Jucancistrocerus (Jucancistrocerus) alashanicus Kurzenko 1977
Creators: name: Li, Ting-Jing
name: Bai, Yue
name: Chen, Bin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Eumenidae
Jucancistrocerus
Jucancistrocerus alashanicus

description: Jucancistrocerus (Jucancistrocerus) alashanicus Kurzenko, 1977
(Figs 17–31)
Jucancistrocerus alashanicus Kurzenko, 1977: 551; Tan et al., 2018: 142.
Material examined. 3♂, China, Inner Mongolia, Hohhot City, Wuchuan County, Daqingshan Town, Sanchakou Village, 23. VII. 2019, Pan Huang; 2♀, China, Beijing, Xisanqi, 1. V.1986, Yin Wang; 2♀ 2♂, China, Shanxi Prov., Xinrong District, Deshengbao, 23. VII.2012, Ju You; 2♀, China, Shanxi Prov., Lvliang City, Jiaokou County, Shierpan, 31.VII.2019, Xue Zhang; 2♀, China, Hebei Prov., Chengde, Longhua Forest, 25.VII.1999, Aimin Shi; 1♀ 2♂, China, Gansu Prov., Jiuquan City, Xiaozhou District, Sandun Town, Jiabiangou Village, 18. VI. 2019, Xue Zhang; 1♀ 1♂, China, Gansu Prov., Zhangye City, Gaotai County, Heiquan Town, Yanzhibao Village, 1.VII.2019, Xue Zhang.
Notes. The species J. (J.) alashanicus Kurzenko, 1977 was compared with J. (J.) angustifrons (Kostylev, 1940) from China by Kurzenko. In our study, specimens of these two species and J. (J.) tachkensis (Dalla Torre, 1889) were collected. And we found they are indeed confusing with similar color patterns. In order to verify whether they are all valid species, we checked photos of paratypes and paralectotypes of both J. (J.) alashanicus (Figs 26–31) and J. (J.) angustifrons (Figs 41–46), which are deposited in the Zoological Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia, and compared genitalia of our specimens of these three species. Through the above comparisons, what is certain is that J. (J.) tachkensis can be separated from two other species with the coarser clypeus sculpture in both females and males (Figs 49–50). And then in the rest, J. (J.) alashanicus (Figs 19–20, 30–31) can be distinguished from J. (J.) angustifrons (Figs 34–35, 45–46) by having both the female and male clypeus more narrowly and deeply emarginated at the apex, in female apical width: depth of emargination = 3.32, in male (Figs 20, 31) apical width: depth of emargination = 1.99 (in J. (J.) angustifrons female apical width: depth of emargination = 3.96, male apical width: depth of emargination = 2.25), male A13 hooked backward extending to the base of A13 (Fig. 24), and volsella (Fig. 25) apically wider and blunter than that (Fig. 40) of the latter.
Diagnosis. Body length: female 7.2–8.0 mm, male 5.7–6.5 mm; black, with the following yellow markings: two lateral spots of female clypeus (some specimens wholly black), male clypeus, a band along lower inner margin of eye to lower margin of eye sinus, small interantennal spot, mandible except apex, a small band on gena, A1 ventrally, anterior and medial part of pronotum, large spot of scutellum (spot smaller in male), lateral and narrow band of metanotum, tegula, parategula, border between dorsal and lateral-posterior surfaces of propodeum, legs except coxae to part of femur, two lateral spots and apical band of each of both T1 and T2 (lateral spots sometimes extending to and connecting apical band) and apical bands of T3–T5 or T3–T6 and S2. Clypeus sparsely to moderately punctate and in male more sparsely, apically with deep and rounded emargination in both sexes, female clypeus (Figs. 19, 30) wider than long (1.12×) and apical width: depth of emargination=3.32, in male (Figs 20, 31) longer than wide (1.11×) and apical width: depth of emargination=1.99. Propodeal margin between dorsal and lateral surfaces with indistinct tooth-like protuberance (Fig. 21); male A13 exceeding the apex of A11 (Fig. 24); T1 wider than (1.64×) long and narrower than (0.78 ×) T2; volsella (Fig. 25) apically wide and blunt, penis valve near the base distinctly with one subangular protrusion.
Distribution. China (Inner Mongalia, Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Gansu).
description: Published as part of Li, Ting-Jing, Bai, Yue & Chen, Bin, 2022, A revision of the genus Jucancistrocerus Blüthgen, 1938 from China, with review of three related genera (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae), pp. 401-420 in Zootaxa 5105 (3) on pages 405-408, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5105.3.4, http://zenodo.org/record/6332849