Myzinum fulviceps ( Cameron )

Kimsey, Lynn S., 2009, Taxonomic purgatory: Sorting out the wasp genus Myzinum Latreille in North America (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae, Myzininae), Zootaxa 2224, pp. 30-50 : 44

Myzinum fulviceps ( Cameron)

Fig. 18 , Map 4

Myzine fulviceps Cameron 1900:248 . Syntype females; Mexico: Guerrero, Acapulco, Tierra Colorada, Chilpancingo; Guatemala: San Geronimo (LONDON). Made subspecies of quinquecinctum by Krombein (1979). Removed from synonymy herein. New Status.

Male.―Body length 15–20 mm. Head: frons punctures small, contiguous, becoming more widely separated on vertex (1–4 PD apart); flagellomere I length 1.2x breadth; flagellomere XI length 2.4x breadth; hypostomal angle acute in side view. Thorax: mesopleuron without omaulus, punctures 0.5–1.0 PD apart; propodeum transversely rugosopunctate; fore, mid and hindcoxae unmodified. Metasoma: tergum VII smooth, flat apicomedially. Genital capsule ( Fig. 18 ): paramere ventral lobe 4– 5 x as broad as long, spines extending along entire length of lobe, dorsal lobe with 9–10 marginal setae, one-fifth as long as volsella; volsella three-fourths as paramere ventral lobe, flat in cross-section, setose apically; aedeagus apical bulb slightly less than twice as broad as shaft below. Color: black to dark brown, with yellow markings; clypeus yellow, scape, antennal lobes yellow; yellow band along inner eye margin; pronotum with transverse anterior and posterior yellow bands; mesopleuron with anterior and posterior yellow spots; scutum with medial and sometimes lateral spots; scutellum and metanotum with medial yellow spot; propodeum with lateral band or spot; mid and hindcoxae with dorsal yellow spot; femora yellow apically; tibiae and tarsi yellow; metasomal terga I–V with subapical yellow band; sterna II–V with lateral yellow spot; wings untinted, darkest along costal margin. Ves ti tu re: pale yellow.

Female.―Body length 20–24 mm. Head: frons punctures contiguous from antennal lobes to midocellus, midocellus surrounded by upside down U-shaped impunctate welt; ocellocular distance 2.3x interocellar distance; vertex punctures 0.5–2.0 PD apart; hypostomal angle acute in lateral view; flagellomere I length 0.8x breadth. Thorax: pronotum dorsal surface covered with numerous tiny interpunctures between large punctures; propodeum laterally coarsely transversely ridged, posterior surface with large transverse ridges dorsally becoming smooth ventrally; forebasitarsis with eight rake spines. Color: black to dark brown, with yellow to dark orange markings; head orange becoming darkest around ocelli; scape and pedicel orange; pronotal disk orange becoming yellower posteriorly; mesopleuron with yellow to orange spot anteriorly; scutum with medial and lateral orange spots; tegula orange; scutellum and metanotum orange medially; propodeum with lateral yellow to orange vertical band; legs orange; metasomal tergum I posteriorly yellow; terga II–V with broad medial yellow band; tergum VI orange; sterna orange with lateral yellow spot; wings brown-tinted, darkest along costal margin. Vestiture: pale yellow to orange.

Distribution (Map 4).― USA: Arizona, Santa Cruz Co.; MEXICO: Chihuahua, Jalisco, Michoacan, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Sinaloa, Zacatecas; EL SALVADOR; GUATEMALA: Baja Verapaz; COSTA RICA: Guanacaste; 26 females and 9 males were examined.

Discussion.―Female fulviceps resemble those of carolinanum and quinquecinctum based on their large body size, extensive yellow markings, ocellocular distance twice the interocellar distance and 7–8 rake spines on forebasitarsis. However, they can be distinguished from those species by the extensive pronotal interpunctures, brown antennae and bicolored wings. Male fulviceps can be distinguished by the short flagellomere I (length less than 1.5x breadth), long flagellomere XI (length 2.4x breadth), paramere dorsal lobe spines extending entire length and volsella flat in cross-section.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 22. Male genital capsule, lateral view. Abbreviations: ae = aedeagus, dl = paramere dorsal lobe pa = paramere, v = volsella; vl = paramere ventral lobe.