Stenarella favilla, Santos & Bordera, 2025

3.1.6. Stenarella favilla sp. nov.

Figures 2 B View Figure 2 , 9 View Figure 9 , 23E View Figure 23

Etymology.

From the Latin favilla, - ae, meaning “ embers ”, in reference to the irregular pattern of black and ferruginous resembling glowing embers. Noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

Stenarella favilla sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other Stenarella species by the combination of the following characters: clypeus and face in lateral view with flat profile; mandible striated at basal half (Fig. 9 B View Figure 9 ); mesoscutum mostly smooth and shiny (Fig. 9 E View Figure 9 ); notaulus relatively narrow and deep with minute dense transverse striae (Fig. 9 E View Figure 9 ); posterior area of propodeum mostly rugulose, medially strigose (Fig. 2 B View Figure 2 ); propodeal spiracle elongated, SLW about 3.0 (Fig. 9 C View Figure 9 ); areolet closed (Fig. 9 D View Figure 9 ); posterior end of S 1 placed approximately opposite to spiracle of T 1 (Figs 9 C View Figure 9 ); thyridium at most 1.5 times as long as wide (Fig. 9 C View Figure 9 ); mesosoma black and orange (Fig. 9 C, E View Figure 9 )

Description.

FEMALE. Fore wing 10.7–11.3 mm long. — Head (Fig. 9 A – C, E View Figure 9 ): Mandible moderately covered with very long setae. Clypeus and face sparsely setose. Mandible striate on basal 0.6, striation stronger at mid length MLW 2.0–2.2. Malar space short, MSM 0.35–045. Clypeus smooth and shiny, CWL 2.55–2.7. Clypeus and face with flat profile from lateral view. Face centrally slightly rugulose, elsewhere shallowly granulate – punctate. Frons mostly smooth and shiny sparsely punctate with weak but complete longitudinal carina. Vertex smooth and shiny with few punctures on ocellar area. Antenna incomplete. — Mesosoma (Figs 2 B View Figure 2 , 9 A, C – E View Figure 9 ): Pronotum mostly smooth and shiny, with short and very shallow longitudinal striae along anterior depression. Epomia weak, reaching pronotal depression. Mesoscutum almost entirely smooth and shiny, except for distinct set of longitudinal striae between posterior end of notauli. Notaulus narrow and deep with minute dense transverse striae, reaching about 0.7 of mesoscutum. Scutellum densely rugulose punctate. Mesopleuron and metapleuron moderately setose. Mesopleuron mostly densely punctate reticulate, with sparse striae along epicnemial carina, dorsal central part tending to be smooth with more sparse punctures. Epicnemial carina distinct, reaching 0.8 of distance to subtegular ridge. Sternaulus deep and narrow, evenly upcurved, reaching anterior 0.7 of mesopleuron. Metapleuron finely rugulose striate. Propodeum relatively long, dorsal profile in lateral view evenly convex and sloped. Anterior area of propodeum coarsely rugulose punctate. Propodeal spiracle elliptic, SLW 3.0. Posterior area of propodeum mostly rugulose, medially strigose. Posterior transverse carina of propodeum absent. Areolet closed distally by an unpigmented vein 3 rs-m, APH 0.40–0.45. Hind wing vein Cua distinctly longer than crossvein cu-a, HW 1 C 3.0. — Metasoma (Fig. 9 A, C, F View Figure 9 ): Posterior end of S 1 placed approximately opposite to spiracle of T 1. Thyridium 1.3–1.4 times as long as wide. T 2 minutely punctate reticulate on a granulate background except for small granulate portion on anterior part. Dorsal valve of ovipositor with 5 teeth. Ventral valve with 9 teeth. OST 4.50–4.95. — Color (Figs 2 B View Figure 2 , 9 View Figure 9 ): Head mostly black: base of mandible, clypeus, facial, frontal and genal orbits dorsally, yellow cream. Antenna dark brown with whitish dorsal band. Mesosoma mostly orange: propleuron, ventral part of pronotum, epicnemium and mesopleuron, mesosternum, metasternum and ventral part of metapleuron, dark brown to black; dorsal posterior part of propodeum lighter. Fore and mid legs mostly light orange, coxae dark brown, femora and tibiae ventrally and all tarsi somewhat darker, trochanters whitish. Hind leg mostly dark brown, trochanter whitish ventrally. Wing hyaline. Metasoma mostly black: posterior narrow bands on T 1 – T 2, and dorsal posterior part of T 6 – T 7 whitish. — Male. Unknown.

Hosts.

Unknown.

Distribution.

Afrotropical. Known records from South Africa (Fig. 23 E View Figure 23 ).

Material examined.

2 ♀♀. Holotype. SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; KwalaZulu – Natal, Umhlanga ; 22.I.1960; G. C. Clark ( NHMUK) . Dry pinned. Distal flagellomeres from f 8 of left antenna, and from f 13 of right antenna, hind left leg and mid right leg from coxae, t 2 – t 5 of mid left leg, all tarsi of hind right leg and distal part of fore wing, missing. — Paratype. SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; KwaZulu – Natal; 1875; W. W Saunders ( OXUM) .