A new species of the wasp genus Clitemnestra Spinola, 1851 from New Caledonia (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Crabronidae, Bembicinae)

Abstract

Clitemnestra noumeae Ohl, new species, the first member of the genus known from New Caledonia, is described. The shape of the abdomen is intermediate between Clitemnestra and Ochleroptera, thus enforcing the recognition of only one genus. The new species is compared with the other ‘Ochleroptera‐like’ species from Australasia, which are exclusively known from New Guinea. A key to the ‘Ochleroptera‐like’ species of Clitemnestra from Australasia is provided.

Review of the hymenopteran fauna of New Caledonia with a checklist of species

“…Within the genus Sericophorus, the vast majority of the approximately 100 described species are Australian endemics (four species in New Guinea and one in Indonesia -Ambon Island), but two species, S. rhinoceros Pulawski (Pulawski 1989) and S. pulawskii Ohl (Ohl 2009), are described from New Caledonia. Ohl (2008) recently described Clitemnestra noumeae Ohl from New Caledonia, which appears to have affinities with the four described species from New Guinea rather than the nine described Australian species. The majority of species (51) are, however, from the New World.…”