Mischocyttarus villarricanus Zikán, 1935

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 : 67-69

Mischocyttarus villarricanus Zikán, 1935

( Figs. 39, 42 )

Mischocyttarus villarricanus Zikán, 1935: 200 , figs. 79, 80; 1949: 199, fig. 134; Richards, 1978: 299.

M. latior: Richards, 1945: 344 (misidentification, incorrect synonymy).

LECTOTYPE: ♀ Paraguay, Villarrica, 10/ii/33 (F. Schade) ( IOC), designated by Richards (1978), examined.

FEMALE. Length of fore wing 11 mm; MWH/DLH a little more than 2.3, FHH/

intOW 0.96; clypeus very wide, H/WClp 0.86, median angle well projecting below, apex relatively wide and rather rounded; malar space narrow; tentorial pit as close to antennal socket as to eye; mandible anterior surface without a prominent border; L/Wesc 2.33; occeli not so widely separated, POL not reaching 2 diameters, POL/OOL about 2/3; occiput with margin distinct; foraminal area shaped ventrally as a shelf; hypostomal lamella narrow; pronotum with lateral fovea, anterior margin medially with the lamella wide and raised but not reflexed, region just behind raised into secondary margin that projects over the lamella; humeral region produced into a modest round lobe slightly directed forwards, pronotal carina as seen from above with profile concave forwards, raised and acute at sides, partly translucent, total width of carina distinctly larger than that of mesoscutum; sides of pronotum nearly straight and little converging; mesoscutum as long as wide; fore wing considerably elongated, LDis/HMpl 2.28, pterostigma about 3 times longer than wide; inner claw of hind tarsus with the apex slightly rounded; propodeum inflated but rather shortened behind, median furrow narrow but moderately deep, anterior area of propodeum adjacent to metanotum protuberant, nearly horizontal, propodeal valve wide, triangular; first segment of metasoma very long ( Fig. 39 ), LSI/ HMpl 1.24, distal part with sides diverging from the spiracles, these little prominent, apex about 2.28 times wider than the base, petiole flattened ventrally, limit between sternum and tergum proximally marked by a prominent shining edge.

Sculpture: clypeus with very dense fine to medium punctures, with more sparse less conspicuous larger ones, pattern occasionally with a comb­like appearance, area close to ventral margin with few large punctures; upper part of interantennal area and frons comblike, dull; mesopleuron with moderately dense medium sized punctures, and with more sparse larger ones, the whole pattern dull.

Vestiture: eyes with hairs short or inconspicuous.

Color: brown; vertex, mesoscutum, mesopleuron ventrally, propodeum and metasoma, blackish brown or black; mandible variably, scape, flagellum proximally and apex of the antenna below, clypeus, interantennal area, inner orbit to ocular sinus, malar space, outer orbit, back of the head ventrally, spot on inner face of fore tibia, red brown; pronotal carina (not completely), fovea (sometimes), apex of femora, inner distal margin of trochanters, dorsum of the fifth segment of fore tarsus, yellow; mid and hind tibial spurs, pale yellow; wings with the membrane strongly darkened specially near the costal margin, apex rather pale, veins dark brown.

MALE. A little smaller than female, length of fore wing 10 mm; FHH/intOW 0.92; clypeus relatively flat, wide, H/WClp 0.89, apex widely rounded; malar space nearly obsolete; tentorial pit closer to the eye than to antennal socket; antenna with the scape very short and wide, L/Wesc 2.10, antennomeres with tyloids distinct, shining, third antennomere slightly less than 3 times longer than wide, antennal apex elongated ( Fig. 42 ), with evident potential to become spirally rolled, antennomeres 11–13 distinctly flattened below, antennomere 12 about 1.83 times longer than wide, 13 curved, about 3.5 times longer than wide, and 1.27 times longer than 12; anterior face of fore coxa not quite strongly flattened; clypeus with numerous fine shallow punctures and very sparse larger ones, both types inconspicuous, interstices very shining, clypeus with long fine decumbent hairs with silvery reflexes; frons also with long hairs, but not as numerous.

Color: dark areas more extensive than in female, but face and apex of antenna below with more yellow; wide oblique spot near anterior margin of mandible, yellow; fovea, red brown; back of the head ventrally, dark brown.

NEST. According to Garcete Barret (1999), one nest from Canindeyú, Paraguay had the comb “somewhat ramified”, looking like a dead twig or leaf .

Remarks

The proposed synonymy of M. villarricanus Zikán under M. latior (Fox) in Richards (1945) followed an incorrect suggestion by Bequaert. The species is known only from Paraguay and, according to Garcete Barret (1999) the individuals of a nest may behave just like in M. fitzgeraldi , falling to the ground when disturbed.

Distribution SOUTH AMERICA: Paraguay.

Examined material

PARAGUAY: Canindeyú, 3♀ 1♂ R . N. Bosque Mbaracayú, Puesto Jejui­mi, 14/ix/ 1995 (B. Garcete­Barrett) ( INBP) ; Guairá, 1♀ (PARALECTOTYPE) Villarrica, 10/ii/33 (F. Schade) ( IOC) .

Figures

FIGURES 26–42. M. tolensis: 26, mesosoma part dorsal, 28, female mandible, 29, male antenna, 30, T1; M. magdalenensis sp. n.: 27, mesosoma part dorsal, 31, T1; M. zikaninus: 32, male antenna, 33, T1; M. pseudomimeticus: 34, T1; M. mocsaryi: 35, mesosoma part dorsal, 36, male head, 37, male antenna; M. fitzgeraldi: 38, T1; M. villarricanus: 39, T1, 42, male antenna; M. funerulus: 40, T1, 41, male antenna.