Acrotaphus franklini Gauld, 1991

(Figs 82–90)

Acrotaphus franklini Gauld, 1991: 329 . Holotype ♀, Costa Rica (MNCR) [examined by digital image]

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from all other species of Acrotaphus by the combination of the following characters: 1) margin of gena behind eyes flat in dorsal view; 2) margin of gena 0.6–0.7× length of eye in dorsal view; 3) posterior ocelli separated from eyes by 0.4–0.7× its diameter in dorsal view; 4) mesosoma black, except scutellum orange or mesosoma orange with propleuron, pronotum, mesoscutum and anterior and ventral region of mesopleuron black; 5) metasoma orange, with tergites V+ black; 6) ovipositor robust, 1.3–1.6× as long as hind tibia.

Comments. Additional characters to the original description (♀) are as follows: body [12.5] 12.0–17.0 mm; mar- gin of gena behind eyes flat in dorsal view; margin of gena [0.4] 0.6–1.0× length of eye in dorsal view; tarsal claw with basal lobe quadrangular, with claw apex slightly overtaking the posterior margin of lobe. Male. (Figs 85–86). Similar to female in structure and coloration, except margin of gena 0.6–0.7× length of eye in dorsal view; posterior ocelli separated from eyes by 0.6× its diameter in dorsal view; sternite IX (Fig 88) longer than high, with lateral and anterior margins strongly sclerotised, lateral margin slightly concave and posterior margin concave, with few bristles widely spaced posteriorly. Genital capsule (Figs 89–90): Paramere truncated apically, slightly narrower than the parameral lamina, with bristles except in posterior margin; volsellar lamina with bristles anteroapically spaced in anterior margin and with a set of four to five bristles in anterolateral region, just below the base of the digitus; cuspis robust with about four to five teeth aligned in the mid part until apex and with three to four few bristles spaced in apical region; digitus with teeth on apex, rounded distally and angular ventrally, with the margins of the apical region narrower than base; aedeagus with few teeth on apex and its apex slightly curved downward in lateral view.

Distribution. Brazil *, Colombia **, Costa Rica, Ecuador ** and Peru * (Fig 91).

Biological notes. One male was collected from the nest of the Trypoxylon (Trypargilum) lactitarse Saussure, 1867 (Crabronidae) . This record is similar to the strange case documented by Palacio (1999), who found a species of the Acrotaphus from the nest of the Trigonopsis violascens (Dalla Torre, 1897) (Sphecidae) . Palacio (1991) suggested this was an accidental case, where the solitary wasp captures and imprisons an already parasitized spider (with egg/larva of the Acrotaphus). This is the first record of the genus Acrotaphus in nest of Crabronidae .

