Alastor ( Alastorellus ) angulatus, Selis, 2025

Alastor ( Alastorellus) angulatus sp. nov.

( Figs 10 View FIGURE 10 , 62G View FIGURE 62 )

Diagnosis. Forming a pair of sibling species with Alastor curvatus , 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 angulatus is then differentiated from A. curvatus by the following characters: male clypeus 1.15× and female clypeus 1.25× as wide as long ( Fig. 10A View FIGURE 10 ), male F11 small and 0.55× as long as F9 ( Fig. 10A View FIGURE 10 ), pronotal carina strongly angled on humeri and higher dorsally than on lateral faces ( Fig. 10C View FIGURE 10 ), lateral faces of propodeum with deep and sparse small punctures ( Fig. 10D View FIGURE 10 ), T1 with anterior part forming an even curvature with posterior part ( Fig. 10E View FIGURE 10 ), T2 with punctures on disc larger and denser ( Fig. 10F View FIGURE 10 ).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♀ labelled “ CASENT / 2081159 // MADAGASCAR: Prov. / Diego-Suarez , PN Montagne/ d’Ambre, 1125m, 14–30 May / 2001, 12°31'13"S 49°10'46"E / R. Harin’Hala, coll.// CASLOT 011126 / malaise MA-01-01D-11 // Alastor angulatus / HOLOTYPUS ♀ / Det. Marco Selis 2024 [red label]” ( CAS, code CASTYPE21741) GoogleMaps . PARATYPES: same data as holotype, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT2081153 ); Antsiranana, Diana Region, Orangea dry forest, Ramena , Baie de dune 900 m E of Camp Minier, 12.2328S 49.3665E, 152 m, 22–29.XII.2010, leg. M. Irwin GoogleMaps & R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ ( CAS, code CASENT2118534 ); Antsiranana, SAVA region, Vohemar District , 43 km E of Daraina, 13.0793S 49.9023E, 182 m, 26.X–2.XI.2010, leg. M. Irwin GoogleMaps & R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ ( CAS, code CASENT2177732 ); Antsiranana, SAVA region, Vohemar District , 43 km E of Daraina, 13.0793S 49.9023E, 182 m, 16–23.XI.2010, leg. M. Irwin GoogleMaps & R. Harin’Hala, 2♂ ( CAS, code CASENT2118462 ; MSVI, code CASENT2118457 ); Antsiranana, SAVA region, Vohemar District , 43 km E of Daraina, 13.0793S 49.9023E GoogleMaps , 182

m, 30.XI–7.XII.2010, leg. M. Irwin & R . Harin’Hala, 2♂ 1♀ ( CAS, codes CASENT2118531 , CASENT2118532 , CASENT2118533 ) .

Description. Female holotype ( Fig. 10B View FIGURE 10 ). Body length 8.5 mm; fore wing length 6.0 mm.

Head 1.2× as wide as high. Clypeus in frontal view 1.25× as wide as long, apical margin rounded out and laterally margined by obtuse corners, 0.4× as wide as clypeus; clypeus in lateral view evenly convex, flattened in apical third. Vertex 1.25× as long as ocellocular distance, shallowly convex and weakly sloping posteriorly. Gena 0.8× as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina incomplete, absent on most vertex, strong and shortly lamellate on gena, carina diverging from outer eye margin and almost reaching hypostomal carina, then abruptly bent and reaching mandibular articulation. Flagellum short and thickened apically, F8 almost twice as wide as F1; F1 1.3× as long as wide and 1.15× as long as F2, F2 subquadrate, F3–F9 transverse and becoming progressively shorter and wider. Mesosoma 1.65× as long as wide, dorsoventrally depressed and in lateral view mesoscutum and scutellum forming an evenly flattened surface. Pronotum with convex and anteriorly converging sides, strongly sinuate on humeri, which are acute; pronotal carina absent in median third of dorsal face, high and forming a long translucent lamella on lateral thirds and right-angled on humeri, sharp but much lower and not translucent on lateral faces; pretegular carina strong but visible only near posterior angle on 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 slightly wider than long, entirely flattened with weakly indicated longitudinal impression in posterior third, anterior margin deep and furrowed with shallow crenulation; 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 right-angled at extreme sides. Tegula larger than scutellum, outer margin weakly convex and then abruptly bent, becoming perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body, posterior lobe very large and acute, 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 as wide as one third of metanotum and with a subtriangular shallowly raised sclerite, then 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. T 1 in dorsal view with evenly rounded anterior margin smoothly passing into weakly diverging sides, wider than long; T 1 in lateral view forming an evenly and strongly curved surface, shallowly depressed in front of 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 V-shaped depression, its convexity pointing apically; T2 with two shallow preapical bulges. 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 few sparse large punctures; lateral faces of pronotum with short but strong striae in ventral third along pronotal carina; scutellum with much sparser 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 medially; lateral faces of propodeum with sparse small and deep punctures; sides of posterior face of propodeum smooth and shiny with scattered deep punctured, median area entirely smooth. T1 with anterior vertical part finely shagreened with scattered fine punctures, posterior horizontal part with very large oblique punctures partially fused in irregular series, punctures disappearing abruptly and leaving a smooth area about as long as two ocellar diameters; T2 on disc with large and deep punctures, interspaces generally narrower than puncture diameter, punctures becoming much finer and slightly sparser on sides and apically, except for a preapical area with coarse and dense punctures; T3 sculpted similar to disc of T2, but punctures denser and interspaces almost disappearing in apical third; T4–T6 shagreened with scattered shallow punctures; S1 sculpted like T1; S2 punctate similar to T3, but interspaces slightly wider and shiny; S3–S6 shagreened with barely visible scattered punctures. Head and mesosoma with short and dense 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 S2.

Black; following parts bright red: most of head (except interantennal space, ocellar area and line connecting them), dorsal face of pronotum, broad M-shaped marking on mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum except carina, most of mesepisternum, dorsal and lateral faces of propodeum, irregular broad markings on sides of T1, sides and apical third of T2, most of T3, S1–S2, legs; following parts ferruginous-orange: clypeus, ocular sinus, scape, most of tegula, T4–T6 and S3–S6; following parts pale yellow: large subtriangular spots on pronotal humeri, curved band covering posterior half of scutellum and narrowly interrupted in the middle, anterior and posterior spots on tegula, thickened apical margin of T1, sinuate apical band on T2 slightly wider on sides, transverse spot in middle of apical spot of T3, apical band on S2 wider in the middle; outer face of all tibiae with white line. Wings fusco-hyaline with dark brown tinge and purplish reflections along costa.

Male. Similar to female, differing as follows: smaller size (body length 6.0 mm, fore wing length 5.0 mm), clypeus narrower and higher, 1.15× as wide as long with anterior margin subtruncate and margined by pointed teeth, 0.4× as wide as clypeus, F11 small and 0.55× as long as F9, more or less almond-shaped in dorsal view, weakly curved with sinuate ventral margin in lateral view, mesosoma shorter and 1.55× as long as wide, T1 shorter and less convex, T2 shorter and with stronger posterolateral bulges, clypeus, mandible and ocular sinus entirely yellow.

Variability. The female paratype from 43 km E of Daraina is smaller, with less red markings and has a pale yellow basal band on clypeus. In some males the pale spots on the tegula are connected by a narrow line along the outer margin.

Distribution. Madagascar: Antsiranana ( Fig. 62G View FIGURE 62 ).

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