Protopolybia diligens ( Smith, 1857 )

Dos Santos Junior, José N. A., Silveira, Orlando T. & Carpenter, James M., 2015, Phylogeny of Protopolybia Ducke, 1905 and taxonomic revision of the Protopolybia exigua species-group (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Polistinae), with description of four new species, Zootaxa 3956 (2), pp. 151-182 : 157-158

Protopolybia diligens ( Smith, 1857) , stat. resurr.

(Figs 36, 38, 40, 70, 77, 84)

Polybia diligens Smith, 1857: 132 (holotype: ♀, Brazil, Santarém (without date and collector) (BMNH); examined). Protopolybia exigua exigua: Richards 1978: 138 , 142 (part.; misidentification)

Diagnosis. Length of fore wing 4.3 mm; clypeus narrow with ventral margin narrowly subtruncated (Fig. 36); T1 with petiole narrow, elongated (Fig. 40). Body brown to black, with yellow marks; vertex black, rarely with two yellow spots; T2 with anterior yellow band; T4–T6 black (Fig. 38).

Redescription. FEMALE. Length of fore wing 4.3 mm; clypeus narrow (HClp=1.13; MxWClp=1.13; TeW=0.87; MiWClp = 0.47 mm), ventral margin narrowly subtruncated (Fig. 36); interantennal area narrow, approximately equal to diameter of antennal socket; mandibles short, with length about 0.57 × distance between eyes at vertex; antennal scape slightly curved; occipital carina distinct, extending for more than three forth of height of gena; pronotal carina obtuse; pronotal fovea distinct, preceded by short linear prominence; mesoscutum as long as wide; mesepisternal groove absent; scrobal groove abbreviated; scutellum with mark median line; metanotum as long as wide, metanotal lobe with apex rounded; propodeum gently convex around narrow median groove; T1 with petiole narrower, and more elongated (Fig. 40); T1 notably narrower than T2.

Frons and mesoscutum finely reticulated; anterior margin of scutellum and metanotum with fine punctures; mesopleuron reticulated with fine punctures; posterior margin of T2 and T3 finely punctate; body with short bristles; ventral margin of clypeus with elongated bristles; eyes glabrous; propodeum with long and sparse bristles.

Dark-brown to black, richly marked by yellow spots; antennae ventrally brown, dorsal region brown to black; mandibles brown to testaceous; clypeus with yellow V-shaped mark, mark on inner and outer orbit not extending to vertex and occiput, interantennal area with V- shaped mark, vertex black or rarely with two small yellow spots (Fig.

38), pronotum with spots on pronotal carina and fovea, two stripes on mesoscutum, tegulae partially, meso and metapleuron with two large yellow marks, scutellum and metanotum partially, propodeum with paired dorsal marks, distal band on T1, basal band and distal band on T2, distal band on T3, yellow; T4–T6 black ( Fig. 10 ). Coxae partially yellow; femora and tibiae black to brown; tarsi brown; wings hyaline, venation brown.

MALE. Length of fore wing 4.1 mm; eyes wide, strongly produced inwards; clypeus narrow, with elongated silvery bristles; ventral margin narrowly subtruncated and little produced; tentorial pit closer to eye margin than to antennal socket; gena distinctly narrow; mandibles yellow; clypeus totally or partially yellow; vertex black; thorax, in ventral view, with yellow mark; T2 with anterior yellow band. Parameral spine without elongate bristles; basal and apical angles of paramere widened ( Fig. 70 ); digitus narrow with apical margin rounded and with elongated bristles; basal process acuminate ( Fig. 77 ); cuspis with many elongated bristles; ventral process of aedeagus rounded, not laterally projecting ( Fig. 84 ), strongly sclerotized and laterally serrated; pre-apical region of aedeagus not angular in lateral view.

