Polybia parvulina Richards, 1970

Amorim, Danielle C. De A., Dos Santos Junior, José N. A., Carvalho- Filho, Fernando Da S., Silveira, Orlando T. & Carpenter, James M., 2024, Taxonomic study of wasp species in the Polybia (Myrapetra) occidentalis group morphologically related to P. scrobalis and P. flavifrons, with description of a new species (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae), Zootaxa 5477 (5), pp. 537-562 : 548-550

Polybia parvulina Richards, 1970

( Figs 4 , 12 , 20 , 28 , 38 , 58, 59 )

Polybia occidentalis var. parvula (Fabricius) : Bequaert 1944: 287. Misidentification.

Polybia parvula : Richards 1951: 137. Misidentification.

Polybia parvulina Richards, 1970: 305 ; Holotype ♀ Guyana (NHM), examined. Richards 1978: 39, 41, 96; Silva & Silveira 2009: 320; Valverde et al. 2019: 4, 10.

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Fore wing with ca. 6 mm; occipital-genal margin obliterated on the dorsal region but present and very weak at sides; pronotal carina developed laterally and usually marked with a yellow spot; prominence in front of the fovea low; anterior margin of the metanotum medially with a distinct notch; first metasomal segment short and wide at the apex. Proportional ratios: LSI/HMP—0.87; LSI / WT1_AP—1.9; WT1_AP / BA—2.72. MALE. Occipital-genal margin absent; clypeus with apex rounded and covered by a dense whitish pubescence; apex of clypeus and mandibles with many very short erect whitish bristles; presence of pale yellow or whitish spots on gena, in almost the entire frontal part of head; pronotal carina indicated a yellow spot that follows the shape and direction of the keel, much larger than in females.

Description. MALE ( Fig. 38 ). Fore wing ca. 6 mm; occipital-genal margin absent; FHH/INTOW 0.98; malar space short, having half the diameter of an antennal alveolus; clypeus with apex rounded and covered by a dense whitish pubescence; apex of clypeus and mandibles with many very short erect whitish bristles; presence of pale yellow or whitish spots on gena, in almost the entire frontal part of head (from apex of clypeus to between the eyes); antennae whitish ventrally (in light brown); proportion of the height and width of the clypeus with 1.12; pronotal carina indicated a yellow spot that follows the shape and direction of the keel, much larger than in females; prominence in front of low fovea; erect bristles on the body absent laterally; LMS/WMS with 1.0; scrobal furrow narrow and shallow above, and largely obliterated below; first metasomal segment short and usually enlarged at apex. Proportional ratios: LSI/HMP—0.92; LSI/WT1_AP—1.93; WT1_AP / WT1_BA—2.81. Genitalia. Aedeagus with rounded apex; parameral spine and digit distinctly surpassing aedeagus apex ( Figs 58, 59 ).

