Protopolybia perfulvula Bequaert, 1944

Dos Santos Junior, José N. A., Silveira, Orlando T. & Carpenter, James M., 2020, Taxonomic revision of the Protopolybia picteti - emortualis species-group (Richards 1978), with descriptions of two new species (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Polistinae), Zootaxa 4729 (2), pp. 228-248 : 240

Protopolybia perfulvula Bequaert, 1944

( Figs 30, 31, 32 )

Protopolybia picteti var. perfulvula Bequaert, 1944: 117 , 121. (holotype: ♀, Panama, Rio Agua Salud (MCZ), not examined; paratype: 1♀ Panama, Rio Agua Salud (AMNH), examined).

Protopolybia perfulvula: Richards 1978: 139 , 147; Sarmiento 1994: 359; West-Eberhard et al. 1995: 586.

Diagnosis. Length of fore wing 4.80–4.93 mm; pronotal fovea obsolete, humerus short and roundly truncate, carina with lamella reduced ( Fig. 30 ); few and shallow mesopunctation on mesoscutum ( Fig. 30 ); with sparse and notably elongated setae distinctly curved apically; metanotal process distinctly wider than long, with apex rounded; propodeum with a wide and deep cavity, like a central channel ( Fig. 31 ); color ferruginous moderately marked with yellow ( Fig. 32 ), mesoscutum reddish, generally with two yellow stripes, scutellum with two marks, metanotum with yellow band anterior.

Description. FEMALE. Length of fore wing 4.80 mm; clypeus wide (HClp=0.60; MxWClp= 0.90;TeW=0.60; MiWClp= 0.87 mm), with ventral margin acute; tentorial pit closer to antennal socket than to eye margin; interantennal area relatively wide, approximately 2 × diameter of antennal socket; mandibles relatively short with length 0.77 × distance between eyes at vertex; occipital carina distinct, strong and salient throughout; humerus short and roundly truncate, carina with lamella reduced ( Fig. 30 ); pronotal carina little developed, but visible laterally, pronotal fovea obsolete, preceded by a short and low prominence; length of mesoscutum approximately 0.89 × its width; mesepisternal groove absent; scutellum with a short but well-marked median line; metanotum triangular, length of median axis approximately 0.76 × width of central disk; propodeum with a wide and deep cavity, like a central channel ( Fig. 31 ); T1 sessile with distal margin wider and nearly straight, cup-like.

Mesoscutum with sparser micropunctation and few and shallow mesopunctation; mesopleuron and T2 to T5 with distinct punctures; clypeus with short golden bristles, except on ventral margin, which has elongated bristles; vertex, mesoscutum, scutellum and metanotum with sparse and notably elongated setae distinctly curved apically.

Species ferruginous moderately marked with yellow spots ( Fig. 32 ); antennae ventrally testaceous or brown, dorsally brown; mandibles brown, clypeus entirely, inner orbit with wide band that extend to ocular sinus, frons with a bilobate mark, two marks on vertex, small mark on pronotal carina and fovea, mesoscutum ferruginous to brown, tegulae partially, large spot on mesepisternum and small on area below scrobe, scutellum almost entirely yellow, metanotum partially, propodeum with paired dorsal marks, distal spot on T1 to T3. Legs ferruginous; wings hyaline, venation brown.

Material examined. PANAMA: Barro Colorado , 18♀, 9–10.xi.1923, F. 4855H (without collector) ( AMNH) ; COLOMBIA: Atlântico, 3♀, Cuatro Bocas, 22.i.1959 (J.F. Clarke) ( BMNH) .

Distribution. Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia: Atlantico, Valle.

Figures

FIGURES 27–32. 27, 28, 29. Protopolybia nitida; 30, 31, 32. Protopolybia perfulvula.