Mischocyttarus paris, 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 : 33-35

Mischocyttarus paris sp. n.

( Figs. 20–22, 24)

HOLOTYPE: ♂ Peru, Madre de Dios, Avispas , 400m, 10–30/ix/62 (Pena) ( AMNH).

FEMALE: unknown.

MALE. Length of fore wing 9.5 mm; head strongly transverse as seen from above, MWH/DLH 2.5, in frontal view very low and wide, FHH/intOW 0.84; clypeus very wide, convex, H/WClp 0.80, median angle scarcely produced, obtuse, apex narrowly rounded; malar space very narrow; tentorial pit much closer to eye than to antennal socket; antennal scape very short and wide, L/Wesc 2.16, antennomeres 3–4 with tyloids reduced, narrow and/or inconspicuous, well developed elsewhere, antennomere 3 about three times longer than wide, apex of antenna not much elongated ( Fig. 21), only the last two antennomeres relatively more slender, potential to be spirally rolled not very apparent, antennomeres 11–13 not flattened below, 12 about two times longer than wide, 13 about 3.5 times longer than wide, about 1.16 times longer than 12; occeli widely separated, POL about 2.3 times larger than one diameter, POL/OOL more than 2/3; occiput with margin distinct; foraminal area shaped ventrally as a shelf; hypostomal lamella narrow; pronotum with lateral fovea, anterior margin medially with lamella wide and little reflexed, region just behind the lamella raised into distinct secondary margin, humeral angle very prominent ( Fig. 20), pronotal carina low obtuse but reflexed and projecting at sides, forming well developed lateral lobe, profile slightly concave as seen from above, total width of carina distinctly larger than that of mesoscutum; anterior face of fore coxa distinctly flattened; mesoscutum distinctly longer than wide, L/WMsc about 1.11; fore wing very short, LDis/HMpl 1.8, pterostigma a little more than 3 times longer than wide; inner claw of hind tarsus with the apex narrow but not really acute; propodeum with the median furrow narrow and deep, anterior area of propodeum adjacent to metanotum protuberant, nearly horizontal, propodeal valve very wide, approximately triangular; first segment of metasoma very long ( Fig. 22), LSI/HMpl 1.39, distal part behind the spiracles almost linear, spiracles little prominent, apex only 1.62 times wider than the basal petiole, sternum flattened, limit between sternum and tergum proximally marked by a prominent shining edge.

Sculpture: clypeus with moderately dense fine punctures, with more sparse larger ones, interstices shining; upper part of interantennal area and frons with very dense medium to large punctures; mesopleuron with moderately dense shallow medium sized punctures, and with very large deep round punctures, separated by 1–2 diameters; lower metapleuron with still larger punctures, upper metapleuron with conspicuous large punctures; anterior region of propodeum with very large round punctures (never polygonal) ( Fig. 24), sometimes contiguous or coalescent, other times separated by distances larger than 1 diameter, interstices occupied by numerous much smaller punctures.

Vestiture: body covered by silvery pubescence, particularly dense on clypeus; eyes without distinct hairs.

Color: black; base of mandible, antenna above, tegula, legs, dark brown; apex of mandible, clypeus, supra­clypeal plate and interantennal area, orange yellow; lower lateral angle of pronotum, upper metapleuron and most of lower, reddish orange; antenna below, light yellowish brown; inner orbit to base of ocular sinus, narrow dorsal streak on gena, carina and posterior margin of pronotum, small spot on mesepisternal plate; scutellar crest, anterior margin of metanotum and lateral crest, paired small spots on propodeum, valves, articular process on meso and metapleuron, small spot on fore coxa, one streak on mid coxa, two streaks on hind coxa, inner distal margin of trochanters, apex of femora, apex of fore and mid tibiae, band on distal margin of terga 1–4 and sternum 2 of metasoma, yellow; dorsum of the fifth segment of fore tarsus, hind tibial spurs, very light whitish brown; wings hyaline, veins dark brown.

NEST: unknown.

Etymology The specific epithet is Latin meaning “companion, comrade”. Remarks

Finding this Peruvian specimen (AMNH) represented in some sense a “rediscovery” of this very distinctive lineage also including M. tapuya described by Schulz (1905) from eastern Amazonia. The similarities between the two species are considerable. However, some differences are clear enough to indicate that the Peruvian male is another species. The size is a little larger, the first metasomal segment distinctly more robust, and the very large punctures on the mesosoma have a round contour, not polygonal as in M. tapuya .

Distribution SOUTH AMERICA: Peru.