Material examined. COLOMBIA: Amazonas, 1♀, Letícia, 4°12’S 69°56’W, 110m, 14.iv.1997 (Carpenter & Davidson) ( MZUSP), 14 ♀, ( AMNH); PERU: Loreto, 36 ♀, 17 ♂, Rio Sucusari, Napo, 26.xii.1990 (Carpenter & Wenzel) ( AMNH); BRAZIL: Amazonas, 2 ♀, Rio Juruá, 4.viii.1902 (E. Garbe) ( MZUSP), 36 ♀, Porto Velhas [Porto Velho], Rio Madeira, 08.v. 1922 (J.H. Williamson) ( AMNH), 4 ♀, Manaos [=Manaus] (Parko), 1 ♀, Rio Juruá, (E. Garbe) (UFRJ-MN), 1 ♀, Parna do Jaú, 19.iii–5.iv. 2003 (M.L. Oliveira & J.A. Cunha) ( INPA); Maranhão, 4 ♀, Imperatriz, Ribeirãozinho, 5–10.viii.1989 (F.F. Ramos), 1 ♀, Peritoró, 09.vi.1978 (F.F. Ramos) ( MPEG), 3 ♀, Santo Amaro, Urbano Santos, 03°14’S 43°25’W, 17.iv.2004 (Azevedo, G.G. & Amorim, L.R.) ( UFMA); Pará, 1 ♀, São Felix do Xingu, Garimpo da Liberdade, 15–19.xi.1991 (B. Mascarenhas), 1 ♀, S. J. Pirabas, Boa Esperança, 26–30.x.1989 (W. França), 1 ♀, Ourém, Patauateua, Fazenda Gavião Real 30.iv–3.v.1992 (B. Mascarenhas e equipe), Acará, 8 ♀, 25.i.1978, 11 ♀, 24.i.1978 (W. França), Belém, Paricamiri, 9 ♀, 10.iv.1979 (W. França), 6 ♀, (R.B. Neto), 2 ♀, Belém, Guamá, 28.ii.1973 (P. Ledoux), 3 ♀, Santarém, Faz Taperinha, 25.vii.1977 (R.L. Jeanne), Paragominas, Faz. Cachoeira do Rio Vermelho, 1 ♀, 15–18.i.1991 (P. Tadeu), 1♀ (J. Dias), 1 ♀, P. Pedras, Marajó, 12.iii.1978 (M.F. Torres), 1 ♀, Benevides, Paricatuba, 09.xii.1978 (W. França), 5 ♀, Bujaru, 28.vi.1977 (P. Waldir & L. Braack), 1 ♀, Serra Norte, Fofoca, 7–10.ix.1985 (J. Dias), 12 ♀, Abaetetuba, 08.viii.1977 (P. Waldir), 2 ♀, Itaituba, Ig. Patoá, 29.xi.1989 (M. Fernandes), 2 ♀, Altamira, Itapuama, 52°20’S 3°36’W 09.xi.2007 ( O.T. Silveira & equipe), 1 ♀, Belterra, 6.i.2000 (G.C. Venturieri), 1 ♀, Belém, Utinga, 16.iv.1999 ( O.T. Silveira), 2 ♀, Bragança, 26.v.1978 (M.F. Torres), 2 ♀, Monte Alegre, 23.i.1992 ( O.T. Silveira), 1 ♀, Mosqueiro, 15.viii.1978 (W. França) ( MPEG).

Distribution. Colombia, Peru, Brazil: AM, MA, PA.

Remarks. Due to the similar morphology and coloration pattern, Ducke (1910) and Richards (1978) listed Protopolybia diligens as synonym of P. ex i gu a, a decision that was subsequently questioned by Bequaert (1944a) based on color pattern. Besides color, P. diligens should be considered a distinct species by having T1 with petiole distinctly longer and narrower than P. exigua .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 16. Measurements taken on body structures (explanation of the abbreviation see in the text). 1. Protopolybia emortualis; 2 – 4. P. amarella; 5, 6. P. exigua; 7. P emortualis; 8. P. chartergoides; 9. P. clypeata sp. nov.; 10. P. nitida; 11. P. emortualis; 12. P. holoxantha; 13. P. duckeianus; 14. P. chartergoides. 15. P. diligens; 16. P. fuscatus. 7 – 9. Clypeus, frontal view; 10 – 14. Head, lateral view. 15 and 16. Head, dorsal view.

FIGURES 69 – 82. 69, 76. Protopolybia exigua; 70, 77. P. diligens; 71, 78. P. collombiana sp. nov.; 72, 79. P. clypeata sp. nov.; 73, 80. P. similis sp. nov.; 74, 81. P. holoxantha; 75, 82. P. scutellaris. 69 – 75. Parameres of male genitalia (Apa, apical angle). 76 – 82. Volsella of male genitalia in lateral view (digitus highlighted in gray). Scale 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 83 – 93. 83. Protopolybia exigua; 84. P. diligens; 85. P. collombiana sp. nov.; 86. P. clypeata sp. nov.; 87. P. similis sp. nov.; 88. P. holoxantha; 89 P. scutellaris; 90. P. bituberculata; 91. P. sedula; 92. P. bella; 93. P. nitida. Aedeagus in lateral and dorsal views. Scale 0, 2 mm. Par, preapical region.