Malagassodynerus pulcher, Selis, 2025

Malagassodynerus pulcher sp. nov.

( Figs 2E, 2J View FIGURE 2 , 44 View FIGURE 44 , 65F View FIGURE 65 )

Diagnosis. Recognized by the following combination of characters: apical margin of clypeus very narrowly truncate ( Fig. 44A View FIGURE 44 ), mesosoma elongate with sides converging anteriorly and posteriorly ( Fig. 44A View FIGURE 44 ), mesepisternum without a distinct epicnemial carina but angled below epipleural suture ( Fig. 44C View FIGURE 44 ), S 2 in lateral view more strongly convex basally ( Fig. 44E View FIGURE 44 ), sculpture made of dense and deep punctures with most interspaces reduced to narrow ridges ( Fig. 44C View FIGURE 44 ), female head not grossly modified and with cephalic foveae placed in a flattened undifferentiated area ( Fig. 44D View FIGURE 44 ), pattern black and wine-red with extensive pale-yellow markings on face and first two segments of metasoma ( Figs 44A, B View FIGURE 44 ).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♀ labelled “ CASENT / 2081299 // MADAGASCAR: Prov. / Antananarivo, 46 km NE of / Ankazobe: Ambohitantely / 7–22 Dec 2004, 700 m / 18°11.88'S 47°16.89'E / colls: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala // CASLOT 035371 / malaise, in sclerophyll / forest MA-27-23 // Malagassodynerus pulcher / HOLOTYPUS ♀ / Det. Marco Selis 2024 [red label]” ( CAS, code CASTYPE21759) GoogleMaps . PARATYPES: same data as holotype, 3♀ ( CAS, codes CASENT2081301 , CASENT2081302 ; MSVI, code CASENT2081300 ) GoogleMaps ; same locality as holotype, 22–29.XI.2003, 2♀ ( CAS, code CASENT2081279 ; MSVI, code CASENT2081276 ) GoogleMaps ; same locality as holotype, 15.X–1.XI.2004, 3♀ ( CAS, codes CASENT2081285 , CASENT2081291 ; MSVI, code CASENT2081292 ) GoogleMaps .

Description. Female holotype ( Fig. 44B View FIGURE 44 ). Body length 11.5 mm; fore wing length 11.5 mm.

Head 1.2× as wide as high. Clypeus in frontal view 1.1× as wide as long, free apical part shorter than interocular part, apical margin subtruncate and very narrow, 0.17× as wide as clypeus, apical teeth only indicated by an extremely short carina, otherwise completely fused with a translucent margin bordering the whole free apical part, translucent margin thickened and reflexed in basal two-fifths of lateral margins; clypeus in lateral view barely convex with shallowly depressed preapical area. Vertex 2.0× as long as ocellocular distance, very weakly convex in lateral view and sloping in posterior half; distance between cephalic foveae slightly wider than one ocellar diameter, foveae placed in an impunctate but otherwise not defined area slightly wider than the distance between posterior ocelli. Gena as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina complete and sharp, very fine on vertex and becoming stronger on gena, where it is shortly lamellate and thick and forms a rounded angle in lower third. F1 1.8× as long as wide and 1.4× as long as F2, F2–F4 longer than wide, F5–F9 subquadrate. Mesosoma 1.3× as long as wide. Pronotum with straight and converging sides; pronotal carina complete and shortly lamellate, almost disappearing in the middle and becoming blunt below pronotal fovea; pretegular carina complete but irregular and blunt. Mesoscutum with notauli visible as very shallow impressions at anterior and posterior ends. Scutellum weakly convex but anteriorly raised and placed above level of mesoscutum, anterior margin crenulate; axillary fossa small and elliptical, about half as wide as an ocellar diameter. Metanotum almost vertical and very weakly convex, anterior margin sharp and in touch with scutellum for whole width. Tegula longer than wide, outer margin evenly and weakly convex, posterior lobe short and right-angled with pointed apex, not equaling parategula; parategula evenly curved and narrow, with depressed inner margin. Mesepisternum abruptly separated from epicnemium, epicnemial carina not developed but indicated by an angle of the surface below epipleural suture; epimeron shallowly produced at its lower end. Dorsal margin of metaepisternum in a subtriangular shelf ending in a tubercle at its posterior end. Propodeum short and weakly convex in lateral view, falling almost vertically below posterior margin of metanotum; dorsal faces of propodeum widely separated behind metanotum and falling vertically, smoothly passing into posterior face; lateral faces of propodeum flattened, smoothly passing into dorsal faces in lower half and separated in dorsal half, but lateral carinae completely absent; posterior face of propodeum elongate and shallowly depressed, mid-line with short and narrow basal fovea about half as long as median length of metanotum, strongly and sharply carinate below; submarginal carina of propodeum produced at sides but smoothly passing into valvula. T 1 in dorsal view subtriangular with strongly convex sides, about as long as apically wide; T 1 in lateral view rising obliquely in anterior half, then flattened, almost forming two faces that smoothly pass into each other; apical margin of T1 simple, with a very narrow translucent border. T 2 in dorsal view about as long as wide and with convex sides, wider than T1 and slightly wider apically than basally; apical margin of T2 with narrow and indistinct translucent border. S 2 in lateral view more convex in basal half than apically, anteriorly with a semicircular flattened and sloping area that bears a very shallow median furrow.

