Lomachaeta hyphantria Pitts & Manley, 2004

Williams, Kevin A., Cambra, Roberto A., Bartholomay, Pedro R., Luz, David R., Quintero, Diomedes & Pitts, James P., 2019, Review of the genus Lomachaeta Mickel, 1936 (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) with new species and sex associations, Zootaxa 4564 (1), pp. 101-136 : 118-119

Lomachaeta hyphantria Pitts & Manley, 2004

( Figs 9, 10 , 15, 16 , 53, 54 )

Lomachaeta hyphantria Pitts & Manley, 2004: 11 . Holotype, #m, Bolivia, Dep. Beni, Rio Itenez (AMNH). Lomachaeta garm Williams & Pitts, 2007: 299 . Holotype, #m, Colombia, Bolivar, PNN Gorgona La Suiris (IAvH). Williams & Pitts (2009): Synonymy.

Diagnosis. MALE. The following combination of characters is diagnostic for L. hyphantria : the head and mesosoma are variegated orange and dark brown; the metasoma is black, except the pale yellow T1 apex; the mandible lacks a ventral tooth basally; the head and pronotum are areolate; the forewing has its veins encompassing the basal 0.7 × of the wing; the T1 shape is disciform; the T2 disc has small punctures; the T2 fringe is composed of thick bristles; and the paramere is virtually straight and lacks an apical setal tuft. Body length 3–6 mm.

FEMALE. This species can be recognized by the combination of a broadly areolate mesosomal dorsum and well-defined areolate lateral propodeal face. The areolations of the head are broad and have many transverse intervals obliterated, leaving a few apparent subparallel rugae. Additional useful diagnostic features include: the mandible lacks a ventral lamella; the mesosoma is compact, with the thoracic dorsal length 0.85 × its width; the mesosoma lacks appressed subparallel pale setae; the T2 disc is moderately punctate, clothed with erect blackish brachyplumose setae, and the intervals mostly smooth; the T2 fringe is sparse and simple; and the S6 lateral carina is weak.

Description. FEMALE (hitherto unrecognized, based on female from Venezuela). Body length 2.5–3.5 mm. Coloration. Head, mesosoma, legs, and T1 variegated orange brown and dark brown; remainder of metasoma blackish. Tibial spurs white. Erect dorsal brachyplumose setae yellowish to black-brown, blackish setae often whitish at bases. Head, mesonotum, and T3–5 with scattered subappressed simple usually white setae; fringes of T2–5 composed of sparse subappressed simple white setae. Ventral and pleural setae predominantly whitish. Head. Head width 1.1 × pronotal width. Frons, vertex and gena broadly areolate; frons and vertex many transverse intervals obliterated, leaving subparallel subrugae. Clypeus without distinct teeth or ridges. Genal carina distinct to hypostomal carina, angulate at junction. Mandible oblique, tapering, bidentate apically, unarmed ventrally. Antennal scrobe with dorsal carina. Length of F1 1.2 × pedicel; F2 length subequal to pedicel length. Mesosoma. Dorsal thoracic length 0.85 × width. Humeral carina distinct to epaulet. Mesosomal dorsum areolate; intervals clearly defined, not raised into tubercles; areolations slightly tighter anteriorly than posteriorly; dorsally with 8 areolations between pronotal spiracles. Pronotal spiracles low rounded; propodeal spiracle tuberculiform; lateral mesonotal tubercle weakly defined. Lateral propodeal face areolate, with multiple complete areolations. Metasoma. T1 shape sub-disciform, punctate. T2 slightly longer than wide. Disc of T2 with dense oblique punctures, intervals smooth. T3–5 and S2–5 with separated punctures, intervals smooth. T6 convex. Incomplete lateral S6 carina weak.

