Alphamenes richardsi Giordani Soika, 1978

Hermes, Marcel G., 2017, Contributions to the taxonomy of Minixi Giordani Soika and Alphamenes Van der Vecht (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae), with an identification key to the species of the latter, Zootaxa 4317 (3), pp. 530-540 : 535

Alphamenes richardsi Giordani Soika, 1978

( Fig. 12–15 , 18, 22 , 25 )

Alphamenes insignis richardsi Giordani Soika, 1978: 333 , 357. Carpenter & Van der Vecht, 1991: 224 (distinction of the nominotypic subspecies is dubious).

Type data: female holotype (NHM) (examined).

Type locality: Mato Grosso, 12°50’S, 51°47’W, Brazil

Alphamenes insignis loquax Giordani Soika, 1978: 333 , 357. Carpenter & Van der Vecht, 1991: 224 (distinction of the nominotypic subspecies is dubious); Garcete- Barrett, 2001: 38 (probably male of Alphamenes richardsi ). New synonym.

Type data: male holotype (MSNVE) (examined).

Type locality: “ San Louis ”, Paraguay

Alphamenes richardsi ; Garcete-Barrett, 2001: 38 (change of taxonomic status).

Remarks. Giordani Soika (1978) recognized three subspecies for Alphamenes insignis : A. insignis insignis , A. insignis richardsi and A. insignis loquax . Distinction of these subspecies was based solely on color patterns, which is a recurring practice in the works of Giordani Soika ( Carpenter 1987; Hermes & Ferreira 2016) and in the taxonomic tradition of Vespidae , in general. The differences listed by the author refer to the variation of coloration in the mesosoma, which is black and yellow in A. insignis insignis and largely ferruginous in A. insignis richardsi and A. insignis loquax . The latter two are separated by the presence or absence of numerous yellow spots on the mesosoma.

It has already been shown for Vespidae that characters related to the color of the integument are variable due to environmental factors ( Maclean et al. 1978). Geographical variation may also play an important role in color patterns ( Bequart, 1944). In addition, characters related to the color of the integument are more variable than structural characters, since the latter are less influenced by environmental factors during the life of the individual ( Bequart 1944).

Carpenter and Vecht (1991) have mentioned that A. insignis richardsi and A. insignis loquax may be synonymous with A. insignis . Garcete- Barrett (2001), however, when examining the type series of A. insignis richardsi and comparing it with specimens of A. insignis insignis , recognizes that these subspecies actually corresponded to distinct species. This author proposed a set of morphological characters that support the delimitation of these two species, and the subspecies that until then were recognized by Giordani Soika (1978) were raised to species level by Garcete-Barrett (2001). Garcete-Barrett (2001) also left open the possibility that A. insignis loquax could be considered a junior synonymy of A. richardsi .

Here, A. insignis loquax has its status reevaluated, being considered a junior synonym of A. richardsi, corroborating what was suggested by Garcete-Barrett (2001). This proposition was based on the examination of the holotypes of Alphames richardsi and Alphamenes insignis loquax (examined material below). After the comparison between these specimens, the matching of the following set of features was recognized to justify the synonymy: vertex with strong punctation ( Fig . 25); pronotum ferruginous with deep punctures ( Figs. 12–13 ); sulcus between scutellum and metanotum evident ( Fig. 15 ); tegulae ( Fig. 15 ) and T1 strongly punctured ( Fig. 18 ); and S7 without carina.

Examined material. Paraguay, St. Louis (probably San Luis in Concepción Department): ♂ (CMNH), ‘Paraguay\ ST- Louis’ ‘84\’(yellow label) ‘HOLOTYPUS\ insignis \ loquax \ A. Giordani Soika’(partially handwriten orange label) ‘COLL. AGS’(yellow label). Brazil, Mato Grosso: ♀ (NHM)`Campo``BRAZIL: Mato Grosso \ 12°50’S., 51°47’W. \ 30.IX.1968 \ O.W.Richards.``R.S. & R.G.S. \ Expedition \ B.M. 1968-260``HOLOTYPUS \ Alphamenes \ insignis \ richardsi \ A. Giordani Soika``B.M. Type \ HYM \ 18.1138`.

Figures

FIGURES 12 – 17. 12. Male, habitus: Alphamenes insignis loquax Giordani Soika (synonymyzed under Alphamenes richardsi). 13 – 15. Alphamenes richardsi Giordani Soika: 13. Male, habitus; 14. Male, dorsal view; 15. Female, dorsal view of mesossoma. 16 – 17. Dorsal view of metassoma: 16. Alphamenes convexus (Fox); 17. Alphamenes semiplanus Giordani Soika. Scale bar for Figs. 12 – 14, 16, 17 = 1 mm, Fig. 15 = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 18 – 23. 18 – 19. T 1 in dorsal view, punctation: 18. Alphamenes richardsi Giordani Soika, strongly punctured (arrow points to the punctation of T 1); 19. Alphamenes campanulatus (Fabricius), weakly punctured (arrow points to the punctation of T 1). 20 – 21. Male S 7: 20. Alphamenes insignis (Fox), without carina; 21. Alphamenes usitatus (Fox), with carina (arrow points to the S 7). 22 – 23. Mesosoma in posterior view: 22. Alphamenes richardsi, tegulae strongly punctured (white arrow points to the propodeum; red arrow points to the tegula). 23. Alphamenes insignis, tegulae weakly punctured (white arrow points to the propodeum). Scale bar for Figs. 18 – 19, 21 – 23 = 0.5 mm, Fig. 20 = 1 mm.

FIGURES 24 – 29. 24 – 25. Female head in frontal view: 24. Alphamenes usitatus (Fox), clypeus weakly emarginate. 25. Alphamenes richardsi Giordani Soika, clypeus strongly emarginate (arrow points to the clypeus’ apex). 26 – 28. Male S 7: 26. Alphamenes incertus (de Saussure), with sinuous transversal carina (arrow points to the S 7). 27. Alphamenes campanulatus (Fabricius), with straight carina (arrow points to the S 7). 28. Alphamenes convexus (Fox), with longitudinal carina and golden pilosity (white arrow points to the S 7; red arrow points to the golden pilosity). 29. Alphamenes semiplanus Giordani Soika, with longitudinal carina and withish pilosity (white arrow points to the S 7; red arrow points to the withish pilosity). Scale bars for Figs. 24 – 25, 27 – 28 = 1 mm, 26 = 0.5 mm.