Zethus (Zethoides) biglumis Spinola, 1841

Lopes, Rogério B. & Noll, Fernando B., 2014, Notes on the Neotropical Zethus Fabricius, 1804 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae) with the description of two new species from Brazil, Zootaxa 3784 (2), pp. 179-186 : 184-185

Zethus (Zethoides) biglumis Spinola, 1841

( Fig. 5 )

Zethus biglumis Spinola, 1841: 135 . (holotype ♀—unknown deposit location, Cayenne, French Guiana).

Zethus (Division III—division Didymogastra ) biglumis : de Saussure, 1852: 19 (cat.; distr.).

Zethus (Div. III—Species of South America) biglumis: Smith, 1857: 14 (cat.).

Zethus (division Zethusculus) biglumis : de Saussure (1855): 118, 120, removed from division Didymogastra to division Zethusculus; de Saussure, 1875: 39 (cat.; distr.).

Zethus (Zethusculus) biglumis: Dalla Torre, 1894: 9 (cat.; distr.); Dalla Torre, 1904: 15 (cat.; distr.); Zavattari, 1912: 9, 36 (cat.; distr.; key).

Zethus (Zethoides) biglumis: Bohart & Stange, 1965: 183 , 184 (cat.; distr; key)

Zethus (Division I) ferrugineus de Saussure, 1852: 14. Holotype ♀ (National History Museum, London) (cat.). syn. nov.

Zethus (Div. III—Species of South America) ferrugineus: Smith, 1857: 11 .

Zethus (division Zethusculus) ferrugineus : de Saussure, 1875: 38 (cat.; distr.).

Zethus (Zethusculus) ferrugineus: Dalla Torre, 1894: 11 (cat.; distr.); Dalla Torre, 1904: 15 (cat.; distr.); Zavattari, 1912: 9, 42(cat.; distr.; key)

Zethus (Zethoides) biglumis ferrugineus: Bohart & Stange, 1965: 183 , 184 (cat.; distr.; key).

Bohart and Stange (1965) treat Zethus biglumis as separated into two subspecies: Z. b. biglumis and Z. b. ferrugineus . After examining external morphology and male genitalia of both subspecies, no significant differences other than the coloration were found. Thus, the color variation is judged to be a mere variation and there is no need for such separation.

Although coloration has been used for differentiating species and subspecies of Zethus in identification keys ( Bohart & Stange, 1965), this trait has to be looked upon carefully. Even de Saussure (1875) already detected the great color variation within species in the genus when he declared regretful on describing many species in his monograph (de Saussure, 1852) based only on coloration.

Another detail about this species is the finding of a female in the Southeastern region of Brazil, in a fragment of semideciduous forest. The specimen follows a coloration pattern similar to “ ferrugineus ” but the second tergum tends to be lighter. This expands greatly the distribution of the species, since it was known to occur only in the Amazon and the southernmost location collection site was in Buena Vista, Santa Cruz, Bolivia ( Bohart & Stange, 1965).

Material. PERU: Loreto: Iquitos/ 14.VIII.1906 /Ducke/ Peru Amazonico/ MPEG HYM 11009088 [♀, MPEG]; Pucallpa/ 16.XI.1962 / J. M. Schunke [♀, MSNVE]; (idem)/ 23.XI.1962 [♂, MSNVE]; BRAZIL: Amazonas: S. Antônio do Içá/ 27.IX.1906 /Ducke/ Zettus/ Discoelius biglumis / MPEG HYM 11009087 [♂, MPEG]; Teffé/ 28.VI. 1906 /Ducke [♂, MPEG]; (idem)/ MPEG HYM 11009088 [♀, MPEG]; Pará: 14.VIII.1907 /Ducke/ MPEG HYM 11009072 [♀, MPEG]; (idem)/ MPEG HYM 11009076 [♂, MPEG]; Alenquer/ 21.VII.1903 /Ducke/ MPEG HYM 11009069 [♀, MPEG]; Prainha/ 12.V.1903 /Ducke/ MPEG HYM 11009073 [♀, MPEG]; (idem)/ 12.V.1903 / MPEG HYM 11009075 [♂, MPEG]; São Paulo: Vicentinópolis, 21.IX.2007 /2ª arm. – preta [♀, IBILCE].

Distribution. Surinam: Para; Brazil: Amazonas, Pará, São Paulo; Peru: Loreto; Bolívia: Santa Cruz.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Zethus biglumis, female, habitus, collected in Vicentinópolis, São Paulo.