Pseudophygopoda subvestita (White, 1855)

(Figs. 95, 97−148)

Odontocera subvestita White, 1855: 190; Lacordaire, 1869: 504.

Phygopoda subvestita; Bates, 1870: 327; Gemminger & Harold, 1872: 2892 (cat.); Bates, 1873: 126; Aurivillius, 1912: 284 (cat.); Blackwelder, 1946: 577 (check); Monné, 1993: 51 (cat.); Monné & Giesbert, 1994: 98 (check); Tavakilian et al., 1997: 319 (host.); Monné, 2001: 45 (cat.; host); 2005: 499 (cat.); Monné & Hovore, 2006: 123 (check).

Physopoda subvestita; Linsley, 1959: 130 (mim) (sic).

Pseudophygopoda subvestita; Tavakilian & Peñaherrera-Leiva, 2007: 104, fig. 23; Dalens & Touroult, 2010: 46 (distr.); Touroult et al., 2010: 30 (distr.); Morvan & Morati, 2011: 31, fig. 83 (distr.); Monné et al., 2012: 48 (check); Bezark & Monné, 2013: 165 (check); Monné, 2015: 787 (cat.).

Male (Fig. 95). Integument from yellowish to brownish. Eyes (Fig. 98) frontally separated by about 1/5 of width of a lower ocular lobe; inner margin of lower ocular lobes and clypeus covered with golden pubescence.

Labrum (Fig. 101) about 1/3 longer than wide, apical margin rounded, excavated in median region, with long setae at sides and short dense setae in median region. Mandibles (Fig. 102) triangular, symmetrical, acuminated at apex; base slightly shorter than length; external face rounded, excavated at base, with long setae; inner cutting edge without teeth, with fringe of setae. Maxillae (Fig. 104): cardo and stipes well developed; galea narrow and elongate, with dense brush of setae at apex; lacinia with fringe of setae on inner margin; basal segment of palpus subcylindrical, about 1/2 length of apical segment; second segment as long as third; apical segment rounded at apex. Labium (Fig. 103): mentum trapezoidal with basal margin excavated; ligula diverging at sides toward apical region; apical portion divided into two subcylindrical lobes; inner margin of lobes with row of short setae; apical segment of palpi elongated, about 1/3 longer than second segment, with rounded apex.

Antennae (Fig. 105) reaching first ventrite; antennomeres 3−6 with row of long semierect setae on inner margin; 7 with similar setae at apex of inner margin.

Prothorax (Figs. 111−114) covered with yellowish-golden pubescence, except for three elevations on pronotum. Proendosternite (Fig. 114) directed posteriorly, with two convergent arms. Mesosternum (Figs. 115−117) covered with yellowish-golden pubescence. Mesosternal process about 1/2 diameter of mesocoxa. Mesepisternum, mesepimeron, metasternum and metepisternum covered with yellowish-golden pubescence. Mesendosternite (Fig. 117) hook-shaped, merged with inner wall of mesepimeron; metendosternite (Fig. 118) hylecoetoid, with elongate cylindrical lamina, merged at base; arms perpendicular to lamina and divergent from each other; peduncle and lamina subequal in length. Scutellum densely covered with yellowish-golden pubescence. Elytra (Fig. 119) with rounded apex. Wing (Fig. 120) with length about 3 times its greatest width; Subcosta (Sc) restricted to 1/5 basal; Radius cell closed and oval; apical section of Anterior Media (AM) present; Plical (P) reduced; Anal (A) with only one branch.

Ratio between the length of metafemoral clave and peduncle vary from 0.7 to 1.5; pro-, meso- and metatarsi (Figs. 123, 124, 127−130) with ventral surface densely covered with short, fine, yellowish-brown pubescence; dorsal surface covered with dark-brown pubescence; metatarsomere I from equal to 1.2 times longer than length of II and III together.

Ventrites (Fig. 133) with lateral spots with yellowish-golden pubescence. Last visible urotergite with base and apex rounded; last visible urosternite with emarginated apex, external angles slightly projected and median region slightly sinuous, with apical margin covered with short, decumbent, yellowish-golden pubescence.

Terminalia: sternite 8 (Fig. 135) narrow, with basal margin excavated at sides and apical margin with median region flat; sternal apophysis long, about 2 times greatest width of sternite. Tergite 8 (Fig. 134) as wide as long, covered with sparse setae at sides and on apical third; apical and basal margin truncate. Ventral arch (Fig. 136) fork-shaped, long apophysis about twice longer than arm; dorsal arch absent. Tegmen (Figs. 137−139) as long as median lobe; distal region almost totally divided into cylindrical-elongate parameres, slightly narrowing after the base, with apices rounded and short setae; ring piece convergent, acuminate, apically merged and with long projection, half-length of ring piece. Median lobe (Figs 140−142): ventral lobe shorter than dorsal; slightly curved in lateral view. Ventral and dorsal lobe acuminate at apex; basal apophysis shorter than apical portion; internal sac with two sclerotized pieces.

Female. Head (Figs. 106−109) with smooth area on front, except for very sparse punctures. Eyes (Fig. 107) frontally separated by about 1/2 width of lower ocular lobe. Antennae (Fig. 110) exceeding elytral apex at antennomere 11.

