Perilampus awbalus Yoo and Darling 2021, n. sp.

Perilampus awbalus Yoo and Darling n. sp. Figures 2D‒F, 3C, 3D, Appendix 1 Material examined. Holotype. “ United Arab Emirates: Wadi Safad, 25°13'N, 56°19'E, 1-15 Apr 2006, A van Harten, Light trap ”, “Digital Image Voucher 2019, Royal Ontario Museum”. The holotype is point-mounted (Female: ROME174255, ROME). Paratype. United Arab Emirates: Wadi Safad, 25°13’N, 56°19'E: 2-26 Jan 2006, A van Harten, Light trap (1 female: ROME174241 - EAD). Additional material examined. Democratic Republic of the Congo, Garamba National Park [Congo Belge, P.N.G.], 9-VI-52, H. De Saeger (1 female: ROME158945 - RMCA). Etymology. The specific epithet is a reference to 'awbal' (أوبال), Arabic for opal, a reference to the opal-like body coloration with cupreous, violaceous, and greenish iridescences. Description. Female. Length: approximately 2.5 mm (HT 2.5 mm). Color: cupreous, midlobe of mesoscutum and scutellum red and black, meso- and metapleura blue-violet, lateral lobes blue-green in dorsal view, raised smooth scale on mesoscutum same color as mesoscutum, dorsellum black with blue reflections. Legs: coxae, femora, and tibiae brown, lighter distad and on inner surfaces, with weak violet reflections, stronger on hind femora, tarsi brown. Antenna: scape brown with iridescence, pedicel brown, flagellum yellow. Head (Figs 2E, 2F, 3C): in frontal view quadrate, slightly wider than high, HW/HH approximately 1.2, sparsely setose to smooth; in dorsal view weakly transverse, width slightly wider than twice length, HW/HL 2.1–2.2; slightly wider than pronotum, HW/PW approximately 1.1–1.2. Frontal carina: absent. Scrobal cavity (Fig. 2E): shallow, with weak smooth ridge from between median and lateral ocelli towards eye margin. Ocelli: small; forming a wide triangle, POL about twice distance between posterior and anterior ocelli; POL at least twice OOL. Vertex: falling off abruptly behind; smooth, interocellar region weakly rugulose-foveate; occiput with median furrow delimited below vertex, with costulae. Outer orbits: smooth, strong costulae behind. Inner orbits: in lateral view, nearly parallel to inner eye margin; smooth. Malar space: long, greater than 0.25× eye height, MS/EH approximately 0.3; malar sulcus distinct; with very shallow piliferous punctures. Clypeus (Fig. 2F): weakly transverse, wider than high, CW/ CH approximately 1.7–1.8, trapezoidal, lateral sulci weak and straight, weakly divergent; epistomal sulcus concave, deeper and more distinct than lateral sulci, only slightly extended ventrad; lower margin convex. Supraclypeal area: subquadrate. Antenna: scape length approximately 0.6× EH; anellus subquadrate, length approximately 0.3× PL; F1 subquadrate, subequal in length to pedicel, F1L/PL approximately 0.9, F2 subquadrate, F3–F7 transverse; clava 4-segmented, with distinct terminal button. Mesosoma (Figs 2D, 3C, 3D): length approximately 1.3× maximum width. Pronotum in dorsal view: short, about 0.25× length of mesoscutum, PN/MSC 0.2‒0.3; shorter along midline, 0.5‒0.6× LPP; anterior margin sharp, all rows of punctures on same plane; with very weak flange on the lateral panel of pronotum at the level of mesothoracic spiracle. Lateral panel of pronotum (Fig. 3D): about as wide as prepectus, LPP/PPT approximately 0.8; flat, with 3 rows of punctures with narrow interspaces, ventrad with narrow coriarious patch; anterior margin sharp; posterior margin ventrad nearly flat, with row of alveolae. Prepectus: broad; differentiated from pronotum, with distinct suture; ventral strap short (Fig. 3D, arrow), without row of alveolae; central area weakly coriarious, with foveae along dorsal and posterior margins. Femoral depression: weakly rugose, with foveae. Midlobe of mesoscutum (Fig. 3C): with nearly flat scale-like tubercle (Fig. 3C, arrow); with round punctures and wide, weakly coriarious interspaces anterad, angulate punctures and narrow interspaces posterad. Lateral lobe of mesoscutum: strongly rugulose dorsad; rugulose-punctate laterad. Scutellum: about as long as mesoscutum, SC/MSC approximately 1.1; posterior margin smoothly rounded; with angulate punctures and narrow interspaces. Axilla: densely punctate dorsad, imbricate below. Axillula: wide triangular lobe, as long as width at base, smooth. Propodeum: length along midline about 0.3×third width of propodeum; submedian area shagreened, with weak groove along median carina; alveolaterugose laterad; delimited laterad and ventrad by complete plicae, dorsad by transverse band of foveae; propodeal spiracle margin reticulate ventrad; nucha rugulose. Fore wing (Fig. 2D): postmarginal vein long, 0.8–0.9× length of marginal vein, approximately twice length of stigmal vein; stigmal vein rounded without uncus. Metasoma (Figs 2D, 3C): petiole short and straplike, smooth, without raised scale; Gt2 weakly wrinkled along midline, weakly imbricate laterad, posterior margin straight; Gt3 punctulate dorsad and laterad. Male. Unknown. Variation. The lateral lobe of the mesoscutum is striate in the holotype (Fig. 3C) and weakly rugulous in the paratype. Diagnosis. Perilampus awbalus can be distinguished from P. auratus and P. ardens by the contrasted blue coloration and striations on the lateral lobes of mesoscutum (Fig. 3C), nearly flat scale-like tubercle on the midlobe of mesoscutum (Fig. 3C, arrow), flat posterior vertex that falls off abruptly (Fig. 2E), wider lateral panel of pronotum (Fig. 3D), and punctuate Gt3 (Fig. 2D). Perilampus awbalus can further be differentiated from P. ardens by more quadrate clypeus (Fig. 2F) and slightly narrower prepectus (Fig. 3D). Perilampus awbalus is morphologically similar to P. seyrigi but can be distinguished by its smaller size (2.5 versus about 5 mm), rounded versus bilobed apex of scutellum, wider and shorter smooth scale on the midlobe of mesoscutum, and less densely punctuate Gt3. See also Appendix 1, P. auratus and P. seyrigi.

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