Trimeria rubra, Hermes, Marcel G. & Melo, Gabriel A. R., 2006

Hermes, Marcel G. & Melo, Gabriel A. R., 2006, Two new species of Trimeria de Saussure from Brazil, with biological notes and a key to the Brazilian taxa (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Masarinae), Zootaxa 1155, pp. 61-68 : 66-67

Trimeria rubra new species

( Figs. 3, 8, 9 , 11, 12 )

Trimeria rubra , along with T. americana , T. howardi and T. neotropica , form a complex species group within the genus. However, the new species differs consistently by the characters mentioned above and by the shorter flat basal portion of the scutellum, which is less than one and a half times as long as width of scutellar sulcus; and the weakly developed lateral processes of the propodeum. The red marked pronotum is a feature shared only with T. rhachiphora (Schletterer, 1891) .

Description

Holotype female. Coloration. Integument mostly black, with yellow markings as follows: basal third of clypeus; large and wide stripe on inner orbit of compound eye, from eye emargination to the level of median ocellus; wide stripe on upper gena; almost all of upper lateral mesepisternum; tegula basally and apically; stripe on latero­apical margins of disc of scutellum; small spots on dorsal surface and lateral processes of propodeum; apical markings on fore and mid femora; basal markings on all tibiae; lateral spots on T1; lateral stripes on T2; irregular subapical stripes on T3­T4; medial spot on T5. Pronotum extensively reddish yellow dorsally; disc of tegula reddish brown; legs extensively dark to light brown; wing veins dark brown, membrane dark brown infumate.

Structure. Gena excavated, lateral portion of occipital carina raised into a translucent lamella and reaching base of mandible; clypeus almost one and a half times as wide as long; labrum as wide as apex of clypeus; head, pronotum, mesepisternum, mesoscutum, scutellum and dorsal surface of propodeum coarsely punctate; posterior surface of propodeum regularly striato­punctate; angle between anterior and lateral portion of mesepisternum sharp, pleural carina well developed; tegula pointed posteriorly; flat basal portion of scutellum short, less than one and a half times as long as width of scutellar sulcus; pubescence on dorsal depressions of scutellum sparse and not conspicuous; lateral processes of propodeum weakly developed; fore femur not angulate near base; midtibiae with one apical spur; shining area of hind tibia large, its basal margin almost reaching middle of tibia; disc of T1­T4 coarsely punctate, on T3­T4 with dense intermingled fine punctures; disc of T5­T6 with predominantly fine punctures, coarse punctures shallow; sterna with weak and shallow punctures.

Measurements (in mm): fore wing length, from middle of tegula to apex, 6.32; approximate body length, 8.5; head maximum width, 2.32; head height, from apex of clypeus to vertex, 1.93.

Type material

Holotype female, Brazil, Rondônia: “Vilhena, RO, 27/XI/1986, C. Elias, leg., POLONOROESTE”. Paratypes: 8 females, same data as the holotype.

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to the red coloration of the pronotum.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 9. 1, Trimeria robusta n. sp. (holotype female), head in frontal view. 2, T. robusta n. sp. (paratype male), head in frontal view. 3, T. rubra n. sp. (holotype female), head in frontal view. 4, T. robusta n. sp. (holotype female), lateral view. 5, T. robusta n. sp. (holotype female), mesosoma in dorsal view. 6, T. robusta n. sp. (paratype male), lateral view. 7, T. robusta n. sp. (paratype male), mesosoma in dorsal view. 8, T. rubra n. sp. (holotype female), lateral view. 9, T. rubra n. sp. (paratype female), mesosoma in dorsal view. Fig. 5 was modified on Photoshop CS for Windows (lower half was flipped vertically to fill the upper half), because the insect pin was masking part of the picture. Scale bar for figures 1 – 3, 5, 7 and 9: 2 mm. Scale bar for figures 4, 6 and 8: 5 mm.

FIGURES 10 – 15. 10, Trimeria robusta n. sp. (holotype female), suctellum in dorsal view. 11) T. rubra n. sp. (holotype female), scutellum in dorsal view. 12, T. rubra n. sp. (holotype female), hind tibia. 13 – 15, T. robusta n. sp., nest detail showing the main burrow and cells. Scale bars for figures 10 – 12: 1 mm. Scale bars for figures 13 – 15: 10 mm.