Cyrtolabulus obscurior, Selis, 2025

Cyrtolabulus obscurior sp. nov.

( Figs 27 View FIGURE 27 , 63O View FIGURE 63 )

Diagnosis. Cyrtolabulus obscurior sp. nov. belongs to the group of Malagasy Cyrtolabulus with S2 as long as T2 and propodeum not forming a horizontal surface behind metanotum. Within this group, C. obscurior sp. nov. is morphologically similar to C. sollicitus (Giordani Soika) , with which shares the following characters: dorsal and anterior faces of pronotum not clearly separated due to pronotal carina being developed only on lateral fifths ( Fig. 27C View FIGURE 27 ), posterior lobe of tegula broadly rounded and with obtuse apex, T1 long and about 1.8× as long as apically wide ( Fig. 27A View FIGURE 27 ), bell-shaped S1, short apical lamella of T2 ( Fig. 27E View FIGURE 27 ), densely punctate and matte integuments. Cyrtolabulus obscurior sp. nov. is however readily distinguished by the following characters: pronotal carina forming subconical and acute projections on humeri ( Fig. 27C View FIGURE 27 ), convex dorsal surface of propodeum above apical depression ( Fig. 27D View FIGURE 27 ), almost entirely white apical lamella of T2 with only a narrow hyaline margin ( Fig. 27E View FIGURE 27 ), absence of dark-red areas on mesosoma ( Figs 27A, B View FIGURE 27 ), narrower and straight male F11 ( Fig. 27A View FIGURE 27 ), and male mid-femur with a very small and shallow basal depression ( Fig. 27F View FIGURE 27 ).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♂ labelled “ CASENT / 2081268 // MADAGASCAR: Prov. / Fianarantsoa, 7 km W of / Sendrisoa , N of Andringitra / NP, 1465 m. 30 Nov–21 Dec 2001 / 21°57.96'S 46°55.95'E / colls: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala // CASLOT 035347 / malaise, in vegetation near / river MA-02-10-03 // Cyrtolabulus obscurior / HOLOTYPUS ♂ / Det. Marco Selis 2024 [red label]” ( CAS, code CASTYPE21749) GoogleMaps . PARATYPES: Fianarantsoa, near PN d’Isalo, at stream E of Interpretive Center , 22.626656S 45.358166E, 750 m, 17–25.XI.2001, leg. R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT2153779 ) GoogleMaps ; Fianarantsoa, near PN d’Isalo, at stream E of Interpretive Center , 22.626656S 45.358166E, 750 m, 21–29.XII.2001, leg. R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT2153571 ) GoogleMaps ; Fianarantsoa, radio tower 22 km SW Ilakaka , near Fianarantsoa / Tulear border, 22.779176S 45.024999E, 1100 m, 6–16.XII.2001, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT8105910 ) GoogleMaps ; Fianarantsoa, radio tower 22 km SW Ilakaka , near Fianarantsoa / Tulear border, 22.779176S 45.024999E, 1100 m, 27.II–6.III.2002, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ 2♀ ( CAS, codes CASENT2081225 , CASENT2081227 ; MSVI, code CASENT2081226 ) GoogleMaps .

Description. Male holotype ( Fig. 27B View FIGURE 27 ). Body length 6.0 mm; fore wing length 4.5 mm.

