Leptomenes ornatus, Selis, 2025

Leptomenes ornatus sp. nov.

( Figs 38 View FIGURE 38 , 64O View FIGURE 64 )

Diagnosis. Leptomenes ornatus belongs to the group of Malagasy Leptomenes with the apical area of T2 shallowly depressed with thickened apical margin, in which comes very close to L. transuo due to posteriorly sloping vertex, vertical and metallic pubescent propodeum, and the shortened T1. L. ornatus is readily distinguished from L. transuo by the following characters: occipital carina dorsally parallel to outer eye margin and then angled in the middle ( Fig. 38C View FIGURE 38 ), propodeal pubescence silvery and not covering the lateral faces ( Figs 38D, E View FIGURE 38 ), and T1 wider than long with small sparse punctures ( Fig. 38F View FIGURE 38 ).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♂ labelled “ CASENT / 2118548 // MADAGASCAR: Toliara Prov / Parc National de Vohibasia, / 44 km NE of Sakaraha / elev 600m Nov 22–30 2010 / 22°40'S 044°50'E // California Acad. of Sciences / colls: M.Irwin, R.Harin’Hala / malaise trap, Ambakaka / gallery/palm forest MG-60-07 // Leptomenes ornatus / HOLOTYPUS ♂ / Det. Marco Selis 2024 [red label]” ( CAS, code CASTYPE21754) GoogleMaps . PARATYPES: Tulear, Andohahela NP, Tsimelahy, Parcelle II, 24.936833S 46.626667E, 180 m, 26.I–5.II.2003, leg. M. Irwin, F. Parker & R. Harin’Hala, 2♀ ( CAS, code CASENT2053874 ; MSVI, code CASENT2053872 ); Tulear, Andohahela NP, Tsimelahy, Parcelle II, 24.936833S 46.626667E, 180 m, 22–29.VI.2003, leg. M. Irwin, F. Parker & R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ ( CAS, code CASENT2081396 ); Tulear, Andohahela NP, Tsimelahy, Parcelle II, 24.936833S 46.626667E, 180 m, 10–20.VII.2003, leg. M. Irwin, F. Parker & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT2053876 ); Tulear, Mikea Forest , NW of Manombo, 22.903667S 43.475500E, 30 m, 23.IX–3.X.2002, leg. R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ ( CAS, code CASENT2053893 ) GoogleMaps .

Description. Male holotype ( Fig. 38B View FIGURE 38 ). Body length 7.0 mm; fore wing length 6.0 mm.

Head 1.25× as wide as high. Clypeus in frontal view 1.1× as wide as long, free apical part about as long as interocular part, apical margin depressed and lamellate, 0.23× as wide as clypeus and emarginate with emargination 3.5× as wide as deep, apical teeth subtriangular and slightly pointed, pointing out; clypeus in lateral view very weakly convex. Vertex 1.5× as long as ocellocular distance, weakly convex anteriorly and sloping in posterior half. Gena 0.7× as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina complete and shortly lamellate, higher on vertex than on gena, markedly angled below half on gena, weakly sinuate below. F1 1.85× as long as wide and 1.35× as long as F2, F2–F3 slightly longer than wide, F4–F9 subquadrate; F11 claw-shaped, in lateral view with convex dorsal margin and straight ventral margin, apex pointed and reaching apex of F8, in dorsal view slightly curved outwards; F8 and F9 with tyloids, linear and raised on apical half of F8, parallel-sided and wide on F9. Mesosoma slightly elongate, in dorsal view 1.25× as long as wide and with evenly convex sides, in lateral view longer than high. Pronotum with weakly convex and converging sides; pronotal carina complete and sharp, very shortly lamellate and lower medially than laterally, right-angled but blunt on humeri; pretegular carina indicated by a wide and blunt ridge. Mesoscutum markedly convex in lateral view, slightly wider than long. Scutellum weakly convex and markedly oblique, posterior margin placed much below level of anterior margin, anterior margin deeply furrowed and shallowly crenate; axillary fossa large and rounded, larger than one ocellar diameter. Metanotum nearly vertical and convex, more strongly in dorsal half. Tegula about as long as wide and weakly campanulate, outer margin strongly convex but nearly straight in anterior third, posterior lobe short and pointed, equaling parategula; parategula oblique and weakly convex with rounded apex. Mesepisternum convex, separated from epicnemium but without epicnemial carina; epimeron weakly ridged below but not separated from mesepisternum. Dorsal margin of metaepisternum produced in a sharp margin forming a subtriangular lobe directed posterolaterally. Propodeum short and nearly vertical, barely convex in lateral view; dorsal faces of propodeum weakly convex and nearly vertical, reaching submarginal carina and widely separated below metanotum; lateral faces of propodeum shallowly depressed, posterodorsally separated from dorsal faces but lateral carinae missing; posterior face of propodeum forming a small and shallow depression, not clearly separated from dorsal faces, mid-line with a fine and very irregular longitudinal carina; submarginal carina of propodeum forming a subtriangular lobe, with narrowly subtruncate apex and largely fused with valvula. T 1 in dorsal view subtriangular with rounded anterior margin, sides more or less evenly converging, shorter than apically wide; T 1 in lateral view strongly convex anteriorly and very shallowly depressed posteriorly, apical margin thickened. T 2 in dorsal view about as long as wide with weakly convex sides, wider than T1 and weakly constricted basally; preapical area of T2 narrowly and shallowly depressed, then apical margin thickened and separated from apical hyaline margin by a sharp step. S 2 in lateral view evenly convex, less than T2.

