Mischocyttarus funerulus 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 : 69-71

Mischocyttarus funerulus Zikán, 1949

( Figs. 40, 41 )

M. funerulus Zikán, 1949: 197 , figs. 133, 402; Richards, 1978: 299.

M. funeruloides Zikán, 1949: 236 ; synonymy by Richards (1978). Lectotype: ♀ Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Itatiaia , 22/xi/41 (J. Zikán) (IOC), designated by Richards (1978), examined.

LECTOTYPE: ♀ Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Itatiaia , 5/i/42 (J. Zikán) ( IOC), designated by Richards (1978), examined.

FEMALE. Length of fore wing 10–10.5 mm; MWH/DLH 2.42, head in frontal view not very low, FHH/intOW 0.96; clypeus very wide, H/WClp 0.86, apex rather wide, roundly truncated; malar space a little more than 1/3 of an antennal socket; tentorial pit as close to eye as to antennal socket; mandible anterior surface without a prominent border; antennal scape short, L/Wesc 2.4; occeli not so widely separated, POL not reaching 2 diameters, POL/OOL about 2/3; occiput with margin distinct; foraminal area shaped ventrally as a shelf; hypostomal lamella narrow; pronotum with lateral fovea, anterior margin medially with the lamella wide and raised but not reflexed, region just behind raised into secondary margin which projects over the lamella; humeral region angular, pronotal carina straight as seen from above, raised and acute at sides, opaque, total width larger than that of mesoscutum, pronotum as seen from above considerably short, sides straight not or little converging; mesoscutum slightly wider than long, L/WMsc 0.96; fore wing considerably long, LDis/HMpl 2.31, pterostigma about 3 times longer than wide; inner claw of hind tarsus with the apex slightly rounded; propodeum oblique, shortened behind, dorsum symmetrically flattened at sides of median furrow which is accordingly rather shallow, anterior protuberant area of propodeum adjacent to metanotum rather narrow, propodeal valve wide, triangular; first segment of metasoma moderately long ( Fig. 40 ), LSI/HMpl 1.17, distal part as seen from above with sides diverging from the spiracles, these little prominent, apex about 2.43 times wider than the base, petiole flattened ventrally, limit between sternum and tergum proximally marked by a prominent shining edge.

Sculpture: clypeus with very dense fine to medium sized punctures, with more sparse less conspicuous larger ones, the pattern looking comb­like throughout, area close to the ventral margin with few large punctures; mesopleuron with very dense medium sized punctures and more sparse larger ones, the two size classes not much different, giving the pattern an aspect of uniformity.

Vestiture: eyes with hairs short or inconspicuous.

Color: brown; most parts of head including clypeus, mesoscutum, metasoma, blackish brown or black; apex of antenna below, light yellowish brown; a spot on inner face of fore tibia, reddish brown; inner orbit, articular process on meso and metapleuron, propodeal valves, inner distal margin of trochanters, apex of femora, dorsum of the fifth segment of fore tarsus, mid and hind tibial spurs, pale yellow; fore wing with the membrane strongly darkened specially near the costal margin, veins dark brown.

MALE. Slightly smaller than female, length of fore wing 9–10 mm; head in frontal view relatively high, FHH/intOW 0.92; clypeus nearly flat, wide, H/WClp 0.90, median angle scarcely projecting below, apex round; malar space very narrow; tentorial pit closer to eye than to antennal socket; interantennal area strongly prominent; antenna with the scape very short and wide, L/Wesc 2.16, tyloids distinctly shining, third antennomere about 3 times longer than wide, antennal apex elongated ( Fig. 41 ), with evident potential to become spirally rolled, antennomeres 11–13 distinctly flattened below, antennomere 12 about 1.83 times longer than wide, 13 about 3.5 times longer than wide, and 1.27 times longer than 12; anterior face of fore coxa moderately flattened; clypeus with moderately dense fine shallow punctures, with decumbent long silvery hairs; frons with very long fine silvery hairs.

Color: similar to female.

NEST. Zikán (1949, fig. 402) describes one nest with 46 cells arranged in three narrow and straight comb segments arranged in such a way as to form considerable angles. The nest, distant one meter from the water in a small creek, was attached by a short broad peduncle to a dry branch of an aquatic herbaceous plant.

Remarks

Mischocyttarus funeruloides Zikán (1949) was a supposed social parasite of M. funerulus . Until recently the species was only known from the type locality, but it has now been recorded also from the state of Minas Gerais, not too far from Itatiaia .

Distribution SOUTH AMERICA: Brazil (RJ).

Examined material

BRAZIL: Minas Gerais, Barroso , 2♀ 1♂ (Souza, M. M., Nascimento, M. A., Silva, M. & Silva, M. A.) ( MPEG); 01/xi/2003 ( Rio de Janeiro, Itatiaia , 1♂ ( PARALE CTOTYPE) 5/i/42 (J. Zikán), 2♀ 5/i/42 (J. Zikán), 1♂ 10/i/42 (J. Zikán) ( IOC) .

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.