Myzinum carolinianum (Panzer)

Kimsey, Lynn S., 2009, Taxonomic purgatory: Sorting out the wasp genus Myzinum Latreille in North America (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae, Myzininae), Zootaxa 2224, pp. 30-50 : 34-39

Myzinum carolinianum (Panzer)

Fig. 13 , Map 1

Tiphia caroliniana Panzer 1806 :i. Holotype female; “ Carolina ” (BERLIN).

Myzine flavipes Olivier 1811:136 . Holotype female type (lost?). Synonymized by Krombein 1938.

Meria collaris Say 1837:362 . Holotype female; USA: Indiana (type destroyed). Synonymized by Krombein 1942.

Myzine thoracica Fox 1893:113 . Holotype female; USA: Illinois (PHILADELPHIA). Nec Guérin Méneville 1838. Synonymized by Krombein 1938.

Myzine illinoisensis Dalla Torre 1897:124 . Replacement name for thoracica ( Fox) 1893 .

Elis atriventris Gahan 1913:431 . Holotype female; USA: South Dakota, Elkpoint (WASHINGTON). Synonymized by Krombein 1938.

Elis propodealis Rohwer 1920:56 . Holotype female; USA: Florida, Inverness (WASHINGTON). Synonymized under namea by Krombein 1938.

Myzine magna Krombein 1938:256 . Holotype male; USA: Georgia (PHILADELPHIA). Synonymized under namea by Krombein 1979.

Myzine berlyi parksi Krombein 1938:251 . Holotype female; USA: Texas, Bexar Co. (PHILADELPHIA). New synonymy.

Myzine berlyi patei Krombein 1938:254 . Holotype female; USA: New Jersey, Medford Lakes (PHILADELPHIA). New synonymy.

Male.―Body length 15–19 mm. Head: hypostome forming right angle in profile; ocellocular distance twice interocellar distance; frons punctures contiguous; mandible with small subsidiary tooth; flagellomere I length 1.7x breadth; flagellomere XI length twice breadth. Thorax: mesopleuron without omaulus; propodeum without transverse ridging; fore and hindcoxa unmodified; midtrochanter unmodified. Metasoma: epipygium subapically narrowed, with medial, longitudinal groove or indentation, apical teeth acute, subcylindrical. Genital capsule ( Fig. 13 ): paramere ventral lobe narrow, 3.5x as long as broad, spines on apical third, notched between dorsal and ventral lobes, dorsal lobe as broad as notch, dorsal lobe setae longer than lobe, about half as long as volsella; volsellar shape triangular, triangular in cross-section, apical setae short, less than half as long as setae on dorsal paramere lobe; aedeagus apical bulb 2x as broad as shaft. Color: black, with extensive yellow markings, head with yellow on clypeus, labrum, antennal lobes, scape, along inner and posterior eye margin, mandibular base; pronotum with broad, transverse anterior and posterior yellow bands; mesopleuron with large anterodorsal and posteroventral yellow spots; scutum with large, medial yellow spot and smaller posterolateral one; metanotum yellow medially; propodeum with large lateral yellow spot; coxae with yellow spot; femora yellow dorsoapically, tibiae yellow, with narrow ventral brown band; tarsi yellow; metasomal terga I–VI with posterior transverse yellow band, sterna II-II-V with lateral yellow spot; wing veins yellowish brown, membrane lightly brown-tinted, darkest at tip. Ves ti tu r e.―silvery.

Female.―Body length 14–18 mm. Head: hypostomal angle acute in profile; clypeal apex rounded; ocellocular distance twice interocellar distance; vertex punctures 1–4 PD apart; flagellomere I length 0.7–0.8x breadth. Thorax: pronotum with tiny interpunctures medially in longitudinal band; propodeum finely ridged or striate laterally, smooth posteriorly; forebasitarsis with eight rake spines. Color: black, with yellow markings, extent of yellow markings highly variable ranging from mostly yellow with some black maculation to mostly black, with yellow markings on scape, antennal lobe, band along inner and posterior eye margins, mandibular base, pronotum with transverse yellow band along posterior margin, mesopleuron with anterodorsal yellow spot, metanotum yellow medially, metasomal terga I–V with lateral yellow spot, sterna II–III with lateral yellow spot, fore and midfemora yellow apically, fore and midtibiae yellow to red, tarsi and hindleg reddish yellow; wing veins reddish brown, membrane brown-tinted, darkest along anterior margin. Ve st it u re.―silvery.

Distribution (Map 1).― USA: Florida: Alachua, Baker, Brevard, Citrus, Collier, Hillsborough, Levy, Miami-Dade, Nichollet, Osceola, Palm Beach Counties; Georgia: Tift Co.; Georgia: Richmond Co.; Illinois: Jackson, Kennedy, Riley, Sangamon, Scotts Counties; Indiana; Iowa: Lyons Co.; Kansas: Riley Co.; Kentucky: Hardin Co.; Maryland: Montgomery Co.; Minnesota: Nichollet Co.; New Jersey: Burlington Co.; North Carolina : Duplin, Johnston, Moore Counties; North Dakota: Richland Co.; South Dakota: Union Co.; Tennessee: Cumberland Co.; Texas: Bexar, Frio, Kennedy Counties; Viriginia: Rock Bridge Co.; 28 females and 131 males were studied.

Discussion.―Individuals of carolinianum are among the largest-bodied of the Myzinum species in North America. Other large-bodied species include quinquecinctum and obscurum . These three species have similar modifications of the paramere, with a deep notch separating the dorsal from ventral lobes. Male carolinianum have a distinctively modified metasomal tergum, a feature shared with quinquecinctum . The apical metasomal tergum is longitudinally grooved medially. Males can be distinguished from quinquecinctum by the bicolored wing membrane and flat volsella (triangular in quinquecinctum ). The wing membrane in carolinanum is weakly brown-tinted with a darkened wing tip; in quinquecinctum it is evenly amber-colored. Females are more difficult to distinguish but female quinquecinctum also have amber-colored wings. However, unlike quinquecinctum the flagellum of female carolinanum is dark brown to black, not red. The most distinctive feature of female carolinianum is the lack of ridging on the sides and posterior surface of the propodeum. Overall, carolinianum has a much more restricted distribution than quinquecinctum , occurring only in the southeastern U.S. from Maryland west to Kansas and south to Florida.

MAPS 1–4. Distribution maps of Myzinum species.

MAPS 5–8. Distribution maps of Myzinum species.

Figures

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