Mischocyttarus pertinax, 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 : 103-105

Mischocyttarus pertinax sp. n.

( Figs. 88, 89 )

HOLOTYPE: ♀ Brazil, Pará , Bujarú, 15/viii/1977 (P. Waldir) ( MPEG).

FEMALE. Length of fore wing 10 mm; head transverse as seen from above, MWH/ DLH reaching 2.4, in frontal view low, FHH/intOW 0.93; clypeus moderately convex, not very wide, H/WClp 0.90, median angle well projecting below, apex just truncate, not so narrow, lateral indentation not so shallow; malar space a little more than 1/3 of an antennal socket; tentorial pit nearly as close to the eye as to antennal socket; mandible anterior surface without a prominent border; antennal scape short and wide, L/Wesc 2.26; occeli not so widely separated, POL only 1.9 times larger than one diameter, POL/OOL larger than 2/3; occiput with a distinct margin, lower at the center; foraminal area shaped ventrally as a shelf; hypostomal lamella narrow; pronotum with lateral fovea, pronotal anterior margin medially with the lamella wide, raised but not reflexed, region just behind raised into distinct secondary margin, humeral region not very salient ( Fig. 89 ), carina moderately elevated at sides, as seen from above slightly concave forwards, total width distinctly larger than that of mesoscutum, this a little longer than wide, L/WMsc 1.03; fore wing short, LDis/HMpl 2.08, pterostigma about 3.3 times longer than wide; metanotum convex; inner claw of hind tarsus with the apex narrow but not quite acute; propodeum inflated, median furrow deep, triangular, valve moderately wide, triangular, limit between propodeum and lower metapleuron poorly defined, marked by a dull shallow sulcus; first segment of metasoma very long ( Fig. 88 ), LSI/HMpl 1.27, but without a linear sector behind spiracles, sides instead diverging promptly from these, which are not very prominent, apical portion rather narrow, only 2 times wider than the basal petiole, the latter flattened below, limit between sternum and tergum proximally by a prominent shining edge.

Sculpture: disk of clypeus with moderately dense rather weak small punctures, and with more sparse larger ones, interstices shining, area close to ventral margin reticulate and moderately shining with few large punctures; upper part of interantennal area and frons with close small punctures, pattern not comb­like; mesopleuron with numerous medium sized punctures, and with more sparse larger ones, the two size classes not very different, forming together a rather strong pattern of sculpture, interstices only moderately shining.

Vestiture: clypeus and region near antennal sockets with dense decumbent pubescence, with silvery reflexes; eyes with hairs short or inconspicuous.

Color: black; apex of mandible, median angle of clypeus, apex of antenna below, lower lateral angle of pronotum, tegula, lower metapleuron, tergum 1 of metasoma (except on the apex), brown; articular processes on meso and metapleuron, valve of propodeum, apex of metasomal tergum 1 and segments 2–6, light brown; inner orbit to ocular sinus, posterior margin of pronotum, anterior margin of metanotum, small paired oval spots on propodeum, one streak on mid coxa, two streaks on hind coxa, inner distal margin of trochanters, apex of femora and tibiae, yellow; spot on dorsum of the fifth segment of the fore tarsus, mid and hind tibial spurs, pale yellow; wings with membrane slightly infumated, veins dark brown.

MALE: unknown.

NEST. The nest associated to the holotype has 15 shallow cells, forming a small circular comb that is fixed to the extremity of a palm aculeus.

Etymology The specific epithet pertinax is Latin meaning “persistent, obstinate”.

Remarks

This species is only known from the holotype. In spite of the color similarity to species of the M. injucundus group, it differs by the exceptionally narrow clypeus, and by the

somewhat indistinct limit between the propodeum and lower metapleuron, neither noticeably sulcate nor shining.

Distribution SOUTH AMERICA: Brazil (PA).

Figures

FIGURES 81–96. M. bertonii: 81, mesosoma part dorsal, 86, T1; M. mysticus sp. n.: 82, mesosoma part dorsal, 83, T1; M. schunkei: 84, T1, 92, male antenna; M. injucundus: 85, mesosoma part dorsal, 87, T1; M. pertinax sp. n.: 88, T1, 89, mesosoma part dorsal; M. timbira sp. n.: 90, male antenna, 93, mesosoma part dorsal, 95, T1; M. porantin sp. n.: 91, male antenna, 94, mesosoma part dorsal, 96, T1.