Malgachemenes lobatus sp. nov.

(Figs 51, 65N)

Diagnosis. Belonging to the group of reddish Malgachemenes with elongate mesosoma, narrow T1 and elongate propodeum, in which it is recognized by a carinate clypeus (Fig. 51A), foveate anterior face of pronotum (Fig. 51D), presence of a propodeal shelf behind the horizontal metanotum (Fig. 51E), and a densely punctate T2 (Fig. 51C).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♂ labelled “ CASENT / 2177632 // MADAGASCAR: Toliara / Prov., Ranobe, elev 20m / 23°02.667'S 43°36.917'E // 26–29 January 2004 / California Acad. of Sciences // colls: Frontier Wilderness / Project, malaise trap, spiny / forest thicket MGF094 // Malgachemenes lobatus / HOLOTYPUS ♂ / Det. Marco Selis 2024 [red label]” (CAS, code CASTYPE21764). PARATYPES: MADAGASCAR: same data as holotype, 1♂ (CAS, code CASENT2177634); Toliara, Andohahela NP, Tsimelahy, Parcelle II, 24.936833S 46.626667E, 180 m, 26.I–5.II.2003, leg. M. Irwin, F. Parker & R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ 1♀ (CAS, code CASENT2053873; MSVI, code CASENT2053871); Toliara, Andohahela NP, Tsimelahy, Parcelle II, 24.936833S 46.626667E, 180 m, 28.III– 8.IV.2003, leg. M. Irwin, F. Parker & R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ (CAS, code CASENT2118635); Toliara, Androimpano Forest, 3 km E of Itampolo, 24.657833S 43.956167E, 45 m, 25.XII.2008 – 1.I.2009, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ (CAS, code CASENT2174938); Toliara, Foret de Tsinjoriake, 6.2 km E Tsifota, 22.802222S 43.420556E, 70 m, 6–10.III.2002, leg. Fisher, Griswold et al., 1♂ (CAS, code CASENT2046298); Toliara, Ifaty, near Hotel Paradisia in coastal dunes, 23.179667S 43.616833E, 9 m, 26.V–5.VI.2002, leg. R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ (CAS, code CASENT2046442); Toliara, Mikea Forest NW of Manombo, 22.903667S 43.4755E, 30 m, 17–28.I.2002, leg. R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ (CAS, code CASENT2046320); Toliara, Tsimanampetsotsa NP, Mitoho Forest, 24.0485S 43.752333E, 120 m, 4–12.XII.2008, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ (CAS, code CASENT2174967); Toliara, Tsimanampetsotsa NP, Mitoho Forest, 24.0485S 43.752333E, 120 m, 19–27.XII.2008, leg. M.Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♀ (MSVI, code CASENT2174940); Toliara, Tsimanampetsotsa NP, Mitoho Forest, 24.0485S 43.752333E, 120 m, 9–15.I.2009, leg. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, 1♂ (CAS, code CASENT2174929).

Description. Male holotype (Fig. 51B). Body length 7.5 mm; fore wing length 6.5 mm.

