Protopolybia Ducke, 1905

Dos Santos Junior, José N. A., Silveira, Orlando T. & Carpenter, James M., 2020, Taxonomic revision of the P. chartergoides species-group of the genus Protopolybia Ducke, 1905 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Polistinae), Zootaxa 4858 (4), pp. 542-554 : 552

Key to species-groups of Protopolybia Ducke

1. Species with posterior aspect of propodeum gently convex around a narrow median groove or with posterior face projecting symmetrically to either side of median groove, forming two moderately high protuberances ( Fig. 23 )..................................................................................................... P. exigua species-group.

– Species with posterior aspect of propodeum with a wide and shallow cavity ( Fig. 24 and 25 )...........................2

2. Occipital carina strong and salient throughout ( Fig. 26 and 27 ) and pronotal pretegular carina, posteriorly adjacent area strongly developed, adjacent area wider and T 1 in dorsal view with petiole very short; distal margin wider and nearly straight, cup-like ( Fig. 30 and 31 )........................................................... P. picteti-emortualis species-group.

– Occipital carina fading at some point near the middle of gena height or fading very close to the insertion of the mandible ( Fig. 28 and 29 ); T 1 in dorsal view with petiole and distal margin variable ( Fig. 32 and 33 )............................... 3

3. Large and robust species, with length of fore wing between ca. 5.1–5.7mm. T2 with shape of tergum wider than long, profile strongly bulging antero-laterally, spiracles tending to face forward ( Fig. 34 and 35 ). Color black with yellow marks ( Fig. 1-10 )............................................................................ P. chartergoides species-group.

– Small and slender species, with length of fore wing between ca. 4.75–5.1mm. T2 with shape of tergum wider than long, anterior contour distinctly convex in both dorsal and lateral view ( Fig. 36 and 37 ), spiracles not tending to face foreward. Color variable, brown or entirely yellow with few black marks........................................... P. sedula species-group.

Figures

FIGURES 23–40. 23. Protopolybia diligens; 24. P. amarella; 25. P. duckeianus; 26. P. picteti; 27. P. nitida; 28. P. palidibalteatus; 29. P. fuscata; 30. P. fulvotincta; 31. P.nitida; 32. P. acutiscutis; 33. P. chartergoides; 34, 35. P. chartergoides; 36. P. diligens; 37. P. nitida. 38. P. chatergoides; 39. P. duckeianus; 40. P. panamensis. Scale 1.0 mm. mg= median groove; dm= distal margin; pv= propodeal valve; black setae= occipital carina; red setae= spiracles tending to face forward

FIGURES 1–6. 1, 2. Protopolybia chartergoides; 3, 4. Protopolybia fuscata; 5, 6. Protopolybia duckeianus. pc= pronotal carina; mp= metanotal process; white setae= pronotal fovea.

FIGURES 7–10. 7, 8. Protopolybia isthmensis; 9, 10. Protopolybia pallidibalteatus.