This species is known only from the female and is similar to E. calyptodoma, but it can be distinguished from E. calyptodoma by the combination of the following characters: body size larger than E. calyptodoma; extreme apex of clypeus pointed ( Fig. 26 vs. truncate in E. calyptodoma, Fig. 21); mid-tooth of mandible rounded apically ( Fig. 27 vs. Fig. 22 in E. calyptodoma); frons covered with dense, long hairs; sixth metasomal tergum with sharp spine and wide flat area in front of the spine ( Fig. 28); bright markings reduced (see below).
Female. Body length (head + mesosoma + first two terga) 18.5–20 mm ( holotype: about 19.5 mm); forewing length 14.5–15.5 mm ( holotype: about 15.0 mm).
Anterior ocellus about 1.2 times larger in width than posterior ocellus ( Fig. 29); distance between anterior and posterior ocelli shorter than diameter of posterior ocellus; distance between posterior ocelli about equal to their diameter.
First metasomal tergum narrow and long ( 7.5–8.5 mm long), about 6.3 times longer than its maximum height and about 4.8 times longer than the maximum width; second tergum in dorsal view longer than wide ( Fig. 30).
Color: Body shiny black; bright markings reduced and restricted to the following parts: spot below antennal socket ( Fig. 57), paired small lateral spot on clypeus (sometimes absent), small spot at posterodorsal corner of pronotum, paired lateral spots on metanotum (sometimes absent), paired posterior spots on propodeum ( Fig. 31), all yellow; second metasomal tergum with very small, yellow or pale-brown lateral spots. Legs dark brown; fore tibia with variable-sized lateral yellow spot. Wings semihyaline, smoky brown, darker along anterior margin of forewing; veins dark brown.
Male. Unknown.
Type material: Holotype female (deposited in AMNH) labeled, “Antique: Alojipan, Culasi, 20 –xii 1982, Starr & Godoy, Nest series No. 591 ” and “GM”.
Paratypes: The Philippines: Panay Island: 4 Ψ ( IUNH), Alojipan, Culasi, Antique, 16.xii. 1982, CKS, [ 1 Ψ, Nest series No. 553; 1 Ψ, Nest series No. 555; 2 Ψ, Nest series No. 556].
Distribution: Philippines: Panay.
Etymology. The specific name fumipennis is based on van der Vecht’s manuscript name. This is a compound name formed with a masculine Latin noun, fumi (= smoke) and a feminine Latin noun, pennis (= feather), to refer to the dark-colored wings of this species.