Head 1.05× as wide as high. Clypeus in frontal view 1.15× as long as wide, apical margin shallowly emarginate and 0.4× as wide as clypeus, apical teeth slightly acute and pointing out, with blunt longitudinal carinae; clypeus in lateral view weakly convex above, then straight to apex. Vertex 1.9× as long as ocellocular distance, sloping from posterior ocelli to occipital carina. Gena 0.6× as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina complete, higher on sides of vertex, more or less evenly curved on gena; area below occipital carina on vertex forming a very short vertical face, shorter than one ocellar diameter. F1 1.55× as long as wide and 1.15× as long as F2, F2–F4 longer than wide, F5–F9 subquadrate, F11 finger-shaped and thick, apically curved with rounded apex. Mesosoma subcylindrical and 1.7× as long as wide, in lateral view forming an even surface from pronotum to propodeal shelf, flattened posteriorly. Pronotum with weakly converging sides, slightly sinuate behind pronotal carina; pronotal carina complete, shortly lamellate and becoming higher on humeri, distinctly angled but not acute on humeri; pretegular carina indicated by a blunt fold of the surface; anterior face of pronotum with a rounded fovea medially. Mesoscutum with short and shallow notauli on posterior end. Scutellum not much wider than long, anterior margin furrowed in the middle and crenulate on sides; axillary fossa small and elliptical, about half as large as ocellus. Metanotum short and very weakly sloping, posterior margin almost straight. Tegula short and almost as long as wide, outer margin shallowly concave in anterior third and bulging just in front of the middle, posterior lobe short and blunt, not equaling parategula; parategula obliquely flattened and weakly curved. Mesepisternum forming a regularly curved surface with pronotum and mesosternum; epicnemial carina absent. Propodeum elongate, in dorsal view as long as metanotum and with posteriorly bulging sides, in lateral view horizontally produced for a short length and then obliquely sloping; dorsal faces of propodeum weakly sloping mediolaterally, bulging medially where they form a short and rounded propodeal shelf; lateral faces of propodeum shallowly depressed; posterior face of propodeum shallowly and evenly depressed; submarginal carina of propodeum produced in a short lobe completely fused with the propodeal valvula. T 1 in dorsal view bell-shaped, slightly longer than apically wide, anterior margin broadly rounded; T 1 in lateral view evenly convex except for shallow preapical depression; apical margin of T1 with a long hyaline lamella, longer than one ocellar diameter and slightly projecting on sides. T 2 in dorsal view subquadrate with subparallel sides, about as wide as T1; apical margin of T2 with a sharply separated hyaline lamella that is barely developed medially and progressively becomes longer on sides, where it forms short, rounded lobes. T3–T6 with subtriangular and apically rounded lamellar flaps on extreme sides, becoming progressively smaller. S 2 in lateral view regularly and weakly convex. S3–S5 with posterolateral corners depressed and forming small pits that are anteriorly bordered by a sharp margin.

Head and mesosoma with deep punctures, interspaces shorter than puncture diameter; clypeus shiny and micropunctate, with sparse shallow punctures; gena with very scattered punctures; some interspaces as wide as puncture diameter on scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and sides of dorsal faces of propodeum; posterior face of propodeum with scattered deep punctures. T1 with oblique punctures, denser and deeper anteriorly and becoming sparser and shallower posteriorly; T2 with dense fine punctures, interspaces about as wide as puncture diameter and densely micropunctate; T3–T6 similar to T2 but punctures becoming progressively sparser; S1 with sparse deep punctures; S2 with scattered punctures basally, posteriorly with deep punctures becoming denser posterolaterally; S3–S6 densely micropunctate and with sparse fine punctures. Covered by very short pale metallic pubescence; pale setae on frons, pronotum and posterolateral corners of propodeum; S7 densely pubescent with an apical brush of pale golden setae.

Dark to bright red, with the following yellow markings: clypeus, mandible except inner margin, spear-shaped marking filling interantennal space and extending above, inner eye margin from clypeus to bottom of ocular sinus, anterior band on pronotum widening laterally and extending posteriorly on humeral area, margins of tegula, parategula, sides of dorsal faces of propodeum from anterolateral corners to valvula, narrow apical band on T1, laterally widened apical band on T2, suffused apical margins of T3–T6, posterior corners of S1, apical band on S2 with basal subtriangular expansions, posterior corners of S3–S6, lower face of mid coxa, apical spot on mid femur, outer face of tibiae and fore basitarsus. Wings hyaline with yellowish tinge anteriorly.

Female. Differing from the male as follows: clypeus apically subtruncate with narrower apical margin, surface shiny with sparse deep punctures and more developed longitudinal carinae, red with a basal yellow band, cephalic foveae very close and placed just behind ocellar triangle, not placed in a differentiated area, and T2 with less developed apical lamella.

Variability. The dorsal side of the mesosoma can be more or less extensively blackened; scape, scutellum and mesepisternum can present variably developed yellow spots; the apical band of S2 and the markings on the legs can be more extended. A male paratype from Tsinjoriake is particularly dark, being extensively blackish-brown with red markings and presenting reduced yellow markings.

Distribution. Madagascar: Toliara (Fig. 65N).

Etymology. The specific epithet is the Latin adjective “ lobatus, - a, - um ” (= lobed), referring to the lamellar lobes on the tergites.

Genus Paramischocyttarus Magretti, 1884

Paramischocyttarus Magretti, 1884a: 250; 1884b: 600, genus. Type species: Paramischocyttarus subtilis Magretti, 1884, by monotypy.

Tanyzethus Cameron, 1910: 195, genus. Type species: Tanyzethus africanus Cameron, 1910, by monotypy. Junior subjective synonym of Paramischocyttarus Magretti, 1884 according to von Schulthess (1913: 18).