Mischocyttarus mysticus, 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 : 102-103

Mischocyttarus mysticus sp. n.

( Figs. 82, 83 )

HOLOTYPE: ♀ Peru (no date) (anonymous) ( AMNH).

FEMALE. Length of fore wing 10 mm; MWH/DLH reaching 2.33, head in frontal view not very low, FHH/intOW 0.96; clypeus fairly convex, much wider than high, H/ WClp 0.86, median angle little projecting ventrally, apex narrow and gently truncate; malar space narrow, less than 1/3 of the height of an antennal socket; tentorial pit a little closer to the eye than to antennal socket; mandible anterior surface without a prominent border; antennal scape short and wide, L/Wesc 2.21; occeli widely separated, POL about 2.16 times larger than one diameter, POL/OOL larger than 2/3; occiput with a definite but low margin, laterally not reaching half of gena’s height; foraminal area shaped ventrally as a shelf; hypostomal lamella narrow; pronotum with lateral fovea, pronotal anterior margin medially with the lamella wide and not reflexed, region just behind raised into acute secondary margin; humeral region not very salient ( Fig. 82 ), carina high at sides, but not forming lateral lobe, total width less or at most equal to that of mesoscutum so that sides of pronotum look considerably convergent; mesoscutum slightly longer than wide, L/WMsc 1.05; fore wing short, LDis/HMpl 2.14, pterostigma about 3.36 times longer than wide; metanotum oblique and little convex, its anterior margin distinctly separated of the scutellum by a groove; inner claw of hind tarsus with apex narrowly round; propodeum not very inflated, median furrow not very deep, triangular, valve very wide, triangular, limit between propodeum and lower metapleuron not very distinctive; fist segment of metasoma moderately elongated ( Fig. 83 ), LSI/HMpl 1.13, with no linear sector behind the spiracles, these not or little prominent, apical region well expanded, about 2.31 times wider than the basal petiole, the latter flattened below, limit between sternum and tergum proximally marked by a prominent shining edge.

Sculpture: disk of clypeus with moderately dense rather weak small and shallow punctures, and with more sparse larger ones, interstices very shining, area close to the ventral margin reticulate with few large punctures; upper interantennal area and frons with excessively close small to medium sized punctures, pattern dull comb­like; mesopleuron with moderately dense small to medium sized punctures, and with more sparse larger ones, interstices not very shining.

Vestiture: body with short appressed pubescence with silvery (specially on clypeus) or golden reflexes; eyes with hairs short but more conspicuous than usually.

Color: black; center of tegula, lower metapleuron, legs, metasoma, dark brown; antennal flagellum below, brown to orange at the apex; mandible teeth, shining red brown; apex of clypeus, posterior margin of pronotum, articular processes of meso and metapleuron, valve of propodeum, two streaks on hind coxa, distal margin of trochanters, basal spot on mid and hind femora, apex of mid and hind tibiae, narrow distal band on terga 1–5 and sterna 2–5 of metasoma, orange yellow; narrow anterior band on metanotum, yellow; spot on dorsum of the fifth segment of fore tarsus, light yellowish brown; hind tibial spurs, pale yellow; wings tinged with light yellowish brown, apex of fore wing with hairs and veins black.

MALE: unknown.

NEST: unknown.

Etymology The specific epithet mysticus is Latin meaning “mysterious, secret”.

Remarks

This new species is only known from three females from “ Peru ” ( AMNH), one of them with an identification label where one reads " Mischocyttarus sp. ?”, the calligraphy looking similar to that of J. Bequaert .

Distribution SOUTH AMERICA: Peru.

Examined material (paratypes) PERU: 2♀ (no specified locality; no date; anonymous) ( AMNH) .

Figures

FIGURES 81–96. M. bertonii: 81, mesosoma part dorsal, 86, T1; M. mysticus sp. n.: 82, mesosoma part dorsal, 83, T1; M. schunkei: 84, T1, 92, male antenna; M. injucundus: 85, mesosoma part dorsal, 87, T1; M. pertinax sp. n.: 88, T1, 89, mesosoma part dorsal; M. timbira sp. n.: 90, male antenna, 93, mesosoma part dorsal, 95, T1; M. porantin sp. n.: 91, male antenna, 94, mesosoma part dorsal, 96, T1.