Cerceris venusta atrescens Krombein 1969

Cerceris venusta atrescens

This form from western New Guinea is characterized by a substantial reduction in the number and extent of the yellow markings.

HOLOTYPE.—♀, Suanimbu, 20 kilometers east of Maprik, Western Highlands District, Territory of New Guinea, 180 m, 14 January 1960, T. C. Maa (BPBM).

Length 12 mm, forewing 9.3 mm. Black, the following pale yellow—mandible except apex, clypeus except anterior margin and margin of lamina, subrectangular spot along inner eye margin extending a bit above level of antennal insertions, scape beneath, interantennal prominence, small spot above behind eye, band on postscutellum, tiny posterolateral spot on 1st tergum, larger posterolateral spots on 2nd and 3rd terga, band on 4th tergum narrowly interrupted and divided into thirds, smaller posterolateral spots on 5th tergum, outer surfaces of fore and mid tibiae and fore tarsus; the following reddish—flagellum beneath, margins of tegula, all femora, fore and mid tibiae and fore tarsus beneath, and mid tarsus.

Sculpture similar to that of v. oceanica except that lateral lobes of clypeus are nearly devoid of larger punctures, and that the punctures on dorsum of head, thorax, and abdomen are a bit larger and deeper; comb of fore basitarsus composed of 9 spines on one side, 10 on the other; hind tibia with 6 serrations.

ALLOTYPE.—♂, Mt. Hagen, Western Highlands District, Territory of New Guinea, 1600 m, 23 May 1961, J. L. & M. Gressitt, in light trap (BPBM).

Length 9 mm, forewing 7.5 mm. Color pattern as detailed for female except pronotum has a small lateral yellow spot, the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th terga have yellow apical bands, and the legs are not ferruginous.

Sculpture as in venusta oceanica except the punctures larger and deeper.

PARATYPES.—1 ♀, Hollandia, West New Guinea, June 1937, W. Stüber (RNH). 1 ♂, Kumun, upper Jimmi Valley, Western Highlands District, Territory of New Guinea, 1000 m, 13 July 1955, J. L. Gressitt (BPBM). 1 ♂, Wau, Morobe District, Territory of New Guinea, 1200 m, 16 June 1961, J. Sedlacek (BPBM). Paratypes have been placed in the collection of the United States National Museum.

The female paratype is similar to the holotype in size and coloration, but the femora are black and the band on the fourth tergum is narrowly interrupted in the middle. The male paratype from Wau is quite like the allotype in coloration except that the first and second terga have the yellow bands reduced to posterolateral spots. The male paratype from Kumun has the scape, thorax, and abdomen entirely black and lacks the small yellow spot behind the eye.