Minixi brethesi ( Bertoni, 1927 )

Hermes, Marcel G., 2017, Contributions to the taxonomy of Minixi Giordani Soika and Alphamenes Van der Vecht (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae), with an identification key to the species of the latter, Zootaxa 4317 (3), pp. 530-540 : 533

Minixi brethesi ( Bertoni, 1927)

( Figs. 6–11 )

Nortonia bertonii Brèthes, 1924: 71 (secondary junior homonym of Eumenes bertonii Brèthes, 1909 ).

Type data: female holotype (MACN).

Type locality: Vista Alegre , Paraguay

Eumenes brethesi Bertoni, 1927: 148 (substitution name for Nortonia bertonii Brèthes, 1924 , non Brèthes, 1909); Bertoni, 1934: 114.

Minixi brethesi ; Bertoni, 1927; Hermes & Oliveira, 2016: 189, 191, 192, 193, 195, 196, 197, 198 (new combination).

Comments and diagnosis. The diagnostic features common to both sexes are: propodeum strongly dilated dorsolaterally ( Fig. 10 ); posterior surface of propodeum with lower portion of median concavity deeply depressed ( Fig. 11 ); T1, in dorsal view, expanding abruptly towards apex ( Fig. 10 ). A typical feature of M. brethesi is the presence of extensive ferruginous markings both in the pronotum ( Fig. 8, 9 ) and in the T1 ( Figs. 8, 10 ). Males have wide tyloids in the antenna, and the apical flagellomere is long, reaching or almost reaching the apex of the antepenultimate flagellomere ( Fig. 7 ). Wide tyloids in the male antenna are observed in others species of Minixi , except M. brasilianum and M. sumichrasti (narrow tyloids, see figs. 8-9 in Hermes & Oliveira 2016). Males of other species of Minixi also present the apical flagellomere long, with exception of M. tricoloratum ( Fig. 2 ).

Description. Male. Color. Integument black, with markedly ferruginous regions, in particular: ventral surface of all antennal segments and dorsal surface of the scape, pedicel and F1–5; pronotum; tegulae; half of the basal portion and the entire apical portion of T1 and S1; T2–7 and S2–7. Isolated ferruginous spots in the upper posterior region of mesepisternum and in the upper portion of propodeum. Yellow marks as follows: basal portion of the labrum; clypeus; spot between the antennal alveoli; spot on the upper posterolateral margin of the compound eye; narrow band at apex of T1; bands at the apex of T2–6 and S2–6. Legs ferruginous, darker on coxae, becoming brown-yellowish in the more apical segments. Brownish wings.

Pilosity. Clypeus with dense pubescence, straw-yellow ( Fig. 6 ); remaining body with short, thin setae, concentrated in regions which follow: mesepisternum; coxae; propodeum; metassomal terga.

Sculpture. Clypeus with punctation not evident; frons with small, deep and concentrated punctures—the distance between one to another is smaller than the size of a puncture—evident micro-punctation; pronotum with small, shallow and evident punctures; superior surface of the mesepisternum with cariniform punctation, the punctures becoming less dense inferiorly; mesoscutum with distinct punctation: concentrated, small and deep punctures, with micro-punctation evident; mesoscutum, scutellum and propodeum with coarse and dense punctation; T1 with small and shallow punctures, not evident; T2–7 with obsolete punctation.

Structure. Labrum truncated; clypeus longer than wide, emarginate, with short and carinate teeth; interantenal region raised and rounded; apical flagellomere curved, hook-like, reaching the apex of the antepenultimate flagellomere; pronotal carina complete and straight; humeral projection pronounced; pretegular carina welldeveloped; crenulation in the mesepisternum not completely indicated; propodeum strongly dilated dorsolaterally; posterior surface of propodeum with median concavity, lower portion deeply depressed; base of T1 shorter than the apical portion; apex of T1 thickened; T2 longer than wide.

Male genitalia. All the analyzed male specimens had the genitalia previously detached from the last metasomal segments. However, these structures were not attached to their respective specimens to become available for observation, thus it is not possible to describe the male genitalia of this species.

Distribution. Paraguay.

Examined material. Paraguay, Itanará: ♂ (MNHPY), ‘Itanará\ 18.IV.20 ’ ‘Nortoni\ bertonii \ Brths.’ ‘MNHNP\ A. W. Bertoni\ D. 41\ Garcete rev.’ ‘IBNPY-INVERT\ 000000007366’ ‘ Pachyminixi \ brethesi \ (Bertoni)\ det. B. Garcete 2000’; ♂ (MNHPY), ‘V. Alegre\ III.20 ’ (handwriten label) ‘ Nortonia \ alegresis\ Brths’ (handwriten label) ‘MNHNP\ A. W. Bertoni\ D. 26\ Garcete rev.’ ‘IBNPY-INVERT\ 000000007369’ ‘ Pachyminixi \ brethesi \ (Bertoni)\ det. B. Garcete 2000’.

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 11. Minixi brethesi (Bertoni), male. 6. Head in frontal view; 7. Antennal apex (arrow points to the F 11); 8. Habitus; 9. Pronotum and mesepisternum in lateral view; 10. Dorsal view (red arrow points to the pronotum; white arrow points to the propodeum; black arrow points to the T 1); 11. Posterior surface of propodeum (arrow points to the lower portion of median concavity deeply depressed). Scale bar for Figs. 6 – 8 = 0.5 mm, Figs. 9, 11 = 1 mm, Fig. 10 = 2 mm.

FIGURES 1 – 5. Minixi tricoloratum (Zavattari), male. 1. Head in frontal view; 2. Antennal apex (arrow points to F 11); 3. Mesosoma in dorsal view (arrow points to the tegula); 4. Dorsal view (black arrow points to the dorsal surface of propodeum; red arrow points to T 2); 5. Aedeagus in lateral view. Scale bar for Figs. 1, 5 = 0.2 mm, Fig. 2 – 4 = 1 mm.