Rhophitulus mimus new species

(Figures 7–18)

Diagnosis. Males of Rhophitulus xenopalpus n. sp. can be distinguished mainly by having: weakly inflated upper paraocular area, which is densely punctate and smooth between punctures; clypeus yellow only in central portion (Fig. 9); legs with basitarsus yellow and subsequent tarsus light brown (Fig. 10); mandibles and pronotal lobe yellowish brown. Females differ from those of other species of Rhophitulus by the following combination of features: pronotal lobe black (Fig. 8); ventral margin of mid femur with acute expansion; clypeus entirely black, integument between punctures smooth and shiny (Fig. 7); ventral portion of mesepisternum with strongly curved hairs apically; mandible brown; labral plate as wide as long, flat, with distal margin straight; marginal zone of metasomal terga weakly reticulate (reticulation more evident on T1); mesoscutum densely punctate (ca. 1 dp), slightly reticulate between punctures, and with short pilosity (0.3x as long as ocellar diameter) (Fig. 11).

Comments. The male of Rhophitulus mimus n. sp. runs to R. steinbachi (Friese, 1916) in Schlindwein & Moure's (1999) key, due to: the upper paraocular area inflated, clypeus with yellow marks, labrum and supraclypeal area black, and labral plate subretangular. Rhophitulus steinbachi is known only from two males from Salta (Argentina). Photographs of the lectotype of R. steinbachi were examined (Figs. 40–42). Rophitulus minus n. sp.

can be easily distinguished from R. steinbachi in having: less inflated head, upper paraocular area and vertex densely punctate (≤1.5 pd), clypeus partly yellow, basitarsus yellow and subsequent tarsal segment brown, pronotal lobe yellowish brown, and marginal zone of metasomal terga light brown.

Description. Holotype female. Approximate body length: 6.2 mm; maximum head width: 1.7 mm; maximum mesoscutum width: 1.4 mm; forewing length: 4.6 mm; maximum width of T2: 1.6 mm. Coloration. Integument mostly black. Basal portion of fore- and midtibia with small yellow spot; underside of antennal flagellum, tegula, pterostigma, tibial spurs, tarsus, and marginal zone of metasomal terga light brown (Figs. 7–8). Pubescence. Predominantly pale yellow, with light brown prepygidial and pygidial fimbria (Fig. 8). Labrum with coarse simple hairs; compound eyes glabrous; head with sparse and finely branched hairs, 0.7x as long as ocellar diameter on frons and gradually increasing in length towards clypeus (Fig. 7); scape with erect pilosity; vertex with sparse and short hairs, their length about twice puncture diameter; ventral portion of gena with long hairs (> 2x as long as ocellar diameter). Pronotal collar, edge of pronotal lobe, dorsolateral portion of mesepisternum, and edge of mesoscutum with dense, short, plumose pubescence (Figs. 8, 11); disc of mesoscutum and scutellum with dense, erect, short, branched hairs (0.3x as long as ocellar diameter) (Fig. 11); scutellum with two long hairs (one on each side), their length> 3x as long as ocellar diameter; metanotum with dense, long, plumose pilosity; metapostnotum and propodeum with sparse, thin, short hairs (length about twice the puncture diameter); lateral corners of propodeum with few long and plumose pilosity (Fig. 11); lateral mesepisternum with short and thin pilosity intermixed with long and plumose hairs (2x as long as ocellar diameter); ventral portion of mesepisternum with strongly curved hairs apically; metepisternum with sparse and minute hairs; tibial scopae with long, simple, sparse hairs (those on the anterior surface 1.2x as long as the maximum width of tibia) (Fig. 8); outer surface of hind basitarsus with short and finely branched hairs; inner surface of hind tibia and basitarsus with keirotrichia dense and short hairs. Disc of metasomal terga with tiny decumbent hairs (except for a few erect hairs on the lateral portion), its density and length increasing towards the apex of metasoma; premarginal line of T2–T4 with a loose fringe of finely branched hairs; marginal zone of metasomal terga and sterna glabrous; S1 with dense erect plumose hairs; S2–S4 with sparse erect plumose hairs; distal half of S5 with dense semidecumbent plumose pilosity. Integumental surface. Integument between punctures predominantly smooth and shiny (Figs. 7–8). Ventral portion of gena, mesoscutum, pronotum, mesepisternum, metepisternum, propodeum, outer surface of hind basitarsus, and metasomal sterna reticulate between punctures. Labral plate and facial fovea smooth; frons, upper paraocular area, and gena densely punctate (≤1 pd); lower portion of face with sparse and coarse punctures (>3 pd on clypeus) (Fig. 1); vertex coarsely punctate (≤2 pd), space between punctures micropunctate; mesoscutum, scutellum, and mesepisternum densely punctate (≤1.5 pd) (Fig. 11); metanotum with contiguous punctures; metapostnotum slightly depressed with longitudinal striations (Fig. 11); propodeum with dense and fine punctures (≤1 pd). Metasomal terga with dense and fine punctures (on T1 ≤1 pd), premarginal area smooth; marginal zone weakly reticulate; pygidial plate with transverse microsculpture. Structure (measurements in mm). Head 1.1x wider than long (1.7:1.5); labial palpi slender and subcylindrical (Fig. 7); first labial palpus longer than 2–4 combined; labral plate as wide as long (0.25:0.25), distal margin straight; tentorial pit on epistomal suture below the intersection with outer subantennal suture; compound eyes 2.3x longer than wide (0.94:0.4), inner orbits subparallel (upper: 1.2; lower: 1.17); clypeus 2.1x wider than long (0.71:0.34); frontal line consisting of a well-marked sulcus, deeper at level of antennal sockets; upper paraocular area slightly inflated; facial fovea deep, 3x as longer than wide (0.27:0.09) (Fig. 7); gena narrow in lateral view, 0.7x as wide as compound eyes. Forewing with two submarginal cells; first submarginal cell longer than the second; 1m-cu reaching the second submarginal cell on its anterior onethird; ventral margin of midfemur with acute expansion; midtibial spurs finely serrate, 0.8x as long as basitarsus (0.37:0.48); hind tibial spurs similar in length; tergal marginal zone weakly depressed in comparison to disc; lateral line evident only in T1; lateral fovea of T2 large and slightly depressed; pygidial plate V-shaped with slightly elevated longitudinal line.

