Ampulex tridentata Tsuneki 1982
Creators: name: Liu, Zhi-Zhi
name: Li, Qiang
name: Ma, Li
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Ampulicidae
Ampulex
Ampulex tridentata

description: 4.Ampulex tridentataTsuneki, 1982
Figs 6, 7
Ampulex dentata: Yasumatsu, 1935: 34 (Japan: Ryukyu Archipelago: Island of Ishigaki), corrected to Ampulex tridentata by Tsuneki, 1982: 16.
Ampulex tridentata Tsuneki, 1982: 16, ♀, ♂. Holotype: ♀, Ryukyu islands: Yayeyama islands (Ent. Inst. Hokkaido Univ., Sapporo).
Material examined.
• 2 ♀♀ 3 ♂♂, China, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, Linan District, Western Tianmu Mountain, 30.3757°N, 119.4788°E, 2023. VIII. 8, coll. Longyuan Cheng; • 1 ♀, China, Guangdong, Shaoguan, Ruyuan County, Nan Mountain, 24.9736°N, 113.0335°E, 2004. IV. 16, coll. Zaifu Xu.
Description of female.
Body length 18–23 mm. Body with metallic blue-green and purple luster. Mandible dark brown, with apex reddish-brown. Antennae black. Wings hyaline, smoky brown; veins and stigma dark brown. Tarsi dark brown. Head and scutum with sparse setae; prosternum, mesopleuron and mesosternum densely covered with long white setae
Head. Mandible sharp at apex; inner edge blade-like, without inner teeth (Fig. 6 B). Clypeus beak-like, anterior margin with three teeth (Fig. 6 B). Terminal segment of labial palpus normal. Frons with dense, fine punctures; frontal carina originating from each frontal lobe present, not extended or enclosed into an elliptical area (Fig. 6 B). Frontal line long, incomplete (Fig. 6 B). Vertex with median longitudinal groove, with dense, fine punctures (Fig. 6 C). Gena with dense, fine punctures. Ratio of EW: ID = 28: 15. Ratio of F 1: (F 2 + F 3) = 18: 29.
Mesosoma. Pronotal collar nearly square, with dense, fine punctures and sparse, midsized punctures (Fig. 6 D); propleurum with dense, fine punctures, one transverse, narrow groove and several short oblique rugae posteriorly on each side (Fig. 6 E); prosternum with dense, fine punctures and large punctures. Scutum with dense, fine punctures and sparse, midsized punctures; notaulus long, extending to posterior margin, not crenulate (Fig. 6 D). Mesopleuron and mesosternum with dense, fine punctures and sparse, midsized punctures (Fig. 6 F). Sternaulus absent (Fig. 6 F). Scutellum with dense, fine punctures and sparse, midsized punctures; anterior margin with one transverse, crenulate groove (Fig. 6 D). Metanotum with dense, fine punctures and sparse, midsized punctures (Figs 6 D, G). Propodeal enclosure approximately trapezoid, medially with five strong, longitudinal carinae, including one median longitudinal carina, two strong, oblique, longitudinal carinae on either side, and two serrated oblique, longitudinal carinae located further out to sides, numerous nearly parallel transverse rugae connected five carinae and edge carinae on either side, forming distinct, regular reticulation except posterior central part with irregular reticulation; transverse rugae incomplete between two oblique, longitudinal carinae on both sides (Fig. 6 G). Posterior surface of propodeum with distinct, irregular reticulation. Upper part of lateral surface of propodeum with irregular reticulation, rest with sparse, fine puncture (Fig. 6 F). Two propodeal posterior lateral angles evident (Fig. 6 G).
Wings and legs. Fore wings with three submarginal cells, vein 1 rs-m incomplete; vein M + Cu diverging before crossvein cu-a. Hind wings with vein M + Cu diverging after crossvein cu-a (Fig. 6 H). Claws unidentate (Fig. 6 I).
Metasoma. T 1 - T 2 with sparse, fine punctures; T 3 - T 6 with dense, fine punctures. T 2 with one transverse groove near anterior margin. Metasomal apex laterally compressed.
Male. Differs from female as follows: Body length 18–20 mm. Mandible short, black, with one big inner tooth (Fig. 7 B). Clypeus approximately trapezoidal, covered with dense, white long setae; anterior margin arc-shaped, with one distinct tooth medially (Fig. 7 B). Frons with dense, large punctures, and approximately irregular reticulation (Fig. 7 B). Ratio of EW: ID = 17: 24. Ratio of F 1: (F 2 + F 3) = 17: 29. Vertex, gena, pronotal collar, prosternum, scutum, mesopleuron, mesosternum, scutellum and metanotum with dense, large punctures (Figs 7 B-F). Propleurum with more and longer oblique rugae posteriorly on each side than female (Fig. 7 E). Propodeal enclosure with transverse rugae completely between two oblique, and longitudinal carinae on both sides (Fig. 7 G). Lateral surface of propodeum almost entirely with irregular reticulation (Fig. 7 F). Hind wings with vein M + Cu diverging at crossvein cu-a (Fig. 7 H). Metasomal apex not compressed laterally (Fig. 7 A); T 1 - T 3 with dense, large punctures.
Distribution.
Japan, China (Guangdong, Zhejiang). New record from China.
description: Published as part of Liu, Zhi-Zhi, Li, Qiang & Ma, Li, 2025, Three new species and one new record of Ampulex Jurine (Hymenoptera, Ampulicidae) from China, with a key to Chinese species, pp. 355-380 in Journal of Hymenoptera Research 98 on pages 355-380, DOI: 10.3897/jhr.98.145619