Lophopedia nigrispinis (Vachal 1909)

(Figs. 15, 22, 59−65)

Tetrapedia nigrispinis Vachal 1909: 30; lectotype female examined (MNHP), ARGENTINA: Tucumán; designated by Aguiar (2007): 617.

Tetrapedia morricola Strand 1910: 518; holotype male, examined (ZMB), PARAGUAY: Central, Villa Morra; new synonymy.

Tetrapedia nigrispinis; Moure (1944b): 74.

Tapinotaspis (Tapinorhina) nigrispinis; Michener and Moure (1957): 421; Roig-Alsina (1999): 84 (misidentification of Chalepogenus coccuci).

Tapinotaspis (Tapinorhina) nigrispinis (1908) [sic]; Pedro (1994): 246; Pedro (1996): 251 (misidentification of Chalepogenus sp.).

Lophopedia morricola; Aguiar (2007): 617.

Lophopedia nigrispinis; Aguiar (2007): 617.

Comments and diagnosis. Lophopedia nigrispinis is distinctive mainly due to the integument mostly black, wing membrane dark brown infumated, mesepisternum with dense punctures on omaular area, lamella of pronotal collar with lateral portions low on female (as L. fulviventrris sp.nov.; Fig. 77), T5–T6 with marginal band of plumose hairs complete on males. It can be distinguished from L. fulviventris sp.nov. by the scrobal line on mesepisternun not depply sulcate, and can be distinguished from L. pygmaea by the omaulus convex, not carinate.

Distribution: ARGENTINA: Salta, Tucumán; BRAZIL: Bahia, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, São Paulo, Santa Catarina; PARAGUAY (Fig. 22).

Variation. The terga and sterna can vary in color. Most of the specimens present the integument mostly black, but few specimens of the northern portions ( Bahia, Vitória da Conquista) present the metasoma pale brown and wings pale brown infumated. Some specimens present one of the lateral portions of pronotal lamella lower than the other. The yellow marks on male head can be completely absent. Most of the male specimens examined present the mandible yellow with apices black, labrum completely yellow, clypeus mostly yellow, yellow stripe on paraocular area extending above the height of antennal fovea, lower margin of clypeus with a small yellow mark on the mid portion, lower third of genal area with a thin yellow stripe. The pubescence of hind leg can be completely black or pale yellow. The females can present labrum completely black or yellow, or black with lateral margins yellow. T5–T6 of male with marginal bands of plumose hairs complete, and T4 mostly glabrous with only a very short marginal hair band laterally; except for one male specimen of Paraná (DZUP/ 161916) that has a complete marginal band on T4.