Cerceris venusta keiensis Strand 1911

Cerceris venusta keiensis Strand

Cerceris venusta Smith var. keiensis Strand, 1911, p. 232.

Strand described this distinctive taxon from the Kei Islands as a variety, but it is quite clearly a discrete subspecies. I have seen specimens from both Kei and Aru Islands. It has fewer yellow markings than venusta oceanica Brèthes from eastern New Guinea, but it is not so melanic as venusta atrescens, new subspecies, from western New Guinea. The lateral lobe of the clypeus in keiensis is nearly devoid of punctures as in atrescens. In the female yellow markings are lacking on the mesopleuron, propodeum, and third tergum; in the male the vertex has only the outer pair of yellow spots, and the propodeum and third tergum are entirely black.

FEMALE.—Length 12 mm, forewing 9.5 mm. Black, the following yellow: mandible except apex, clypeus except base of median lobe, broad quadrate mark on side of face narrowing slightly above and terminating opposite top of interantennal lamella, streak on interantennal lamella, 4 rounded spots across vertex, the outer pair larger, scape beneath, short lateral spot on pronotal disk, lateral spots on scutellum, band on postscutellum, broad band across middle of 1st tergum, subapical band on 2nd tergum narrowly interrupted on midline, apical bands on posterior third of 4th tergum and posterior fourth of 5th tergum, exposed parts of 1st and 5th sterna, and stripe anteriorly on fore tibia. The following are ferruginous: scape above, flagellum beneath, tegula, apex of 1st tergum, pygidium, and legs.

Sculpture much as in venusta oceanica except lateral lobes of clypeus almost devoid of large punctures.

Male.—Length 10–11.5 mm, forewing 8–9 mm. Black, the following yellow: mandible except apex, clypeus except occasionally base of median lobe, large quadrate mark on side of face narrowing slightly above and terminating opposite top of interantennal lamella, streak on interantennal lamella, tiny spot on vertex behind eye, scape beneath, lateral spot on pronotal disk, scutellum rarely with spots, postscutellum with band, occasionally narrow stripe across middle of 1st tergum, subapical band on 2nd tergum occasionally interrupted in middle, narrow apical bands on 4th to 6th terga, exposed parts of 1st and 2nd, and occasionally of 3rd to 6th sterna, and stripe on outer surface of fore and mid tibiae. The following are ferruginous: scape above, flagellum beneath, tegula, apical third or half of 1st tergum, pygidium, and legs.

Kei Islands: 1 ♂, Toeal, 1922, H. C. Siebers (JvdV). 1 ♂, Ohoider, Kl. Kei, 1922, H. C. Siebers (JvdV). 1 ♀, 1 ♂, Kei Islands (TMA).

Aru Islands: 1 ♂, Aru Islands, Rosenberg (JvdV).