Last visible urotergite elongate, narrowing to rounded apex; last visible urosternite (Fig. 143) elongate, with truncate apex.

Terminalia: sternite (Fig. 146) and tergite 8 (Fig. 147) elongate, merged, with tubular aspect; apical margin of sternite truncate; apical margin of tergite sinuous. Sternal apophysis elongate, about 1.5 times longer than sternite. Ovipositor (Figs. 144−145) membranous, very elongate, more than 7 times longer than wide; limit between proximal and distal region not evident; apical region with subcylindrical and elongate lobes, about 3 times longer than wide; external margins with setae; latero-apical stylus, securiform; spermathecal duct short, less than 3 times length of spermatheca; spermatheca C-shaped with rounded apex; spermathecal gland longer than spermatheca.

Measurements, in mm. male/female. n=6/16. Total length, 11.49±1.93/9.33±0.66; prothorax length, 1.65±0.18/1.3±0.13; prothorax width, 1.84±0.19/1.35±0.16; elytral length, 4.55±0.54/3.58±0.36; humeral width, 1.99±0.3/1.59±0.15.

Type-material. We examined photographs (taken by Dr. Eugenio H. Nearns) and slides (made by Pe. Jesus Santiago Moure) of the male holotype of Pseudophygopoda subvestita (Fig. 95) (BMNH) from Santarém, Pará, Brazil.

Comments. Bates (1870) transferred Odontocera subvestita to Phygopoda, considering it similar to Pseudophygopoda albitarsis comb. nov. (Figs. 74−94) based on the small prothorax and subulate elytra, differing from it in the less abruptly clavate metafemora in Odontocera subvestita . The similarities identified by Bates (1870) were confirmed in this present study, but not the differences on the metafemora, both species present the metafemora pedunculate, at least on the basal third.

Pseudophygopoda subvestita (Fig. 95) only differs from P. panamensis (Fig. 96) by the distribution of pronotal pubescence (in the first the setae are decumbent at the middle of pronotal disc and in the latter these setae are erect). These species are very similar and this single characteristic can be just intraspecific variation, but due the few specimens of P. panamensis is not possible to do this assertion.

Pseudophygopoda subvestita differs from P. albitarsis (Figs. 74−81) in the yellowish to yellowish-brown integument; the prothorax densely covered with golden-yellowish pubescence, except elevations on the pronotal disc; and the scutellum and ventral surface covered with golden-yellowish pubescence. P. albitarsis has brown to black integument with violet to greenish metallic iridescence; the prothorax sparsely covered with whitish setae, denser at sides; and the scutellum and ventral surface covered with whitish-yellow pubescence, glossy or matte.

Males of P. subvestita can be distinguished from males of P. albitarsis by the following characteristics of the terminalia: sternite 8 (Fig. 135) with the basal margin excavated at the sides; median lobe (Figs. 140−142) with the ventral lobe slightly shorter than the dorsal lobe; basal apophysis slightly shorter than the apical portion; and the internal sac with two sclerotized pieces. P. albitarsis has the sternite 8 (Fig. 83) with the basal margin lacking excavations at the sides; the median lobe (Figs. 88−90) with the dorsal lobe slightly shorter than the ventral lobe; the basal apophysis slightly longer than the apical portion; and the internal sac without sclerotized pieces.

The terminalia of females of P. subvestita differs from the females of P. albitarsis in the following characteristics: tergite 8 (Figs. 146, 147) with a sinuous apical margin; and the spermathecal gland (Figs. 144, 145) longer than the spermatheca. P. albitarsis has tergite 8 (Figs. 91, 92) with a truncate apical margin; and the spermathecal gland (Figs. 93,94) as long as the spermatheca.

Bates (1870) compared specimens of this species to some species of the genus Melipona Illiger, 1806 (Hymenoptera), because of the tufts of setae on the metatibiae. Linsley (1959) also mentioned this similarity between P. subvestita and stingless bees of the genus Mellipona with tufts of black setae on the metatibiae.

Geographical distribution. French Guiana and Brazil (Pará). This species is newly reported from Brazil for Amazonas, Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo (Fig. 148).

Host plant. Salicaceae - Casearia acuminata DC. (Tavakilian et al., 1997).

Specimens examined. BRAZIL, Amazonas: Manaus (Campus UFAM), 75 m, 3°5’31”S, 59°57’37”W, male, 17.VII.2008, P. C. Grossi and D. R. Parizotto leg. (MNRJ). Minas Gerais: Águas Vermelhas, male and female, XI.1970, F. M. Oliveira leg. (MNRJ); Pedra Azul, male and 2 females, XII.1970, F. M. Oliveira leg. (MNRJ); 700 m, 2 females, XII.1970, C. A. Seabra and F. M. Oliveira leg. (MNRJ); male and 2 females, XI.1971, C. A. Seabra and F. M. Oliveira leg. (MNRJ); male and 9 females, XI.1972, C. A. Seabra and F. M. Oliveira leg. (MNRJ). Espírito Santo: Baixo Guandu, female, X.1976, B. Silva leg. (MNRJ); Conceição da Barra, male, 1.XI.1969, C. T. and C. Elias leg. (DZUP).