Ropalidia ophuzi 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 ophuzi

description: Ropalidia ophuzi Polašek sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 57535CEC-B084-439B-95F3-A94090F2B1AD
Type specimens. Holotype: Phongolo Bush Nature Reserve, South Africa, 1♀ (SAM. A027345.14). Paratypes: 1♀ with the same collection data as the holotype (SAM. A027344.13); Shilouvane, South Africa, 3♀♀ (ETH); Waterval, Mpumalanga, South Africa, 1♀ (OLM). The total number of examined specimens: 6♀♀.
Diagnosis. Larger member of capensis -group, similar to R. acuminata sp. nov., characterized by very developed juxtamandibular excavations, punctate clypeus base and centre, more lightly coloured body with yellow posterior band on T2, wide gena with less developed punctures, and rounded head.
Description. Females. Wing length 6.4–8.4 mm. Colour. Basal colour brown.Yellow markings include clypeal apex (ranging from wide yellow area that occupies lower third of clypeus to entirely brown clypeus), inner orbit (Figure 2b), and variable antero-basal spot on mandible (mandible sometimes brown). Gena and tempora brown, frons black, eye sinus brownish, vertex anteriorly black, posteriorly brown (Figure 3 aa). Mesosoma (including coxa) without yellow or with two posterior suffused yellow-reddish spots on metanotum. Mesonotum and metapleuron black, mesopleuron black with large reddish area; pronotum, scutellum and metanotum reddish (Figure 3 bb). Generalized colour pattern of mesosoma follows other African mainland Ropalidia (and some Polistes) species. The pattern consists of mainly dark or black central parts of mesosoma (mesonotum, metapleuron and propodeum), with two brownish-reddish circular clusters. The first includes pronotum and extends across tegula to scutellum and metanotum, while second originates on pronotum and extends across mesopleuron towards coxa II and III. T1 brown or with suffused posterior reddish band, T2 brown or light-brown, with posterior yellow band that extends to S2 circumference. Remaining metasomal segments brownish.Antenna ferruginous or slightly darkened from above, yellowish underneath (all the segments, including scape). Wings yellowish, nervature light brown or brown, stigma yellowish, opaque, apical spot weak, lightly brown (Figure 3 bb).
Head. Clypeus similar to R. acuminata sp. nov., with convex surface, very projecting apex and deep juxtamandibular excavations (Figure 2b). In contrast to that species, R. ophuzi sp. nov. has broader clypeal base, in line with broader frons and head. Upes commonly slightly curved, in contrast to straight in R. acuminata sp. nov. Clypeal base largely and shallowly punctate (Figure 2b). Clypeal base covered by yellowish pubescence, with gradually elongating projecting setae, which are about twice longer near apically. Inner orbit depressed, with an occasional, poorly defined puncture. Frons with coarse and large punctures, covered by yellow pubescence and yellow-whitish protruding setae with forwardly bent tips, of nearly equal length or even longer than forward ocellus width. Gena wider than eye, with defined punctures that dissipate towards occipital carina (Figure 3 aa). Occipital carina developed, mildly sinuate. Ocellar triangle with broader base. Eyes covered by very short setae or asetose. Scape longer than AF1; AF2 about as long as wide.
Mesosoma. Mesosoma covered by shorter yellowish-golden pubescence, that turns to longer setae on propodeum; entire mesosoma surface largely and densely punctate, especially strong pronotum and mesopleuron; few punctures present in lateral half of tegula. Mesonotum coarsely and shallowly punctate, median and parapsidal furrow visible, but not strongly developed. Scutellum with stronger punctures than mesonotum and variably developed median sulcus. Metanotum with similar punctures pattern and shiny posterior impunctate area. Metapleuron with retained punctures anteriorly, impunctate centre and stronger punctures towards propodeum. Propodeal excavation rounded, narrower than metanotum width, covered by fine striae and an occasional puncture. Lateral propodeal area more strongly striated, upper carina poorly developed, inferior propodeal carina somewhat developed as expansion of one of distal striae, but without hyaline rim.
Metasoma. T1 triangular and rounded posteriorly, covered by sparse and poorly defined punctures even proximally. T2 with long parallel contour and minimal narrowing towards lamella. T2/S2 suture strongly developed, commonly visible along entire segment length. T2 lamellar notch visible and obtuse. T2 shallowly directionally punctate. T2 longer than S2, yielding oblique segment cut-out (Figure 3 bb). T2 covered by short yellowish setae, those on S2 somewhat longer and whitish.
Male unknown.
Distribution: The South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo).
Etymology. The name comes from the Zulu word for “yellow”, ophuzi, which is treated as indeclinable.
Similar species. R. acuminata sp. nov.; the differences between these two species are listed in the key to species.
Genetics. One specimen was successfully genotyped, suggesting sister position to R. acuminata sp. nov. (BOLD: ADO0894).
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 111-113, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5626.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/15325272