Ropalidia hastata Polašek, 2025

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 : 91-92

Ropalidia hastata Polašek sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1B1972A4-602A-4721-9F08-69E9C7CC2FE8

Type specimen. Holotype: Okahandja , Namibia, 1♂ ( NHM.26). The total number of examined specimens: 1♂.

Diagnosis. Member of capensis -group, characterized by specific clypeus shape, basal clypeal spot and antenna morphology; only one male was examined.

Description. Females are unknown. One possible explanation for the lack of females of this species is that this could be the male of R. mosichi sp. nov. Although both taxa were recorded from Namibia, several morphological features are in disagreement (although some of these are difficult to assess, since the pubescence of the R. hastata sp. nov. holotype is covered in greasy liquid and inaccessible). In addition, males of two closely related species, R. novissima GIORDANI SOIKA and R. macloutsie sp. nov., have differently shaped clypeus and antenna morphology, including tyloids and terminal flagellomere shape.

Male. Wing length 6.8 mm (approximated, since both fore wings are broken and missing tip). Colour. Basic colour dark brown and black ( Figure 94a ). Clypeus yellow with elongated dark brown basal spot ( Figure 55a ). Inner orbit entirely yellow to eye sinus, interantennal area with detached yellow spot. Mandible entirely yellow ( Figure 55a ). Gena brownish, anteriorly with yellow line along eye margin. Tempora reddish, vertex and frons dark brown to black. Mesosoma basally black, with reddish and yellow markings ( Figure 94a ). Yellow line underneath pronotal carina, coxa I and II (possibly even minute yellow mediobasal spot on coxa III), and two minute yellow spots on metanotum. Posterior and dorsal margin of pronotum with reddish line, scutellum suffused reddish, metanotum with posterior reddish line ( Figure 94a ). Legs brown. Wings mostly transparent (only some minor yellowish areas towards anterior margin), nervature and stigma brown ( Figure 94a ). Apical spot not developed. Metasoma brown, with thick yellow line on T2 and corresponding uneven line on S2 (thicker laterally and medially, and with bilateral excavation between these thicker parts). T3 and T4 with suffused yellow bands. Antenna ferruginous and slightly infuscated dorsally, yellowish underneath ( Figure 94a ).

Head. Clypeus with projecting and acute apex, slightly curved upes, wide inner orbit and narrower clypeal base ( Figure 55a ). Clypeal surface with sparse and intermediately sized punctures basally, which turn to smaller and less defined craters apically. Pubescence obstructed from view. Gena about 0.4 times as wide as eye. Mandible with parallel sides and flattened surface (as opposed to R. nigrocerasina sp. nov. and R. valentula sp. nov., whose males have more robust and basally strongly excavated and tortuous mandibles). Ocellar triangle wider basally. Scape not substantially widened (no more than 1.3 times as wide as AF1 base), AF1 about as long as scape, AF2 about 1.3 times as long as wide. Tyloids weak, originating on AF2, with traces of tyloid present on AF1 ( Figure 55b ). Tyloids low, thin and somewhat shiny, but always oriented in antero-posterior axis of flagellomere ( Figure 55b ). Distal segments have gradually stronger tyloids, which are most strongly developed in last two flagellomeres, but comparatively weaker than in R. capensis (DE SAUSSURE) , as only terminal few rise above flagellomere surface. Terminal flagellomere short, basally wide and beak-like, with medially facing acute tip and almost equally rounded lateral margin ( Figure 55c ).

Mesosoma and metasoma. Specimen in poor condition, preventing proper assessment of mesosoma and metasoma. Tarsal I spur very well developed. Postero-dorsal surface of pronotum with large, sparse and shallow punctures. T1 triangular and globular, T2 elongated and mostly parallel-sided. T2 lamella yellow, elongated, with obtuse T2/S2 notch and uneven cut-out (lamella narrower ventrally). T2 with shallow, sparse and regular punctures ( Figure 94a ).

Distribution: Namibia.

Etymology. From the Latin adjective hastatus -a -um (“with a spear”), referring to the elongated, spear-like spot on clypeus.

Similar species. R. nigrocerasina sp. nov. and R. valentula sp. nov. Clypeus shape and colour, with tyloid and terminal flagellomere shape are sufficient for separation from these species.

Genetics. Not attempted due to old age of the only examined specimen (which is in poor condition).

Figures

FIGURE 55. Ropalidia species, males. a–c. R. hastata sp. nov. aa, bb. R. capensis (DE SAUSSURE). a, aa. head. b, bb. terminal flagellomeres, posterior (median) view. c. distal flagellomeres.

FIGURE 94. Ropalidia hastata sp. nov. a. lateral view, male, holotype.