Mischocyttarus laurae, Silveira, 2006

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 : 19-20

Mischocyttarus laurae sp. n.

( Figs. 6–8, 11, 16 )

HOLOTYPE: ♀ Venezuela, Merida, Guarunes (no date) (P. Anduze) ( AMNH).

FEMALE. Length of fore wing 16 mm; head less transverse as seen from above than in other species ( Figs. 8, 11 ), MWH/DLH only 2.17, in frontal view not so low, FHH/ intOW 0.96; clypeus wider than high, H/WClp 0.89, apex narrowly rounded, little produced ventrally; mandible with the limit between the narrow anterior surface and wide lateral one marked by a distinct prominent border; malar space narrow, about 1/3 of antennal socket; tentorial pit as close to eye margin as to antennal socket; interantennal area strongly raised; antennal scape elongated, L/Wesc 2.71, flagellum also moderately elongate, no antennomere markedly transversal; occeli approximated, POL only 1.2 times larger than one diameter, POL/OOL a little less than 1/2; posterior profile of the head as seen from above distinctly concave backwards, occiput with margin high; gena slightly wider than the upper lobe of the eye; posterior region of the head around the foramen produced into a relatively shallow cavity; hypostomal lamella around mouth parts very wide below near articulation of mandible; pronotum with fovea large and deep; pronotal anterior margin medially with the lamella raised and reflexed, region just behind not raised into a secondary margin ( Fig. 6 ); humeral region just angular, pronotal carina straight ( Fig. 7 ), elevated at sides but not forming lobes, total width of carina equal to that of mesoscutum; proepisternum with anterior margin low, not reflexed; fore coxa with inner proximal margin expanded into a raised and reflexed lamella; mesoscutum distinctly longer than wide, L/WMsc 1.1; dorsal mesepisternal plate wide, mespisternal sulcus oblique, sinuous ( Fig. 6 ); fore wing very long, LDis/HMpl 2.46, pterostigma very elongated, about 4 times longer than wide; inner claw of hind tarsus large, with the apex pointed but not strictly acute; propodeum inflated, anterior dorsal part adjacent to metanotum protuberant, nearly horizontal, median furrow well defined, deep, triangular, valve moderately wide, triangular; first segment of metasoma elongated, LSI/HMpl 1.1, exceptionally expanded at the apex, 2.8 times wider than at the base ( Fig. 16 ), apical region high and convex in lateral view, petiole cylindrical, the basal sternum not flattened, limit between sternum and tergum proximally marked by a sulcus, not by a prominent shining edge, spiracles not prominent, sternum at the apex with lateral margin raised and acute.

Sculpture: clypeus predominantly with rather weak medium sized punctures, large ones very sparse and inconspicuous; upper interantennal area and frons similar to clypeus, but with the punctures arranged into a more dense and duller pattern; mesopleuron with dense small to medium sized punctures, larger ones relatively numerous but weak.

Vestiture: eyes with distinct hairs.

Color: brown; antenna from third antennomere to apex light orange­brown; narrow apical band and lateral lobes of the clypeus, inner orbits to ocular sinus, antennal scape beneath, prominence anterior to pronotal fovea, posterior margin of the pronotum, tegula and mesepisternal plate, anterior band on metanotum, spot on the pleural articular processes of the mid and hind coxae, extensive marks on the legs, valves of the propodeum, light brown; dorsum of the fifth segment of the fore tarsus pale yellow; wings hyaline, membrane and veins close to costal margin brown, more posterior sectors of venation paler.

MALE: unknown

NEST: unknown.

Etymology This species is named after my daughter Laura.

Remarks

Mischocyttarus laurae sp. n. is only known from the holotype female. The species is easily recognizable in view of the absolutely unique morphology. The absence of some apomorphies typically observed in Kappa (as the widely separated posterior ocelli, and the raised and reflexed anterior margin of the proepisternum) suggests that the species may be the sister group of the remaining species of the subgenus. The locality “Guarunes” in the specimen’s label could not be found in maps or gazetteers. In this respect, it seems pertinent to note that Pablo Anduze (Venezuelan entomologist and collector of the specimen) described a culicid taxon named Anopheles guarauno (see Maldonado et al, 1997) probably referring to the locality “Guaraúnos” (or to the Venezuelan indigenous people known by the same name). However, “Guaraúnos” is a place in the littoral of Venezuela, in the state of Sucre, not in Mérida. So an error may have occurred in transcription of the locality name when the specimen’s label was prepared.

Distribution SOUTH AMERICA: Venezuela.

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. M. immarginatus (male genitalia): 1, digitus, 2, distal aspect of paramere, 3, aedeagus dorsal; M. villarricanus: 4, mature larva; M. injucundus: 5, male mandible; M. laurae sp. n.: 6, 7, mesosoma lateral and dorsal.

FIGURES 8–25. M. laurae sp. n.: 8, 11, female head frontal and dorsal, 16, first metasomal tergum (T1); M. latior: 9, 12, female head frontal and dorsal, 10, male antenna, 14, hind 5th. tarsomere, 19, T1; M. immarginatus: 13, male antenna, 15, hind 5th. tarsomere, 17, T1; M. mirus sp. n.: 18, T1; M. paris sp. n.: 20, mesosoma part dorsal, 21, male antenna, 22, T1, 24, propodeal large punctures; M. tapuya: 23, T1, 25, propodeal large punctures.