Foenatopus aurantiiceps Brues

Aguiar, Alexandre P., 2006, The Stephanidae (Hymenoptera) of Mexico, with description of six new species and key to western Foenatopus Smith, Zootaxa 1186, pp. 1-56 : 15-16

Foenatopus aurantiiceps Brues

( Figs 19–22 )

Foenatopus aurantiiceps Brues, 1915: 1 , ♀ holotype MCZC; DeSantis, 1980: 10; Aguiar, 2004b: 20; Aguiar, 2005c [synonymy];

Neostephanus fritzi Orfila, 1956: 6 , ♀ holotype MACN (examined); DeSantis, 1967: 51. Synonymized by Aguiar (2005c).

Foenatopus fritzi: Aguiar, 1998: 364 .

Morphological variation in females

Body length 15.0–31.0 mm. Fore wing vein 1Cu from complete and fully tubular to apical 0.15 spectral; vein 2­1A from a short stub to completely absent. Prosternum usually densely punctate/foveolate ( Fig. 20 ) but more sparse ( Fig. 22 ) in specimens from localities north of the Amazon river; dilated portion of hind tibia with apical half, or sometimes fully, cream­yellowish, but fully black in specimens from high altitudes (label records from 860–1219 m). Specimens with prosternum more sparsely foveolate than the usual ( Fig. 22 ) still have more foveolae per area unit than observed in F. annulipes ( Fig. 18 ).

MALE (first record). Body length 12.6 mm. Except for ordinary primary sexual differences, the single specimen examined is identical to the female on all features.

Comments

In spite of the wide latitudinal range of this species, its external morphology is considerably uniform. A redescription is not necessary at this time, as the species was reasonably well described by Brues (1915). Easily recognized as it represents the only western Foenatopus with reddish head, with a distinct centro­longitudinal impression ( Fig. 19 ), and prosternum densely or at least moderately densely foveolate ( Figs 20, 22 ).

Distribution

No records in Mexico. Originally known from northern Brazil (Amazonas, Manaus). The recent synonym with a species from Argentina ( Aguiar, 2005c) and the new distribution records below indicate that this species is well distributed throughout South America , probably overlapping with F. annulipes in the Amazon forest.

Material examined

Fourteen females, 1 male. ARGENTINA: Holotype ♀ MLPA “ARG. Jujuy, Yuto, 2.55, Foerster col.; Holotypus [red]; Neostephanus fritzi Holotype Orfila det./950. OSUC 141271 .” Right fore wing missing, otherwise complete, well preserved.

New records: BRAZIL: ♀ DZUP “Manaus­AM, Brasil , VIII.1959, C. Elias leg. OSUC 141272 .” ♀ DZUP “ Ouro Preto d’Oeste , RO. 29.X.1987. C. Elias leg, Projeto Polonoroeste. OSUC 141273 .” ♀ DZUP “ Ouro Preto d’Oeste , RO. 12.X.1987. C. Elias leg, Projeto Polonoroeste. OSUC21388 .” ♀ DZUP “ Ouro Preto d’Oeste , RO. 2.XI.1987. C. Elias leg, Projeto Polonoroeste. OSUC 141274 .” ♀ EMUS “ Brazil , Rondonia, 62 km SE Ariquemes, 7–18.Nov.1995, W.J. Hanson. OSUC 141275 .” ♀ FSCA “ Brazil, Rondonia, 7 Km NW Costa Marques , 5.XI.1986. R. Wilkerson coll. OSUC21389 .” ♀ FSCA “ Brazil, Rondonia, 7 Km NW Costa Marques , 7.XI.1986. R. Wilkerson coll. OSUC 141276 .” ♀ INPA “ Brasil, Amazonas, road AM­10 Km 16, Paxiúba , 23.V.1992, Felipe, às 8: 30 as 12: 0 0. OSUC21390 .” ♀ QBUM “ Amazonas, Brasil, Parú de Leste [= Parú de Este ], J.C.M. Carvalho col. OSUC 141277 .” ♀ UCDC “Brazil, RO, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 62 km s. Ariquemes , 1.XII.1991. S.L. Heydon. OSUC 141278 .” PERU: ♀ AEIC “Hera, S. Martin , 860 m, Peru, VI.25.47, F. Woytkowski. OSUC 141279 .” ♀ AEIC “Hera, S. Martin , 860 m, Peru, VI.9.47, F. Woytkowski. OSUC 141280 .” VENEZUELA: ♀ IZAV “Venezuela T.F Amazonas Dpt Rio Negro, Rio Bacia, 140 m, 0º55’N 66º10’W. C. Padilla , 25.III–15.IV.1984. OSUC 141281 .” ♂ QBUM “ Belém, Utinga, Est. do Pará , Almeida col., VIII.1936. OSUC 141282 .”

