Cerceris dodomaensis DOLLFUSS, 2025

Cerceris dodomaensis DOLLFUSS , nov.sp. ( Figs 3 View Figs 3 a-g)

Holotype: ♀, TANZANIA, Dodoma Region, 25 km N Dodoma , 5°55.6'S 35°44.6'E, 4.I.2003, leg. M.A. Prentice ( CAS) GoogleMaps . Paratypes: KENYA: 1♀, Coast province, Taita Hill Discovery Centre , 3°42.3'S 38°46.6'E, 13-14.XII.2002, leg. W.J. Pulawski ( CAS) GoogleMaps ; 1♀, SW Voi , 8-12.XII.2009, leg. Snižek ( JHC) ; 1♀, Voi ( Tsavo ), 13-17.XII.1997, leg. M. Snižek ( JHC) .

E t y m o l o g y: The species is named after the region Dodoma in Tanzania where the holotype was collected.

R e c o g n i t i o n: The female of Cerceris dodomaensis is characterized by having the coxa III without longitudinal carina; the body is predominantly ferruginous, the scutum is dull and shallowly sparsely punctate (punctures 0-1 diameter apart) and with short longitudinal rugae posteriorly, the mesopleuron has a tubercle and the mandible a blunt tooth internally. Additionally, the median area of the clypeus has an erected lamella near the apical margin, which is narrowed and rounded apically ( Fig. 3a View Figs 3 ), the propodeal enclosure is arcuately rugose with medio-longitudinal furrow not crenulate, the inter-antennal carina is broad, the petiole broader than long and the wings are hyaline, except fuscous apex.

The female of C. iniqua KOHL differs from C. dodomaensis by having the thorax, the legs and the petiole black, the wing fuscous with violet shine and the scutum with longitudinally converging rugosity backwards and punctate between the rugae. The female of C. pseudoiniqua DOLLFUSS has a similar shaped clypeus and mandible but differs from C. dodomaensis by having the body predominantly yellow and the scutum longitudinally rugose with punctures between the rugae. The female of C. arida ARNOLD differs from C. dodomaensis by having the thorax black (except tegula), the wings fuscous with violet shine, the scutum longitudinally rugose and punctate and the gaster is all yellowish-brown.

D e s c r i p t i o n: ♀, 13 mm. Sculpture: apical margin of clypeus straight and lateral with tiny tooth; median area of clypeus with erect lamella near apical margin, apically narrowed and rounded ( Fig. 3a View Figs 3 ); inter-antennal carina broadly rounded; pronotal collar lateral rounded; prosternum without transverse carina; mesopleuron with tubercle; epimeron without crest; propodeal enclosure arcuately rugose and medio-longitudinal furrow not crenulate; petiole wider than long; coxa III without longitudinal carina; sternum II without medio-basal plate; petiole attenuated apically and rounded ( Fig. 3e View Figs 3 ); flagellum as in Fig. 3c View Figs 3 ; pygidial plate as in Fig. 3d View Figs 3 . Puncturation: clypeus dull; frons dull and shallowly punctate; vertex dull and densely rugose-punctate; prosternum dull; pronotal collar dull and impunctate; scutum dull and sparsely shallowly punctate (punctures 0-1 diameter apart); scutellum similar to scutum; metanotum impunctate; tegula impunctate; mesopleuron coarsely reticulate-punctate; mesosternum dull and impunctate; propodeal side densely punctate; terga I-IV coarsely densely punctate; tergum V dull and shallowly punctate; pygidial plate irregularly structured; sterna apico-lateral punctate. Pilosity: clypeal side and frons covered with short appressed setae; sternum VI apico-lateral with bundle of long setae; rest of body covered with irregular erect setae. Colouration: black; following parts yellow: clypeus, frons, inter-antennal carina, mandible (except apex and tooth internally), pronotal collar, scutellum lateral, metanotum, propodeal side, terga I-V lateral; following parts ferruginous: flagellum, vertex lateral, gena, scutum partly, tegula, terga median, pygidial plate, sterna (partly fuscous), legsentirely; wings hyaline, apex fuscous.

♁ unknown.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Kenya, Tanzania.