Protopolybia djaneteae Santos & Silveira, 2020

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 : 232-233

Protopolybia djaneteae Santos & Silveira sp. nov.

( Figs 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 , 57, 61 )

Diagnosis. Length of fore wing 3.80–3.95 mm; front margin of pronotum distinctly angled below the fovea, the latter obsolete, humerus short and roundly truncate, carina with lamella reduced ( Fig. 8 and 9 ); mesoscutum with numerous notably elongated setae, distinctly curved apically ( Fig. 8 and 57 ); metanotal process distinctly wider than long, with apex truncated ( Fig. 10 ); propodeum with a wide and shallow cavity, heart-like shaped ( Fig. 10 ); T1 with petiole short but distinct; color brownish, richly marked with yellow to whitish ( Fig. 6 and 7 ), mesoscutum reddish, generally with two stripes, scutellum with two marks, metanotum with an anterior band ( Fig. 9 and 10 ).

Description. FEMALE. Length of fore wing 3.80–3.95 mm; clypeus wide (HClp=0.55; MxWClp= 0.80;TeW=0.55; MiWClp= 0.75 mm), with ventral margin acute; tentorial pit closer to antennal socket than to eye margin ( Fig. 5 ); interantennal area relatively wide, approximately 2 × diameter of antennal socket; mandibles relatively short with length 0.84 × distance between eyes at vertex; occipital carina distinct, strong and salient throughout; humerus short and roundly truncate, carina with lamella reduced ( Fig. 9 ); front margin of pronotum distinctly angled below the fovea ( Fig. 8 and 61 ), pronotal fovea obsolete, preceded by a short and low prominence ( Fig. 8 and 61 ); length of mesoscutum approximately 0.95 × its width; mesepisternal groove absent; scutellum with a short but well-marked median line; metanotum triangular, length of median axis approximately 0.73 × width of central disk, metanotal process distinctly wider than long, with apex truncated; propodeum with a wide and shallow cavity, heart-like shape ( Fig. 10 ); T1 with petiole short but distinct, with distal margin wider and nearly straight, cup-like. Frons, mesoscutum, scutellum and metanotum with sparser micropunctation and deeper and stronger 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 numerous notably elongated setae, distinctly curved apically.

Species brownish richly marked with yellow to whitish spots ( Fig. 5–7 ); antennae ventrally testaceous or brown, dorsally black; mandibles and clypeus entirely yellow, inner orbit with wide band that extend to ocular sinus, outer orbit with band that extend to vertex, frons with a trilobate mark ( Fig. 5 ), two wide marks on vertex, extensive mark on pronotal carina and fovea, mesoscutum brown commonly with two stripes, tegulae partially, large spot on mesepisternum and on area below scrobe, large spot on metapleuron, scutellum with two spots, metanotum partially, propodeum with paired dorsal marks, distal spot on T1, basal and distal spot on T2. Fore coxae yellow to whitish, mid and hind coxae brown, femora and tibiae brown; tarsi testaceous; wings hyaline, venation brown.

Type material. Holotype, ♀, BRAZIL,Amazonas, ♀, Hwy ZF 2, km 19.5, ca 60km N Manaus , 02°30`S 60°15`W, 18.viii.1979 (Adis, Erwin, Montgomery) ( INPA); paratype: 1♀ (same data as holotype).

Distribution. Brazil: Amazonas.

Remarks. Protopolybia djaneteae sp. nov. presents coloration and structure similar to P. fulvotincta . Both of these species have the metanotal process distinctly wider than long and the propodeal median furrow wide and shallow, with a heart-like shape. Protopolybia djaneteae presents the frontal margin of the pronotum distinctly angled, the apex of metanotal process truncated, and numerous long setae on the mesoscutum ( Figs. 8 and 57 ). In addition to that, P. fulvotincta has only one posterior mark on T2, while P. djaneteae presents three anterior marks on that same segment.

Etymology. The specific name is in honor of the mother of the first author, Djanete.

Figures

FIGURES 5–10. Protopolybia djaneteae sp. nov. yellow arrow= front margin of pronotum. black arrow=elongated setae.

FIGURES 56–62. 56. Protopolybia fulvotincta; 57. Protopolybia djaneteae. Mesoscutum in lateral view. 58. Protopolybia picteti; 59. Protopolybia alvarengai; 60. Protopolybia eldinaris. Metapleuron in lateral view. 61. P. djaneteae. 62. P. rotundata. Pronotum in lateral view. Scale 0.2 mm. fmp, front margin of pronotum; black arrow=elongated setae.