Material examined. BOLIVIA, Beni, Rio Itenez about 4 km above Costa Marques ( Brazil ), 12–18.IX.1964, Bouseman and Lussenhop (1♂, MIUP) ; BRAZIL: Roraima, Caracaraí, Parque Nacional de Viruá, Vicinal na estrada perdida, 01°28’N 60°58’W, 24.XII.2015 – 07.I.2016, J.A. Rafael e equipe, malaise (1♂, INPA) ; Alto Alegre, Estação Ecológica de Maracá, 03°21’59’’N 61°26’04’’W, 01–15.IV.2016, R. Boldrini & J.A. Rafael, malaise (1♂, 1♀, INPA); Amazonas , Manaus , ZF2, Km 14, 02°35’21’’S 60°06’55’’W, 3–17.VIII.2016, J.A. Rafael & F.F. Xavier-Filho, malaise em igarapé perto da torre (1♀, INPA, Figs 9 , 15 ) ; 15–31.XII.2016, J.A. Rafael & F.F. Xavier- Filho , malaise a 18m na torre (1♂, INPA, Fig. 53 ) ; Reserva Ducke, 30.IX–9.X.2005, A. Aguiar, Malaise (1♂, INPA) ; 2– 4.X. 20005, A. Aguiar , yellow-pan trap (1♀, INPA) ; Baixio Leste / Oeste, 14.II–6.III.2007, Freitas, G. & Feitosa, M, Malaise suspense no dossel (1♂, INPA) ; EMBRAPA, Guaraná convencional borda, 02°53’42.18’’S 59°59’10.58’’W, 23.XI.2012, K. Schoeninger , malaise (1♀, INPA) ; Tefé, 03°19’45’’S 64°41’13’’W, 20.IX– 5.X.2016, J.A. Oliveira, D.M.M. Mendes & J.A. Rafael , malaise (1♂) ; 1–5.XI.2016, J.A. Oliveira, D.M.M. Mendes & J.A. Rafael , malaise (1♂, INPA) ; 10–23.X.2016, J.A. Oliveira, D.M.M. Mendes & J.A. Rafael , malaise (1♂) ; Rondônia, Itapuã do Oeste, FLONA do Jamari, Trilha Pedra Grande , 09°11’39.4’’S 63°04’55.3’’W, 6.X.2014, J.A. Rafael, F.F. Xavier-Filho, R.M. Vieira & R.H. Aquino, malaise (2♀, INPA) ; Rio Guapore, opp. Mouth Rio Baures ( Bolivia ), 26.IX.1964, Bouseman and Lussenhop (1♂, MIUP) . COLOMBIA: Magdalena, Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona, Zaino , 11°20’N 74°2’W, 50m, 29.V–14.VI. 200, Malaise, R. Henriquez, M. 241 (1♂, IAvH) ; Meta: Parque Nacional Natural Sierra de la Macarena, Caño Curia , Sendero Cachicamos , 3°21’N 73°56’W, 460m, 10.XI–21.XII.2002, Malaise , M. Duarte , M.2985 (1♂, IavH); Parque Nacional Natural Tinigua , Caño Nevera , 2°11’N 73°48’W, 390m, 23.XII.2002 – 7.I.2003, Malaise, C. Sanchez, M.3476 (2♂, IAvH, Fig. 54 ) . COSTA RICA, Puntarenas, Est. Queb. Bonita, Res. Biol. Carara , 50m, L-N-194500, 469850, IV.1993, J. C. Saborío (1♀, INBio) . PERU, Madre de Dios, Reserva El Manu, Estac. Biol. Pakitza, 1–6.III.1992, Malaise trap, R. Cambra (1♂, MIUP) . TRINIDAD, W. I., Arima Valley, 800–1200 ft, 10–22.II.1964, Rozen and Wygodzinsky (1♂, MIUP) . VENEZUELA: Aragua, Rancho Grande, 1100m, IV.1987, Bordón (1♀, MIUP, Figs 10 , 16 ) .

Distribution. This species is widespread in northern South America, including Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Trinidad, and Venezuela. First records for Peru and Trinidad.

Remarks. Females herein associated with L. hyphantria have been repeatedly and consistently collected in the same traps as males of L. hyphantria in different areas of the Brazilian Amazon (Roraima and Amazonas states). These females and the males of L. hyphantria are the only species of this genus widely distributed throughout the Brazilian Amazon region to be found so far. Additional females were also found in regions where L. hyphantria is the only recognized male species, such as Venezuela.

Both males and females of this species show conspicuous variations related to where they occur. This is especially evident when comparing females collected in the Brazilian Amazon with ones from Venezuela wherein females from the first are much darker and have the variegated pattern overall less evident in comparison with Venezuelan specimens. Males from the Brazilian Amazon are also overall darker than males from further north in South America, in accordance to what was mentioned by Williams & Pitts (2009), even specimens from areas near the Brazilian-Venezuelan border (Roraima state). The main differences that can be added to the observations already made by Williams & Pitts (2009) is that specimens from Rondônia, Amazonas and Roraima states in Brazil have the legs and antennae almost completely black, the thick bristles of T2 are black, mandibles are darker and the integument of the head is almost completely reddish-brown, except around the ocelli where it is black.

The second northern Neotropical female specimen, mentioned above in the Remarks for L. chionothrix , cannot be readily separated from South American L. hyphantria specimens. Given that no males of L. hyphantria have been found in Central America, and that females are more difficult to differentiate than males, the distribution of L. hyphantria in Central America should be considered as tentative.

Figures

FIGURES 9–14. Lomachaeta females; dorsal habitus. 9) L. hyphantria, Brazil; 10) L. hyphantria, Venezuela; 11) L. ibarrai, Holotype; 12) L. meloi, sp. nov.; 13) L. vianai, Argentina, Holotype; 14) L. vianai, Paraguay. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 15–20. Lomachaeta females; lateral habitus. 15) L. hyphantria, Brazil; 16) L. hyphantria, Venezuela; 17) L. ibarrai, Holotype; 18) L. meloi, sp. nov.; 19) L. vianai, Argentina, Holotype; 20) L. vianai, Paraguay. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 53–56. Lomachaeta males; lateral habitus. 53) L. hyphantria, Brazil; 54) L. hyphantria, Colombia; 55) L. vianai; 56) L. juanita, sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.