Mischocyttarus magdalenensis, Silveira, 2006

Silveira, Orlando Tobias, 2006, Revision of the subgenus Kappa de Saussure of Mischocyttarus de Saussure (Hym.; Vespidae, Polistinae, Mischocyttarini), Zootaxa 1321 (1), pp. 1-108 : 29-32

Mischocyttarus magdalenensis sp. n.

( Figs. 27, 31 )

M. tolensis: Sarmiento, 1994: 360 (misidentification).

HOLOTYPE: ♀ Colombia, Magdalena, N. Sierra Nevada de S. Marta, Rio Buritaca 100m, 6/iii/1974 (M. Cooper) ( BMNH).

FEMALE. Length of fore wing 9.5 mm; MWH/DLH 2.3, FHH/intOW 0.89; clypeus much wider than high, H/WClp 0.85, apex narrowly rounded; mandible with the limit between the narrow anterior surface and wide lateral one marked by a prominent border; tentorial pit as close to antennal socket as to eye margin; antennal scape very short, L/ Wesc 2.15; occeli widely separated, POL equal to two diameters, POL/OOL about 2/3; occiput with margin distinct, laterally reaching halfway of head’s height; foraminal area shaped ventrally as a shelf; hypostomal lamella around mouth parts very wide below near articulation of mandible; pronotum with lateral fovea, central part of the anterior margin of pronotum with the lamella narrow and little reflexed, region just behind the lamella not raised into secondary margin; humeral angle very prominent, pronotal carina nearly straight, moderately elevate laterally, total width of carina larger than that of mesoscutum, sides of the pronotum sinuous, less converging forward ( Fig. 27 ); mesoscutum distinctly longer than wide, L/WMsc 1.1; fore wing very short, LDis/HMpl 2.08, pterostigma about 3 times longer than wide; inner claw of hind tarsus with the apex rather narrow but round, not really acute; propodeum with the median furrow rather shallow, triangular in shape, anterior area of propodeum adjacent to metanotum protuberant, nearly horizontal, propodeal valve wide, triangular; first segment of metasoma considerably elongated ( Fig. 31 ), LSI/HMpl 1.26, apical part narrow, about 2.3 times wider than the basal petiole, as seen from above with a short linear (parallel­sided) sector posterior to the spiracles, the latter little prominent, petiole flattened ventrally, limit between sternum and tergum proximally marked by a prominent shining edge.

Sculpture: disk of clypeus mostly with small punctures, larger ones rare and inconspicuous, area close to the ventral margin reticulate, shining, with a few large punctures; upper interantennal area and frons similar to clypeus, but with the punctures arranged into a more dense and duller pattern; mesopleuron with a moderately dense pattern of fine to medium sized punctures, larger ones more sparse, diameter and density of the punctures increasing on the upper part of mesopleuron close to the mesepisternal sulcus.

Vestiture: eyes with distinct hairs.

Color: black; lower half of clypeus, malar space and mandible, antennal scape and apex below, articular processes on meso and metapleura, brownish orange; dorsal surface of antenna; upper half of clypeus, narrow area around antennal sockets, narrow dorsal stripe on gena adjacent to the eye, tegula, dark brown; antenna below, light yellowish brown; inner orbit, posterior margin of pronotum, anterior margin of metanotum, apex of all femora and tibiae, one streak on mid coxa, two streaks on hind coxa, a pair of small oval spots on propodeum, yellow; dorsum of the fifth segment of fore tarsus, pale yellow; wings hyaline, veins dark brown.

MALE: unknown.

NEST. Richards (unpublished manuscript) mentions a nest collected by M. Cooper at the same locality of the holotype, collection data differing only in respect to date (10/iii/ 1974). The nest was an oval comb with 14 cells, attached by a short 2 mm darkened peduncle to a palm leaf .

Etymology

the specific epithet is a reference to the type locality, situated in the Colombian department of Magdalena

Remarks

This new species is very similar to M. tolensis Richards , but is distinguishable by the shape of the pronotum and more elongated first segment of the metasoma ( Figs. 27, 31 ). As in M. tolensis , the clypeus is also tinged with orange but only on the lower half. Richards (unpublished manuscript) treated this form as part of M. tolensis , and mentioned additional specimens of two other nests collected by M. Cooper in Nariño, Barbacoas, also in Colombia (BMNH). Richards’ assertion that “females from Colombia ” have the metanotum black possibly refers to specimens from Nariño, distant a thousand Kilometers from Sierra Nevada de Sta. Marta, where the specimen here described was collected.

Distribution SOUTH AMERICA: Colombia.

Figures

FIGURES 26–42. M. tolensis: 26, mesosoma part dorsal, 28, female mandible, 29, male antenna, 30, T1; M. magdalenensis sp. n.: 27, mesosoma part dorsal, 31, T1; M. zikaninus: 32, male antenna, 33, T1; M. pseudomimeticus: 34, T1; M. mocsaryi: 35, mesosoma part dorsal, 36, male head, 37, male antenna; M. fitzgeraldi: 38, T1; M. villarricanus: 39, T1, 42, male antenna; M. funerulus: 40, T1, 41, male antenna.