Ropalidia flavoscutellata Polasek 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Polašek, Ozren
name: Onah, Ikechukwu
name: Kehinde, Tope
name: Rojo, Veronica
name: Noort, Simon Van
name: Carpenter, James M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Vespidae
Ropalidia
Ropalidia flavoscutellata

description: Ropalidia flavoscutellata Polašek sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 2AE8E5B5-4650-4E42-A41D-E60CB8D6DBAB
Type specimens. Holotype: Uelleburg, Equatorial Guinea, 1♀ (MFNB.06). Paratypes: 2♀♀ with the same collection data as the holotype (MFN); Ruwensori Fuss, DR Congo, 1♀ (MFNB); Buamba, Uganda, 1♀ (NHM); Bambesa, DR Congo, 1♀ (RMCA); Likete, DR Congo, 1♀ (RMCA); Abumombazi, DR Congo, 1♀ (RMCA); Akoupe, DR Congo, 2♀♀ (RMCA); Yangambi, DR Congo, 1♀ (RMCA); Congo Belge, 1♀ (NMW); Eala, DR Congo, 2♀♀, 1♂ (RMCA); Dzanga-Sangha, Central African Republic, 1♂ (AMNH _IZC_00179519); RÉserve Spéciale de Forét Dense de Dzanga-Sangha, Central African Republic, 1♂ (SAM. A026699); Dzanga-Ndoki, Central African Republic, 1♂ (AMNH _IZC_00179520); Eala (Mbandaka), DR Congo, 1♂ (OLM). The total number of examined specimens: 15♀♀, 4♂♂.
Diagnosis. Defining features of this species include developed inferior propodeal carina with yellow rhomboid patch underneath, combined with weak superior propodeal carina and very trichose wings. In contrast to similar R. haladaorum sp. nov., this species has more yellow markings on the body, including almost entirely yellow scutellum and generally weaker punctures, especially on metapleuron and gena.
Description. Female. Wing length: 9.4–11.6 mm. Colour. Basal colour brown, with numerous yellow markings: clypeus (except basal brown line or bilateral brown spots), large spot on mandible base or entire mandible, inner orbit, interantennal area, large spot on gena (Figure 24b); large dorso-medial spot on pronotum or entire pronotum, mesonotum dark brown (sometimes with two reddish lines that can be merged into quadratic area), one or two large yellow spots on mesopleuron (Figure 24a), large area on metapleuron or entire metapleuron, two merged spots on scutellum (scutellum reddish in one specimen) and two diamond-shaped yellow spots underneath inferior propodeal carina (Figure 23a). All three coxa pairs yellow, all three femora pairs with irregular yellow patches (Figure 91a). Tibia ferruginous, tarsi darker, terminal tarsal segment ferruginous. Wings yellowish, stigma brown, semi-transparent (Figure 23b). Metasoma with numerous yellow markings, including bilateral triangular spot on lateral side of T1 (merged medio-dorsally in one specimen), posterior band on T2 (sometimes be expanded into over half of tergum in yellow), posterior band on S2 (Figure 91a). Antenna dark brown from above, scape yellow underneath, flagellomeres orange underneath (Figure 24a).
Head. Clypeus pentagonal, with angled and almost straight lateral sides (oculo-clypeal angle very weak or missing; Figure 24b). Clypeus base with hardly discernible punctures that change into craters apically. Inner orbit with occasional poorly defined puncture, usually impunctate. Gena slightly thinner than eye (Figure 24a), mostly shiny, with only small and poorly defined punctures close to inferior eye margin; posterior half of gena almost entirely impunctate. Frons with large and shallow punctures; ocelli acute forward, eye setae very short. Scape about as long as AF1, AF2 1.3–1.4 times as long as wide.
Mesosoma. Mesosoma with large and shallow punctures, especially posterior half of mesopleuron. Mesonotum with large, poorly defined and very shallow punctures; area lateral to parapsidal furrows with slightly sparser punctures. Metapleuron impunctate. Scutellum rounded, elevated, with median carina that usually extends along its entire length. Metanotum with very large shiny impunctate area, and only some punctures in upper lateral angles; median tooth not developed. Propodeum regularly striate, upper carina weak (Figure 23a). Inferior propodeal carina triangular, well developed, and usually with hyaline rim (Figure 23a). Wings densely trichose, with numerous overlapping black or brown setae (Figure 23b).
Metasoma. T1 comparatively slender and elongated, with developed posterior constriction (Figure 91a). T2 bell-shaped, with minimal terminal constriction. T2/S2 suture comparatively underdeveloped, not reaching more than third of segment length; T2 lamella whitish or yellowish, semi-transparent.
Males. Wing length: 10.4–10.7 mm. Colour. More yellow than females; clypeus, inner orbit and interantennal area completely yellow; gena with large yellow spot, tempora, frons and vertex brown (Figure 59a). Mesosoma underside, including coxa I–III yellow (Figure 59a). Scutellum yellow, metanotum either with bilateral yellow spot or completely yellow.
Head. Clypeus pentagonal, with rounded angles and slightly protruding apex; upes curved, OC angle not developed; clypeus with minute punctures, hardly discernible underneath pubescence (Figure 60a). Gena about half of eye width, more coarsely punctate. Scape thicker than AF1, AF2 about 1.6–1.8 times as long as wide (Figure 59b). AF1–11 with progressively broader matt tyloids. Terminal flagellomere long, curved and with obtuse apex (Figure 59b).
Mesosoma. Tarsal I spur not developed.
Metasoma. S7 mildly concave.
Distribution. The Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, DR Congo, Uganda.
Etymology. The name is a combination of the Latin words flavus -a -um (“yellow”) and scutellum, with an adjectival ending, and refers to the yellow colour of the scutellum.
Similar species. R. haladaorum sp. nov., separated by numerous differences listed in the key to species.
Genetics. One specimen was partly genotyped, but the sequence was insufficient for the BIN assignment.
description: Published as part of 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), pp. 1-142 in Zootaxa 5626 (1) on pages 86-87, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5626.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/15325272