Afrepsilon Selis & Carpenter, 2024, gen. nov.
Creators: name: Selis, Marco
name: Carpenter, James M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Vespidae
Afrepsilon

description: Key to the species of Afrepsilon gen. nov.
1. Preapical ridge of T2 very short, not forming a distinct lamella and not covering the lamellate apical margin. T3 and following tergites without translucent apical margin, entirely dark and opaque. Body entirely black with thin yellowish markings. Females known only ................................................. 2
– Preapical ridge of T2 short or long, but at least forming a short lamella covering the basal half of the lamellate apical margin. T3 and some of following tergites with translucent apical margin, forming a shagreened lamella. Body largely marked with red and yellow .................................................... 3
2. Punctures of clypeus larger and flat-bottomed, interspaces sparsely micropunctate. Vertex more or less evenly punctate, foveae small but distinct and placed in a shallow differentiated depression, separated by more than their diameter. Posterior lobe of tegula depressed and apically rounded. Dorsal carina of propodeum absent, sculpture of dorsal face passing into upper third of posterior face. Apical lamella of T 2 in the middle about as long as half ocellar diameter. Pale yellow markings limited to ocular sinus, gena, metanotum and T1–2 ............................ A. aterrimum gen. et sp. nov.
– Punctures of clypeus finer and mostly not flat-bottomed, interspaces densely micropunctate. Vertex largely impunctate, foveae weakly developed and not placed in a differentiated area, separated by about their diameter. Posterior lobe of tegula flattened and apically pointed. Dorsal carina of propodeum present, sculpture of dorsal face not passing into posterior face. Apical lamella of T 2 in the middle shorter than half ocellar diameter. Pale yellow markings more extensive A. pictum gen. et sp. nov.
3. Mesoscutum mostly with flattened interspaces. Metanotum almost vertical, short and subrectangular when seen from above. T1–2 with short brownish pubescence, not covering the surface of tergites. Preapical ridge of T2 covering the basal half of lamellate apical margin in the middle .......................................................................................................... A. minor gen. et sp. nov.
– Mesoscutum with interspaces reduced to thin ridges. Metanotum distinctly oblique, longer and semicircular when seen from above. T1–2 with longer pubescence partly concealing the surface of tergites, either brownish or golden. Preapical ridge of T2 covering whole lamellate apical margin or nearly so in the middle ...................................................................................................................... 4
4. Occipital carina angular in the middle of vertex and posteriorly followed by a shallowly striate depression. Dorsal faces of propodeum smoothly passing into posterior face. Metasoma with sparser brownish pubescence; preapical ridge of T2 completely covering lamellate apical margin in the middle and partly on extreme sides. Mesosoma with yellow and red markings, propodeum with yellow markings surrounded by red ....................................... A. ferrugineoaureum gen. et sp. nov.
– Occipital carina rounded in the middle of vertex and not followed by a depression. Dorsal faces of propodeum weakly but markedly separated from posterior face. Metasoma with denser golden pubescence; preapical ridge of T2 leaving extreme apex of apical margin unconcealed and completely disappearing at extreme sides. Mesosoma with red markings only, propodeum entirely black ....................................................................................................... A. hybridum gen. et sp. nov.
Checklist of the species of the genus Afrepsilon gen. nov.
1. Afrepsilon aterrimum gen et sp. nov.
2. Afrepsilon ferrugineoaureum gen. et sp. nov.
3. Afrepsilon hybridum gen et sp. nov.
4. Afrepsilon minor gen et sp. nov.
5. Afrepsilon pictum gen. et sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Selis, Marco & Carpenter, James M., 2024, Revision of the Afrotropical genus Afrepipona Giordani Soika, 1965 and description of Afrepsilon gen. nov. (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae), pp. 1-80 in European Journal of Taxonomy 944 on pages 76-77, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2024.944.2607, http://zenodo.org/record/12808564