Pseudoscotaena Carnimeo, 2018

Carnimeo, Fernando Henrique & Noll, Fernando Barbosa, 2018, On the dumping ground genus Scotaena Klug, 1810 (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae: Thynninae): Phylogeny, taxonomy and geographic distribution, Zootaxa 4399 (4), pp. 451-490 : 470-471

Pseudoscotaena Carnimeo , gen. nov.

Type species: Scotaena decora ( Smith, 1859)

Male description. Head: Antennal sockets under supra-antennal projections, with rounded margined supraantennal plate on the medial apex. The apex of the supra-antennal plate more or less approximated to each other; clypeus apical margin mostly with shallow central notch, medium in P. polistoides . With depth from about 1/4 to 1/ 8 of clypeus length. The teeth formed laterally to the notch generally triangular and slightly to the sides, but acute towards down in P. polistoides . Basal region of the clypeus convex, more bulging in P. duckei and depressed on the basolateral margins. Basolateral margins angulated, but slightly rounded in P. polistoides . Laterals of the apical margins concave; mandible bidentate, the apical tooth long and acute, the subapical short and rounded. Basal region of the mandible triangular shaped; maxillary palpi with palpomeres about the same size, the III rd often shorter and broader; antennae filiform, with 11 flagelomeres, the apical ones slightly arcuate.

Mesosoma: Pronotum constricted in the middle, forming elevations anterior and posteriorly in lateral view. Anterior margin carinate and narrower than the posterior; forewing with nervure 2m-cu received by beyond about 1/4 of the base of the submarginal cell; forewings hyaline, ferruginous on the anterior margins and stigma. The marginal cell darker than the rest of the wing, feebly in P. duckei ; mesoscutum subquadrate in dorsal view, with dorsal surface slightly convex. A pair of longitudinal submedial sutures and a pair of longitudinal carina laterally, culminating in a transverse posterior carina; scutellum dorsally convex with rounded surface. Delimited anteriorly by a deep transverse suture and the posterior margin rounded. Latero-posterior margins with borders enlarged towards the axilla; metanotum short with two sublateral fossae; mesopleural transverse sulcus wide and diffuse; metapleuron triangular in lateral view; propodeum concavity obliquus posteriorly. Apex of the propodeum with two petiolar grooves laterally to the petiolar socket; mesepisternal lamellae short and rounded; a pair of longitudinal sutures on the ventral surface of the mesepistenum; forecoxae with ventral surface very slightly convex, almost flattened, with the inner margin straight and the outer broader and curved; hindcoxae with longitudinal carina on the dorsal surface; posterior margins of the mid and hindtibiae with row of projections or serrations, more conspicuous on hindtibiae. With short carina on the external base of the tibia; hindfemoralhindtibial joint lobes asymmetrical with inner lobe slightly longest and thickened posteriorly;

Metasoma: Metasoma with constrictions between the segments, mainly in lateral view; first metasomal tergite with length shorter than its apical breadth. With a longitudinal sulcus reaching more than half the segment extension. Spiracles strongly raised in P. polistoides ; Apical margins of tergites I–VI with transverse smooth fasciae, preceded by a transverse row of setae horizontally arranged; epipygium oval, strongly constricted before the apical margin, with flared apical border; hypopygium with subtriangular margin, apically rounded and with base narrowed.

Coloration. Body black and variegated with yellow markings.

Female: Unknown for P. decora and P. fastuosa , described for P. duckei and P. polistoides .

Etymology. This genus contains the two most common species of the former dumping ground known as Scotaena (e.g. P. decora and P. polistoides ). Therefore, naming their new genus Pseudoscotaena associates these two genera through their taxonomic history.

Included species: Pseudoscotaena decora , P. duckei , P. fastuosa and P. polistoides .

Distribution. Recorded from the following Brazilian states: Amazonas, Ceará, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Pará, Piauí, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo; Bolivia; Colombia; Paraguay, Peru; and Uruguay.

Discussion. The spiracles of the first metasomal tergite can vary in P. polistoides . They are strongly raised most of times, but it was found some specimens of this species with the spiracle just slightly raised.