Paratype male. Approximate body length: 5.3 mm; maximum head width: 1.5 mm; maximum mesoscutum width: 1.1 mm; forewing length: 3.8 mm; maximum width of T2: 1.2 mm. Identical to female, except for the following yellow areas: most of mandible, small spot on lower paraocular area, central portion of clypeus, anterior surface of foretibia, basal half of mid and hind tibia, basitibial plate, and basitarsus (Figs. 9–10); pronotal lobe yellowish brown. Pilosity mostly white; head and lateral portion of mesepisternum densely pilose; scape with short and decumbent pubescence, long and erect hairs intermixed (as long as ocellar diameter); ventral portion of mesepisternum with straight hairs apically; face densely and coarsely punctate, punctures contiguous on clypeus; mesepisternum with coarse punctures. Structure (measurements in mm). Head 1.1x wider than long (1.48:1.31); labral plate 2x wider than long (0.28:0.14); compound eyes 1.8x longer than wide (0.88:0.48), inner orbits slightly convergent below (upper: 1.0; lower: 0.91); clypeus 1.4x wider than long (0.65:0.45); frontal line shallow; facial fovea small, 2.8x longer than wide (0.14:0.05); antennal flagellum longer than the maximum head width; midtibial spur 0.7x as long as basitarsus (0.27:0.40); hind tibial spurs similar in length; outer margin of hind tibia toothed; metasomal terga with postgradular area depressed in comparison to disc (Fig. 10); T1 with lateral line; lateral fovea of T2 slightly depressed; pygidial plate absent; distal margin of T7 straight; S6 with U-shaped emargination distally; apical lobes of S7 constricted basally, with few coarse hairs (Fig. 13); base of genital capsule with small dorsal sclerite; gonocoxite with oblique lateral impression (Figs 16–17); cuspis of volsella elongate (Fig. 16); gonostylus densely pilose apically (Figs 16–18).

Variation. Yellow marks on clypeus of males vary slightly in width.

Distribution. ARGENTINA: Salta. The species is distributed in dry areas above altitude of 3000 m in the Andean cordillera, Chacoan subregion of Neotropical region.

Type material. Holotype female (AMNH), " Argentina, Salta:\ 18 km E Cachi, 3000m \ March 21, 1990 \ J. G. Rozen & A. Roig". Paratypes, Argentina, Salta: 1 female and 2 males (AMNH) and 1 female and 2 males (MZSP, one with terminalia dissected), same collection data as the holotype; 1 male (AMNH) and 1 male (MZSP), " Argentina, Salta: 18 km \ E Cachi March 21,1990\ Rozen & Roig\ near nest area".

Etymology. The specific epithet mimus derives from the Latin word meaning "imitator, actor", and refers to the overall similarity of this species with other Rhophitulus .