Protopolybia diligens ( Smith, 1857 )

Dos Santos Junior, José N. A., Silveira, Orlando T. & Carpenter, James M., 2017, A new species of the genus Protopolybia Ducke, 1905 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae), with taxonomic contributions to the exigua species-group, Zootaxa 4286 (3), pp. 432-438 : 435

Protopolybia diligens ( Smith, 1857)

Material examined. BOLIVIA: Sara , 1♀ (Steinbach) ; ECUADOR: Santiago-Zamora , Cumbaratza, S.E. Loja, 1♀, 31.iii.1965 (L.E. Pena) ; Pastaza, Jibaria Shurupe , 1 ♀, 7.xi.1987 (M. Huybensz) ( AMNH) ; BRAZIL: Maranhão, 113♀, 25.iv.2015, Ninho B 1 (Borges, R.C.), 166♀, Ninho B 2 ( MPEG) ; Mato Grosso, 3♀, Utiariti, Rio Papagaio , vii-viii.1961 (K. Lenko) ( MZUSP) .

Distribution. Colombia, Peru, Brazil (Amazonas, Maranhão, Pará, * Mato Grosso); * Bolivia, * Ecuador.

Remarks. Richards (1978) described the shape of the nests of P. exigua as circular, with a diameter of about 3.5 and 1.2 cm high, presenting one or two combs. Like P. exigua , P. diligens also has a round nest, measuring 0.9–3.5 in height and 4.3–5.85 cm in length, with the number of combs varying from one to three ( Figs 15, 16 ). In addition, three P. diligens nests shaped differently from the one described above were collected in São José de Ribamar, Maranhão, Brazil. Two of them are remarkably narrower and longer, reminiscent of the nests of P. bituberculata ; both have a single comb, but they differ in size, one measuring 12.0 × 2.5 cm and the other 9.9 × 2.9 cm ( Figs 17, 18 ).

Figures

FIGURES 15 – 20. Nests. 15, 16. Protopolybia diligens oval shape, lateral view; 17, 18. P. diligens elongate shape, lateral view; 19. P. clypeata frontal view, 20. P. clypeata, lateral view (Font: AMNH collection—http: // research. amnh. org / iz / hymenoptera / collection / display. php? sid = 401247).