Cerceris pseudoiniqua DOLLFUSS, 2025

Cerceris pseudoiniqua DOLLFUSS , nov.sp. ( Figs 19 View Figs 19 a-g, 20a-i)

Holotype: ♀, NAMIBIA, Kuene Province, 50 km NEE Khorixas , 1130 m, 20°15'S 15°24'E, 25.III.2014, leg J. Halada ( JHC) GoogleMaps . Paratypes: 21JJ, same data as holotype. NAMIBIA: 1J, Kuene Province, 50 km NEE Khorixas , 1150 m, 20°15'S 15°25'E, 25-26.III.2014, leg. A. Kudrna ( JHC) GoogleMaps ; 13JJ, Erongo Province, 20 km NW Uis , 21°04'S 14°41'E, 530 m, 24.III.2014, leg. J. Halada ( JHC) GoogleMaps ; 1J, Erongo Province, 20 km W Omaru , 21°21'S 15°40'E, 1300 m, 22.III.2014, leg. J. Halada ( JHC) GoogleMaps ; 1J, Outjo District , 24 km S Kamanjab, 5.II.1990, leg. Pulawski ( CAS) ; 1♀, Khomas, Gmundner Lodge, 22°46'30 " S 17°29'49 " E, at river Skaap , 1655 m, 13-16.III.2023, leg. M. & J. Schwarz ( OLML) GoogleMaps ; 5JJ, Khomas, Gmundner Lodge, 22°46'30 " S 17°29'49 " E, at river Skaap , 1655 m, 13-16.III.2023, leg. M. & J. Schwarz ( OLML) GoogleMaps ; 1J, Khomas, Gmundner Lodge , 22°46'53 " S 17°28'48 " E, 1665 m, 14.III.2023, leg M.& J. Schwarz ( OLML) GoogleMaps ; 1J, Khomas, Gmundner Lodge , 22°46'30 " S 17°29'49 " E, 1665 m, 11.III.2023, leg. M. & J. Schwarz ( OLML) GoogleMaps ; 1J, Khomas, Gmundner Lodge , 22°46'38 " S 17°29'25 " E, 1665 m, 10.III.2023, leg. M. & J. Schwarz ( OLML) GoogleMaps ; 2JJ, Khomas, Gmundner Lodge , 22°42'40 " S 17°30'35 " E, 15.III.2023, leg. M. & J. Schwarz ( OLML) GoogleMaps ; 1J, Khomas, Gmundner Lodge , 22°42'40 " S 17°30'35 " E, 6.III.2023, leg. M. & J. Schwarz ( OLML) GoogleMaps ; 1J, Khomas, Gmundner Lodge , 22°46'32 " S 17°31'13 " E, Malaise Trap, 3.III.2023, M. & J. Schwarz ( OLML) GoogleMaps ; 3JJ, Outjo, 24 km S Kamanjab, 5.III.1990, leg. Max Schwarz ( OLML). SOUTH AFRICA: 1♀, 2JJ, 28 km E Olifantshoek , 24.III.1990, leg. Max Schwarz ( OLML) ; 1♀, 1J, Cape Province, 28 km E Olifantshoek , 24.III.1990, leg. Pulawski ( CAS) .

E t y m o l o g y: The holotype has a similar sculpture as Cerceris iniqua KOHL.

R e c o g n i t i o n The female of Cerceris pseudoiniqua has coxa III without a longitudinal carina, the clypeus is distinctly broader than long, the clypeal process forms a triangular erected lamella ( Fig. 19a View Figs 19 ), the mandible has a blunt tooth internally and the mesopleuron has a distinct tubercle. Additionally, the scutum is shiny with longitudinal rugae and dense puncturation between them, the propodeal enclosure has arcuate transverse rugae and the medio-longitudinal carina is shallow developed and the female is characterized by extensive yellow colour.

The female of C. iniqua KOHL is similar to C. pseudoiniqua but differs by having the thorax, the legs and the petiole black and the wings fuscous with violet shine. The female of C. arida ARNOLD has a similar shaped clypeus but differs from C. pseudoiniqua by having the wings fuscous with violet shine, the thorax black (except tegula) and the legs and gaster are yellowish-brown. The female of C. dodomaensis DOLLFUSS has also a similar shaped clypeus but differs from C. pseudoiniqua by having the scutum dull and shallowly sparsely punctate and a predominantly yellow colour.

The male of C. pseudoiniqua is characterized by having no longitudinal carina on coxa III, the clypeal brush is broad, the apical margin of the clypeus is yellow and tridentate ( Fig. 20a View Figs 20 ), the mandible has a tooth internally, the flagellemere XI is bent apically and blunt and without tyloidea, the scutum is shiny and longitudinally striate-punctate, the propodeal enclosure is arcuately-transversely rugose with distinct medio-longitudinal furrow. Additionally, the gonostyle is characteristically shaped in lateral view ( Fig. 20g View Figs 20 ) and the wings are hyaline.

