Zethus (Zethoides) bolivari Lopes, 2024

Lopes, Rogério B. & Noll, Fernando B., 2024, Taxonomic notes on the Zethus olmecus de Saussure, 1875 species group (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae), with the description of five new species, Zootaxa 5437 (3), pp. 363-383 : 371-372

Zethus (Zethoides) bolivari Lopes , sp. n.

( Figs 84, 85 )

Type material. Holotype, ♁, “ Brasil, Manaus , Res. Adolpho Ducke, xi.1988 / Arm. Suspensa 5m / J.A. Rafael Leg. ” [ INPA].

Diagnosis. The combination of the T1 rounded at the base of the expansion, without a transverse carina and smooth between macropunctures set this species apart from others in the group.

Description. Male. Coloration. Black with the following orange markings: mandibles, except apical margins; clypeus except for a small longitudinal dorsal line; scape and pedicel entirely; inner-ventral surface of flagellum; hypostoma; gena; spots above antennal socket and in ocular sinus; pair of dorsolateral spots on anterior face of pronotum; wide band running along posterior margin of pronotum, interrupted medially and slightly projected laterally along carina; tegula; scrobal spot; forelegs. Yellow: anterior surface of midlegs. Pale yellow: parategula; proepisternum; forecoxae; medially interrupted apical bands on T1 and T2. Propodeum with apical lamella amber. Wings hyaline light brown with dark brown venation. Structure. Mandible 4-toothed. Clypeus wide, with apex very slightly concave, nearly straight. F-XI subretangular with rounded edges. Gena in dorsal view angulated. Inter-humeral and humeral-tergular distances subequal. Pronotal carina with constant height. Pronotal angles not projected. Parategula digitiform. Tegula with outer margin evenly convex, posteriorly narrow. Scutellum and metanotum slightly convex. Mid-tibia with two spurs. Dorsum of propodeum lower than metanotum. Apical propodeal lamella triangular with rounded tip. Submarginal caT 1 in dorsal view with rounded expansion. T2 evenly convex. S7 with a very slightly notch at apex. Sculpture. Clypeus with microstriae between moderate macropunctation. Dense micropunctation on remainder of head. Macropuncation dense on frons, moderate on vertex, very dense on anterior half of gena and absent on posterior half behind a feeble post-ocular carina. Pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum shiny, with dense macropunctation and micropunctation dense on the first two and sparse on scutellum. Notaulices present on posterior third of mesoscutum. Mesepisternum densely micropunctate with moderate to sparse macropunctations. Metanotum densely macropunctate, no micropunctation. Propodeum with dorsum full of very wide crater-like punctures, laterally with deeper coalescent punctures and median concavity without transverse striae. Propodeal submedian and lateral carinas complete. Lateral carina complete. Submarginal carina with slightly convex dorsal margin, making dorso-lateral angles obtuse and nearly reaching submarginal carina. T1 smooth with moderate macropunctation, becoming dense at summit. T2–3 and S2–3 with very dense micropunctures that obscure moderate small macropunctures and arrests a little before apex of sclerite, which is smooth and shiny. Size and densety of punctation on following terga gradually reduce until S7 which is smooth with few punctures on apex. S4–7 smooth with wide apical band of dense micropunctures. Pilosity. Clypeus mostly bare except for lateral to dorsal margin with tomentum. Head with short thick setae. Short thin moderate to sparse setae on pronotum, mesoscutum and metanotum, latter with few longer outstanding setae. Long thin and dense pilosity on mesopleura and propodeum on lateral and median surfaces. Mid-tibia with basal patch of dense setae which are not erect or long. Scutellum and T1 bare. T2 tomentose. T3–7 with apical rows of long setae. S2 with very dense and very long pilosity, also restricted apically in S3–7. Male genitalia. Although it was attempted to remove, no genital capsule was not found inside the metasoma, leading to believe it was previously removed and misplaced or broken off, as sometimes during the mounting the genital capsule is left exposed. Measurements. Forewing length 8.6 mm.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Brazil (Amazonas).

Etymology. The species is named after the entomologist Bolívar Rafael Garcete-Barret.

Observations. The single examined specimen was cogitated as a male of Z. thoracicus at first due to the wide and rounded expansion of T1, which is also shared with Z. anomalus . However, comparison between males and females of known species reveal that there is little or no variation on the length of submedian propodeal carina and that micropunctate sclerites of females present themselves also micropunctate on males. Therefore, should this specimen be a male of Z. thoracicus , it would bear a shorter submedian carina and a micropunctate T1.

Figures

FIGURES 84, 85. Zethus bolivari sp. n., male holotype. 84. Habitus. 85. Head, frontal view. Scales: 1.0 mm.