Zethus (Zethoides) Fox, 1899

Lopes, Rogerio Botion, Carpenter, James M. & Noll, Fernando Barabosa, 2021, Cladistic analysis of Zethus Fabricius, 1804 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae): a new subgeneric classification, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 82, pp. 253-283 : 253

Zethus (Zethoides) Fox, 1899

Fig. 10

Zethoides Fox, 1899: 436 (genus). Brèthes 1903: 249 (questions as distinct genus); Zavattari 1912: 6 (key), 76 (questions distinct genus).

Zethoides smithii Type species: Zethoides smithii Fox, 1899 (= Zethus (Zethoides) chapadensis Bohart and Stange 1965).

Baeoprymna Cameron, 1912: 224 (genus). Bohart and Stange 1965: 150 (jr. syn. of Zethus (Zethoides) )

Baeoprymna rufoornata Type species: Baeoprymna rufoornata Cameron, 1912 (= Zethus miniatus de Saussure, 1858).

Protozethus Bertoni, 1925: 75 (genus). Bohart and Stange 1965: 150 (jr. syn. of Zethus (Zethoides) ).

Zethus olmecus Type species: Zethus olmecus de Saussure, 1875 by monotypy.

Zethus (Zethoides) Bohart & Stange, 1965: 20 (dendrogram), 25 (key to subgenera), 150 (subgenus of Zethus , sr. syn. of Baeoprymna and Protozethus ), 203, 204 (figs). Lopes and Noll 2018 (phylogenetic analysis).

Description.

Male antennae hook-like. Longitudinal interantennal carin present, transversal may be absent. Female clypeus short, not microstriate, usually with apical teeth. Male mandible with three to four teeth. Galea length variable. Labial palpi 4-segmented, with palpomere one curved or straight. Occipital carina ventrally complete. Vertex flat. Genal margin rarely evenly convex, sinuous in more derived groups. Pronotal carina lamellar with lateral portion strongly sinuous, rarely straight (in Zethus olmecus group). Pre-tegular carina usually incomplete, sometimes absent. Welts absent. Notaulices rarely present. Tegula angled or evenly convex, with outer margin usually completely raised. Epicnemial carina complete. Posterior carina of mesepimeron usually absent, present only in Z. binodis group. Two or one midtibial spur. Metanotum anteriorly margin. Lateral carina of metanotum variable, from very short to extending as a transverse carina. Coxa usually with reflexed socket margin. Spines in posterior tibiae of females in one row, when present. Apical angle of marginal cell variable. Dorsal aperture of propodeum present. Propodeum with submedian carina usually present (absent only in Zethus aztecus and Zethus minimus groups); lateral carina present of variable length; sublateral usually absent. Apical propodeal lamella present or absent. T1 variable. Margin of S1 variable. Stem of T2 variable (especially elongated in Zethus binodis group). Lamella of T2 well developed. T3 tuberculate and apical margin posteriorly projected. Apical lamella of T3 tapered laterally (Fig. 10B ). Secondary lamella present on T3 (Fig. 10B ) with perpendicular lateral indent (Fig. 10C ). Lamella of S3 reduced. Medial lamellar lobe on S3 present (Fig. 10C ). S5 and 6 of males without carinas. Basoventral projection of cuspis absent.

Observations.

Zethus (Zethoides) stands out among all the other subgenera of Zethus . While its synapomorphies are concentrated in the third metasomal segment, its representatives do not share a similar body plan and show the greatest morphological variation within one subgenus. The species-groups here present may show similarity to other lineages (or subgenera) of Zethus and may mislead one into supposing a closer relationship to others than Z. (Zethoides) (e.g.: Z. aztecus to some Z. (Zethusculus) ; Z. binodis group to Z. (Didymogastra) ; Z. biglumis group to the Z. pallidus group). This may suggest a faster diversification in the lineages of Z. (Zethoides) when compared to other subgenera.

Distribution.

Nearctic and Neotropical.

Included species-groups.

Zethus aztecus , Zethus biglumis , Zethus binodis , Zethus carinatus , Zethus olmecus , Zethus parvulus .

Included species.

43

Figures

Figure 10. Synapomorphic characters of Zethus (Zethoides) A habitus of Z. miniatus B end-on view of primary (lower) and secondary (upper) lamellae of the third tergum; arrowheads delimimt extent of primary lamella C third metasomal tergum and sternum, lateral view; arrowhead indicates perpendicular indent; arrow indicates medial lamellar lobe. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.