Head 1.3× as wide as high. Clypeus in frontal view 1.1× as wide as long, free apical part slightly shorter than interocular part, apical margin shallowly emarginate and 0.3× as wide as clypeus, apical teeth subtriangular with blunt apex; clypeus in lateral view bulging in basal half, then shallowly depressed apically; basal part of clypeus raised in medial three-fifths. Vertex 1.6× as long as ocellocular distance, almost flattened and evenly sloping, so that occipital carina is placed below the upper limit of eye. Gena 0.75× as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina complete, shallower and finer on vertex, becoming much higher and lamellate on gena, bisinuate on gena. F1 1.25× as long as wide and 0.95× as long as F2, F2 and F9 longer than wide, F3–F4 subquadrate, F5–F8 transverse; F11 finger-shaped and subtle, straight in dorsal view and weakly curved in lateral view, apex bluntly pointed and not reaching basal margin of F9; flagellum slightly expanded from middle of F7 to apex of F9, somewhat clavate. Mesosoma 1.45× as long as wide, almost parallel-sided. Pronotum with straight and subparallel sides, humeri sharp and acutely pointed anterolaterally; pronotal carina largely incomplete, absent on most of dorsal face and sharp and shortly lamellate on extreme sides, interrupted below humeri and then very blunt below on lateral faces; dorsal and anterior faces of pronotum not separated in the middle; pretegular carina complete but subtle and blunt. Mesoscutum with shallow indications of notauli in front of scutellum. Scutellum wider than long, almost flattened and weakly sloping posteriorly; axillary fossa small and rounded, smaller than one ocellus. Metanotum short and weakly sloping, with a sharp and high transverse carina, triangularly lobate at sides. Tegula about as long as wide, outer margin evenly rounded and giving a subcircular outline to the tegula, outer margin of posterior lobe slightly exceeding parategula, apex right-angled and touching apex of parategula; parategula wide and flattened at base, posteriorly compressed laterolaterally and lamellar, appearing strongly angled in dorsal view. Mesepisternum abruptly angled and separated from epicnemium but without epicnemial carina, posteriorly with a short sharp irregular carina originating from the produced apex of the epimeron. Propodeum short, in dorsal view appearing more or less evenly convex but not forming a propodeal shelf behind metanotum, in lateral view convex above and then falling almost vertically; dorsal faces of propodeum weakly and evenly convex, medially separated by a shallow and wide furrow; lateral faces of propodeum flattened and not clearly separated from dorsal faces; posterior face of propodeum forming a widely subtriangular depression, shallow above and with a ventromedial deep pit, not separated from dorsal faces; submarginal carina of propodeum forming flattened spiniform projections above valvulae; propodeal valvula incised on upper margin and therefore not completely fused with submarginal carina. T1 subcylindrical, in dorsal view with weakly and evenly diverging sides from base to apex, 2.0× as long as apically wide; T 1 in lateral view raising basally where it is more convex, then weakly and evenly convex to apex, except for wide preapical furrow, apical margin thickened. T2 about as long as wide, constricted basally and much wider apically than basally; apical margin of T2 lamellate (lamella not strongly pigmented as it is pigmented like the preapical part), preceded by a weak thickening of the tergite, lamella apically with two hyaline borders, the apical one flattened and the subapical one slightly reflexed and overhanging the other one. Sides of T1 meeting on ventral face of segment, so that S1 is reduced to a very narrow basal stalk and an apical subtriangular sclerite; surface of S1 flattened with bluntly and shallowly raised margin. S2 shallowly depressed on basal sloping part; S 2 in lateral view evenly convex from base to apex, less than T2; apical margin of S2 lamellate like T2, but lamella less markedly separated. Mid femur with a very shallow and small basal depression, appearing as a flattened area ventrally margined by dense silvery setae.

Frons with deep and very dense punctures, interspaces narrow and reduced to high ridges, punctures becoming shallower and more irregular on vertex; gena with smaller punctures, becoming very shallow and sparse on ventral third; clypeus with deep dense punctures on basal bulging part. Mesosoma sculpted similar to frons but punctures larger; anterior face of pronotum with smaller punctures and large shiny impunctate areas; lateral faces of pronotum with small dense punctures; metanotum with smaller and irregular punctures; tegula matte due to fine and irregular micropunctures and microridges, with few fine macropunctures mediobasally; mesepisternum with interspaces narrow but flattened, densely micropunctate; dorsal faces of propodeum with large flat-bottomed polygonal cells, separated by sharp ridge-like interspaces; lateral faces of propodeum irregularly and very finely microstriate; posterior face of propodeum irregularly striate and punctate. T1 with oblique punctures, shallower and sparser basally and becoming deeper and denser apically, interspaces sparsely micropunctate, basal sloping part and thickened apical margin impunctate; T2 with well-impressed deep punctures, separated by about their diameter, interspaces with dense and large micropunctures, base of apical lamella margined by a series of very coarse punctures separated by sharp ridge-like interspaces; T3 with coarse deep punctures, becoming larger from base to apex; T4 shagreened with few barely impressed punctures; T5–T7 finely shagreened and micropunctate; S1 finely shagreened with sparse small punctures; S2 similar to T2, but punctures sparser and interspaces much shinier; S3–S6 similar to respective tergite but sculpture much finer; S7 shiny with dense micropunctures. Head and mesosoma with pale suberect pubescence and erect short setae, longer on frons and apically bent on mesepisternum; pubescence denser and silvery on clypeus, ocular sinus, gena and mesepisternum; propodeum with longer and silvery setae posterolaterally; metasoma with suberect dense pubescence, longer on T1 and progressively shorter on following segments, S4–S6 with longer pubescence, apex of S3–S6 with long erect setae more evident on sides, apical margin of S7 with sparse setae of irregular length.

Black with irregular dark red suffusions on metasoma and ferruginous-orange T3–T7 and S3–S7; following parts dark ferruginous: lower face of scape, mandible, tegula, legs; following parts yellowish-white: clypeus except apical margin, basal triangle of mandible, narrow anterior band on pronotum slightly widening on humeral region, posterior third of scutellum, outer margin of tegula becoming wider posteriorly, projections of submarginal carina, thickened apical margin of T1, preapical thickening and most of apical lamella of T2 and S2, outer face of fore tibia. Wings hyaline with very weak brownish tinge, more distinct along costal margin.

Female. Excluding the usual sexual dimorphism, the female differs from the male as follows: clypeus dark red, less convex and with narrower apical margin, T1 more robust and 1.8× as long as wide, T3 more finely punctate, and legs entirely dark red.

Variability. The available specimens only show very subtle variation in the extension of the yellowish-white markings on pronotum and scutellum.

Distribution. Madagascar: Fianarantsoa ( Fig. 63O View FIGURE 63 ).

Etymology. The species epithet is a Latin adjective of comparative degree meaning “darker”, as this species superficially resembles a darker form of C. sollicitus .