black with scutellum reddish-brown; metasoma and legs reddish-brown except hind tarsi yellow (Fig. 3 A View Figure 3 ).

This species is the only one in Alexeter with such large body size, black mesosoma, reddish-brown scutellum, and almost entirely reddish-brown legs and metasoma. The Asian species A. daisetsusanus Uchida, 1930 , A. dorogawaensis Uchida, 1934 , A. segmentarius (Fabricius, 1787) , and A. fallax (Holmgren, 1857) share a general color pattern of black mesosoma and reddish-brown metasoma. However, the metasomas of these other species are black on at least the posterior tergites, whereas in A. shakojiensis , the posterior tergites of the metasoma are reddish-brown.

Redescription based on Taiwanese specimens.

The measurements were based on Taiwanese specimens ( 8 females and 4 males).

Female. Head (Fig. 3 A – C View Figure 3 ): matt and granulate, HW / HL = 1.8–2.1 (1.9 ± 0.12); ocelli normal, OD = 0.2–0.3 (0.2 ± 0.03) mm, POL / OD = 0.5–0.9 (0.7 ± 0.13), OOL / OD = 1.0–1.4 (1.2 ± 0.14), POL / OOL = 0.5–0.7 (0.6 ± 0.08); face granulate with strong punctures, FW / FH = 1.5–1.8 (1.7 ± 0.12); clypeus smooth with subventral transverse ridges, truncate on ventral margin, CLW / CLH = 2.6–3.1 (2.9 ± 0.14); MSL / BMW = 0.4–0.6 (0.5 ± 0.07); mandible minutely coriaceous with strong punctures, teeth equal in length; flagellum with 44–51 segments; average ratio of basal five flagellomeres length 2.4: 1.3: 1.2: 1.1: 1.0.

Mesosoma (Fig. 3 A, D, E View Figure 3 ): matt and granulate with dense punctures, mesopleuron with weak rugae; pronotum with epomia strong, carinate at dorso-anterior corner; mesoscutum with MSSL / MSSW = 1.3–1.4 (1.3 ± 0.03), notauli short, distinct near anterior margin; scutellum with SCL / SCW = 1.0–1.3 (1.1 ± 0.14), lateral carina absent; epicnemial carina strong, ~ 0.8 × height of mesopleuron with short carinae posteriorly; metapleuron with pleural carina and submetapleural carina complete; juxtacoxal carina present posteriorly; propodeum with spiracle circular to suboval, maximum axis 1.0–1.3 (1.0 ± 0.09) × as minimum axis; anterior transverse carina absent or vestigial medially; posterior transverse carina present medially at posterior ~ 0.4; lateromedian longitudinal carina present, with area petiolaris opened anteriorly; lateral longitudinal carina vestigial; average ratio of hind tarsomere length 4.5: 2.3: 1.8: 1.0: 1.2.

Wings (Fig. 10 A View Figure 10 ): fore wing length 9.7–11.9 (10.9 ± 0.85) mm; areolet open and triangular with stalk 0.4–0.6 (0.5 ± 0.07) × as long as 2 rs-m, receiving 2 m-cu at distal corner; RMI = 0.6–0.9 (0.7 ± 0.08); 1 cu-a slightly inclivous, distad or almost opposite to M & RS, with BNI = 0.1–0.3 (0.2 ± 0.05). Hind wing length 7.0–9.0 (8.2 ± 0.75) mm; NI = 1.3–2.1 (1.7 ± 0.33); distal hamuli 6–9.

Metasoma (Fig. 3 A, F – H View Figure 3 ): matt and minutely coriaceous; T 1 2.7–3.3 (3.1 ± 0.19) × as long as posterior width, 7.2–8.7 (7.8 ± 0.55) × as long as anterior width, 1.4–1.5 (1.5 ± 0.06) × as long as length of T 2; T 1 with latero-median carinae absent, dorso-lateral carina present anteriorly, ventro-lateral carina complete, spiracle at around middle of T 1, glymma distinct; T 2 1.2–1.5 (1.3 ± 0.11) × as long as posterior width, 1.7–2.4 (1.9 ± 0.21) × as long as anterior width, gastrocoeli indistinct, thyridia semi-circular; ovipositor sheath 3.3–6.2 (4.4 ± 0.98) × as long as its maximum width in lateral view, shorter than apical depth of metasoma.

Color (Fig. 3 View Figure 3 , 10 A View Figure 10 ): head and mesosoma generally black, except antenna and ventral 0.6 of face gradient from reddish-brown to yellow; clypeus, malar space, and mandibles except teeth yellow; palpi, tegula, scutellum, and postscutellum reddish-brown. Metasoma and legs generally reddish-brown, except glymma and anterior 0.5–0.8 of T 1 sometimes black, mid coxa sometimes tinged with black, hind tarsus yellow. Wings hyaline tinged with yellowish-brown, veins and pterostigma reddish-brown.

Male. General structure and color similar to female, except mesoscutum with lateral-anterior corner having yellowish- or reddish-brown marking. Male genitalia with gonostyle truncate apically and weakly concave on ventral margin, S 9 weakly concave on posterior margin, completely sclerotized (Fig. 11 A – C View Figure 11 ).

HW / HL = 1.7–2.1 (1.9 ± 0.17); OD = 0.22–0.26 (0.24 ± 0.02) mm, POL / OD = 0.6–0.7 (0.6 ± 0.04), OOL / OD = 1.0–1.2 (1.1 ± 0.07), POL / OOL = 0.5–0.7 (0.6 ± 0.08); FW / FH = 1.6–1.8 (1.7 ± 0.10), CLW / CLH = 2.9–3.2 (3.1 ± 0.14), MSL / BMW = 0.4–0.5 (0.5 ± 0.06); flagellum with 46–51 segments; average ratio of basal five flagellomeres length 2.1: 1.3: 1.1: 1.1: 1.0; MSSL / MSSW = 1.3–1.5 (1.4 ± 0.06); SCL / SCW = 0.9–1.2 (1 ± 0.16); maximum axis of propodeal spiracles 1.0–1.1 (1.1 ± 0.06) × as minimum axis; average ratio of hind tarsomere length 4.6: 2.3: 1.8: 1.0: 1.2; fore wing length 10.0–11.0 (10.4 ± 0.49) mm; areolet with stalk 0.4–0.8 (0.6 ± 0.14) × as long as 2 rs-m; RMI = 0.7–0.8 (0.7 ± 0.04); BNI = 0.1–0.3 (0.2 ± 0.11); hind wing length 7.1–7.8 (7.5 ± 0.32) mm; NI = 1.4–2.2 (1.8 ± 0.34); distal hamuli 7–10; T 1 2.8–3.7 (3.3 ± 0.39) × as long as posterior width, 7.3–8.1 (7.7 ± 0.31) × as long as anterior width, 1.4–1.6 (1.5 ± 0.09) × as long as length of T 2; T 2 1.3–1.6 (1.4 ± 0.11) × as long as posterior width, 1.9–2.4 (2.1 ± 0.19) × as long as anterior width.

Bionomics.

This species has been collected in mountainous areas in Taiwan above 2000 m by Malaise trap or light trap. Hosts are unknown.

Distribution.

Korea, China, and Taiwan (new record: Hualien, Nantou, and Chiayi).

Remarks.

This is the first record of this species from Taiwan. The amplification of COI sequences in this species failed in this study.