Ropalidia brazzai ( DU BUYSSON 1906 )

Polašek, Ozren, Onah, Ikechukwu, Kehinde, Tope, Rojo, Veronica, Noort, Simon Van & Carpenter, James M., 2025, Revision of the mainland African species of the Old World social wasp genus Ropalidia Guérin-Méneville 1831 (Hymenoptera; Vespidae), Zootaxa 5626 (1), pp. 1-142 : 71-72

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5626.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:42F5F55D-041C-4CEE-A106-2927C5BDF2AA
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/4F5987BA-E82E-FFF3-FF11-F9D776D59A96
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Ropalidia brazzai ( DU BUYSSON 1906 )
status

Treatment

Ropalidia brazzai ( DU BUYSSON 1906) View in CoL

Icaria brazzai DU BUYSSON 1906

Type material. The original description is based on an unknown number of specimens ( du Buysson, 1906), with a single note of the Leketi location. The type series specimens are deposited in MNHN, consisting of three accounted female specimens .

Comments. This unique Ropalidia species ( Giordani Soika, 1977), forms a cluster with R. aulaeum sp. nov.; both species are characterized by the very strong punctures, extremely developed propodeal carina and inferior propodeal carina, reticulation in propodeal excavation and long white setae on the basally dark body. The key features of this species include very long and dense eye setae (conspicuously longer than the anterior ocellus diameter), elongated and parallel propodeal carina (that extend from the metanotal angles through to very developed and pointed inferior propodeal carina), very developed metanotum (with a median tooth, and strong postero-lateral angles) and incomplete occipital carina (which is not known in any other African mainland species). Interestingly, Bequaert ( Bequaret, 1918) considered this species as a probable synonym of R. guttatipennis (DE SAUSSURE) . Notably, his understanding of R. guttatipennis (DE SAUSSURE) probably refers to R. kuficha sp. nov., which has a more similar basal colour to R. brazzai (DU BUYSSON) . Giordani Soika re-instated it to a valid species status ( Giordani Soika, 1977). Males are unknown.

Distribution. Republic of the Congo, Cameroon. Holotype location remains somewhat uncertain, with label suggesting “ Cameroon —1949–50, Lok. RFN/57?, J.B.-S. J.D.”.

Genetics. Genotyping was attempted in one previously broken specimen, but it was too old and failed at the PCR amplification stage.