Examined material. BRAZIL: Amapá, Amapari Tucano –2 , 13♀ 6–7.xi.1993, 12♀ 8–10.xi.1993 (A. Pena, F. F. Ramos, J. Dias, W. França ) , 7♀ 10–14.xi.1993 (F. F. Ramos, J. Dias, W. França ) , 1♀ 11–15.xi.1993 (N. Bittencourt), Malaise ( MPEG) , Mun. Laranjal do Jari Cajari , 1♀ 15.ix.2001 (O.T. Silveira), Mun. Serra do Navio , 1♀ 28.viii.2003 (J. Chaves) ( IEPA) ; Amazonas, Barcelos, Rio Padauari , 00°30'18”S, 64°03'30”W, 1♀ 05–08.vi.2010, Malaise (J.A. Rafael, P. Dias, R. Machado), Itaquatiara Rio Urubu , 2♀ 13.i.1981, 1♀ 15.i.1981, Malaise (Ekis, Davidson), Reserva Ducke , 2 °57'42”S, 59°55'49”W, 1♀ 11.xi.2006 (Abreu, R.I.S.), Manaus, ZF –03 Km 23 Res. 1301, 2°23'03”S, 59°51'15”W, 1♀ 04.i.1986, Malaise (Klein, B. and team) ( MPEG) ; Pará, Juruti, Barroso, 2º 27.9’09”S, 56°00.1’97”W, 13♀ 26.x.2007 (S. S. Silva and team), 6♂ 26.x.2007, (S. S. Silva and team), 1♀ 15.vi.2009 (O. Silveira), Beneficiamento Platô , 2°29'32”S, 56°12'44”W, 1♀ 02.vi.2008 (Quaresma, Santos ) , 2°29'28”S, 56°11'53.5”W, 19♀ 08.xii.2008 (S. S. Silva, J. Dias), Estr. MUT–MAU , 2°32'45.1”S, 6°11'18.5”W, 7♀ 30.xi.2008, 2°32'45.1”S, 56°11'18.5”W, 3♀ 07.xii.2008, 4♀ 30.xii.2008 (S. S. Silva, J. Dias), Mauari , 3♀ 22–27.ii.2008, 1♀ 28.ii–04.iii.2008, 1♀ 30.v–3.vi.2008, 11♀ 01.xii.2008, 6♀ 07.xii.2008 (S. S. Silva, J. Dias), Mocambo Alto da Torre , 1♀ 01.viii.1981, Malaise (G.B. Fairchild, J.A. Rafael, I.S. Gorayeb), Mutum , 2°36'45”S, 56°11'48”W, 12♀ 01.xii.2008 (S.S. Silva, J. Dias ) , 1♀ 03.xii.2008 (O. Tobias and team), 6♀ 13.vi.2009 (S.S. Silva and team), Pacoval , 2♀ 29.xi.2008, 16♀ 30.xi.2008, 4♀ 07.xii.2008 (S. S. Silva, J. Dias), Percurso 1 , 20♀ 09.vi.2009, Percurso 2, 13♀ 07.vi.2009 (S. S. Silva), Ramal do Mutum , 2°36’15.5”S, 56°12’30.1”W, 1♀ 02.iii.2008 (O.Silveira and team), R. Mutum, 2°32'16”S, 56°10'01”W, 48♀ 28.v.2008 (Santos, Quaresma), Rodovia / Bota Fora , 1♀ 11.vi.2009, 20♀ 12.vi.2009 (S. Silva and team), Vista Bela Rio Mamuru , 03°07'00.0”S, 56°35' 06.7”W, 4♀ 02.x.2009, Malaise (J. Pena, O.T. Silveira, S.S. Silva), Melgaço, Caxiuanã , ECFPn , 15♀ 30.vi.1998, 57♀ 21.xi.1998, 1♀ 24.xi.1998 (O.T. Silveira, J. Pena), Caxiuanã, Grade PPBio 14♀ 29.iii.2006 (S. S. Silva, J. Dias) ( MPEG) . Mato Grosso, Pedra da Anta , 1♀ 06.iii.2016 (M. P. Torres), Viçosa , 1♀ 18.v.2015 (Marchioro) ( MPEG) .

Distribution. Costa Rica; Colombia; Venezuela; Guyana; Suriname; French Guiana; Brazil: Amapá, Amazonas, Pará*.

Remarks. This species was for a long time confused with Polistes parvulus described by Fabricius (1804). It was recognized as a “ Polybia ” by Bequaert (1944: 287) who considered it a variety of P. occidentalis , i.e. as P. occidentalis var. parvula (Fabricius) . Richards (1951) considered that Bequaert’s variety should be indeed treated as a distinct species, but with authorship still attributed to Fabricius, as Polybia parvula (Fabricius) . However, Richards (1970) reported that Van der Vecht informed him that Fabricius’ species was an Eumeninae. Thus, Richards (1970) created for the social species the new name Polybia parvulina . It has been recorded from Costa Rica, Colombia, Guyana, Venezuela and Brazil (Amazonas, Amapá and Pará; see also Silveira et al. 2019).

There are only two records of nests mentioned by Richards (1978), having three and four combs. We examined only one nest at MPEG, which has a brown main color with some light brown spots; three combs; cell diameter ca. 3 mm; comb with the largest diameter ca. 3.5 cm.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Head, frontal view (females). 1. P. belemensis. 2. P. dimorpha. 3. P. hecuba. 4. P. parvulina. 5. P. platycephala. 6. P. rosalinae sp. nov. 7. P. scrobalis. 8. P. surinama.

FIGURES 9–16. Habitus, lateral view (females). 9. P. belemensis. 10. P. dimorpha. 11. P. hecuba. 12. P. parvulina. 13. P. platycephala. 14. P. rosalinae sp. nov.15. P. scrobalis. 16. P. surinama.

FIGURES 17–24. Habitus, dorsal view (females). 17. P. belemensis. 18. P. dimorpha. 19. P. hecuba. 20. P. parvulina. 21. P. platycephala. 22. P. rosalinae sp. nov. 23. P. scrobalis. 24. P. surinama.

FIGURES 25–32. Head and pronotum, diagonal view (females). 25. P. belemensis. 26. P. dimorpha. 27. P. hecuba. 28. P. parvulina. 29. P. platycephala. 30. P. rosalinae sp. nov. 31. P. scrobalis. 32. P. surinama.

FIGURES 37–42. 37–41. Head, frontal view (male). 37. P. belemensis. 38. P. parvulina. 39. P. platycephala. 40. P. scrobalis. 41. P. surinama. 42. Nest of P. rosalinae sp. nov.

FIGURES 56–63. Male genitalia. 56–57. P. belemensis. 58–59. P. parvulina. 60–61. P. platycephala. 62–63. P. surinama. 56, 58, 60, 62. Frontal view. 57, 59, 61, 63. Lateral view.