Head and mesosoma with deep and dense punctures, larger on mesosoma, interspaces narrower than punctures and forming a network of ridges; clypeus with sparse punctures becoming deeper and more evident basally, almost impunctate at apical margin; tegula densely micropunctate with scattered deep punctures on inner margin and posterior lobe; lower plate of metaepisternum and lateral faces of propodeum with deep small punctures arranged in irregular series, punctures of the same series often partially fused; posterior face of propodeum with shallow indications of oblique striae mixed with punctures, impunctate and shagreened along median carina. Metasoma with smaller punctures; T1 almost impunctate on anterior sloping part, then punctures becoming larger and denser apically, lateral margins with much smaller punctures; T2 with punctures similar to T1 but more oblique, widely spaced in middle of base and becoming denser apically and laterally, leaving a very short impunctate apical margin; T3–T5 with small deep punctures, finer basally and becoming coarser apically; T6 micropunctate with scattered shallow punctures; S1 with irregular deep punctures; S2–S5 similar to respective tergites but punctures sparser, on S2 slightly larger; S6 more distinctly micropunctate than T6. Covered in very short and pale pubescence, dense but nor clearly visible due to its shortness, brownish on dorsal parts of head and mesosoma; frons and dorsal sides of mesosoma with long erect setae bent at apex; clypeus with ventrally pointing long and curved setae; sides of mesosoma and propodeum with long straight setae, much longer and denser on propodeum; metasoma with dust-like light brassy pubescence and erect white setae, longer on T1 and very short on T2–T6, on sternites similar to respective tergites but longer and much denser.

Black; following parts dark-red: suffused band along inner eye margin and passing onto ocellar region and cephalic foveae, most of gena, most of pronotum except ventral corners, scutellum except anterior margin, posterior half of metanotum, tegula, rounded spot on mesepisternum below pronotal lobe, tibiae and tarsi, sides and posterior half of T1, base of T2, most of T3–T6 and S3–S6; following parts ivory-yellow: medial half of mandible, clypeus, interantennal space, antennocular space, bisinuate and laterally expanded apical band on T1, irregular and laterally expanded band covering almost the apical half of T2, small median spot on T3, S2 except basal sloping area. Wings hyaline with orange tinge, almost amber-like.

Male. Unknown.

Variability. The pattern of this species is remarkably constant, with only the apical bands of T1–T2 and S2 varying in width, with the holotype being the more richly marked specimen examined. The clypeus can be spotted with dark-red at base, the spot ranging from a small dot to a transverse spot as wide as the interantennal space. Only one paratype has red markings distributed as in the holotype but brighter.

Distribution. Madagascar: Antananarivo ( Fig. 65F View FIGURE 65 ).

Etymology. The species epithet is the Latin adjective “ pulcher , pulchra, pulchrum ” (= beautiful), in references to the peculiar and beautiful pattern of this species.