Material examined. Holotype: ♀, COSTA RICA, Gste [= Guanacaste] Pv. [= Provincia], Guanacaste NP [=Na- tional Park], 560 m., Est. [= Estación] Maritza Vn [= Volcán] Orosi, iii.1989 (Gauld & Mitchell), INBIO # CRI001 102074, MNCR [digital image sent by Ronald Zuñiga] . Paratype: ♀, COSTA RICA, idem holotype, but 800 m ., iv–v.1986 ( Gauld), #010823022, BNHM [examined]. Brazil: Acre, Senador Guiomard, Reserva Catuaba, 10°04’S / 67°36’W, 07.xi.2001, Nest trap n° 427 (E.F. Morato leg.) , ♂ [with genitalia extracted], UFAC; Amazonas, Manaus, WWF, Reserve 1113, Rede Lateral Oeste, 07.xi.1985, Malaise (Bert Klein) , ♂ [with genitalia extracted], INPA; idem, but Reserve 1208, Fazendo Esteio, PDBFF , 02°22’34’’S / 59°52’39’’W, 03.ix.1985, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but Reserve 1301, 02°23’03’’S / 59°51’15’’W, 22.v.1985 , ♀, ZMUT; idem, but Reserva Ducke, 14.x.1995, Fogging em Corythophora alta (without collector) , ♂ [with genitalia extracted], INPA; idem, but Reserve 1501, Km 41, 15–25.xi.1995, Suspense trap 4 , ♀, INPA . Colombia: Amazonas, PNN [=Parque Nacional Naturale] Amacayacu, Matamata, 03°41’S / 70°15’W, 150 m ., Red 1 [sic], 11.xi.2000 (A. Parente leg.), M.3553 [?] , ♀, #52277, IAVH; idem, but Caño Matá-Matá, Malaise, ii–iii.1989 (M. Kelsey) , ♀, #53000, IAVH; idem, but Mun. [=Municipal- ity] Leticia, Km 11, Via Tarapaca, 04°07’S / 69°57’W, 200 m ., 06–21.ii.2003 (W. Morales leg.), M.3782 [?], ♀, #52999, IAVH . Ecuador: Dept. [=Department] Orellana, Onkonegare, 00°39’25,7’’S / 76°27’10,8’’W, a.s.l.: 216 m ., 02.vii.1995, Fogging, Lot #1067 (T. L. Erwin leg.), ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 08.ii.1996, Lot #1464, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 01.x.1996, Lot #1692, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 08.vii.2006, Lot #3245, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but; idem, but 26.vii.1996, Lot #1592, ♂, ZMUT; idem, but 08.ii.1996 Lot #1478, 2♂, ZMUT; idem, but 20.x.2005, Lot #3043, ♂, ZMUT; idem, but 23.i.2006, Lot #3180, ♂, ZMUT; idem, but 07.vii.2006, Lot #3201, ♂, ZMUT; idem, but 02.vii.1995, Lot #1090, ♂, ZMUT; idem, but 10.ii.1995, Lot #1009, ♂, ZMUT; idem, but 07.ii.1996, Lot #1449, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 04.ii.1996, Lot #1417, ♂, ZMUT; idem, but 06.x.1994, Lot #889, ♂, ZMUT; idem, but 03.x.1996, Lot #1725, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 04.x.1996, Lot #1758, ♂, ZMUT; idem, but 01.vii.1995, Lot #1148, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 02.x.1996, Lot #1710, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 08.x.1995, Lot #1266, ♂, ZMUT; idem, but 21.vi.1994, Lot #694, ♂, ZMUT; idem, but Yasuni, 00°37’55’’S / 76°08’39’’W; a.s.l.: 220– 250 m ., Lot #1900 , ♂, ZMUT; idem, but 09.ii.1999, Lot #2013, ♂, ZMUT; Morona-Santiago, Cord. [=Cordillera] de Cutucu, 6 Km E. of Macas, 1100 m., 17.vii.1981 (M. Cooper) , ♀, BNHM . Peru: Dept. [=Department] Huanuco, Tingo Maria, Cueva de Las Pavas, 23–27.vii.1982 (C. Porter & T. O’Neill) , 2 ♀, FSCA; Dept. [=Department] Madre de Dios, Los Amigos, 380955,769E/8610042,474N, a.s.l.: 240.2 m., 14–21.viii.2008, Malaise trap (I. Gómez leg.) , ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 03–10.vii.2008, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but Explorer’s inn Amazon logde, 161 m ., 12°50’30’’S / 69°17’31’’W; 29.viii.2009 (L. Sulca leg.), ♀, ZMUT; CU [= Cusco], Shivankoreni ca., 11°42’S / 72°54’W, ca. 300 m ., 27.x.1997, Malaise trap (S. Cordova leg.), ♀, ZMUT; Dept. [=Department] of Loreto, Iquitos area, Allpahuayo, clay, 20.x–05.xi.1998, Malaise trap (I.E. Sääksjärvi & R. Jussila et al. leg.), APHI, C2 /5, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 04–20.x.1998 (I.E. Sääksjärvi & R. Jussila et al. leg.), APHI, C2 /4, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 17.xi–03.xii.1998, APHI, C2 /7, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 17.xii–20.i.1998, APHI, C2 /9, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but white sand, 29.i–20.ii.2000 (Sääksjärvi et al. leg.), APHI, I3 /1, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 22.v–11.vi.2000, APHI, E3 /7, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 08–24.iii.2000, APHI, G2 /3, 3♀, ZMUT; 24.iii–16.iv.2000, APHI, E3 /4, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 24.i–20.ii.2000, APHI, G1 /1, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 29.vi–16.vii.2000, APHI, E3 /9, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but clay, 22.v–11.vi.2000, APHI, H1 /7, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 29.vi–16.vii.2000, APHI, J1 /9, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 30°58’29’’S / 73°25’46’’W, 07–13.xi.2011 (Gómez & Sääksjärvi leg.), ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 14–20.xi.2011, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but 01–16.viii.2000, ♀, ZMUT; idem, but Mishana, varillal, 01–16.ix.1998 (I.E. Sääksjärvi & R. Jussila et al. leg.), APHI, B3 /2, ♀, MUSM; idem, but clayish soil, 16.ix–01.x.1998, APHI, A2 /3, ♀, MUSM; idem, but white sand, 29.vi.2000, G1(16) ♀, MUSM; idem, but 08.iii.2000, J2(2) ♀, MUSM; idem, but 01–15.xii.2000, I1(16), ♀, MUSM; idem, but 08.xi–01.xii.2000, J1, ♀, MUSM; idem, but 22.v–11.vii.2000, J1(7), 2♀, MUSM .