The male of C. iniqua KOHL differs from C. pseudoiniqua by having the thorax, the flagellum and the legs black, the gaster is yellowish-brown (except black petiole), the flagellomeres VIII-XI have tyloidea and the wings are dark fuscous with violet shine. The male of C. arida ARNOLD differs from C. pseudoiniqua by having the thorax black (except tegula), the legs and the gaster yellowish-brown, the wings fuscous with violet shine, the apical margin of clypeus is black, the flagellomeres IX-XI have tyloidea and the genitalia are different shaped. The male of C. bothavillensis BRAUNS differs from C. pseudoiniqua by having the sterna entirely black and differently shaped genitalia.

D e s c r i p t i o n: ♀, 13 mm. Sculpture: apical margin of clypeus straight with tiny tooth laterally; clypeal side emarginated; clypeal process with triangular erected lamella ( Fig. 19a View Figs 19 ); flagellomere I distinctly longer than II ( Fig. 19c View Figs 19 ); inner orbits distinctly divergent towards mandibular base; inter-antennal carina broadly rounded; mandible with blunt tooth internally; prosternum without transverse carina; mesopleuron with distinct tubercle; epimeron without crest; pronotal collar rounded laterally; propodeal enclosure shiny with arcuate transverse rugae, medio-longitudinal furrow shallow and not crenulate; coxa II without medio-basal plate; petiole as long as wide ( Fig. 19e View Figs 19 ); pygidial plate distinctly longer than wide and apically rounded ( Fig. 19d View Figs 19 ). Puncturation: clypeus micro-punctate, dull; frons dull and shallowly punctate; vertex densely rugose-punctate; prosternum dull; pronotal collar shallowly punctate; scutum longitudinally rugose and densely punctate between rugae; scutellum similarly shaped; tegula impunctate; mesopleuron coarsely densely punctate, dorsal half rugose; propodeal side densely punctate; terga I-IV densely punctate, V shallowly punctate; pygidial plate irregularly structured; sterna apico-lateral punctate. Pilosity: clypeal side covered with appressed setae; sternum VI with bundle of setae; rest of body irregularly covered with short erect setae. Colouration: black; following parts yellow: clypeus, frons, inter-antennal carina, mandible (except apex and tooth internally), gena, spots behind ocelli, pronotal collar, prosternum, tegula, mesopleuron partly, epimeron partly, scutellum, metanotum, propodeal side, petiole lateral, terga II-V nearly all, sternum II, sterna III-V laterally; legs yellow and partly ferruginous, flagellum and pygidial plate ferruginous; wings hyaline, radial cell of forewing and apical part fuscous.

♁. 12 mm. Sculpture: apical margin of clypeus tridentate ( Fig. 20a View Figs 20 ); mandible with tooth internally; prosternum without transverse carina; flagellum without tyloidea and apically blunt ( Fig. 20c View Figs 20 ); pronotal collar laterally rounded; scutellum median slightly emarginated; propodeal enclosure arcuately-transversely rugose, slightly elevated and with distinct medio-longitudinal furrow which is not crenulate; mesopleuron without tubercle; epimeron without crest; petiole longer than wide ( Fig. 20e View Figs 20 ); coxa III without longitudinal carina; pygidial plate as in Fig. 20d View Figs 20 ; gonostyle characteristically shaped in lateral view ( Fig. 20g View Figs 20 ). Puncturation: median part of clypeus shiny and sparsely punctate; clypeal side micropunctate; frons dull and punctate; vertex rugose-punctate; pronotal collar punctate; scutum densely longitudinal-punctate, shiny; scutellum and propodeal side densely punctate; tegula impunctate; terga I-V coarsely densely punctate; tergum VI shallowly punctate; pygidial plate coarsely, irregularly punctate; sterna apico-laterally punctate. Pilosity: clypeal brush broad ( Fig. 20a View Figs 20 ); clypeal side covered with appressed setae; rest of body irregularly covered with sparse erect setae. Colouration: black; following parts yellow: clypeus including apical margin, frons, mandible (except apex and tooth internally), inter-antennal carina, gena, pronotal collar, prosternum, tegula, mesopleuron, epimeron, scutellum lateral, metanotum, propodeal side, terga I and II lateral, terga III-VII nearly all, legs (except femur III internally); flagellum ferruginous; wings hyaline, radial cell of forewing and apical part ferruginous.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Namibia, South Africa.