Euodynerus (Pareuodynerus) garaensis Selis, 2025

Selis, Marco, Ismael, Halgurd R., Hamad, Mudhafar I., Baiocchi, Daniele & Cilia, Giovanni, 2025, A first update to the vespid fauna of Iraq (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), with description of a new species, Journal of Natural History 59 (13 - 16), pp. 941-981 : 954-958

Euodynerus (Pareuodynerus) garaensis Selis sp. n.

Diagnosis

Although the monophyly of the subgenera of Euodynerus has been recently questioned ( Selis et al. 2024b), Euodynerus garaensis can be placed in the subgenus Pareuodynerus Blüthgen due to the presence of the following characters: metanotum with posterior margin of dorsal face finely denticulate and not laterally raised, darkened and weakly expanded last segment of mid and hind tarsi, subrectangular digitus with a hyaline spot in its centre. It is to be noted that the new species shows a strong reduction of the dorsal propodeal carinae ( Figure 2d ), which are barely visible and do not form the lamellar tooth usually observed in E. ( Pareuodynerus ); however, this reduction is also observed in E. bidentiformis (Giordani Soika) from Sardinia and the development of the propodeal carinae is widely variable in numerous genera of Eumeninae , so its diagnostic value at the subgeneric level is somewhat questionable. Among the species of the subgenus Pareuodynerus , E. garaensis presents the second sternite strongly protruding at the base with a distinct vertical face ( Figure 2f ) and a reduction of the translucent margin at the apex of the T1 ( Figure 2e ), characters that place the new species close to E. bidentiformis and E. bidentoides (Giordani Soika) , both species from the western Mediterranean, while the other Palearctic species of the subgenus have the second sternite regularly convex and/or the translucent margin of the T1 well developed, in addition to the greater development of the dorsal carinae of the propodeum that form a lamellar tooth at the sides of the metanotum. Euodynerus garaensis is further differentiated from both E. bidentiformis and E. bidentoides , in that the dorsal carinae of the propodeum are barely visible as in E. bidentiformis ( Figure 2d ) (well developed in E. bidentoides ) and the S 2 in lateral view is bent at a right angle at the base and then flat as in E. bidentoides ( Figure 2f ) (acutely protruding at the base and then concave in E. bidentoides ), and unlike both species the F11 is proportionally smaller ( Figure 2c ), the pronotal humeri are more sharply angled, and the metasoma is more elongated and with more evident punctures ( Figure 2e ). Genitalia in Figure 2g .

Material examined

HOLOTYPE: ♂ labelled: ‘IQ – Kurdistan, Duhok gov./ 5 km E of Ashewa, Mt. Gara / 37.0158 N 3.3505E 1750–1950 m /30.V-12.VI.202 leg. D. Baiocchi // GenBank /PQ676360 // Euodynerus garaensis / HOLOTYPUS ♂ /Det . Marco Selis 2024 [red label]’ (currently in MSVI, will be deposited in MSNVE; PQ676360 ) .

Description

Male holotype ( Figure 2a ). Body length (head + mesosoma + T1–T2) 7.0 mm; fore wing length 6.0 mm.

Head ( Figure 2b ) in frontal view 1.3× as wide as long, evenly curved from side to side except for shallowly raised ocellar area. Mandible short, about as long as ventral lobe of eye; inner margin of mandible five-toothed, first tooth curved and as long as second and third together, second and third teeth small and more produced apically than basally, fourth tooth forming a small equilateral triangle perpendicular to longitudinal axis of the mandible, fifth tooth very small and consisting in a shallow angulation of the inner margin. Clypeus in frontal view 1.1× as wide as long, free apical part slightly shorter than interocular basal part and with converging sides; apical margin 0.3× as wide as width of clypeus and very shallowly emarginate, laterally margined by right-angled and barely produced apical teeth; clypeus in lateral view weakly convex, flattened in ventral third. Flagellum thick and barely widening apically; F1 1.9× as long as apically wide and 1.5× as long as F2, F2 longer than wide and following flagellomeres becoming progressively shorter, F11 finger-shaped and apically rounded, straight in dorsal view and barely curved in lateral view, its apex reaching the middle of F8; F6–F9 weakly nodose dorsally; F7–F9 on ventral side with tyloids represented by a finely shagreened area starting from middle of F7 ( Figure 2c ). Vertex short, 1.4× as long as ocellocular distance, in lateral view flattened and weakly sloping posteriorly; ocellar area weakly raised and with a short but distinct longitudinal furrow just behind median ocellus; gena 1.1× as long as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina incomplete, absent in median third and fine on lateral thirds of vertex, thickened and shortly lamellate on gena, evenly and weakly curved from vertex to mandible. Mesosoma short and robust, 1.15× as long as wide in dorsal view. Pronotum in dorsal view short and with strongly converging sides, forming obtuse but marked angle on humeri; pronotal carina complete and narrowly depressed in the middle, sharp but very short on dorsal face, becoming higher on lateral faces, especially in front of pronotal fovea; pretegular carina complete and strong, sharp. Mesoscutum 0.85× as long as wide, with barely visible indications of notauli in front of scutellum; mesoscutum in lateral view evenly convex. Scutellum wider than long, posterior margin slightly wider than anterior margin, deeply separated from mesoscutum by a shallowly crenate furrow; opening of axillary fossa large, much larger than one ocellus. Metanotum vertical with a short dorsal horizontal face, separated from the posterior part by an irregular and finely denticulate transverse carina; posterior part transversely convex and posteriorly produced above, so that in lateral view it faces towards the propodeum. Tegula longer than wide with subtriangular but blunt posterior lobe, equalling the very short and right-angled parategula. Mesepisternum with epicnemial carina starting below epipleural suture, carina fine and blunt. Propodeum ( Figure 2d ) very short, almost entirely vertical; dorsal faces of propodeum weakly convex and strongly oblique, smoothly passing into the posterior depressed face; lateral faces of propodeum flattened above and shallowly depressed above valvula; posterior face of propodeum wide and weakly depressed, forming two deep pits above propodeal orifice, mid-line with a small basal triangular sclerite smoothly passing into a longitudinal carina; dorsal carinae barely developed, visible only for short traces mixed in the very coarse sculpture, lateral and inferior carinae well developed but irregular due to the sculpture, forming an obtuse and shallowly produced angle where they meet; propodeal valvula completely fused with submarginal carina, which is subtle and runs on upper margin of valvula. Tarsus of mid and hind legs with darkened apical segment, clearly widened on mid leg and barely on hind leg. Metasoma subcylindrical ( Figure 2e ). T1 0.6× as long as apically wide, sides subparallel and smoothly passing into convex anterior margin; T 1 in lateral view rising perpendicularly behind suspensory ligament and then perpendicularly curved, clearly forming two faces; apex of T1 with a translucent margin, about as long as one ocellar diameter on extreme sides and becoming much shorter medially, so that it is nearly linear in the middle. T2 elongate and with weakly convex subparallel sides, posterior margin convex; T 2 in lateral view weakly and evenly convex, obliquely cut off at posterior end, so that it is 1.5× as long as S2 ( Figure 2f ). S2 evenly convex from side to side, in lateral view flattened and then almost perpendicularly bent at extreme base, forming a well-developed vertical face delimited by a blunt transverse ridge ( Figure 2f ).