Head and mesosoma with deep punctures, smaller and sparser with interspaces reaching up to one puncture diameter on head, larger and denser with narrow interspaces on mesosoma; clypeus densely micropunctate and shiny, with sparse small punctures separated by several times their diameter; gena becoming more sparsely punctate ventrally; metanotum with scattered punctures and wide shiny interspaces; tegula shiny and micropunctate; interspaces on mesepisternum reaching up to one puncture diameter in width; metaepisternum and lateral faces of propodeum shiny with very fine and sparse microstriation and micropunctures, lateral faces of propodeum with sparse small deep punctures; dorsal faces of propodeum mostly with sparse small punctures separated by interspaces reaching up to two puncture diameters, only ventrolaterally with dense punctures separated by ridge-like interspaces; posterior face of propodeum with short oblique striation along median carina. Metasoma with small punctures, smaller than those on frons; T1 with punctures larger basally and becoming finer apically, separated by flattened interspaces generally as wide as one puncture diameter and shiny, with indistinct micropunctures; T2 with punctures smaller and denser than on T1, finer and sparser medially and becoming larger and denser laterally and apically, interspaces finely micropunctate and mostly as wide as one puncture diameter, depressed apical part coarsely punctate and with interspaces reduced to ridges; T3–T6 with oblique punctures, denser and deeper on T3 and becoming progressively sparser and shallower on following tergites; T7 micropunctate with few barely visible punctures; S1 barely shagreened and shiny on basal stalk, irregularly and densely punctate on enlarged part, with interspaces reduced to narrow reticulation; S2 with large and deep punctures, sparser and much larger than on T2, interspaces mostly as wide as one puncture diameter, some punctures arranged in transverse series; S 3 in median three-fifths with coarse and deep punctures, interspaces variable and ranging from ridges to flattened area, lateral fifths micropunctate with few sparse punctures; S4–S7 similar to respective tergite but punctures shallower. Covered in very short pubescence, silvery on head and mesosoma except for brassy pubescence on mesoscutum, and brownish on metasoma; pubescence denser on face, gena, mesepisternum and dorsal and posterior faces of propodeum, lateral faces of propodeum sparsely and indistinctly pubescent; frons and mesepisternum with short oblique setae; apical margin of S7 with short and sparse brush of brownish setae.

Black; following parts red: most of head except dark irregular spots on frons, pronotum, mesoscutum (except median irregular spots), scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum above pleural suture, lateral margins of propodeum from spiracles to submarginal carina, dark and suffused markings on T1–T2 and S2–S3; most of face, T3–T7 and S4–S7 widely marked with ferruginous-orange; following parts pale-yellow (partly passing to orange): clypeus except large median spot, interantennal space and spot above it, bottom ocular sinus, spot on gena behind dorsal lobe of eye, complete and laterally widened anterior band on pronotum, narrow margin on posterior angles of pronotum, tegula except median translucent spot, dorsal half of metanotum, narrow line along thickened margin of T1, narrow and sinuate apical band covering depressed part of T2 and similar band on S2, narrow and suffused apical margins of T3–T6 and S3, small apical spot on fore femur, line on outer face of all tibiae. Wings hyaline with weak brownish tinge.

Female. Differing from male as follows: clypeus 1.05× as long as wide, apical margin 0.25× as wide as clypeus and barely emarginate with broadly rounded apical teeth, vertex more strongly sloping and with cephalic foveae touching each other and not placed in a differentiated area, mesosoma slightly more elongate and with more convex sides, 1.3× as long as wide, posterior face of propodeum more depressed, T1 less densely punctate and in lateral view more convex, face more darkly marked.

Variability. The male paratypes show a generally darker pattern in comparison to the holotype, with reduction of the pale pattern on face and larger dark markings on mesoscutum; the male from Mikea Forest has the clypeus entirely ferruginous-red with an apical pale-yellow spots and the legs with very small and irregular pale spots. The females show variation in the extension of the pale-yellow markings on clypeus and legs.

Distribution. Madagascar: Toliara ( Fig. 64O View FIGURE 64 ).

Etymology. The species epithet is the Latin adjective “ ornatus , - a, - um ” (= ornate), in reference to the red pattern ornated with yellow markings.