Mischocyttarus schunkei Zikán, 1949

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 : 82-84

Mischocyttarus schunkei Zikán, 1949

( Figs. 84, 92 )

M. schunkei Zikán, 1949: 196 .

M. schunkei: Richards, 1978: 304 .

LECTOTYPE: ♀ Peru, Junin, Valle Chanchamayo , 1300m, 1/xi/1939 (Weyrauch) ( IOC), designated by Richards (1978), examined.

FEMALE. Small robust wasp, length of fore wing 9–9.5 mm; MWH/DLH a little more than 2.3, FHH/intOW 0.93; clypeus very wide, H/WClp 0.81, median angle little projecting ventrally, apex widely round or gently truncate; malar space moderately wide, a little more than 1/3 of the height of an antennal socket; tentorial pit 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 widely separated, POL about 2 times larger than one diameter, POL/OOL larger than 2/3; occiput with a well developed margin laterally, a little lower and less conspicuous at the center; foraminal area shaped ventrally as a shelf; hypostomal lamella narrow; pronotum short, with lateral fovea, pronotal anterior margin medially with the lamella wide and not notably reflexed, region just behind raised into definite secondary margin, carina moderately high at sides with translucent lamella, slightly reflexed at the extremity forming a modest lateral lobe, seen as seen from above with a straight or slightly concave profile, total width larger than that of mesoscutum, this approximately as long as wide or sometimes a little wider than long; fore wing short, LDis/HMpl 2.04, pterostigma about 3 times longer than wide; metanotum nearly vertical, little convex; inner claw of hind tarsus with apex narrow but not quite acute; propodeum short and oblique, median furrow moderately deep, long and triangular but not quite reaching the anterior margin of propodeum, valve very wide, triangular, limit between propodeum and lower metapleuron marked by a shallow sulcus; first segment of metasoma short ( Fig. 84 ), LSI/HMpl 1.05, with no linear sector behind the spiracles, these not or little prominent, apical region about 2.4 times wider than the basal petiole, the latter flattened below, limit between sternum and tergum proximally marked by a prominent shining edge.

Sculpture: disk of clypeus with moderately dense shallow and inconspicuous small sized punctures, and with more sparse and more visible larger ones, interstices moderately shining, area close to ventral margin reticulate with few large punctures; upper part of interantennal area and frons with more dense and conspicuous not very deep punctures; mesopleuron with numerous small to medium sized punctures, shallower ventrally, and with more sparse larger ones, interstices moderately shining;

Vestiture: head and mesosoma with many long erect hairs, with silvery or golden reflexes; eyes with hairs short or inconspicuous.

Color: black; lateral part of pronotum, tegula, part of dorsal mesepisternal plate, lower metapleuron, legs, diffuse spots on metasoma, dark brown; mandible teeth, shining red brown; antenna below, brown to yellowish brown at the apex; most of clypeus except for a median dorsal tongue shaped area, inner orbit to lower border of ocular sinus, large spot on mandible, short narrow dorsal streak on gena, carina and posterior margin of pronotum, anterior margin of metanotum, one streak on hind coxa (sometimes absent), inner distal margin of trochanters, apex of femora, apex of fore and mid tibiae, dorsum of the fifth segment of fore tarsus, yellow; hind tibial spurs, brown; wings hyaline, veins brown.

MALE. head in frontal view not excessively low, FHH/intOW 0.90; clypeus relatively flat, very wide, H/WClp 0.81, median angle obtuse, apex narrowly truncate; tentorial pit closer to the eye than to antennal socket; antennal scape very short and wide, L/Wesc 2.08, ventral surface of antennomeres with distinct shining tyloids, third antennomere about 2.8 times longer than wide, apex of antenna narrow and elongated ( Fig. 92 ), with evident potential to become spirally rolled, antennomeres 9–13 distinctly flattened below, antennomere 12 about 1.7 times longer than wide, 13 about 3.3 times longer than wide, 1.4 times longer than 12; clypeus with small very shallow inconspicuous punctures, and with dense decumbent pubescence showing intense silvery shine.

Color: inner aspect of the apex of antenna, spot on dorsal mesepisternal plate, distal band on terga 1 and 2 of metasoma, yellow; hind tibial spurs, light yellowish brown to pale yellow.

NEST. Zikán (1949: 196) refers to a Weyrauch’s message saying that the nest was “similar to that of Mischocyttarus ater ”, found on the upper surface of an orange tree leaf.

Remarks

A rather isolated species known only from the original series of specimens collected by Weyrauch in a same locality in Peru. It is a small and rahter robust wasp showing a degree of body shortening that approaches that observed in the M. adolphi species group.

Distribution SOUTH AMERICA: Peru.

Examined material

PERU: Junin, 3♀ 1♂ (PARALECTOTYPES) Valle Chanchamayo , 1300m, 1/xi/1939 (Weyrauch) ( IOC) , 2♀ Valle Chanchamayo , 1300m, 1/xi/1939 (Weyrauch) ( USNM) .

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.