Clypeus shiny with sparse fine punctures, interspaces as wide as several puncture diameters and smooth, only sides and base with few and barely visible micropunctures. Scape finely shagreened and shiny, with sparse fine punctures. Frons and ocular sinus with shallow punctures, denser and separated by convex narrow interspaces that become wider on ocular sinus; vertex more irregularly punctate, punctures variable in size and density; gena with coarser and sparser punctures, mixed with fine striation on posterior half. Punctures on mesosoma larger and deeper than on frons, interspaces narrower and more sharply raised, many punctures fused in irregular series; lateral faces of pronotum irregularly and densely striate; interspaces on scutellum forming irregular longitudinal ridges; metanotum with very coarse punctures on dorsal face, interspaces reduced to sharp ridges and spine, posterior face with smaller punctures on dorsal half and almost impunctate ventrally; mesepisternum with very large and flat-bottomed elongate punctures arranged in irregular oblique series, forming an irregular and elongate sharp reticulation; dorsal plate of metaepisternum regularly striate, ventral plate irregularly and finely striate with few shallow punctures intermixed; dorsal faces of propodeum with very large and flat-bottomed polygonal cells, interspaces reduced to sharp ridges; lateral faces of propodeum in upper half with elongate cells larger than those on dorsal faces, finely and irregularly striate below; posterior face of propodeum with fine and irregular oblique striation. T1 with deep punctures, very dense on basal convexity and becoming progressively sparser apically; T2 shiny with sparse deep punctures, slightly larger at extreme base, interspaces very finely and sparsely micropunctate; T3–T4 with sparse punctures, similar to apex of T2; T5–T6 finely shagreened with scattered fine punctures; T7 shagreened with dense micropunctures; S2 with punctures larger and much sparser than on T2, anterior vertical face impunctate; S3–S6 with punctures larger than on respective tergites; S7 shiny with micropunctures sparser than on T7. Head, mesosoma, S1 and base of S2 with long and wavy dark-brown setae, denser on gena and sides of mesosoma; clypeus with sparse and short pale pubescence on base and scattered appressed short setae on whole surface; metasoma with very short appressed pubescence, sparse and barely noticeable; apical margin of S7 with short brush of dark setae.

Black; following parts yellow: basal triangle of mandible, clypeus except narrow black margins, transverse spot above interantennal space, anterior face of scape, small spot on gena behind upper lobe of eye, narrow and medially interrupted band along pronotal carina, barely visible anterior spot on tegula, bilobate band covering apical third of T1, apical band on T2 weakly expanded on sides, T3–T4 with bands similar to T2, T5 with band reduced to irregular spots, S2–S3 with apical band similar to respective tergites but narrower and more sinuate, S4–S5 with posterolateral spots, large spot on ventral face of mid coxa, very small dorsal spot at apex of fore and hind femur, anterior elongate spot on apical third of mid femur, tibiae except large spots on inner face, basitarsi; tarsi ferruginous (except yellow basitarsus), with darkened apical segment on mid and hind legs. Wings hyaline with brownish tinge along costa.

Etymology

The species epithet refers to the collecting locality of the holotype, Mount Gara .

Remarks

DNA barcoding of the holotype places E. garaensis close to the West-Mediterranean species E. bidentoides (Giordani Soika) from which it differs by 6.22–11.76% genetic distance, further supporting its recognition as a distinct species in combination with morphological differences and geographic isolation. The other morphologically similar species, E. bidentiformis (Giordani Soika) from Sardinia, differs by 37.75%.

Distribution

Iraq: Kurdistan Region.

Figures

Figure 2. Euodynerus (Pareuodynerus) garaensis Selis,sp. n., male holotype.a, habitus,dorsal view.b, head, frontal view.c, flagellum,lateral view.d, propodeum,posterior view.e, metasoma,dorsal view.f, T2 and S2, lateral view. g, genitalia, from left to right: aedeagus in ventral and lateral view, digitus+volsella.