Mischocyttarus adolphi Zikán, 1949

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 : 54-56

Mischocyttarus adolphi Zikán, 1949

(Figs. 51–53, 65)

Megacanthopus frontalis: Ducke, 1907b: 189 (misidentification).

Mischocyttarus frontalis: Ducke, 1918: 352 (in part; misidentification).

M. duckei Zikán, 1935: 196 , figs.68,70,75; secondary homonym of M. duckei (du Buysson; in Richards, 1978).

M. adolphi Zikán, 1949: 192 ; Richards, 1978: 295.

HOLOTYPE: ♀ Brazil, Amazonas , Manaus. 11/vii/1927 (J. Zikán) ( IOC), examined.

FEMALE. Length of fore wing 7–8.5 mm; MWH/DLH 2.4, FHH/intOW 0.92; clypeus much wider than high, H/WClp 0.83, median angle little projecting below, apex rounded; malar space a little more than 1/3 of the height of an antennal socket; tentorial pit as close to the eye as to antennal socket; mandible anterior surface without a prominent border; antennal scape more slender than usual, L/Wesc 2.38; occeli widely separated, POL equal to or a little more than two diameters, POL/OOL more than 2/3; occiput with margin evanescent, with vestiges of a compression line at the center and laterally; gena distinctly narrower than the upper lobe of the eye; foraminal area shaped ventrally as a shelf; hypostomal lamella narrow; pronotum strongly shortened as seen as seen from above, with lateral fovea, anterior margin of pronotum medially with the lamella wide and raised but not reflexed, region just behind strongly raised into a secondary margin, pronotal carina with lamella translucent very high and well salient at sides, but not reflexed, total width considerably larger than that of mesoscutum, the latter invariably wider than long, L/WMsc 0.93; fore wing very short, LDis/HMpl 1.82, pterostigma about 3 times longer than wide; metanotum very oblique but not noticeably convex; inner claw of hind tarsus narrow but not really acute; propodeum short and very oblique, median furrow reaching propodeal anterior margin, deep with sides nearly parallel, not typically triangular, valve small and triangular; first segment of metasoma very short (Figs. 51, 52), LSI/HMpl 0.84, as seen from above with sides diverging from the base, apex not very wide, about 2.25 times wider than the base, segment in lateral view with the upper profile forming a convex arch from the base (Fig. 51), spiracles not or little prominent, sternum flattened, limit between sternum and tergum proximally marked by a prominent shining edge.

Sculpture: disk of clypeus with moderately dense fine punctation, with more sparse less conspicuous larger punctures, area close to the ventral margin reticulate and shining, with a few large punctures; upper part of interantennal area and frons with strong and dense medium sized punctures; mesopleuron with sparse large punctures and dense small to medium sized ones, which notwithstanding become shallow and inconspicuous ventral and posteriorly, the pattern turning into one of intense shine.

Vestiture: eye with relatively sparse short hairs, sometimes inconspicuous.

Color: black; legs, dark brown; mandible often yellowish; clypeus, inner orbits almost reaching ocular sinus, interantennal area extending to frontal area just above, most of antennal scape, spot on inner face of fore tibia, yellow or orange yellow; antennal flagellum below, light yellowish brown to orange at the apex; relatively wide and complete genal band, carina and posterior margin of pronotum, inner spot on tegula, small to medium spot on mesepisternal plate, scutellar crest, most of metanotum anteriorly, sometimes paired small spots on propodeum, valvular region, inner distal margin of trochanters, apex of femora, apex of fore and mid tibiae (sometimes also hind tibia), variable distal bands on metasomal terga 1–5, more definite distal band on metasomal sternum 2, dorsum of the fifth segment of fore tarsus, yellow; hind tibial spurs, light brown; wings hyaline with dark brown veins.

VARIATION. The Beruri specimen (westernmost record of the species) presents signs of reduction of the genal yellow band, and the Caxiuanã specimens have distinct propodeal yellow spots. Specimens from the eastern parts of the distribution have the eyes with hairs shorter and less conspicuous

MALE. Head in frontal view low and wide, FHH/intOW 0.90; clypeus very wide, H/ WClp 0.78, median angle little produced below, but not completely obtuse; tentorial pit closer to the eye than to antennal socket; antennal scape short and wide, L/Wesc 2.2, ventral surface of antennomeres with distinct shining tyloids, but that on 3 narrower and developed only on the distal half, this antennomere 2,86 times longer than wide, apex of the antenna rather short (Fig. 53), none of the apical antennomeres noticeably flattened below, antennomere 11 nearly quadrate about 1.20 times longer than wide, 12 about 1.76 times longer than wide, 13 about 3.0 times longer than wide, 1.29 times longer than 12; anterior face of fore coxa not noticeably flattened; clypeus with moderately dense shallow fine punctation, with sparse medium sized similarly inconspicuous punctures, clypeal pubescence not very distinct.

Color: similar to female.

NEST. Three nest specimens were collected by Silveira and Dias in Brazil, Pará, Caxiuanã (v/1999; MPEG). They were associated with myrmecophilous plants of the genus Cordia (Boraginaceae) , and the nest architecture corresponds to the description presented by Richards (unpublished manuscript) referring to the nest of M. latissimus (also associated to myrmecophilous plants). The nest is formed normally by a row of cells each with its own peduncle fastened to the underside of the midrib of a leaf. Two of the nest specimens have some lateral cells without proper peduncles, i.e. directly fastened to neighbor cells along the main row. Gabriel A. R. Melo also collected a nest, in Manaus under a leaf of Hirtella (Chrysobalanaceae) . Wenzel (1991) has the opinion that nesting on plants typically associated to ants would compensate for the loss of the defensive capacity provided by the “single peduncle” type of architecture, usual in independent founders like Mischocyttarus and Polistes .

Remarks

Richards’ (1978) account of M. adolphi was apparently based on just two specimens, the holotype and a second specimen from Rio Trombetas ( Brazil, PA) given by Ducke to the Paris museum. Recent fieldwork in the Brazilian states of Pará and Amapá has shown that the species may be more common than previously thought .

Distribution SOUTH AMERICA: Brazil (AP, AM, PA).

Examined material

BRAZIL: Amapá, 1♀ Laranjal do Jari, RESEX Cajari , 14/ix/2001 (Silveira, O. T.) ( IE PA) ; Amazonas, 1♀ Beruri, Rio Purus , 16/x/1991 (Melo, G.A. R.) , 3♀ 2♂ Manaus, BR 174 Km 41, 13/ix/1991 (Melo, G.A. R.) ( UFPR, 1♀ 1♂ MPEG) ; Pará, Melgaço , Caxiuanã, ECFPn , 1♀ iii/1998 (Silveira & Pena), 4♀ v/1999 (Silveira & Dias) ( MPEG) .