Afrepipona imitans, Selis, 2025

Afrepipona imitans sp. nov.

( Figs 5–6 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 , 62C View FIGURE 62 )

Diagnosis. Belonging to the group of Malagasy Afrepipona with simple apical margin of T2 ( Fig. 6F View FIGURE 6 ) and large opening of axillary fossa ( Fig. 6B View FIGURE 6 ), in which it is readily recognized by anteriorly narrowing mesosoma ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ) and evenly domed T1 with punctures about as wide as half ocellar diameter ( Fig. 6E View FIGURE 6 ).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♀ labelled“ CASENT/2081295 // MADAGASCAR:Prov./ Antananarivo, 46 km NE of Ankazobe: Ambohitantely / 15 Oct–1 Nov 2004, 700 m / 18°11.88'S 47°16.89'E / colls: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala // CASLOT 035370 / malaise, in sclerophyll / forest MA-27-19 // Afrepipona imitans / HOLOTYPUS ♀ / Det.Marco Selis 2024 [red label]” ( CAS, code CASTYPE21738) GoogleMaps . PARATYPES: same data as holotype, 5♀ ( CAS, codes CASENT2081287 , CASENT2081297 ; MSVI, codes CASENT2081286 , CASENT2081298 , CASENT2081293 ) GoogleMaps ; same locality as holotype, 22–29.XI.2003, 2♀ ( CAS, code CASENT2081277 , CASENT2081278 ) GoogleMaps ; same locality as holotype, 7–22.XII.2004, 3♀ ( CAS, code CASENT2081305 , CASENT2081306 , CASENT2081307 ); Fianarantsoa, Manombo Spec. Res. camp site, 32 km SSE of Farafangana, 23.021843S 47.720010E, 36 m, 20.I–2.II.2005, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT2081255 ); Fianarantsoa, Miandritsara Forest, 40 km S of Ambositra, 20.792666S 47.175666E, 825 m, 26.XII.2004 – 5.I.2005, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT2081358 ); Fianarantsoa, Miandritsara Forest, 40 km S of Ambositra, 20.792666S 47.175666E, 825 m, 16–25.X.2006, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( MSVI, code CASENT8105931 ); Fianarantsoa, Miandritsara Forest , 40 km S of Ambositra, 20.792666S 47.175666E, 825 m, 13–22.XI.2006, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 2♀ ( CAS, codes CASENT2047068 , CASENT2047069 ) GoogleMaps .

Description. Female holotype ( Fig. 6A View FIGURE 6 ). Body length 8.0 mm; fore wing length 7.0 mm.

Head 1.2× as wide as high. Clypeus in frontal view 1.1× as wide as long, apical margin emarginate and 0.25× as wide as clypeus, apical teeth subtriangular with rounded apex; clypeus in lateral view barely convex, almost smoothly passing into frons. Vertex 1.8× as long as ocellocular distance; cephalic foveae very fine and close to each other, housed in two small circular and flattened areas partially fused medially, more or less ∞-shaped, placed slightly closer to ocellar triangle than to occipital margin. Gena 0.9× as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina incomplete, absent in the middle of vertex, thick and shortly lamellate on gena, distinctly bent in lower half. F1 1.2× as long as wide and 1.3× as long as F2, F2 slightly longer than wide, F3–F9 transverse, becoming progressively wider. Mesosoma 1.5× as long as wide, in lateral view almost forming an even curvature from pronotum to propodeum. Pronotum with weakly convex and anteriorly converging sides; pronotal carina complete and shortly lamellate on dorsal portion, shallowly and narrowly depressed in the middle, evenly rounded on humeri; pretegular carina absent. Mesoscutum with fine indication of notauli in posterior third. Scutellum wider than long, widely flattened on disc, anterior margin crenulate with larger median pit; axillary fossa small and rounded, acting as acarinarium, its opening delimited by a deep incision in the inner lamella of the scutellar crest. Metanotum strongly sloping, almost vertical, evenly convex with shallow and narrow longitudinal bulge in anterior third; posterior margin deeply produced in the middle. Tegula longer than wide, outer margin evenly convex, posterior lobe short, right-angled with pointed apex and not equaling parategula; parategula digitiform and evenly curved. Mesepisternum smoothly passing into pronotum above; epicnemial carina absent. Propodeum short, in lateral view falling vertically from posterior margin of metanotum; dorsal faces of propodeum not meeting behind metanotum and strongly sloping, smoothly passing into posterior face; lateral faces of propodeum flattened, posterodorsally margined by indication of lateral carina; posterior face of propodeum flattened, forming two shallow pits above propodeal orifice, mid-line with longitudinal fovea covering about the dorsal half; submarginal carina of propodeum completely fused with propodeal valvula and evenly rounded. T 1 in dorsal view subtriangular, sides slightly converging in posterior half and then strongly converging anteriorly; T 1 in lateral view evenly domed dorsally, not distinctly separated into two faces; apical margin of T1 with very narrow hyaline border, almost imperceptible. T 2 in dorsal view subquadrate and with convex sides, wider than T1; preapical area of T2 imperceptibly depressed, apical margin with a barely developed translucent border much shorter than one puncture diameter, therefore appearing simple. S2 evenly convex in lateral view, basally with a shallow indication of longitudinal furrow, apical translucent margin slightly more developed than on T2.

