Minixi tricoloratum ( Zavattari, 1911 )

Hermes, Marcel G., 2017, Contributions to the taxonomy of Minixi Giordani Soika and Alphamenes Van der Vecht (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae), with an identification key to the species of the latter, Zootaxa 4317 (3), pp. 530-540 : 531-533

Minixi tricoloratum ( Zavattari, 1911)

( Figs. 1–5 )

Eumenes tricoloratus Zavattari, 1911: 49 ; 1912: 121. Bertoni, 1918: 206; 1923 (1921): 53; 1934: 111, 113. Type data: female holotype (ZMHB).

Type locality: San Bernardino , Paraguay.

Minixi tricoloratum ; Giordani Soika, 1978: 368, 383. Hermes & Oliveira, 2016: 189, 190, 191, 198.

Comments and diagnosis. Like females, males of M. tricoloratum are defined by the following diagnostic features: clypeus with sparse macro-punctation and evident pilosity ( Fig. 1 ); inter- antennal region elevated and longitudinally cariniform; tegulae strongly punctured ( Fig. 3 ); propodeum not dilated dorsolaterally ( Fig. 4 ); T1 gradually expanding at the apex ( Fig. 4 ); presence of sparse punctation at T2. In addition to this set of features common to both sexes, males of M. tricoloratum present a very short F11, not reaching the apex of F9 ( Fig. 2 ) and rounded tyloids. A very short F11 is an exclusive character of M. tricoloratum males, but rounded tyloids are shared with others species of Minixi , except M. brasilianum and M. sumichrasti (narrow tyloids) (see figs 8-9 in Hermes & Oliveira 2016).

Description. Male. Color. Body black. Yellow marks as follows: clypeus; inter-antennal region; mesoscutum; and parategulae. Yellow transverse bands at the apex of T1–2 and S2. Metanotum with yellow and ferruginous marks. Ferruginous marks on the sides of pronotum; tegulae; propodeum; scutellum; mesepisternum; and T2. Lateral ferruginous bands extending near base of T1. T3–7 and S3–7 with ferruginous and yellow marks. Hyaline wings with brown veins. Legs with ferruginous and yellow marks.

Pilosity. Body covered by thin, whitish and short setae, which are denser in the clypeus. Setae in T1–7 shorter than in the rest of the body.

Sculpture. Clypeus weakly punctured, with distinguishable punctures; frons with deep and abundant punctures, close to each other; pronotum, mesoscutum, propodeum, and mesepisternum with coarse and deep punctures—punctures may even coalesce; tegulae strongly punctured; scutellum and metanotum with sparse and deep punctation; T1–2 with numerous, smaller and shallow punctures; T2–7 e S2–7 with less deep, smaller and less abundant punctures.

Structure. Clypeus longer than wide with short apical carina, emarginated medially between apical teeth; inter-antennal region raised and longitudinally cariniform; apical flagellomere pointed and very short, not reaching the apex of the antepenultimate flagellomere; tyloids wide; lateral surface of pronotum depressed; pronotal carina straight; mesoscutum without notauli; metanotum without longitudinal carina; propodeum not dorsolaterally dilated; lower portion of median concavity on posterior surface of propodeum not deeply depressed; apex of T1 with lamella developed; T2 elongated; S7 with abundant and long setae and without carina.

Male genitalia. Ventral lobe of the penile valve simple with presence of a non-enlarged projection ( Fig. 5 ); apex of the head of the aedeagus without furrow (see Fig. 33 in Hermes & Oliveira 2016); ventral margin of the aedeagus smooth and without accessory lobe ( Fig. 5 ); medial basal apodeme of aedeagus elongated ( Fig. 5 ); digitus without medium lamellar projection; cuspis without spines (see Fig. 34 in Hermes & Oliveira 2016).

Distribution. Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil (Minas Gerais [new record], Mato Grosso, São Paulo).

Examined material. Argentina, São Pedro : ♂ ( AMNH), ‘ S. Pedro Colalao \ Tucuman, ARGENT.\ XII-15/ 19 - 64\ O. O. Porter’ ‘...’ (unreadable label); Brasil, Minas Gerais: ♂ ( UFMG), ‘ BRA, MG, Serra do\ Salitre, RPPN Cachoeira \ do Campo 23-26.x.2009,\ A. F. Kumagai; R. B. Lopes;\ A. R. Lima leg.\ UFMG IHY \ 1522450’ ; ♂ ( UFMG), ‘ BRA, MG, Serra do\ Salitre, RPN Cachoeira \ do Campo 23-26.x.2009,\ A. F. Kumagai; R. B. Lopes;\ A. R. Lima leg.\ UFMG IHY \ 1522451’.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Minixi tricoloratum (Zavattari), male. 1. Head in frontal view; 2. Antennal apex (arrow points to F 11); 3. Mesosoma in dorsal view (arrow points to the tegula); 4. Dorsal view (black arrow points to the dorsal surface of propodeum; red arrow points to T 2); 5. Aedeagus in lateral view. Scale bar for Figs. 1, 5 = 0.2 mm, Fig. 2 – 4 = 1 mm.