Megischus Brullé

Stephanus of authors (nec Panzer, 1800; nec Jurine, 1807).

Pimpla (part): Fabricius, 1804: 112.

Megischus Brullé, 1846: 537 . Type species: Stephanus furcatus LePeletier & Serville, 1825 , designated by Viereck (1914). Aguiar (2004b) gives full synonymic list and catalog of the world species.

Bothrioceros Sichel, 1860: 759 .

Madegafoenus (part): Benoit, 1951: 269, 278, 284.

Cladistic analyses in preparation by the author clearly indicate that none of the published interpretations of the worldwide genus Megischus Brullé correspond to monophyletic groups. It has been recovered as a highly paraphyletic group, composed of several independent clades, while also containing, spread out in the tree, several species attributed in the literature to the genera Afromegischus or Madegafoenus . Nonetheles, although highly paraphyletic, Megischus sensu lato can be isolated within Stephanidae as a taxon apical to Stephanus Jurine and basal to Hemistephanus Enderlein. The genus Hemistephanus has often been included as part of Megischus , but undoubtedely represents a monophyletic unit ( Aguiar, 1998, 2004a).

Although not ideal, the above delimitation of Megischus is at least partially useful, providing a reasonably well delimited group of species for taxonomic work. A strictly monophyletic interpretation of Megischus will greatly limit its definition, and lead to many taxonomic changes, e.g., to accomodate several, unstable clades, which would be left unnamed.

Recognition of Megischus s. l. in the Americas is easily achieved by noting the following features. Absence of a intercoxal bridge between the hind legs ( Fig. 41 ) (vs. present in all Foenatopus s. l.); fore wing vein 2­1A tubular and nearly complete, almost closing cell 2Cu posteriorly, although sometimes weak in small specimens, particularly in small males (vs. 2­1A never beyond basal 0.35 of cell 2Cu, usually much less); and fore wing vein M+Cu with a group of short, stiff setae placed at its very apex (vs. setae placed far from apex in all species of the Central and South American Hemistephanus).

Figures

FIGURES 17–22. Western species of Foenatopus Smith, ♀♀. 17–18, F. annulipes Kieffer; 17, head, dorsal; 18, prosternum, ventral, slightly shifted to the right; 19–22, F. aurantiiceps Brues; 19, head, dorsal; 20, prosternum, ventral, slightly shifted to the right, typical specimen; 21, propodeum + metapleuron, posterior view (petiole removed); 22, prosternum, ventral, slightly shifted to the right, specimen from locality northern of Amazon river. Illustrations not to scale.

FIGURES 35–42. Megischus bicolor (Westwood), ♀. 35, head, dorsal; 36, pronotum and prosternum, left; 37, apex of hind left tibia and its respective tarsus, lateral; 38, pronotum and anterior part of mesonotum, dorsal; 39, mesopleuron, left; 40, apex of petiole and tergites 3–4, dorsal; 41, intercoxal space between hind coxa, posterior view; 42, propodeum, dorso­lateral, left. Illustrations not to scale.