Head and mesosoma with deep punctures separated by much less than their diameters, all interspaces reduced to narrow sharp ridges and forming a dense reticulation; interspaces wider and flattened on gena, metanotum, dorsal faces of propodeum and mesepisternum; clypeus densely micropunctate and with deep punctures, separated by about their diameter on disc and much sparser apically; tegula with granular shagreen and sparse micropunctures; lateral faces of propodeum with sparse deep punctures arranged in irregular horizontal series; posterior face of propodeum strongly shagreened and mat, with very sparse deep punctures, almost disappearing in ventral half. T1 anteriorly shagreened and almost impunctate, posteriorly with coarse and dense oblique punctures, about half as large as one ocellar diameter and mostly touching each other, interspaces reduced to narrow and irregular reticulation; T2 with oblique deep punctures, larger and denser basally and on sides and becoming finer and sparser on disc, preapical area with a band of slightly denser and coarser punctures; T3–T5 with deep punctures, larger apically than basally and becoming progressively finer; S1 with large pits separated by irregular longitudinal ridges; S2 with sparse deep punctures, somewhat finer than on T2; S3–S5 with very scattered fine punctures. Covered in short brownish pubescence, short and brassy to silvery on head and mesosoma, dust-like and little visible on metasoma; short setae on frons, clypeus, gena, mesepisternum, S2 and apex of other sternites, longer and finer pale setae on posterolateral angles of propodeum and S1.

Black with diffused and irregular wine-red areas, brighter and well visible on the following parts: mandible, clypeus, lower half of frons and gena, pronotum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum, posterolateral corners of propodeum, apical tergites and sternites, tibiae and tarsi. Following parts ivory-yellow: very small and irregular line on middle of pronotum, anterior margin of metanotum, narrow margin on submarginal carina, sinuate and laterally prolonged apical band on T1, anteriorly concave band covering apical third of T2, apical margin of S1, bisinuate apical band on S2. Wings fusco-hyaline.

Male. Unknown.

Variability. The following variations have been observed: interantennal and antennocular spaces with small yellow markings, ivory markings on pronotum absent to forming a narrow and irregular line along dorsal carina, ivory marking on metanotum narrower and interrupted, apical pale bands on T1–T2 and S2 varying in width. A larger (body length 9.0 mm) paratype ( Fig. 6G View FIGURE 6 ) collected together with the holotype has a generally brighter red tinge and the yellowish band of T2 covering almost the apical half of the tergite and anteriorly prolonged by two rounded expansions. The four paratypes from Miandritsara Forest ( Fig. 6H View FIGURE 6 ) show generally narrower and almost pure white markings but, given the variability of the extent of the patterns, the presence of a paratype with a whitish pattern from the same locality as the holotype and the absolute lack of any morphological difference, they are considered as part of intraspecific variability.

Distribution. Madagascar: Antananarivo, Fianarantsoa ( Fig. 62C View FIGURE 62 ).

Etymology. The species epithet is the Latin participle “ imitans ” (= imitating, copying), as this species shows similar appearance and pattern to Malagassodynerus pulcher .